Damien sat motionless for a moment after the call ended. A strange, prickling guilt curled in his chest when he heard that it was the housekeeper who complained about the breakfast, not Evelyn. Yet, she had apologised to him when he had asked without a complaint. But when he looked at her cold face again, the guilt vanished instantly.
He was worried for her, but did she even feel it. No, the cold evelyn could not feel anything. No matter how much he bullied her or tested her patience, she would not even flinch.
That's how she had always been. So calm, so detached. They call him spoiled but at least he had emotions to feel. He was not a cold and heartless person like her. She could never care about him, much less love him.
"You really are something," he muttered coldly.
Evelyn turned to him, brow raised slightly in question.
Damien stood up, hiding the flicker of remorse behind a cold expression. "It doesn't matter who complained. I got scolded because of you. That's all that matters. You must have convinced the housekeeper to complain on your behalf. Or why would an old woman like her would meddle in our affairs and go against her employer to support you? Tell me did you cry and act pitiful or did you just pay her to complain about me. So that when I blame you, you could prove yourself innocent?"
Evelyn stared at him in disbelief. Though she knew that he hated her, his ability to turn white into black always amazed her. But she did not argue. She only looked at him with a calm and detached look as if his words no longer held the power to wound her.
"Fine," she said simply. "You are already going to punish me for this. Why did it matter how it happened? " She shrugged her shoulders and threw the phone on the table.
The clink of the metal made him blink. Her indifference irked him more than her anger ever had.
He reached forward and picked up her phone from the table and threw it inside the drawer without asking. "And now, as promised, you will be staying at home and repenting for your mistakes." His voice was sharp, cold and decisive.
She just watched him with a strange look in her eyes, like someone staring at a man already drowning but still pretending to walk on water.
"What are you looking at?" he challenged her with his voice rising but she shook her head.
"You can leave now," he added coldly, turning away.
"Of course," she murmured, her voice almost too soft.
She just gave a side glance and left. He stood up from his seat as if he wanted to say something. It made something twist in his gut. But he sat down again, she wanted him to feel bitter. It was all an act to make him feel guilty. He would not fall for it at all.
As she stepped out of the office, the atmosphere outside was thick with tension. All the secretaries were already gathered near the front desks, their attention fixed on her the moment the door opened. It was clear they had heard his loud voice and knew what happened inside.
Some quickly looked away, feigning work when her eyes met theirs. A few others couldn't hide the sympathy in their eyes. They gave her soft, polite nods, like they were apologizing for something they couldn't fix.
But not all were kind. From the left corner, a few whispers rose. They all looked at her with sharp and malicious eyes.
"Well, well, isn't that the perfect secretary and obedient wife of Mr Albercht?" one secretary sneered, her lips curled in a mocking smile. Her friends giggled behind her.
"She thinks she is the wife just because she wears the ring. While her husband treats her nothing much but trash.," another added cruelly. "What does she expect? He clearly can't stand her and that kind of hatred doesn't come from nowhere. What is the benefit of forcing your way in when you were to be treated like this in the end?" many shrunk their neck to avoid being part of the conflict.
They knew Grace and her friends were only targeting Evelyn because she was the new girl picked by Damien. Instead of feeling embarrassed for being a homewrecker, Grace had bigger dreams. She wanted to push Even out so that she could take her place in the family and Damien's life.
"She must be really good at scheming to be hated that much and still stick around," the first one chuckled. "A girl like her had no shame. If i would have been at her place, i would have left a long time ago."
Grace snickered as her friends continued to insult Evelyn harshly. She scoffed when a woman with that position could not even deal with some employees that work under her. The reason was simple, even if she decided to punish them, Damien would not take her side and let her do it.
Evelyn stopped in her tracks, the sound of their laughter echoing through the office. Evelyn did not turn to look at them, nor did her expression change after hearing their insult, if any, there was a pitiful smile on her face that confused everyone.
Evelyn fixed her gaze forward, and walked out of the floor with her back straight. Her steps were slow but steady and entered the elevator. But in her heart, a quiet fury smoldered.
Grace thought that she would end as Mrs Albercht by playing such foolish tricks. It was only a matter of time when Diana entered the office and claimed Damien for herself. After that, she would teach all of them a lesson. So she did not need to waste her energy on them.
Let Diana clean the garbage and then she would teach both of them a lesson. The countdown had already started.