Chapter 2 Take Advantage Of Him

Julius' eyes were a deep black, while Jemima's were hauntingly lifeless. The atmosphere in the parking lot was stifling. The girl locked her gaze on Jemima and, rather than keeping a respectful distance from Julius, grew even bolder. She casually draped her arm around his neck and leaned in to whisper something in his ear. A sharp, piercing pain shot through Jemima's eyes. She averted her gaze, got into the car, and drove off, never once looking back in that direction. Shortly after she got home, the sound of a car pulling up echoed from downstairs. As she stood in front of the glass cabinet in the walk-in closet, removing her necklace, she suddenly felt a towering presence behind her. The man's strong, assertive aura instantly filled her senses. He leaned over, bracing his hands on the glass cabinet, peering at her face from the side. “Are you upset?” Jemima didn't look at him. She calmly and unhurriedly put away the necklace first. Her tone was indifferent as she responded, “I'm so upset I could kill. You'd better watch out for me.” Julius fell silent for a moment. When he finally spoke again, he said, “The Goodwin family is interested in collaborating with us on the Polaris project. I've been in contact with Quinlan, the eldest son of the Goodwin family, for some time now. Ms. Goodwin is his sister.” “What, if you don't accompany his sister, he won't cooperate with you?” “Jemima, I'm trying to explain to you. Don't be so sarcastic!” “I don't think there's a need for explanations.” Jemima finally turned to look at him, her clear and cold gaze seeming to penetrate his soul. “Julius, if you've grown tired of me and wish for a new wife, I'm willing to step aside.” Julius' face fell in an instant. “What did you say?” Jemima let out a sigh. “I'm saying we can get a divorce.” She pushed him away. As she attempted to leave, she was forcefully pulled back. Julius grabbed her face and warned, “Don't even think about it.” Jemima remained silent. Not only did she think about it, she actually did it. I dumped you, trash. Julius stayed until late into the night, but a phone call pulled him away. Jemima could distinctly hear a delicate female voice on the other end, and it sounded as though she was crying. The following morning, Jemima's divorce lawyer and good friend sent her a screenshot. It was the latest update from Julius' young girlfriend. The picture was taken at the top of a mountain before dawn, featuring two hands, one big and one small, forming a heart shape. The caption read: In the gentleness of the sunrise, we feel each other's heartbeat. Jemima recognized at a glance that the big hand belonged to Julius. She sat there, unaware of how long she had been holding the cup in her hand. As she finally set it down, it chimed with a crisp sound, as if another piece of her heart had chipped away. For several days following that, Julius did not return home. The two only interacted during company meetings. He sat at the head of the table while she, along with other executives, took their places on either side. During these encounters, their eyes rarely met. Jemima didn't go upstairs to look for him either. In her spare time, she was preoccupied with house hunting and checking out places in person. She also dealt with the gifts he had given her over the years—anniversary presents, birthday gifts, Valentine's Day surprises, even wedding gifts. She had even sold the wedding ring. She saw no reason to hold on to the remnants of past emotions when he was no longer part of her life. It was all just sentimental clutter now, nothing more. At night, Sadie Anderson, a business owner's wife, invited Jemima to a club, Sapphire Nights, for some fun. It was nearly eleven, and Jemima didn't really want to go. However, given her situation after the divorce and leaving Kingsford Group, she knew she needed to build her own network for her startup. So, she decided to go. As soon as she entered the club, she saw Sadie. “Sadie, I could have gone up myself. Why did you come down?” Sadie affectionately linked her arm with hers as they entered the elevator. “I was worried you might get lost. You've never been here before, right?” True enough, Jemima had never been here before. The two went up, with Sadie leading her into a spacious private room. A large screen was positioned in the middle, effectively partitioning the room. When Jemima entered, she noticed quite a few people on the other side of the screen. However, Sadie didn't lead her there. Instead, she guided Jemima to a seat on the side where only one person was present—a woman who seemed vaguely familiar, likely the girlfriend of one of Julius' buddies. The other person recognized her too. Despite her slightly awkward expression, she managed to offer her a smile. After Jemima removed her jacket and sat down, Sadie went out again. She took a sip from the drink that was handed to her. The bustling laughter and chatter from the other side of the screen gradually seeped into her ears. As the conversation progressed, she was surprised to find herself becoming a part of it. “That said, Julius no longer brings Jemima to our gatherings these days.” “Duh, Ms. Goodwin is so young and adorable. He takes her everywhere now, cherishes her as if she's his own heart and soul.” “After all these years, Julius has finally changed his taste.” “No matter how beautiful Jemima is, he must have grown tired of sleeping with her after eight years.” “She's quite naive to stick with Julius for all these years, only to be toyed with. If Julius doesn't want her anymore, maybe I could show her some affection. I've been yearning for her slender waist for years now.” Jemima's eyes were icy cold. She recognized the voices of two people among the group; they were friends of Julius. Normally, they would address her sweetly whenever they met. The woman who sat with Jemima felt so awkward that she couldn't bear to look at her. When Jemima stood up, the woman assumed she was about to make a hasty retreat, but she was wrong. Jemima cleared her throat and, with her drink in hand, made her way across the room. Leaning casually against the screen, she nonchalantly joined their conversation. “Gentlemen, you can't really say that. When Julius and I were together, he was just an innocent virgin. Didn't I, in essence, take advantage of him for eight years?” The room fell instantly silent. Everyone on the couch was startled as they looked at her. As she voiced these words, two tall men coincidentally entered the private room from outside. Everyone looked at her, then behind her and fell into complete despair.