Secretly Married for 4 Years, He Regrets to Tears After the Divorce-Chapter 8: Not Something an Apology Can Solve
The man’s sudden apology and embrace startled Wren. Her mind went blank for a second, and she forgot to struggle.
As far as she could remember, this was the first time Adrian had taken the initiative to apologize to her. His tone was sincere, too—much better than the two perfunctory words he’d offered last night.
A complex emotion flickered in Wren’s eyes. Her heart ached with a jumble of feelings.
Why now, of all times? Why is he saying this to her now? This is just torture.
Wren clutched the documents in her hand, silent, her thoughts drifting far away.
Adrian swallowed his pride. His warm breath ghosted over her neck and shoulder as he lowered his head to gently nuzzle her ear, a display of his utmost sincerity.
"Let’s make up, okay? There’s a special jewelry auction tonight. I’ll take you. Whatever you like, I’ll buy it for you."
Faced with his sweet words, Wren almost gave in.
It was so rare for him to be this gentle. Wren was susceptible to a soft approach, not a forceful one. She pursed her lips, lost in thought.
In a flash, the image of the pregnancy test Maya Marshall had sent her and all those photos of them flaunting their relationship on social media flooded her mind.
She snapped back to her senses, silently cursing herself for being so pathetic. Have you already forgotten the pain? How can you take a scumbag’s words at face value? Could a simple apology just erase four years of Adrian Lancaster’s coldness, cruelty, and betrayal? As if nothing ever happened? Then what does that make me?
Wren’s expression turned cold as she steadied her wavering resolve. The hurt and injustice she’d endured can’t be fixed with a simple apology.
"The doctor told me to get more rest. I’m afraid I can’t go with you." Wren forcefully broke free from Adrian’s embrace. "I’ll be leaving now."
She quickened her pace and fled the office.
Adrian’s dark eyes narrowed, but he didn’t chase after her. Her faint, fresh scent lingered in the air. The woman’s warmth still clung to his fingertips, and he slowly closed his fist, as if to capture the last trace of her.
She seems to have changed, yet somehow, she’s still the same.
Wren Sutton, we have all the time in the world.
Wren returned to her desk, quickly gathered her personal documents, and tucked them securely into her bag. Then, she handed the remaining files to the chief secretary, Chloe Foster. "President Lancaster has signed them."
Chloe Foster was still unsatisfied. She put on her best bossy air. "What took you so long? Your efficiency is abysmal. If everyone in the secretarial department worked like you, how would we ever get anything done?"
Wren ignored her and turned to leave. 𝒇𝙧𝙚𝓮𝙬𝙚𝓫𝒏𝓸𝓿𝓮𝒍.𝓬𝙤𝓶
"Wren Sutton, stop right there."
Wren went back to her seat, picked up her handbag, and prepared to leave the company. She didn’t come here to work today. No one is going to dump any more tasks on her.
"Who said you could leave? Do you think this company is a revolving door you can just walk in and out of whenever you please?" Chloe Foster blocked Wren’s path.
Wren shot her a cold glance. "A good dog knows not to block the path. Move."
"Who are you calling a dog?"
"Whoever’s blocking my way is the dog," Wren retorted bluntly.
Chloe Foster lost her composure, her exquisitely made-up face twisting in anger. "You’ve got a lot of nerve, cursing at me! Believe it or not, I can have President Lancaster fire you."
Wren couldn’t have wished for anything better. She scoffed. "That’s fine by me. It’ll save me the trouble of writing a resignation letter."
"You!" Chloe felt like she had punched a wad of cotton.
Damn it. Wren Sutton is like a completely different person. She’s not a pushover anymore; she actually dares to talk back to her.
At that moment, a few others in the secretarial department couldn’t stay silent any longer and stood up to back Chloe Foster.
"It’s not that easy to just walk away, Wren Sutton."
"The company lost over six million because of your mistake. We haven’t settled that score yet."
