Chapter 108 The Unbuyable Loyalty of Ms. Murphy
Mark steeled himself, rapping his knuckles against the office door. "Boss," he called, his voice echoing with forced cheerfulness. Charles's response was as predictable as ever, "Come in." Yet, Mark couldn't help but notice the icy undertone that seemed to permeate the otherwise mundane words. Inhaling deeply to suppress his rising trepidation, Mark stepped into the room, a stack of documents clutched in his hands. "These are the papers that require your signature today, sir. Please, take a moment to review them," he said, offering them to Charles. "Just leave them there," Charles replied, his tone as frosty as his demeanor. Mark complied obediently, setting the documents down. "Yes, sir," he responded, though his anxiety was palpable. He was eager to finish his tasks, but he knew better than to push his luck. In order to protect his salary, bonuses, and other benefits, he had to first placate his boss's sour mood. "Boss, are you still upset about the report I gave you at lunch?" Mark asked, deciding to confront the issue head-on rather than dance around it. Charles, however, was preoccupied with Daphne's cold treatment. "No," he replied curtly. "Then what seems to be the issue…?" Mark probed, hoping to uncover the root of Charles's discontent. "I'm just having a slow day," Charles dismissed, his gaze never leaving the computer screen. "But solving problems for you is part of my job as your executive assistant," Mark countered gently, trying to ease the tension in the room. Charles finally looked at him, his expression unreadable. "If we were in ancient times, you could've been a chief steward or something," he said, his voice laced with a hint of amusement. Mark was taken aback by the unexpected compliment. "I appreciate it," he managed to reply. "If that's all, you can go," Charles dismissed him, his icy demeanor returning. "Collect the files on your way out." Mark was torn between leaving and staying, his mind whirling with uncertainty. "Anything else?" Charles asked, his patience clearly wearing thin. Mark stood still, his mind racing. His years of experience and recent interactions with Charles led him to believe that only matters concerning Daphne or Miss Baker could upset his boss this much. Since mentioning Miss Baker hadn't triggered any anger, it had to be Daphne. "There's still no lead on the Fred case you asked me to investigate," Mark ventured, watching Charles's reaction closely. "Could you provide more details?" Charles's demeanor instantly hardened, his eyes turning frosty. "Don't look into it anymore," he commanded, his voice colder than ever. Mark was taken aback. "From now on, I don't want to hear Daphne's name or anything about her," Charles declared, his agitation palpable. Mark finally understood. "The divorce tomorrow?" he asked, his voice barely above a whisper. "Didn't I just tell you not to bring it up?" Charles snapped, his mood darkening at the mere mention of divorce. He couldn't understand why Daphne still wanted a divorce. He had already dealt with Kayla and promised to be good to her and her alone. Why was she so determined to end their marriage? "Boss, I don't know exactly what happened between you and Daphne," Mark began cautiously, his loyalty to Daphne evident. "But I think whatever it is, it's probably your fault." Charles was taken aback. Had Mark just grown a backbone? Mark's mind went blank as soon as the words left his mouth. What had he just said? What had possessed him to speak so candidly? "My fault?" Charles echoed, his coolness now biting. Mark was panicking, struggling to maintain his composure. He needed to salvage the situation, but how? His mind was a whirlwind of desperate pleas. Please, he begged silently, throw me a bone here!
"Am I to be blamed for refusing to divorce her?" The words hung heavily in the air, Charles's voice was laden with emotion, causing an almost tangible drop in the room's temperature.Mark blinked, taken aback. Not divorcing? His eyes widened with a touch of surprise, "You're not proceeding with the divorce from Daphne?""She wants out." Charles's reply was curt, consisting of three icy words. The mere thought of discussing this with her, the possibility of her dismissing him, ignited a fire within him.Mark began to piece together the fragments of information he had gleaned. Perhaps Charles had come to believe that Miss Baker was untrustworthy, leading to his change of heart about divorcing Daphne. However, Daphne, a fiercely independent thinker, refused to let anyone control her life.With this thought in mind, Mark found his voice, “It’s perfectly normal for Daphne to make that decision.” Charles's demeanor shifted abruptly, a sense of betrayal washing over him, “Mark!” Normal? He could not fathom anything normal about it.“If you look at it from Daphne’s perspective, you'll understand that her decision isn’t wrong,” Mark attempted to be the voice of reason.A sharp pang echoed in Charles's chest. Not wrong? How could it not be wrong?Reading his boss's expression, Mark offered a hypothetical situation, “Imagine Daphne wanted to divorce you for Mr. Winston, only to discover his true colors and decide against the divorce. What would you think?”“What do you think I should think?” Charles retorted, his anger flaring at the mere suggestion.“Don’t you feel like, ‘Why should she divorce when she wants and not when she doesn't?’ Are you angry, feeling betrayed, perhaps even unforgivable?”Charles remained silent, but his reaction spoke volumes.Mark summed up his point, “What you’re doing is just like the example I gave, except you and Daphne have switched positions.”“Daphne isn’t your subordinate, nor someone you can hire with money,” Mark added, noticing Charles growing colder, “Love isn't something you can quantify with money.”Those words resonated deeply within Charles. He paused, the furrow in his brow deepening involuntarily. This conversation had stirred something within him.He had always believed that as long as he provided Daphne with care, affection, and commitment, she would stay with him for life. He didn't need her to worry about money or take care of household chores. All she had to do was to enjoy whatever she liked doing. But Daphne had declined."So what then?" Charles interjected suddenly.Mark responded with a single word, "Emotions."Charles looked at him questioningly."Someone content with being a freeloader would stay as long as they don’t cheat and don’t restrict her freedom, letting her spend money however she pleases," Mark analyzed. "But Daphne doesn't lack those things. She desires mutual affection."Although Mark wasn't sure of the exact status of Daphne's family background, from the first time he took Daphne shopping, he got the feeling that she definitely wasn't short on cash. The mall they visited had luxury goods with price tags starting in the thousands. Someone who hasn't been to such a place before might feel out of place, even if the money wasn't coming from their own pocket. But Daphne was perfectly at ease, as if she was selecting items from her own wardrobe, and she carried the whole process very casually."You know her that well?" A chill crept into Charles' voice.Mark fell silent, his words hanging in the air.
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