Chapter 292: Lunch Break Lowdown

As Ellis thought about her past with Easton, she wished she could tie a noose, slip it around her neck, and end the part of her that had loved Easton with all her heart. She was deep in her troubled thoughts when, suddenly, the light in front of her was blocked. Before she could look up, a male voice came from above.

“Ms. Harper, care for some hot coffee?”

Morty? Ellis looked up. Indeed, it was Morty, his face wearing a gentle smile, holding a bag in his hand. Her mind flashed back to the New Year’s gifts he had brought her. The gaze of her colleagues swept over her, pretending to be casual, and her headache worsened. Easton had just been here yesterday, and now it was Morty’s turn. When would she stop being the subject of office gossip?

“I…”

She had barely spoken a word when Morty, without another word, placed the bag on her desk and said, “I’m off to discuss something with Madam Lois, bye.” Morty hadn’t stayed in front of her for a minute before he turned and left, but his brief appearance still sparked intense curiosity among her colleagues.

She truly wondered if she owed Morty and Easton something from a past life, for them to be troubling her like this in this one! With a small sigh, Ellis reached for the bag with the coffee, intending to throw it away. But then she thought better of it. It was food, after all; it seemed wrong to just discard it. She asked her colleagues if anyone wanted it, but was met with unanimous refusals.

No one else wanted it, and she was indeed feeling a bit drowsy. Coffee could perk her up, so she decided to drink it. As annoying as his sudden appearances were, Morty was at least better than Easton; he seemed to have a sense of timing. Easton, on the other hand, had no sense of boundaries. He would barge into her living space, even sneaking into her bed and staying until morning, nearly scaring her to death.

She wasn’t intentionally comparing the two men, but since both were equally bothersome, she subconsciously weighed which was less annoying. Thinking along these lines, she realized Morty had one advantage over Easton. At least Morty was there to help and protect her when needed. In contrast to Easton’s cold indifference to her life or death, Morty seemed much more humane.

Speaking of Easton, he kept seeking her out, even suggesting they remarry. Hadn’t Victoria noticed what he was up to? With the Brooks family almost ruined, didn’t Victoria want to cling to Easton’s success? The Hudson Group was a towering presence, and Easton’s wealth was vast. If Victoria stayed with him, her life would be set in luxury, unburdened by her family’s decline.

She felt it necessary to look into the current situation between Easton and Victoria. The idea of Victoria trying to take her place as Easton’s wife was quite amusing. Victoria, with her tea always steaming and her air of arrogance, probably thought herself certain to reclaim her position as Easton’s wife. The reality must be a bitter pill.

As she thought about it, she remembered she was at work. Ellis stood up, planning to take a document downstairs to a department head and stretch her legs to ease the discomfort of sitting for too long.

In the elevator, a high-level executive who had just left the CEO’s office was also heading down. After exchanging pleasantries, the executive joked, “That young Mr. Morty from Nexus Group is practically Ms. Harper’s boyfriend now, isn’t he?”

Ellis’s expression stiffened. What were people saying behind my back? How exaggerated had the stories become? Morty, my boyfriend? She managed a strained smile and said, “Honestly, I’m a bit of a loner. I’ll probably end up alone; I don’t see a boyfriend in my future.” There was no law that required her to stick to the truth; right now, she was all for bending it.

The executive, sensing her evasion, offered a well-meaning but patronizing piece of advice, “A woman’s youth fades quickly. While you’re still young, you should choose the best man possible to secure your future.” Men and women view things differently, and Ellis didn’t appreciate this old-fashioned notion that a woman needed a man to be her vine. She was doing well not to roll her eyes at him. Because she had indeed clung to Easton, attempting to rely on him for a lifetime, and the result had been a humiliating disaster, a black mark on her life.

She ruffled her hair in frustration and stepped back, putting distance between herself and the executive.

“Mr. Morty is both capable and good-looking. Don’t string him along too long. Men, once they lose interest in a woman, will…”

The executive, mistakenly thinking Ellis was engaged in his advice, was about to offer more “realistic” wisdom. Ellis cut him off, “I said, I’m not looking for a boyfriend, and Mr. Morty is not the suitor you think he is. If your idle chatter reaches Mr. Morty’s ears and affects our company’s cooperation with Nexus Group, and if Madam Lois finds out, you’ll be held responsible.”

Securing one’s employment was crucial. After hearing Ellis’s words, the executive quickly changed the subject, “Ms. Harper, what brings you downstairs?”