Chapter 67
Joanna called so early this morning. She must have missed him terribly after not seeing him all night. I turned my head to look out the window, feeling my throat tighten. Soon, I heard Hayden pick up the phone. "Humph," I thought, "he really doesn’t try to hide anything."
“Yes, I had breakfast already. Make sure you’re prepared for today’s work. Pay attention to the details,” Hayden answered coldly. Just those few words revealed Joanna’s eagerness to bring him breakfast, a gesture his status precluded.
The words Hayden spoke to Joanna were softer; a stranger might have mistaken them for a couple. The driver in the front seat barely breathed, wisely avoiding involvement.
We soon arrived at the office. The atmosphere felt heavier than usual. Something happened, I wondered, but Hayden seemed completely at ease.
Anxiously, I made my way upstairs. There, I saw Zachary leaning against the secretary's desk, rubbing his temples with a gloomy expression. Richard stood stiffly beside him, while Joanna sat at her desk, crying, her face buried in her hands.
I froze. What’s going on? Could Zachary be giving Joanna trouble? Who is so bold as to provoke her? I quickly glanced at Hayden; his jaw was tight, his eyes filled with fury as he looked at Zachary.
“What’s going on?” Hayden’s voice cut through the tension.
At the sound of his voice, Joanna stopped crying and screamed, “Hayden!” Then she rushed toward him. The secretary’s office fell silent, save for Joanna’s heartbroken sobs. Richard remained motionless, unfazed; such scenes were commonplace. Zachary squinted, offering a slight smirk, as if mocking my husband’s comforting of another woman.
“Don’t cry. What happened?” Hayden’s tone was gentle.
Joanna couldn’t finish a sentence, gasping for breath between sobs. It seemed she believed more tears equaled greater understanding. Hayden didn’t press; instead, he silently signaled Richard to explain.
Richard nodded, but Zachary spoke first. “Mr. Parker, I’m glad you’re here. These new secretaries… their abilities are all over the place. They probably lacked proper training. The meeting was confirmed two days ago, but this morning, she told everyone it was tomorrow. And now, I’m here early, and none of the board members are.”
Zachary explained the situation, then, walking toward Hayden with a smile, his tone sharpened. “This wouldn’t be your doing, would it, Mr. Parker? Trying to mess with me on purpose!” Each word was heavy with intent; despite the smile, a venomous glint shone in his eyes.
Hayden’s gaze turned cold, his handsome features betraying no emotion.
Before Hayden could respond, Joanna interjected, “This isn’t Hayden’s fault. I didn’t mean to mix up the dates. I just pushed it back by one day, and it’s not a big deal, right? Mr. Swanson started yelling at me as soon as I walked in…”
Lately, Joanna had been obsessed with getting closer to Hayden, hoping to sleep with him and get pregnant. Her mind was completely off work. Now, knowing the value of the cruise ship, she seethed with jealousy, unconcerned about the meeting date. Even if she were wrong, she believed Hayden would always support her.
I understood the situation. After hearing Joanna’s foolish remarks, I felt even more sympathy for Hayden. Could he have suffered a brain injury in that car accident? Otherwise, how could he be with someone so stupid? She had done wrong, yet instead of rectifying it, she made excuses, believing tears would solve everything.
But looking at Hayden’s expression, a sinking feeling overcame me. It seemed Joanna might get away with it. Hayden said nothing at first; instead, he looked at Richard, seeking verification of Zachary’s words. Richard nodded; everything Zachary said was true.
“The board meeting? How come I didn’t know about it?” Hayden smoothly changed the subject, ignoring Joanna’s mistake. I smiled faintly. Hayden didn’t disappoint me. His blatant defense showed Joanna’s importance to him.
Zachary raised an eyebrow. “Mr. Parker, you didn’t know about the company’s monthly meetings? Everyone else does. It’s a simple work report. Maybe you should pay more attention to the company, instead of always indulging in romance.”
“From now on, no meeting will take place without my approval,” Hayden coldly retorted, his eyes narrowing at Zachary.
The atmosphere escalated. My heart tightened. Hayden’s words were a declaration of war. Zachary, still stern, stared back, then grinned maliciously. “That’s only natural. But as for Joanna’s mistake, Mr. Parker, are you really going to just brush it under the rug? If the whole company finds out how you’re protecting her, they might not be so forgiving.”
Zachary could concede on the meeting issue; Hayden was president. But he wouldn’t let Joanna’s mistake slide. Since I can’t find fault with Hayden, I’ll go after the people around him, Zachary thought.
Joanna hid behind Hayden, clutching his sleeve. “Hayden, help me…”
For a long moment, Hayden’s eyes darkened. “What do you want?”
“It’s simple,” Zachary said slowly, enjoying Hayden’s discomfort. “Since she made a mistake, she should be fired.”
“I don’t want that! Hayden, I don’t want to be fired!” Joanna cried, clinging to Hayden.
I remembered how my father always gave in to Sophia’s tears. I wondered how Hayden would handle this. Joanna had messed up, and if nothing happened, Hayden would lose credibility. In such a large corporation, unfair treatment would damage his support. Especially now, with Zachary watching. Whatever Hayden did would be magnified and scrutinized.
I was enjoying the drama, but Zachary’s words pulled me in. “Mrs. Parker,” he said, turning to me with a smile, “What do you think should be done about this situation?”