Chloe arrived a bit late at Vernon's office because she had to prepare Vernon's lunch first. She was scared that Vernon might yell at her again, but when she came out of the elevator, the only person she saw was Diamond, who sat at her desk and was busy arguing with someone on the phone.
Diamond went in and out of Vernon's office and continued arguing until she got pissed off and hung up the call.
Chloe observed Diamond from afar, afraid that she might have come during the worse time of the day.
Diamond looked exhausted. Her eyes were a little red— maybe she hadn't slept at all for the whole night. She stood at the door of Vernon's office and side-glanced inside the office. Then, her face gradually turned sour, and the edge of her lips twitched.
"FUCK THIS!"
BAM!
Diamond slammed the door as hard as she could, which made Chloe jump out of fright.
Diamond turned around and saw Chloe standing at the corner of the room, clutching her bag and the lunch box out of fright.
"Homegirl…" Diamond sat on the sofa where she and Chloe often chatted and patted the spot beside hers. "Sit here. I want to ask you something."
It was rare for Diamond to look so peeved like this, so Chloe was scared. But she approached her best friend and sat beside her, "What happened, Diamond?"
"Well…" Diamond sighed and slouched on the sofa, wanting to bury herself in the sofa, and disappeared at this point. "I haven't slept since yesterday. I had to call many vendors, art dealers, home depot, et cetera."
"W—Was it that bad?" Chloe asked.
"He literally destroyed everything in his own office!" Diamond yelled frustratedly. "Girl, tell me why he becomes so angry after spending time with you? Your answer might cause me to throw hands, though."
"Um… I was giving him… a head in the Velvet room. After we were done, he asked me if I knew that every sweet thing he said during our steamy session was just bullshit because he wanted to get off the steam," Chloe said.
"And how did you reply?"
"I just smiled and nodded, Um… I told him I understand that everything is just pillow talk, no string attached, and there is no feeling involved in this," Chloe tried to remember what she said to Vernon that might trigger him.
But honestly, she also had no idea. He just exploded out of rage, and Chloe had to run out of his room, or she might get hurt.
Diamond sighed after listening to Chloe's story, "Now it all makes sense."
"Huh? What do you mean?"
"No, it's nothing, girl," Diamond replied. She seemed to be much calmer after Chloe told her story. "He brought this upon himself. I have no authority to do anything about it."
Chloe didn't understand what Diamond meant, but when she wanted to ask more about it, Diamond suddenly stood up and was busy with her phone again, "Sorry, girl, I can't really talk with you right now. I've got to list many things to fill the office again, or that devil will continuously nag about how incompetent I am as his secretary, even though it's his fault! Argh!"
Chloe zipped her mouth again, not wanting to disturb Diamond, who was too busy to even rest, let alone talk with her.
She sat on the sofa while playing with her phone. Chloe spent her free time on the phone checking on two things, a house to buy or an apartment to rent, so she could plan everything right after she got enough money from working with Vernon.
Though, there was also one tab in her phone browser that she had kept on since she got this phone five years ago.
It was a site that sold many expensive designer items, mostly handbags and shoes. No matter how many times she told herself that she didn't need these expensive things, she was still a woman in the end. She wanted to have nice things in life and wanted to work for them.
She begged Vincent to let her work, so she could get something she liked with her own money since Vincent would always nitpick and ridicule her for buying anything.
But when she begged at Vincent, that bastard only told her that Chloe would probably cheat if she worked somewhere else.
—
'Besides, why do you need to buy expensive stuff? You know you don't fit that, right? It'll be a waste to buy it for you,' Vincent said back then.
—
'But he bought Priscilla a Birkin,' Chloe smiled bitterly. 'He doesn't even allow me to work for myself but buy other women stuff I've always wanted….'
Chloe felt a sharp pain in her heart once she remembered when Vincent suddenly returned home with a Hermes Birkin.
Chloe saw them a lot, being worn by her mother-in-law and a few other Gray ladies. She wanted one but dared not ask because Vincent would laugh at her for buying a 500 dollars bag, let alone that absurdly expensive bag.
So, she was shocked when Vincent brought one home, thinking it would be for Chloe.
But when Chloe wanted to touch it, Vincent slapped her hand and scolded her;
— Flashback —
'Why are you touching something that's not yours?'
'B—But I thought, that's for me….'
'Huh? Why would I give you expensive stuff? Do you think you deserve it?'
'Then, why would you bring this expensive bag home….'
'It's a gift for Priscilla, of course. She is my new secretary.'
'But… you gave so many things to many of your women out there…' Chloe protested, wishing her husband could consider her a little. But it was just a stupid idea. Of course, Vincent wouldn't give a shit about her.
'And then what? I have many side chicks out there, giving them money and expensive things to pay them. I don't see what's wrong with it.'
'But, what about me? I'm your wife. Shouldn't I get something from you too?'
Vincent observed his wife from head to toe and laughed out loud.
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