Chapter 21 Inescapable Fate
Abigail's behavior was weighing heavily on Lauren. She had worked so hard to land this job, and the thought of losing it was daunting, especially considering how unlikely it would be for another company to hire a pregnant woman.
Initially, Lauren had concealed her pregnancy. She had planned to earn some money in sales and then resign. But now, just as she was starting to apply herself, she faced all these troubles, and they all stemmed from her sweetheart husband in name only, Quentin.
"Amelia, are you daydreaming? Henry's calling you!" a colleague reminded her with a kind nudge.
Coming back to reality, Lauren saw Henry standing at the office entrance, waving at her. She quickly got up and approached him.
"Sorry, Henry, I didn't hear you before."
Henry looked deeply at Lauren. "Amelia, could you gather your things and head over to Robinson Conglomerate?"
"Now? What am I supposed to do at Robinson Conglomerate?" Lauren asked, puzzled.
It was Henry's independent decision to send Lauren to the Robinson Conglomerate. He'd mingled in malls for years and fancied himself an expert on men's desires. The way Quentin had looked at Lauren that day had been telling—there was definitely interest there. To curry favor with the Robinson Conglomerate, Henry wouldn't care whether his methods were noble or not.
"Ha, we have’ve struck a deal with Robinson Conglomerate, and given that Quentin has handpicked you as the point person, you naturally need to get familiar with the company’s operations ASAP, so you can tailor a marketing strategy that fits them perfectly," Henry explained with a chuckle and patience.
His explanation was flawless. Indeed, Lauren had become the head of the project. Even though she was reluctant, her objections were moot since no one would consider them.
"Henry, I…" Lauren tried to protest, but Henry swiftly cut her off.
"Listen, Amelia, you have to alleviate Quentin’s concerns. Don't worry; if you perform well and Quentin is satisfied, the rewards will be substantial," Henry coaxed, playing his trump card to entice Lauren.
She was speechless, already at odds with Abigail; she couldn’t’t afford to cross the company's big boss as well, could she?
"Alright," Lauren finally conceded.
"Good. You’ll’ll be working at the Robinson Conglomerate for a while. I’ll’ll talk to Quentin and have him arrange a suitable position for you," Henry said with feigned concern.
Quentin was notorious for his philandering ways. Despite having a darling wife at home, she was too meek to control him. That's precisely why Henry dared to send a ‘"beauty’" like Lauren to Quentin's side. If he could facilitate a good turn for Quentin, surelysurely, he'd appreciate the effort.
Lauren returned to her desk in a daze, beginning to pack up her everyday files and documents.
She couldn't help but sigh. Why did it suddenly feel like she was about to be fried calamari? The more she thought about it, the more she felt deflated.
It was a cruel twist of fate. The more Lauren wanted to escape from Quentin, the closer destiny seemed to pull her toward him. Was fate toying with her? Lauren couldn't help but lament.
Lauren couldn't help but tremble at the thought of starting her new job at the Robinson Conglomerate. What would the legendary empire be like?
She didn't know what to expect. Her heart had long since turned to ashes for that man, yet why did she feel a secret thrill? "Get a grip, Lauren!" she scolded herself, but it was to no avail; her heart was fluttering with a sensation that felt like a crush.
At the Robinson Conglomerate.
Quentin picked up the call from Henry, "Hello."
"Good day, Quentin. To expedite and enhance our partnership, I'm thinking of sending Amelia, the lead on this project, over to your company to get a better understanding of your operations, so she can develop an improved sales proposal tailored for you. What do you think?" Henry spoke with an assured smile, confident in his judgment.
"Fine," Quentin replied succinctly.
"I'll have Amelia head over as soon as possible. Please take good care of her."
After ending the call with Henry, Quentin dialed an extension to summon Noah to his office.
Noah had already caught wind of Quentin's deal with Chongxin Sales Company, a partnership that puzzled him. Chongxin was a second-tier company, and it made no sense for the Robinson Conglomerate to partner with them of all businesses.
Noah walked into Quentin's office and plopped down in the chair across from him.
"So, what's up with this sudden partnership with that small-time company?" Noah asked bluntly.
Quentin had anticipated this questioning. Although it was a partnership, he never intended to really connect with Patrick more than necessary. His agreement had been solely influenced by Lauren's presence that day.
For Lauren? The notion jolted Quentin—he hadn't realized he held her in such high esteem. He was supposed to despise her, to find her repulsive, so why was he giving her any leeway?
If Noah knew, he would have a field day at Quentin's expense. Quentin wasn't foolish enough to spill the truth.
"You said it yourself—it was a whim. Let's just leave it at that," Quentin deflected, not wanting to elaborate.
Noah, feeling resigned, acknowledged that Quentin was just being his capricious self.
"Alright, alright, you're the boss; whatever you say goes."
"Make sure there's a spot for me in your Sales Department. Patrick's Henry's liaison will be over here for a two-day training," Quentin said, a bit awkwardly.
Noah looked puzzled. "Oh? Quentin, why are you suddenly taking this partnership so seriously? Is it because Patrick has some knockout babe that's got you head over heels, so you're willing to go the extra mile?"
Quentin rolled his eyes at Noah and then patiently explained, "Patrick Henry does have potential, and here's the information for that person. Take it. If there's nothing else, you can get lost."
Quentin tossed the file, which hit Noah square in the head.
Noah winced. "Jeez, you're so irritable. What's the matter, sexually frustrated?"
Quentin couldn't be bothered with him, focused on the paperwork in front of him today.
Noah, rubbing his head, flipped open the file. "Huh? Amelia? Why does that name sound so much like your darling'swife's?"
Although Noah was Quentin's close friend, he had only seen Lauren once at Quentin’s and Lauren's wedding. Since Quentin disliked Lauren, he naturally wouldn't go out of his way to introduce her to anyone.
So, to this day, Noah could barely recall what Quentin's darling wife looked like. All he remembered was that her name was Lauren.
A slight smile appeared on Quentin's lips. "Yeah, quite the coincidence. Nothing to make a fuss about."
Noah didn't give it another thought since it's not uncommon for people to share names, and besides, the names weren't exactly the same.