"You think you can just dump this mess on us and walk away? Dream on."
With so many people backing her up, Chloe’s confidence surged. She looked at Wren Sutton with a smug, provocative glint in her eyes.
Wren Sutton stood alone. Let’s see how she gets herself out of this one, Chloe thought.
"President Lancaster is keeping quiet out of consideration for our department, but that doesn’t mean the department won’t hold you accountable."
"Wren Sutton, you need to give the department an explanation today. Otherwise, we’ll go to HR and submit a joint petition to have you fired. We’ll also make sure your professional misconduct is known throughout the industry."
Faced with their aggressive accusations, Wren didn’t back down in the slightest. On the contrary, her gaze grew even clearer and calmer. "Fine. Let’s stick to the facts. I’ll give you your explanation today. Go get President Lancaster. I’ll explain it to him face-to-face."
Chloe Foster was stunned. She saw the aura of a superior in Wren’s expression. The bearing in her features was even a little like President Lancaster’s.
This damn woman. Give her an inch, and she takes a mile. Who does she think she’s scaring? She’s putting on a good act, though.
"You have no right to order anyone in this department."
Wren couldn’t be bothered to waste words. She pulled out her phone and called Adrian directly. "President Lancaster, could you please come out for a moment?"
Everyone: "..."
Is this woman crazy? How dare she use that tone with President Lancaster.
The moment Wren hung up, Adrian Lancaster walked out of his office. His tall, commanding stature, combined with his handsome face and a powerful, aloof aura, made him a walking personification of male hormones—the ideal man of every woman’s dreams.
It was that very appearance that had once captivated Wren, making her lose all reason and willingly become a lovesick fool.
"What’s this gathering about?"
Chloe Foster stepped forward and explained cautiously, "President Lancaster, about the company’s loss of over six million a few days ago... that matter hasn’t been resolved yet."
Adrian looked at Wren, his dark eyes unfathomably deep. He could see the entire department was ganging up on her, and he felt a pang of sympathy. Regardless of whether she was responsible, he no longer wanted to pursue the matter.
"Let’s turn the page on this matter. No one is to bring it up again."
Everyone: "???"
Wren stepped forward, her tone firm. "President Lancaster, I can find out who was responsible for proofreading that contract."
Adrian looked at her. "You have a way?"
"It’s very simple."
Seeing her look so confident, Adrian decided not to rain on her parade.
"Go on."
Wren took a step forward into the center of the crowd. Her gaze swept over everyone present before finally landing on Chloe Foster, sharp and piercing.
"All contracts handled by the secretarial department are distributed by the chief secretary to a specific individual. There have never been any exceptions."
Adrian nodded. "That’s right. Continue."
"We just need to check Chloe Foster’s computer to see who she sent that contract to. Then we check the recipient’s computer to see if they received it and if there’s any record of it being proofread.
"Of course, my computer is also available for inspection. A simple check will show whether or not I ever received that file."
Wren spoke at a steady pace, her enunciation crisp, her logic clear.
Hearing this, the color drained from Chloe Foster’s face. She clenched her fists, her heart pounding with guilt and nervousness. Damn it, she forgot to delete the file transfer records.’
Besides her, another woman named Audrey Dawson began to breathe rapidly. Her face went pale, and her legs grew so weak she could barely stand.
"President Lancaster, to be fair, would you be willing to conduct the inspection yourself?" Wren proposed.
"I can," Adrian agreed. He had already guessed the outcome. For her to go this far was proof enough that she wasn’t the one who had proofread the contract.
It seemed he really had wronged her. No wonder she’d hung up on him.
Fortunately, this wasn’t an unforgivable offense. Adrian decided he would go home tonight and properly placate Wren. Just as Caleb Caldwell had advised: buy flowers, buy jewelry.
As for getting down on both knees...
Things hadn’t gotten that serious, so that wouldn’t be necessary.
