Chapter 23: Don't Push Me Away Again

Wendy frowned. “You just got off work; what else do you have to do?”

“I’ve got plans.”

“With who?”

Chase stopped walking and turned to look at her. “Do I need to repeat myself? We’re already divorced. I don’t owe you any explanations about who I’m seeing.”

Hearing that, Wendy, already on high alert, immediately rushed forward, grabbed Chase, and forced him into the car.

“We’re still in the middle of a partnership. I just managed to get the trending news under control, and now you’re going to see someone you shouldn’t? What if something negative gets leaked again? What happens to Quinn Group then? Chase, you can’t be this selfish.”

Before Chase could even reach for the door handle, Wendy had already gotten in on the other side and locked the car. The small space now held only the two of them. Chase turned around, a hint of anger in his eyes, colder than before.

“If I get caught in some scandal, isn’t that just perfect for you? You can announce to the media that I cheated, use that to go public with our divorce. You protect Quinn Group and make your thing with Henry look less shady. Isn’t that exactly what your PR team originally planned?”

Wendy was stunned. It was true. The best way to divert public attention was with a new headline. The PR team’s first proposed plan was to leak something negative about Chase. But she had turned it down. She hadn’t expected Chase to know about that.

“So you knew everything from the beginning?” Wendy leaned back in her seat. “You knew I was just using this partnership as an excuse, and you still went along with it? Chase, you have the nerve to say you don’t love me anymore?”

Chase looked drained. He didn’t try to open the door again. Instead, he sent a message to his real estate agent, rescheduling the appointment.

“I love you,” he said, turning to look at her. “Wendy, I’ve always loved you. I still do. But holding onto that love for so long is exhausting. And on top of everything else… whatever. What’s the point? We’re already divorced. None of it matters now. There’s one thing I really don’t get. If you still have feelings for Henry, and we’re already divorced, why not just get back together with him?”

He had asked her that question many times. And every time, she couldn’t give an answer.

That night, Wendy still dragged Chase out for dinner. Surprisingly, they didn’t argue. When she got a call, she hung up without hesitation. Whether she made up her mind or not, she had to act like a wife in front of him.

Sustaining a relationship over time was draining. Wendy realized that a little too late.

Sam had hired a nanny for Henry and Joy—someone to take care of their meals and daily routines, someone with a medical license who could immediately step in if Joy had any health issues. But this person wasn’t just a nanny; she was also one of Sam’s eyes and ears.

Sam wasn’t ordinary. She had graduated from a prestigious university and had been recruited by Wendy even before graduation. Within the industry, no one could rival her. She also knew all about Wendy and Henry’s past. And because of that, Sam could tell—Henry wasn’t as simple as he looked.

“I got it. Just keep watching them,” Wendy said over the phone. “If the Harrison family makes any move, I want to know. Henry’s always been the Harrison family’s heir. That engagement was never just about love—it was for the family. There’s no way he’s out of the picture for good. Something’s off.”

After hanging up, Sam looked around the empty assistant’s office and sighed. Love made people stupid. This should’ve been obvious from the start, but Wendy was only just figuring it out.

She gathered her things and headed to find Wendy. They had a dinner meeting to attend.

“Everything’s ready. The contract’s been drafted in two versions. Whatever the other party requests, we can revise it on the spot. Legal will be there too. If any changes need to be made, it can be done right then and there. What matters now is whether we’ve cut our price low enough.”

In the car, Wendy had her eyes closed. For once, she wasn’t frowning. She even looked a little relaxed.

Lately, Chase had been surprisingly cooperative. He ate and slept at home, though his things were still at the dorm, and even when he slept at the house, it was always in the guest room. That was, until Wendy casually remarked that Henry had once slept in that room.

Chase had stood frozen in front of the guest room door, then turned around and stormed back to the master bedroom in a huff. Wendy, standing in the hallway, had laughed. She’d never realized that Chase could be so dramatic, so expressive.

Turns out Chase had a temper. He got annoyed. He could throw fits.

Sam had said a whole bunch of things, but when she turned to check, her boss clearly hadn’t heard a word. She was leaning against the window, smiling to herself like a lovestruck idiot.

“I said…” Sam waved the folder in front of Wendy’s face.

Wendy finally snapped out of it. Business was handled. Time for a bit of personal talk before dinner. It wouldn’t hurt to loosen up the mood.