Chapter 234

She remembered Jonathan's attitude toward her the previous night. It wasn't at all what she'd expected. In fact, he had always been cold, even disdainful. She'd sensed it but chosen to ignore it.

With a glimmer of hope, she desperately tried to get closer to Jonathan because she loved him. She didn't understand why he treated her so poorly and even conspired with Cynthia to torment her.

Shirley gritted her teeth, filled with rage. She stormed out of the office, intending to leave. To her surprise, Bryan was waiting for her at the elevator. "Ms. Jones," he said.

Shirley was fuming. "Fuck off!"

"I will leave, Ms. Jones, but you need to start working now. You can decide whether to greet visitors or clean the restrooms on each floor first, since you are the team leader of this department," he said.

Shirley was so angry she almost laughed. "I quit. Do you think I, a lady of the Jones family, would work as a receptionist for you?"

"Are you saying you want to resign, Ms. Jones?" Bryan asked.

"Yes, I'm done!" Shirley swung her bag and tried to leave.

Bryan, with his ever-present smile, stopped her. "Please transfer the breach fee of $3 million to the company's account, and then you can go."

Shirley's mouth twitched in disbelief. "$3 million? What do you mean?"

Bryan said, "It's clearly stated in the contract that if you resign during the probation period, you'll pay the company $3 million in breach fees."

Shirley's face twisted in anger. "You designed this trap for me, didn't you? I don't have $3 million!"

Bryan calmly explained, "I advised you to review the contract details carefully, Ms. Jones, and you agreed to everything."

Shirley realized she had been tricked. She decided to feign unconcern. "I don't have the money. What can you do to me?"

Bryan's expression turned serious. "BJ has one of the strongest legal teams. All our terms are legal and compliant. If you breach the contract, we will sue you, and we are confident we can win. You won't be able to avoid that $3 million."

Shirley felt like she was about to explode. How can Jonathan do this to me? Is this his revenge for my ruining Cynthia's driving license? What a vicious man! she thought.

However, Shirley lacked the energy to dwell on it. She was all too aware of BJ's legal team; they had helped Rachel win her case, securing her exoneration after a life imprisonment sentence. She knew how good their lawyers were.

She didn't doubt that if she couldn't pay the $3 million, they would send her to prison.

Fear gripped Shirley as she clenched her fists, gritting her teeth. Is there any other way? What do I have to do to get out of this?

Bryan smiled, explaining, "If you can make it through the probation period, you can resign afterward without having to pay the breach fee."

"How long is the probation period?" Shirley asked, desperation creeping into her voice.

Bryan held up three fingers, grinning. "Three months."

The prospect of cleaning toilets for three months felt worse than death. However, Shirley had no other options. She couldn't afford a court battle; BJ's legal team might unearth her past and expose her secret.

After a fierce internal struggle, Shirley gave in. She changed into the uniform and took her position at the entrance of the BJ Building. As she settled in, she spotted the four receptionists from before.

As Shirley walked past, she noticed the four receptionists huddled together, watching a video on their phone. The clip of her barging into the CEO's office to complain to Jonathan, only to be coldly dismissed, had gone viral on the company website's gossip section. It seemed everyone knew about it.

As Shirley passed, the receptionists turned to look at her.

"Who would know she's the younger sister of Mr. Bennett's future wife?" one whispered.

"Seriously, throwing herself at her brother-in-law? It's so disgusting," another chimed in.

"I remember now, she's the one involved in that design competition plagiarism scandal, right?"

"Rumor has it the real heiress of the Jones family can't even hold a candle to the fake one. Looks like the rumors are true."

"We were expecting you to have Mr. Bennett fire us, Ms. Jones. What happened? Why are you coming down dressed as a greeter instead?"

"Honestly, being a greeter is much more tiring than working at the front desk," another receptionist remarked.

"You're the daughter of the Jones family, Ms. Jones. How could you say yes to being a greeter and a janitor? Is your family broke?"

The receptionists continued their taunts, and Shirley, unable to contain her anger, lashed out. However, outnumbered, she was quickly overpowered. Bryan arrived and scolded everyone, including Shirley.

Shirley stood at the entrance, disheveled and furious, trembling with rage. She knew she couldn't endure this humiliation. Three million dollars, right? I'll pay! she thought.

After half an hour, Shirley decided enough was enough. She drove back to the Jones residence, planning to secretly sell some of Selena's jewelry. She remembered Selena's valuable Sunflower Diamond Collection, worth $16 million. Selling it would easily cover her debt.

However, getting her hands on the jewelry wouldn't be easy. Selena adored the collection and kept it locked in a bedside safe; Shirley didn't know the password.

Shirley felt increasingly frustrated with Selena, who had become distant and stingy. Furthermore, she'd been coerced by Luke, giving him most of the money she'd managed to get from Selena.

Shirley was broke. She felt she needed to get rid of Luke; otherwise, she would never find peace. To do that, she needed money, strengthening her resolve to obtain the Sunflower Diamond Collection.

When Shirley returned home, she went straight to Selena's room. To her surprise, Justin and Selena were there, chatting.

"It's all Shirley's fault. She had such a great opportunity, yet she only thought about getting a job. If I had spoken up, maybe Velorix would have already entered World of Elegance by now," Justin said.

Selena was quietly sorting through a photo album, saying nothing. Justin, visibly angry, continued, "What good does flipping through those photos do? Do something! The company's stock keeps plummeting, and we're on the brink of bankruptcy!"

Selena sighed, her eyes weary. "Can't you see that Cynthia hates us? Jonathan has no intention of helping us, yet you dream of Velorix entering World of Elegance. How can you be so naive!"

Justin, a cunning man, sensed Jonathan was playing games. "That's why you need to convince Cynthia. I know she's upset because we overlooked her after Shirley came back. And don't forget about Lilian, who nearly became Shirley's goddaughter."

"You should help resolve these issues. Once they are solved, the brilliant, obedient, and talented Cynthia will come back to—"

Selena sighed. "I won't go. It won't help. She has already accepted Rachel as her mother. Rifts only grow wider, eventually becoming insurmountable chasms."

Pacing anxiously, Justin exclaimed, "Then what should we do? Are we just going to watch our lifelong efforts go to waste?"

Then, thinking of something, he stopped. "There's still another way we can try."

Selena looked at him, curious. "What is it?"

"Do you remember the pink lucky charm pendant we gave to the Yates family?" Justin said.

The passage ends abruptly. The final sentence is unclear in its context.