Chapter Fourteen
Chapter Fourteen
Max was extremely annoyed because his wife didn't let him see the design before submitting it to the company's leadership. Max wasn't usually curious, but Pearl always wanted to see Bella's design, and her constant reminders made him curious about it as well.
The climax came when Pearl said, "You're her husband, so Bella should have told you first, shouldn't she? Could it be... she didn't want you to see it? I've noticed she's been distant from you lately, Max."
Max, who had grown accustomed to Bella dedicating everything to him, felt increasingly uncomfortable at the thought of his wife having secrets.
"Do you know where you went wrong?" Max slammed his hand on the table and asked.
Bella was startled by the loud noise and looked at him, asking, "Wrong about what? Why are you so angry?"
"You either intentionally don't know or you truly don't know. I've said it before; you should have told me before submitting it to the company's leadership. But you deliberately didn't let me help you. I only wanted what was best for you, but you ignored me like that. You didn't think about my feelings," Max said, displaying his frustration towards his wife.
Bella looked at him, inwardly mocking him. She knew that Max didn't care about her as he showed. However, to avoid arousing any suspicion, she continued to play the role of a caring and attentive wife.
Bella took Max's hand, her voice gentle and soothing, like water. "I didn't mean that. I just didn't want you to have to worry too much. Your work is already so busy, and if you also have to care about my issues, it will exhaust you. When you're tired, I feel hurt and worried."
Bella's gentle words and soothing voice quickly calmed Max's anger. Bella acted as if she were deeply hurt by Max's words.
"Since I married you, I haven't worked until now. I don't want to be a burden to you, and I don't want people to think that you have an unemployed and incompetent wife. So, through this small competition, I just want to prove my abilities to be worthy of you. But you raised your voice at me..." Bella cried, taking Max by surprise.
Max was taken aback as Bella cried. He suddenly felt a deep sense of remorse and regret, blaming Pearl for provoking him and hurting Bella in a fit of anger.
"I... I'm sorry... Please don't cry. I didn't understand. I was so foolish. I'm sorry. From now on, I won't do that again," Max apologized and comforted his wife.
After Bella stopped crying, she looked up at Max and asked, "Before, you didn't pay attention to my participation in the competition. Why do you want to know now?"
Max felt trapped, not knowing how to answer. He could only nervously smile and couldn't admit that Pearl had urged him to do this.
"Because I care about you, that's why I want to know. If you want to win this competition, I can..." Max started to say, but Bella interrupted him by placing her finger on his lips, indicating that she didn't want him to say more. She maintained her gentle and subtle demeanor, hiding a hint of secrecy.
"I've already said it; I want to prove myself worthy of you. I also don't want everyone in the company to know that I won the competition because of your support."
Bella's words left Max feeling very pleased and satisfied with his inner sense of accomplishment. Since the number of employees participating was not large, the results were obtained quite quickly. Although Max was the CEO, he did not participate in the competition due to his busy schedule. When he found out that both of his women were participating, he was even less inclined to join. He preferred to stand on the sidelines and enjoy the feeling of the two women competing for his attention.
Pearl was very confident in her abilities. She was not the type of woman who relied solely on men. Before becoming Max's personal secretary, she had worked in a design position at her previous company.
When Pearl received a congratulatory email from the leadership, she wanted to boast to Max. However, while riding the elevator, she overheard two female employees talking to each other.
"Do you know Bella? The new employee in the Marketing department. She's participating in the new product packaging design competition and she got chosen. I heard some people say she's only been with the company for a few months, but her work is so impressive. Compared to the long-term employees, she's much more skilled. I really admire her," one female employee said with obvious admiration in her voice.
The other female employee chimed in, "I've heard the same. Right now, the Marketing department is celebrating this. She's the center of attention, and everyone in the other departments knows about it."
Pearl remained silent, listening to their conversation with her phone tightly gripped in her hand. "Have you two finished talking? Is the workplace a place for private discussions?" Pearl retorted angrily, causing the two female employees to hastily exit the elevator, looking embarrassed.
Alone in the elevator, Pearl couldn't believe that Bella had also been chosen, and she couldn't accept it. "Damn it! Bella, what have you done? You must have cheated to get chosen. Someone as inferior and foolish as you can't possibly be on the same level as me."
