Chapter 10: Ellis’s Realization

As Ellis packed her belongings, she realized that most employees, when leaving a job, had work to hand over to others. Unlike other employees who had duties to wrap up, she had none. Her departure wouldn’t leave any gap to fill.

Meanwhile, in the conference room downstairs, a senior manager was wrapping up his presentation. He was quite pleased with his performance but paused when he noticed Easton’s stern expression at the head of the table. Easton, seated at the head of the table, appeared distant and hard to read. The manager quickly pulled back, feeling uneasy. Did I say something wrong? Was there a mistake in my carefully crafted proposal?

“Are you finished?” Easton’s voice broke the silence, cold and indifferent.

The manager scrambled to respond. “Mr. Easton, this is only a draft version. If you…”

“Meeting’s dismissed,” Easton cut him off.

Stunned, the executive watched as Easton exited the room. The rest of the senior managers were equally taken aback. The meeting had been cut short by over an hour, leaving them confused. Today was supposed to focus on a critical project. Weren’t they supposed to make important decisions?

It didn’t take long for them to figure out why Easton had abruptly ended the meeting. Victoria had arrived.

If this were ancient times, they would be Easton’s trusted ministers, privy to many of the king’s secrets. They had witnessed how Ellis had gone from an overlooked adopted daughter to the lady of the Hudson family. Yet, they were also well aware of how little Easton cared for her. Even if Victoria couldn’t take Ellis’s place, none of them believed that Ellis would remain Mrs. Hudson for long. Easton’s attitude toward her had grown colder over time, and they had all seen how he barely spoke to her, wanting her to stay away.

Whether Victoria would become the new Mrs. Hudson remained uncertain, so they weren’t in any hurry to please a new lady of the house. Nonetheless, they shared a wish for Easton to quickly get rid of Ellis, whom they saw as a burden.

Ever since Ellis had started working at Hudson Group, Easton’s efficiency had noticeably decreased. Ellis’s clingy behavior had become a problem. Wherever Easton went, she followed, even to business events where prominent women attended. She often became anxious, fearing that someone might take Easton away from her, and her insecurity had led to several awkward moments for Easton, embarrassing him and causing him trouble.

The executives had come to see Ellis as nothing more than a distraction. Many of them were placing bets on how much longer Easton could endure her before finally getting rid of her.

As soon as Easton was out of the conference room, the senior executives began to murmur softly.

“I wonder what Mrs. Hudson is doing right now.”

“Is she still obsessively clinging to Mr. Easton, or has she started giving Victoria a hard time?”

Their disdainful remarks were out of Ellis’s hearing as she focused on packing her things.

Taking a brief pause, she checked her phone to see if her resignation request had been approved. According to protocol, Easton, her direct supervisor, would need to approve it. He hadn’t responded yet, but Ellis couldn’t help feeling a pang of sadness. This was her first real job, and that carried a certain emotional weight. She had come to Hudson Group full of hope, convinced that spending all her time with Easton would eventually make him notice her, fall for her, and recognize her worth. Now, though, she was leaving with the bitter realization that her dream would never come true.

Once she had finished packing, Ellis thought Easton’s meeting must be over by now, so she headed for his office. Throughout her time at Hudson Group, she had never been stopped from going anywhere. She knocked lightly on the door and then opened it immediately.

Unlike the time four days ago when their conversation about divorce had left her feeling humiliated and on the verge of breaking down, this time Ellis had made sure to compose herself. She vowed not to let Easton’s sharp words shake her, no matter what he said.

As soon as the door swung open, Ellis saw two familiar faces. Easton and Victoria were inside. They sat on a couch, extremely close to one another, with Victoria nearly leaning into Easton. Although Easton maintained his usual cold expression, there was an undeniable, subtle tension of intimacy lingering between them.

When people faced emotional hurt, their first instinct was often to run, and Ellis was no different. The sight of Easton being so close to another woman filled her with an urge to turn and leave. But she forced herself to stay calm. Until the divorce was finalized, she was still the rightful Mrs. Hudson. In fact, as the legal wife, she had no reason to feel threatened or retreat in front of Victoria, the mistress. There was no reason for the wife to feel intimidated or back down in front of the mistress.

With this in mind, Ellis buried her inner turmoil and walked forward with composure.

Victoria shifted slightly, giving Ellis a graceful smile. “Ms. Harper, I’ve been wanting to visit you in the hospital for days, but I didn’t expect you to be discharged so soon.”