Chapter 52: Chapter 52: A Heartbroken Lass
Claudia POV
"Hmph, unlike you, who can be so blind as to marry a pathetic man like Miles. I am very objective with my assessment. I am a psychiatrist after all," Ray said. "And I mean every single word that I said about you, Claudia."
"Ahahaha..." I tried to fix the awkward atmosphere between us with another awkward laugh. The way Ray looked so serious about his statement, as if he would actually be offended if I said that I wasn’t as beautiful as those models and celebrities.
Maybe it was just one of those rare times of Ray Gatlin being nice, so it wouldn’t be wise to bank on his words.
If a broken woman like me was actually beautiful like what he said, then why would Miles cheat on me with my own half-sister? He called me loose many times in the past, and also mentioned how I had to maintain my body or else I’d look like a hag.
Miles covered those words with a sprinkle of jokes and would act flustered if I got upset by those hurtful remarks.
If I was truly beautiful, then why didn’t I get my happy ending?
Thinking of my current situation made me upset, so I faked a smile and said, "Well, you should wait for a moment. I’ll get back to my room and change my dress."
"Why?" he asked again. "Didn’t I tell you just now that you already look perfect?"
"Silly, don’t you realize that the color of my dress and your shirt are identical? People will think that we’re dating!" I corrected him. "Surely, you don’t want to accidentally meet your colleagues and have them misunderstand our situation, right?"
"What a bunch of nonsense you have in your mind," he ridiculed before grabbing my hand firmly.
I was flustered and tried to yank my hand away immediately, but he held it tight—so firm that the heat from his palm transferred to my cold hand.
"I don’t give a damn about what others think of me, Claudia. Some see me as a coldhearted sociopath, some think I am a tyrant and a madman. Being accused of dating you is the least of my worries."
"Now let’s go. The weather is perfect to go out right now," he said before walking to the front door while pulling me along.
"W-wait, a-are you sure? I can always change and—"
Ray ignored me completely and opened the door.
I held my breath when we bumped into Jane Jiang, who seemed to have been standing outside for a while.
I zipped my mouth immediately as Jane looked at us in shock. Then there was a hint of sadness in her eyes before she lowered her head.
Jane told me that she didn’t like Mr. Gatlin, but I knew that a young woman like her would definitely have a big crush on someone like Ray, a powerful man with the money and the looks—just like how I became a clown back then just to get his attention.
I didn’t want Jane to think there was something between Ray and me. We still very much hated each other, but I wanted to test the waters until I could ask him to save my daughter.
After all, a jealous girl was the most dangerous enemy on earth. I didn’t want to make an enemy out of her.
"Ah, J-Jane, we’re just—"
"Step aside, Jane. Claudia and I are going out," Ray cut me short.
Jane obeyed his order. I had no say in this as we walked out of the door and headed to the elevator.
I looked over my shoulder and noticed that Jane was standing still while staring at us. She didn’t seem happy, and that was understandable.
As we entered the elevator, Ray finally gave her another instruction.
"You’ll have to stay in the penthouse until we’re back, Jane. Don’t touch or do anything unnecessary, understood?"
"Yes, Sir," Jane nodded weakly. She seemed to be on the verge of crying, which made me feel even worse.
As the elevator door closed, I quickly turned my head toward him and said, "You’re so cruel, you know that, right?"
"Cruel?" Ray frowned. "I didn’t do anything wrong."
"That girl, she—it’s obvious that she likes you."
"So?" Ray raised one brow while giving me a side glance. "Why should I care about what she thinks of me? I told her that she can resign if she can’t be professional while working with me, and she insisted on keeping her job as my secretary."
What Ray said wasn’t wrong.
But it still felt... wrong. At least to me.
"Then if she refuses to resign, why don’t you just fire her or put her in another division? Don’t you know how painful it is to see the man you love end up not caring about you at all?" I pointed out.
Just like how I felt about you back then, Ray.
That was the sentence I silently swallowed.
Jane reminded me so much of my younger self. When I was head over heels for Ray, I did everything I could to make him fall in love with me. But as time went on, I realized that I was just playing myself.
I was like a fool who couldn’t let go of him while he saw me as mere entertainment to pass his free time.
I knew how painful and humiliating that feeling was, and I wished that no woman would feel the same.
"She is the most competent and loyal secretary that I have. It’s difficult to trust someone in my line of work, Claudia," Ray replied calmly. "Besides, why do you care about her? She’s not a pitiful woman who can’t do anything. She’s the heiress of a food company in her home country. Her parents are loaded."
Ding!
The elevator reached the basement, but we didn’t move from our positions as we stared at each other.
I was genuinely shocked by the revelation, because to think that an heiress would willingly lower herself to become Ray’s secretary.
Ray showed a mocking smile at me.
"What? Surprised that I am not a pathetic poor idiot who cheats on his wife just because he finally got some money in his bank?"
