Chapter 16
It was not until that moment that Zara really looked at Yosef. “This is a bet between her and me. Everyone here is a witness, including you, Mr. Webb.
“I’m just following through on the bet. Do you see something wrong with what I’m doing, Mr. Webb? What mistake did I make?”
She stood there, as fierce as a hedgehog with its quills up. She looked so different from her usual calm, understated, and almost meek self.
Yosef felt like he was looking at a stranger.
“She’s been bad–mouthing me and even trying to pin her schemes on me. For all I know, she could’ve been the one messing with the rope to frame me. If it weren’t for the evidence, I’d probably be wrongly accused–all because of just a few words from her and your favoritism for her.
“Why should I put up with that? If I’m wronged, why can’t I set things right?”
Zara’s comeback was fierce. Her gaze locked onto Yosef’s, unwavering and bold.
“And what if the client had gotten hurt? If Mr. Smith were to demand accountability without any sympathy, would I be expected to apologize, pay up, and even face the law? It was just a slap! I even held myself back!”
Yosef was speechless. He had never seen this side of Zara before, so cutting and intense.
He remembered her as someone who would just take what life threw at her without fighting
back.
Beatrice, who was sobbing into her pillow, looked up. Her face was a mix of anger and defeat. ” Fine! I admit that I wrongly accused you. I deserved that slap!
“But I wasn’t the one who touched the rope, and there’s no video of me doing it. Aren’t you blowing things out of proportion and smearing my name? How is what you’re doing now any different from what I did?”
Zara eyed her. This woman was not as clueless as she had thought, managing to strike back when cornered. She was truly someone who could wrap Yosef around her finger.
Tears streamed down Beatrice’s face, making her look pitiful. “I was just… so jealous that Mr. Webb had you by his side, so I blurted out those things in a moment of impulse… Mr. Webb,
I’m so, so sorry.
“I realize now I was wrong. I shouldn’t have been so narrow–minded. I shouldn’t have hoped
that if Ms. Lowry and was not so flawless, maybe… just maybe, you
wouldn’t be so fond of her and you’d finally pay attention to me.
+15 BONUS
“I know it was a bad thought. Ms. Lowry was with you first, and I’m the one who came between…”
Yosef interrupted her, “You didn’t.”
Zara could not even muster the energy to smile.
Yosef was not just accepting Beatrice’s apology, but he was also showing her compassion and
love.
Not the third party? Beatrice certainly was not. Zara was the real outsider here.
Yosef turned back to Zara, his emotions unreadable. Finally, he just said, “Enough. You’ve done enough.”
Zara summoned all her strength to wrench her wrist from his grasp. She broke away from his hold over her as she had longed to do for the past three years.
She was not just done.
She was beyond done.
Zara looked up, exhaled a long breath, and declared, “Mr. Webb, there’s just one month left on my contract with Azure Cloud. I’ll send my written resignation to HR and your email. When the month is up and the contract ends, I’ll take my leave.”
Yes, she wanted to resign.
No one saw it coming, not even Beatrice, who had been crying her eyes out. Zara was the last person anyone thought would walk away.
1
She was the one who got hurt. She should not be the one to go!
“My injury is work–related. I’ll get a doctor’s note and file for leave and workers‘ compensation with HR. I can’t work this month anyway.”
Zara was done with the emotional rollercoaster–alienation, favoritism, neglect, contempt, doubt, and even distrust. She was out of reasons to put up with all of this any longer.
She decided she did not want to see Yosef anymore, not even if it was her last month at the
company.
