Part 2I Left My Stingy Fiancee

I gave Jessica a strange look. "You wouldn't even spend twenty dollars on photos, but you're willing to pay for a meal?"

"I'm not stingy. I just don't think it's necessary," she said.

"I'll pay for the marriage photos. You won't have to spend a dime. I'll even reimburse your ride. Will you come get the certificate with me?"

Jessica raised an eyebrow and rejected the idea without hesitation. "Why are we even talking about money? We're practically a married couple. We're one and the same. Why separate everything into yours and mine?

"Besides, is getting the certificate really that important? We've lived together all these years without one, haven't we?

"And we're also in a boss-employee relationship. Company policy doesn't allow us to date. The way we're living now is perfectly fine."

I glanced around the house. Everything in it had been bought on sale.

"We don't even have a single photo together. What's so good about the way we're living? It's not even as good as what you have with your junior."

Jessica's expression instantly relaxed. It was as if she'd suddenly figured everything out.

"So that's why you've been making sarcastic remarks. You saw me taking photos with him, so you're deliberately giving me a hard time.

"I took him to get photos because his family is poor. I just wanted to let him see what the world outside is like. You're really going to make a fuss over something this trivial?

"Enough. Go to bed. We have work tomorrow."

I wasn't making a fuss. I just felt that none of this was worth it.

-

I pushed open the conference room door and sat down beside Jessica.

The moment I entered, I saw Henry leaning close to Jessica and speaking to her in a soft, embarrassed voice.

"Ms. Little, Finance is taking too long to approve the reimbursement. They still haven't paid me for the last one. I'm living paycheck to paycheck, so I'm a little short on cash. Could you help me hurry them along?"

"How much do you need? I'll transfer it to you first."

"No, no, I can't take your money. It's only a hundred bucks. I just need Finance to process my reimbursement sooner."

He said he didn't need the money, yet he'd already given her the exact amount.

Right in front of me, Jessica transferred two hundred bucks to him.

"Take it. What if you don't have enough money in an emergency or when you get sick? As the general manager, it's my responsibility to look after the employees reporting to me."

I remembered how, when I had a high fever, she hadn't taken me to the hospital or allowed me to call for an ambulance.

I'd endured it by drinking cup after cup of warm water that she poured for me.

Thinking about it now, I gave a self-deprecating laugh. "Do you really need to go to the hospital when you're sick? Can't you just drink some warm water?"

Jessica's grip tightened around her pen, but she said nothing.

The other employees didn't know about our relationship. One of the women said jokingly, "Mr. Ludwig, whatever you do, don't say that when you're dating someone. That's one of the most classic lines in the jerk handbook. It basically screams that you don't want to make an effort and are just brushing someone off."

"Mr. Ludwig, if you keep telling people to drink more warm water, you'll never find a girlfriend."

Everyone laughed and took their seats.

No one noticed that Jessica's expression had already turned livid.

Wham.

Jessica slammed her pen onto the table. She looked furious.

"Is this an office or a marketplace? What's with all the laughing and joking around? Let's get started on the reports!"

The conference room immediately fell silent.

One by one, everyone went up to present their proposals.

Jessica observed them the entire time with a cold expression. Once everyone had finished, she announced something.

"Hunter, I'm giving the project you're working on to Henry. He'll use his own proposal."

There were surprised gasps in the conference room.

Everyone thought they'd heard wrong.

My fingers went stiff, and I sat upright.

"I need a reason. The proposal my team and I prepared is clearly more comprehensive.

"Henry's proposal is still nothing more than an idea. Are you going to replace a finished proposal with a half-baked one?"

Jessica leaned back in her chair and spoke in a strictly professional tone. "I won't deny that your proposal is good, but you've been with the company for years. We need to give young newcomers a chance."