Sweet Divorce

Rita’s line brought the bustling office into dead silence.

Everyone looked over to Jason in unison.

Jason lifted his gaze to meet Rita, fingers tapping the tabletop, as if considering something-

Tap.

Tap.

Everyone remained quiet, and the tapping against the table was especially crisp.

Rita and Jason stayed there, testing each other to see who would be the first to crumble and speak.

The room seemed quiet, but undercurrents roiled.

Especially those who’d had their eyes on the assistant general manager’s position for a long time – they really had it in for Rita now.

“The responsibility of the assistant general manager’s position is too great, Mr. Snow. I feel like it should be left to someone more capable.” Matthew spoke first, prodding Charlie with a nondescript gesture. “What do you think, Mr. Powers?”

“That’s right. Assistant general manager is an important spot. You can’t hand it over to someone with an unknown background just because they resolved one crisis for the company!”

Charlie shot a glance at Rita, then muttered to himself, “Much less a young girl like this.”

Jason ignored the two, turning to Connor Trent, who’d maintained silent throughout. “What do you think, Mr. Trent?”

“I’ll leave the decision up to you, Mr. Snow. I have no opinion on the matter.” Connor gave up his say.

Charlie glared at him. “Brownnose!”

Connor smiled, as if he hadn’t heard that.

The position had been one that Charlie and Connor were competing over. Now that Connor had given up, Charlie was obviously slated to be the one to get said position.

As his personality went, of course Charlie was feeling resentful as all heck.

He looked coldly towards Rita, leering, “Listen, girlie…”

“Rita Brown.”

Halfway into his sentence, Rita interrupted him with two words.

“W…what?” Charlie jolted.

Seriously, Rita replied, “My name, gentlemen, is Rita Brown.”

Hearing that, everyone paused for a second.

Other than a bit of disquiet flashing across Jason’s eyes, the rest of them didn’t seem to register anything. At least, they didn’t connect that name to the Brown family.

Rita didn’t have Amelia’s favor, so she’d never been let into the company.

Furthermore, none of the Brown family had ever been allowed to mention Rita’s existence in the bloodline.

So it wasn’t strange that people here didn’t know her.

“You say you solved this issue for us, but where’s the proof?” Charlie cocked an eyebrow, putting the ball in Rita’s court again.

“Yeah, this was all Mutt’s exposure piece at work, what’s it got to do with you?” Hearing that, Matthew chimed in. “Show us proof that you were responsible, and we’ll hand you that position.”

Matthew’s doubts resonated with the other managers of the company, who started talking amongst themselves.

“Mr. Powers and Mr. Gray are right, Mr. Snow. We have to have Ms. Brown prove that she did resolve this issue and it wasn’t a coincidence.” Connor spoke as well.

place pressure on

people, but he’d never thought they could

have the assistant general manager’s position, but now they were

a band

proof; you’re just going back on your word and don’t want

expression turned fiery. “Quit speculating wildly. I

“You…”

but Rita stopped

Nathan jolted, looking at

lost her

gang didn’t want her to have

and the rest of them thought, of course

knew they wouldn’t budge so

to

panicking or losing her nerve, her eyes scanned across Charlie, Matthew and Connor as she said mildly, “Since I was the one who’d sold the video to Mutt, I’m not

loud. “You sold the video to Mutt? But Mutt is saying on social media that it was the Starpath reporter Isabelle

words, everyone else checked

had admitted outright that he’d bought the

looked

round out the lie now,

expect Mutt to give

didn’t speak, only looked mildly at

have ask Isabelle over, and we can

with the lie,” Charlie

tucked his glasses and chuckled. “What a coincidence. After I saw Mutt’s post, I had someone get in contact with Isabelle the reporter. She’s on her way

as always, Mr.

he’s the best bet

in the office lauded praise on Connor, who simply remained as outwardly humble as

and bearing were all mild-mannered, but to Rita, he hid daggers behind that smile of

though he’d said that he was leaving it up to Jason, he was

wanted to play it like that, she wasn’t going to stop

Matthew glanced at her and mocked. “You can still back

you leave now, you can still salvage your reputation.” Charlie looked at Rita,

chuckled. “I have

that moment,

in

to greet her, all smiles. “Hello, Ms.

Trent,”

exchanged some pleasantries and returned to the subject at hand. “So as far as my knowledge goes, you sold the information to Mutt, which is why

went,”

that, Connor’s

a noncommittal noise in his throat and placed the focus straight on Rita. “But

dug up the info myself!”

some of the people

had her back to Isabelle all the time, and turned

with her back straight. “What… do you have

and Isabelle feigned

been in the middle of saying

Boss?!

Connor froze. “!!!”

to the spot, but everyone else

at

That was some twist…

just called her…?” Unwilling

Isabelle took out a Starpath investor’s sheet from her pocket and handed it to Connor. “Rita