A Vengeful Ex-Wife

Chapter 29 Asking For Help

Summer shut up immediately. She lowered her head and stayed still. She wouldn't look James in the eye.

"That was your last chance. I'm sending you to L Country one month before the project starts!" James had been waiting for her to admit her mistake, but she didn't. Instead she still tried to defend that hateful woman. Summer had brought this on herself.

As long as she still wanted to work for HL Group, Summer should start packing her bags and stop making waves. Just accept the assignment to L Country. But how could she help Maria then? The woman wanted to remarry James, and there were few people who could help her with that goal.

Keeping this in mind, Summer took a deep breath and said, I'm sorry I butted in, Mr. Xi. I should have stayed out of it. But Maria's my good friend. When I hit rock bottom, you guys helped me out. So I need to help her when she's in trouble."

Six years ago, Summer was only a low-level assistant. She couldn't help Maria much when she got booted from the Xi family.

She was helpless as she watched Maria suffer and exile herself from H City. And she felt so guilty about that. She had the chance to help Maria now. Maybe she went a little too far, but she wanted to help her however she could.

"And you still can help her. Did I stop you? No. Your friendship isn't any business of mine," James said in an even tone. He ran his fingers through his hair. "But that's when you don't interfere in my business. I don't pay you that much a year to make me unhappy."

Summer knew she was in the wrong, but she still had an ace up her sleeve. "I know you won't accept failure, Mr. Xi, from your ex-wife or me. And I know I let you down. I don't want to disappoint you any further, so I'm tendering my resignation."

She put her career on the line for Maria. She wanted to stick around and help her win James' heart.

A ghost of a smile spread across the man's face, his eyes still cold. "Are you threatening me?"

Summer shook her head and answered quickly, "Not at all. You know I was born here. My parents live here. So do my in-laws. My husband and I are trying to have a kid. If I took on this project, I'd be gone for five years. We can't put our plans on hold that long. My marriage wouldn't survive it, either."

"This project won't delay your pregnancy." He didn't ask her to do manual labor or anything. "Mr. Xi, it's not like that." She steeled herself, and let James in on some inside information. Maria could never reveal this to him, so Summer decided to do it for her.

After thinking for a while, Summer continued, "When Maria was pregnant, you were traveling to the US and France. You never returned to H City. You don't know how hard it is for a woman to go through pregnancy. I went with her to the prenatal checkups every month. When she was in her first trimester, she couldn't keep anything down. Just the smell sent her running to the bathroom. It was so hard for her then. She really needed you with her."

But he couldn't—or wouldn't—see her. He was so busy he never called Maria at all. Someone had to tell him how Maria was doing.

Arthur was already three days old when James hopped a plane from Australia to see Maria.

Sitting in his chair, James didn't say a word. She gave him something to think about.

He didn't look good, so Summer decided to wrap it up. "Look, I can't stop you from punishing me. I deserve it. But I don't want to leave my family. Ball's in your court. You'll have my formal resignation on your desk first thing tomorrow." Nôvel(D)ra/ma.Org exclusive © material.

Silence returned to the office after Summer left and closed the door behind her.

James remembered everything. Summer was right. When Maria was pregnant with Arthur, James was so focused on his work he forgot all about his wife.

So he never asked how hard the pregnancy was, or whether she got along with his family.

He knew Judy slapped her, but he didn't say anything. She was his stepmother, and Maria didn't want to rock the boat.

He admitted he wasn't the best husband or father, but Maria proposed to him, not the other way around. Since he granted her wish, what more did she want? She wanted this, didn't she?

He thought he'd never see her again. But she came back, six years later. Did she think she could just waltz back into his life after killing his son?

Impossible.

They didn't marry for love. It was just that she was quiet and still virtuous after marrying him. They were roommates, not lovers.

Arthur's death was everyone's fault, but Maria accepted the brunt of the responsibility. James was more than generous, giving her three hundred million dollars in alimony. After that, he wasn't responsible for her.

At the police station, the woman leaned forward in her chair. She had her elbow on the desk, chin resting in her hand. Bored, she listened to the question the young officer asked her. She answered them, even if this was the fifth time she'd heard that question. They would subtly rephrase the question to try and trip her up.

"So you admit you broke into the villa?" he asked. She replied, "I told you, James Xi locked me inside." How could she tell the cops she was trespassing? Even she really did break in, she would never admit it.

The young policeman was helpless. When the two had reached a stalemate, another policeman rushed over with a file folder in his hand. "Lee, this is the case file. It has clear evidence of trespassing, including an account by the owner of the villa. We have orders to book her. The owner is pressing charges."

Maria sat there quietly, listening to them. Those words tore her heart to shreds.

The policeman turned to Maria and continued, "But the owner said if you agree to leave the city and never come back, he'll let you off the hook."

James wanted to either see her trespassing case go to court and have her punished according to the law or drive her out of the city. That man was ruthless!

"How long is the sentence for trespassing?" Maria asked.

Lee looked at her and answered thoughtfully, "You case is serious, since you broke in and were caught red-handed inside. Although you won't admit it, the evidence is against you. Probably three years." In fact, her case was not very serious, but James was powerful. What he wanted, he got.

"I need to contact my attorney," requested Maria.

The other policeman next to Lee shut her down. "Cut the crap. You have only two options now. One is to leave the city, and the other is to stay in jail and wait for trial."

Maria gazed at him and repeated her request, her tone becoming colder. "I said I want to contact my attorney. You need your ears checked?"

Lee put a hand on his chest to stop his fellow officer from going any further. He pushed a landline phone in front of her and said, "Here you are."

Maria picked up the receiver, and was about to dial a number.

But as soon as she pressed the number 1, she stopped, deep in thought.

She didn't feel like getting her attorney involved. She knew very well that her attorney couldn't help her. Norman probably couldn't either.

Norman hated James, and the feeling was mutual. Norman might even make it worse. Besides, although she was happy with her attorney's abilities so far, he was no match for HL Group's elite team of lawyers. They'd probably bury him. At last, Maria dialed another number. "Hello, Lowrie. It's me. I need your help." After a brief explanation, she added, "By the way, I need a pair of shoes. Size 37. Thanks!"

Then she put down the phone and waited.