My Four Miraculous Treasures

Well, too bad! She didn't want to play!

Instead, she'd simply take her severance pay, and go! Now, that was her kind of game!

With zero objections nor reason to linger, Willow bustled about packing up her things.

Just then, a figure appeared in the doorway to her office...

Willow sensed the visitor, but she was too eager to get going, so without even looking up to see who it was, she said, "Whatever this is about, I'm afraid you'll have to take it up with my replacement. I've just been let go."noveldrama

"Fired on your very first day in your new position... that speed record will be hard to beat! Why, it's quite possible that you'll become a legend in the secretarial profession!" It was a sharp, feminine voice, full of mockery and disdain.

A most unpleasant voice to hear.

Willow looked up when the owner of that voice walked in: a woman in fashionable office clothing and exquisite make-up.

The sight of her was so unexpected that it took Willow a while to realize that it really was Edith Price.

Hadn't she been locked up for selling out company secrets? And yet, not only was she not in jail right now, she was strolling around the company headquarters, free as a bird.

Willow was reminded of how Edith and Samantha had worked together to frame her for theft, and conceal the fact that Jasper Hughes was the father of her children.

Edith was an enemy. Willow was on her guard.

Pausing in her work, Willow flashed her a forced smile, and said, "I may have been fired, but I'll walk away from here with my conscience clear, and my head held high. At least I'm not the sort of person who can't be satisfied no matter how much they're being paid, so they've got to sell out their own company for a bit of extra cash."

Obviously, Willow was hinting that Edith was this other sort of person.

Edith realized she was being insulted. The smug grin on her face wavered, just for an instant, before she rallied herself full force.

She leered across the desk at Willow. "Just because you parted your legs for the boss doesn't mean the whole world is now yours to fool. Someone needed to take the fall for what happened, and I had the misfortune of stumbling into that trap, that's all. In time, we'll see which one of us gets to keep on going, with head held high."

Willow frowned at these words, regarding the woman with confusion and

amusement. It had already been proven that Edith herself was the one who'd sold

off those designs, for the express purpose of creating a crime for which Willow could be framed.

So what was she yammering about now, as though Edith was the one who'd been wrongfully accused?

Truly, the woman's face was coated with one solid inch of shameless steel.

Willow didn't want to waste any more time bandying words with this fork-tongued serpent.

With a quick little laugh, she replied, "Indeed. In time we'll see." And then she hefted her bag over one shoulder, and made to leave. There hadn't been much to

pack up, anyway: a coffee mug, some eating utensils, and this backpack.

As she walked past Edith, the other woman sneered, "Don't think too highly of yourself, Willow Nason. You'll never be fit to marry Jasper Hughes. If not for his sense of

obligation towards you foret

his life those five years ago, wouldn't have spared so much as a second glance for an uncouth,

penniless tramp like you. The job

and the money were only for the sake of repaying his debt to you, that's all. I'm sure he was also able to have himself a good time with a succulent young thing like you."

It was very important to Edith to make it clear to Willow that the only reason Jasper had been so nice to her was because she'd saved him that time, five years ago. Appointing her as his personal aide, showering her with money, treating her kindly... it was all just a form of debt repayment, nothing more.

Marriage with her had never once crossed his mind. It was a completely ridiculous notion!

Although Willow held Jasper's favor these days, it wasn't love; only lust. He desired her body-not her hand in marriage!

Of course, Willow already knew very well what she was to Jasper. That was why, when Edith spelled it out like that, her words stabbed deep into her heart. It hurt.

She fought to keep those feelings hidden, then turned back around to show Edith a completely nonchalant expression: With another forced smile, she shot back, "If that's true, then it seems I'm worth more to him than you are... after all, he's got no interest in your body, isn't that right? Not even when you were so eager to spread your legs for him."

And with that, Willow turned and strode off on her sensible, unsexy sneakers.