Open Marriage, Broken Promises: When Love Turns to Ashes novel Chapter 39

"Miss Lindsay!" Wendy Snow suddenly interrupted, her voice rising. "Don't go too far. You've already cost me one job. What more do you want?"

"Do you want me to kneel before you, to beg you for mercy?" With that, Wendy Snow bent her knees as if to kneel.

Ryan yanked her arm, then turned to me, lowering his voice to scold, "Do you have to make a scene like this?"

"I've already agreed to your demand. I got her to leave the company. Why do you have to keep pushing me like this?"

Wendy Snow began sobbing, covering her mouth as she cried.

Through her sniffles, she said, "Miss Lindsay, if you let me go, I swear I'll stay away from Mr. Ryan. I won't appear in front of you again."

Ryan's face fluctuated between pale and red, his eyes tinged with a hint of tenderness.

I stared at the scene before me and suddenly laughed.

Seeing me laugh, Ryan's expression became strained. He muttered, "Mannie, let's talk at home. Can you just go outside and wait for me for a bit? I'll be right there…"

"Shut up." I cut him off, ignoring the look of disdain on his face as I walked toward Wendy Snow. Without a second thought, I slapped her hard across the face.

A gasp echoed from the bystanders.

"Ah!" Wendy Snow staggered backward from the slap. Afterward, I shook out my hand, which had gone numb, and coldly smirked, "That slap is for all the insults you've thrown at me."

"Mannie!" Ryan was furious, pushing me aside.

This was the first time he had laid a hand on me. As I stumbled, I saw his anger reflected in his eyes. My heart plummeted.

Ryan, Ryan… You've really disappointed me.

Just as I thought I would collapse, a hand steadied my arm.

A loud, mocking voice rang out. "Hitting a woman, Ryan, you've really lost all shame."

I turned to see a sharp face. It was him. Andy White.

He was Ryan's business rival. Unlike Ryan, who had started from nothing, Andy White was born with a silver spoon in his mouth. Back when we were competing to dominate the market, both Ryan and I had suffered plenty of setbacks due to him.