Chapter 5 This Is Not What I Want

After William left.

I started organizing the technical details from our collaboration with Apex Technologies Group over the past couple of days.

A 300 million deal - this wasn't a small project.

I no longer cared about how much the CTO or COO would get from this project.

20% equity stake - that was more money than a CTO could earn in a lifetime from salary, performance bonuses, and everything else combined.

Soon enough, the share transfer agreement was sitting on my desk.

Then came a knock at the door.

"Come in."

I thought it was the secretary who delivered the agreement, maybe forgetting to mention something.

To my surprise, it was Jane.

She stood prettily at the door with a folder: "Eleanor, am I interrupting?"

"Yes."

I was blunt. Whether it was work or personal life, she had indeed been bothering me - more than just a little.

It didn't matter before, but recently, I'd started feeling instinctively annoyed.

Jane still smiled cheerfully and said apologetically, "Sorry, I was planning to just find any random job, but William wanted me to take a management position at the company. I just picked a department randomly, didn't realize it was your territory, and that I'd taken your position. I'm sorry."

Her words made me uncomfortable.

I could vaguely sense what she was implying, but I didn't want to dwell on it.

After all, I'd just received compensation.

"Honestly, I don't really care about that."

I looked up with a smile.

Jane's smile faded, looking somewhat surprised, as if she hadn't expected me to be so generous.

"We're family. Better to clear the air - wouldn't want any bad feelings. Worst case, I'll tell William to switch me to another department. It's all the same."

She said this, but handed over a contract.

"Jane, sign this for me. For the Apex Technologies Group project, William wants me to officially sign the agreement. This report needs to go through your process."

I raised an eyebrow - of course, there was more to it.

I was the one who negotiated the Apex Technologies Group project, but she was becoming the beneficiary.

I swallowed the words on the tip of my tongue. Whatever, let her have it. After all, I'd been given the shares - that was the biggest gesture of goodwill.

"Just stay in the tech department. Ask me anytime you don't understand something."

I reached out for the agreement, casually placing the shares transfer agreement the secretary had given me underneath, ready to sign.

With her level of competence, better that she didn't mess around in other departments. In the tech department, she could play on her phone all day, show her face in the office now and then, and if anything went wrong, I'd have her back.

In another department, who knows - she might tank the company in a few days, and my equity would become worthless paper.

"William gave you shares?"

She keenly noticed the shares transfer agreement, her voice rising a few notches, carrying a hint of confusion.

I even heard the sound of her knuckles cracking as she clenched her fists.

"Shouldn't he?"

I handed her the signed contract.

At that moment, I knew clearly - after that jewelry incident, my attitude toward her couldn't go back to what it was, and I felt no guilt about it.

After a brief silence, Jane covered her mouth and laughed: "Don't be so hostile toward me!"

She flipped through the contract I handed her, but her eyes glanced at me, as if searching for something: "The contract, the COO position, or Stellar Innovations... I don't want to compete with you for any of it. You're busy, I won't bother you anymore."

Walking to the office door, she dropped a meaningful line: "Because what I want isn't any of these things..."

I frowned, no longer in the mood to work.

After lunch, I didn't go to the office.

Instead, I headed to the mall.

Christmas was approaching, and we were having dinner at Grandma's tonight. Her birthday was coming up soon, too, so I wanted to prepare a gift.

Since marrying William, his family, including his father, had a lukewarm impression of me and spoke very formally.

Only Grandma was genuinely good to me. It was mutual. My parents had passed away, so I saw her like my own grandmother.

Walking around, I stopped at the Windward Atelier counter.

I called William.

"Hello?"

His cool, flat voice came through the phone.

"We're going to Grandma's for dinner tonight, and her birthday's coming up soon. I'm trying to figure out what gift would be appropriate. If you're busy, never mind, I'll decide myself."

I just remembered he had a meeting this afternoon.

"Anything's fine. Grandma loves you - she'll like whatever you give her."

Men and women have completely different aesthetics.

Women love delicate things, men prefer proper and dignified, especially men like William, who showed little emotion and focused entirely on their career.

He probably couldn't offer much advice anyway.

My gaze settled on a scarf at Windward Atelier.

"How about a beige scarf?"

"Sounds good."

"Okay."

Just as I was about to hang up, another woman's voice came through the phone.

"William, will Grandma like this gift?"

"Stop calling already, who's being so annoying? Am I not important anymore?"

It was Jane.

Wasn't he supposed to be at a meeting this afternoon?

Why was he suddenly helping Jane pick out a gift for Grandma?

A sour feeling welled up in my chest. When I called to ask him, he didn't seem very invested.

But what about Jane? Why did he have time for this?

"Wait."

I stopped him.

After a brief silence on the other end, he explained, "You know Grandma has never really liked her. For this family gathering, she dragged me along to help her win Grandma over..."

True, Grandma really didn't like Jane.

I heard that when William's father married Jane's mother, Grandma was strongly opposed.

Grandma didn't like women who came with their own children, young or old.

This explanation made sense.

But I felt more like an outsider.

Shouldn't William be accompanying me to pick out a gift instead? Wouldn't that make more sense?

"Really?"

I asked, more like asking myself.

I checked my watch - 4 PM.

"Then pick me up at the mall near the office at five."

"No problem."

I hung up.

The uneasy feeling in my heart grew stronger.

These past few days, my emotions had become increasingly unstable.

I unconsciously touched my belly - I'd heard that emotional instability during pregnancy was normal.

I decided to assume I was just overthinking.

After all, he'd just pledged his loyalty in the office at noon.

5 PM.

The elevator went straight to the underground parking garage.

William was leaning against his black Maybach, waiting for me.

I'd mentally prepared myself thoroughly, put on a smile, and walked over quickly.

Seeing me approach, he didn't come to embrace me like usual, but instead opened the back door, looking somewhat unnatural: "Get in."

I hugged his arm and smiled: "Don't you want to know what the good news is?"

"What?"

He seemed distracted, without the curiosity he'd shown in the office.

I'd already decided to tell him about the pregnancy, even though his expression seemed odd.

But my instinct told me it was time to say it. The smile disappeared from my face as I said seriously: "Honey, I..."

"Why are you being so slow? Hurry up and get in."

The passenger window slowly rolled down, and Jane impatiently interrupted me.

This time, I wasn't generous. I frowned at William.

That uneasy feeling swept over me again.

Jane, sitting in the passenger seat, locked eyes with me - William couldn't see her from where he stood.

She showed a meaningful smile and said apologetically, "My car's engine is making weird noises. William won't let me drive it. We're all going to Grandma's anyway - what difference does it make whose car we take, right?"