Pearl suppressed her anger and made her way to Max's private office. Upon entering, she expressed her frustration and resentment, hoping for Max's comfort.
"Darling, do you know that Bella got chosen too? Why did you say she wouldn't be chosen?" Pearl perched herself on his desk, showcasing her long, slender, and seductive legs in black high heels.
Max glanced briefly at Pearl's legs before returning his attention to his computer screen, appearing disinterested. "That's quite normal, you forget that Bella graduated with honors from the same university as me."
Max displayed his displeasure at Pearl's recent demanding behavior, and if it weren't for Pearl's insistence on seeing Bella's design, he wouldn't have inadvertently hurt his wife. Now that his wife had also been selected, he felt a sense of pride.
Pearl noticed Max's unusual mood but didn't get upset or angry. She knew Max only liked obedient women who listened to him.
"Honey... are you feeling troubled about something? Aren't you happy that I got chosen too?" Pearl gently inquired.
Max finally turned to look at Pearl and sighed before caressing Pearl's long, slender legs.
"Pearl, you know I only love you. I married Bella for a specific reason, and you know it very well, right? So, if you want everything to go smoothly, you can't always demand things related to her. I believe you understand that now, Pearl," Max explained. He didn't want Pearl's jealousy to ruin everything. This time it might be a minor issue, but it was Pearl's demands that had already hurt Bella. If Pearl's excessive demands made Bella doubt and become angry at some point, it would be difficult for him to maintain his position as CEO.
In the depths of her anger, Pearl wanted to hear words of comfort and soothing, but instead, she received words like these that made her want to cry. "I'm just..." Seeing Pearl on the verge of tears, Max lowered his voice to console her, not wanting to hurt his little lover because of this.
"Don't be sad, although Bella has been chosen, there are still many other stages before the official design is on the product packaging. Two days from now, you and Bella will stand in front of the leadership and present your designs. That's when we'll find out who the real winner is." Max said as he looked at Bella's and Pearl's designs on the computer.
The news that Bella and Pearl were chosen after the competition sparked comparisons between the two. When Bella found out that she was chosen alongside Pearl, she wasn't too surprised. If Pearl's design had been terrible, Max would have found a way to include her in the final round.
Diana approached to congratulate her and asked, "Bell, have you seen Pearl's design? If not, you should take a look. I don't know why, but... I feel like her design looks very familiar."
Bella hadn't seen it and wasn't interested until Diana mentioned it. "Maybe you've seen her previous designs, so it looks familiar?"
Diana thought for a moment, then shook her head. She knew that Pearl had worked as a designer at some company before becoming Mr. Cooper's personal secretary, but the familiarity she felt with Pearl's design was not due to having seen her other work.
"I can't remember clearly anymore. Just prepare a presentation for two days from now, and you and Pearl will stand in front of the leadership to present your designs," Diana reminded before leaving.
By evening, Max still hadn't come home, and Bella didn't bother calling as she had done before. After taking a shower, she looked at Pearl's design, which was circulating within the company. She felt as Diana had mentioned; the design seemed oddly familiar, but she couldn't place where she had seen it before.
While lost in thought, Bella heard the doorbell. She frowned, thinking that if it were Max, he wouldn't ring the doorbell or knock. Bella checked the time and thought it might be one of Max's friends visiting at this late hour. It wasn't the first time one of Max's friends had come over late at night, and Bella usually didn't mind this inconvenience because she wanted Max to be happy.
"Don't ring the doorbell anymore; it's annoying!" Bella grumbled as she opened the door, but as soon as she saw who it was, she immediately tried to close the door.
Unfortunately, she was too slow, and the man blocked the door with his foot, preventing Bella from closing it. With the strength of an adult man, Bella struggled but couldn't close the door. She quickly stepped back, trying to appear calm as she looked at the man.
"Why are you here? My husband is not at home." Bella said, her words carrying a hidden message to get this man to leave.
Levi chuckled softly at Bella's unwelcoming reaction, walking inside despite her discomfort.
"I didn't come here to find Max," Levi stated, his gaze fixed on Bella in an unabashed and direct manner. Before Bella could respond, he added, "I'm sure you know where your husband is right now, don't you?"
