Megan sighed in frustration and looked at Linda pitifully. "You can go back if you can't handle it."
Linda took a deep breath and entered. They stopped talking immediately. Adam looked surprised.
Aaron wore a helpless expression. "Do whatever you want…"
"You called for me," Linda said.
"Yes, I know," Ezekiel scoffed. "Look, let it be the last time you meet any of my family…"
"Which one did I meet last?" Linda asked innocently, adding fuel to his anger.
"Stop acting innocent and listen carefully. I know ladies like you. After being caught red-handed, they start looking for someone to leech on."
Megan burst into tears at the entrance, shaking her head. Linda isn't what Ezekiel is saying.
But Linda remained calm, listening carefully, as if she were memorising every word.
"Despite your scheming way of meeting me, I accepted you and gave you what you want — marriage, of course."
Linda frowned in confusion, wondering when she asked for marriage. It was his assistant who brought the contract.
"Under my rules and regulations," he smirked coldly. "You still signed it. Well, it's nothing. Just know this... since it's the only certificate I need, no money will come from me. I let you join my company to make your own money. At least you'll have the experience of working for yourself instead of relying on a man…"
"Excuse me, sir!" Megan suddenly barged in and bowed. "I came to remind Miss Linda she has an appointment with a doctor."
Linda looked at Megan in confusion, but Megan blinked at her. She couldn't stand how harshly Ezekiel was talking to her.
Linda nodded calmly. "You, go wait outside."
Megan nodded and was about to leave when....
"You, come back here. Who made you her manager?"
Megan froze. She had no idea she would be questioned too. "She chose me."
Ezekiel's beautiful brows knitted. "How? Isn't the company supposed to choose a manager for you?"
"I chose her," Adam said with a sigh. "We don't have any manager left. She seems more experienced than our managers."
Megan looked at Adam gratefully and bowed. In her mind, she already decided to hate Ezekiel forever and protect Linda no matter what. She even swore to make their divorce faster so Linda could be with a better person — someone who wouldn't believe rumours but cherish her.
Ezekiel frowned but nodded. "Get out."
Megan flinched and ran away like a bunny released from a cage.
"I heard you almost ruined the company's reputation while shooting for the headphones," he said, glaring at Aaron.
"What?" Aaron raised a brow.
"If you use your face to scam my workers like me again, you will lose your teeth."
Aaron chuckled. "I only instructed your secretary to use her. Look at the result, you earned a lot."
Ezekiel's jaw tightened. He didn't laugh.
His cold eyes shifted back to Linda.
"Listen carefully," he said flatly. "I don't repeat myself twice."
The room went quiet.
"If you break any rule in that contract," he continued, his was voice low and sharp, "you will be punish mercilessly."
"Ouch," Aaron winced dramatically.
"Don't test my patience or cross your limits. Don't use my family to get close to me."
He leaned back slightly. "And don't act smart with me again." Then he waved his hand like he was done with a file.
"Dismissed." Like tossing away trash.
Linda didn't complain. Unlike others who always overreact when leaving his office, she only glanced at him and walked out. She was always nervous in front of him, even afraid.
She was afraid because she respected him. But he lost that respect the moment he called her a bitch and said worse.
Outside the office…
Megan rushed forward and grabbed Linda's arm the moment she stepped out. "Follow me."
Linda blinked. "Where are you taking me?"
"Hospital!"
Linda frowned. "I'm fine."
"No, you are not," Megan said firmly. "Not after what just happened." She scoffed. "Don't worry, we're closed for today."
...
At the hospital.
The doctor adjusted his glasses after reading the report.
Megan sat beside Linda nervously, praying it wasn't what she feared.
"Her mental state is not stable," the doctor said seriously.
Megan's face fell. "What do you mean?"
"She's suppressing too much emotion. Too much shock. Too much humiliation and anger." He looked at Linda. "You are not sustaining your pain, you are locking it."
Linda said nothing.
"If this continues, she may develop emotional dissociative disorder. When that happens, recovery is very hard."
Megan's eyes turned red. "What should she do?"
"She needs to cry. She needs to release everything, the anger, the fear, and more."
He paused and placed the file in front of Megan. "Right now she is becoming colder, not stronger and that's dangerous."
Megan looked at Linda helplessly. "Did you hear that?"
Linda rolled her eyes. "I'm okay," she said quietly.
"Mischievous," the doctor nodded.
Both Linda and Megan looked confused.
"That attitude just now... it's from her mischievous self. Very soon, another character may take over, the one who is hungry for revenge and rage. There may be another who smiles a lot but is always plotting, it's the mischievous one... while her sweet self stays trapped somewhere."
That scared Megan even more, because she knew what Linda was going through.
Linda didn't react much after that. She only nodded and thanked the doctor, still acting as if nothing happened.
On the way out, she kept checking her phone again and again.
Megan frowned. "Who are you waiting for?"
"What do you want to know?" Linda said, still refreshing and staring at the top of the screen like she expected something important.
They stepped outside. It was already 8 p.m.
"It's night," Linda muttered. "I should be at home… no..." She turned helplessly to Megan. "How much do you have?"
Megan blinked. "What happened?"
Linda pressed her lips together. "I'm hungry. I want to eat."
Megan froze for two seconds, then her face softened with worry.
Hungry?
After everything that happened, she was thinking about food. That was worse than crying.
"Let's go," Megan said quickly, holding her arm. "Did MrJerk restrict you from eating too?"
...
At a small restaurant nearby, Megan watched Linda ate and frowned. " For how long you have been starving?"
" I'm allergic to what the maid cooked"
"Sea food?" Megan scoffed. " You should I've told them!
Linda paused and looked up. "Do you think I shouldn't eat from him?"
"From him?" Megan frowned.
"The Jerk"