Chapter 217 Lingering resentment
Alana refused without a second thought, “No. I’m still recovering from what you put me through last night...”
Stephan gave her cheek a playful rub with a half-smile. “What are you thinking about? I just want to lie down and rest with you. Don’t worry, I’m not that much of a beast. But if you want to, I wouldn’t mind fulfilling your wishes...”
Ashamed, Alana pressed her lips against his. “Enough, don’t say that!”
Stephan’s lips curved upward, thoroughly enjoying the kiss. “My girlfriend is so bossy.
What am I supposed to do? I love it. Be a little more bossy with me, hmm?”
She pouted, “What do you mean, ‘a little more bossy’? How about I boss you around
and force you to make love to me...is that what you want?”
Stephan replied shamelessly, “Yes! Please do. Have your way with me, baby. Handcuff me, strip me naked...whip me!”
Alana blushed bright red, “Pervert!”
Stephan curved his lips and seized the moment to pick her up. “Alright, this pervert is going to carry his girlfriend back to the room and love her fiercely...”
The mischievous man gave the girl in his arms a playful jolt, causing her to quickly wrap her arms around his neck, her face pale with fear. “Aaaah, no! Let me go!”
“Your protest is invalid!”
***************
After resting for two days, Alana could walk normally again and had to return to the office.
When she returned, Carla and a few colleagues came over to ask about her leg, how she’d suddenly sprained it out of the blue.
Alana was too embarrassed to tell the truth, so she simply said she’d been walking carelessly and twisted her ankle.
After two days off, a lot of work had piled up.
After handling the mountain of work, she took a moment to visit the HR department and asked the HR director if her resignation had been approved yet.
After all, it had been several days since she submitted her resignation letter, and with no word at all, she wanted to check on the status.
The answer was that it hadn’t been approved.
Alana was puzzled. “Why? What’s the reason why my resignation hasn’t been approved?”
The HR Director asked in puzzlement, “Alana, why do you want to resign? Isn’t your current job going well? You’ve just transitioned from an intern to a full-time employee, you’re Manager Cole’s right-hand person, and your salary jumped from four thousand to seven thousand. If you resign, won’t all your hard work over the past few months be for nothing?”
Alana didn’t really want to resign either. After all, she had worked hard during her time here, made new friends, and gradually adapted to the company’s business model.
Plus, she had successfully transitioned to a full-time position and received a significant pay raise.
If she quit and moved to another company, she’d have to start all over again, working hard, adapting to a new environment, and rebuilding her professional network.
But whenever she thought of the suffocating pressure Cole occasionally put on her, she still made the painful decision.
Alana said, “I’m sorry, but I have personal reasons.”
The HR director tried to persuade her, “For a woman, your career is what really matters. What personal reason could possibly be more important than your career? Think it over carefully. Don’t let a minor personal matter derail your career. You still have room for promotion, please consider this carefully before making a decision.”
Alana nodded. “I know, but I’ve already made my decision. Please approve my resignation as soon as possible.”
The HR Director hesitated. It wasn’t that she didn’t want to approve it!
It was just that higher-ups had instructed her to hold it up and not approve it.
After a moment’s hesitation, she decided to be honest. “Alana, you’re now a full-time
employee of the company and Manager Cole’s right-hand person. Your resignation requires his approval.”
Alana was taken aback. “Can’t I just resign on my own?”
The HR Director replied tactfully, “Well, regarding the specifics, you should ask Manager Cole. If he agrees, I can approve it as well.”
Alana fell silent for a moment, then nodded. “Okay, I understand. Thank you, Director.”
“You’re welcome.”
Alana returned to her desk, deep in thought.
From the way the HR Director spoke, it seemed Cole was deliberately holding up
her resignation request, preventing HR from approving it.
So, what exactly was Cole up to?
Why won’t he let her resign?
Given their awkward relationship, she had thought she could resign smoothly without going through him.
But now it looked like she’d have to go through him after all.
After a moment’s hesitation, she decided to go see Cole.
Seeing that the office door was open and the man was working alone, Alana walked
right in. “Manager Cole.”
Cole heard the voice and slowly looked up. Seeing it was Alana, the corners of his mouth turned up slightly, and his tone was friendly.
“Lana, you look well. Is your foot better?”
Alana looked at him. It had only been two days, but he seemed somewhat haggard;
she wondered what he had been through.
But none of that was any of her business anymore.
She nodded and replied politely, “Yes, thank you for asking. I’m fine now.”
Cole smiled. “That’s good to hear.”
His smile was gentle, as if the acrimonious parting from that day had never happened.
Alana looked at his weary, bloodshot eyes behind the gold-rimmed glasses. Her lips
trembled slightly; she wanted to speak but held back, unsure how to begin.
Cole saw right through her thoughts and said with a smile, “If there’s something on your mind, just say it.”
Alana paused for a moment. “I... want to quit.”
Cole’s expression remained unchanged, though his fists tightened imperceptibly. He stared at her. “Resign? Why?”
Alana shook her head. “There’s no reason. I just don’t want to do it anymore. I want to find another job.”
Cole pursed his thin lips. “Is it because you think the pay is too low? If seven thousand is a bit low, I’ll raise it to ten thousand for you.”
“It’s not about the salary being too low.”
Cole furrowed his brow. “Do you think I’m giving you too much work? I’ll lighten your workload a bit from now on. You won’t have to work overtime anymore...just stick to regular hours.”
“It’s not about the workload either.”
“Then what is the problem?”
Alana replied earnestly, “It’s my own issue. I told you, I don’t want to work here anymore. I want to find another job.”
Come tugged at the corner of his mouth.
Was it that she doesn’t want to work here, or that she doesn’t want to work by his side? Did she really not want to be around him that much?
“Lana, is it because of what I said to you that’s troubling you, and that’s why you’ve decided to quit?”
Alana fell silent.
Her silence spoke volumes.
Cole looked at her and said sincerely, “I apologize. I shouldn’t have said those things to you. I won’t say them again. Will that allow you to continue working with peace of mind?”
Alana bit her lip and said stubbornly, “I’m sorry, but I still want to quit.”
Cole’s face paled slightly.
Unwilling to accept this, he asked, “Lana, is this your own decision to quit, or did your boyfriend take it upon himself to decide for you and pressure you to quit?”
Alana shook her head. “It wasn’t him. It was my own decision.”
Cole looked at her and continued, “Then why do you insist on quitting? Haven’t I given you enough? If you quit now and look for another job, the benefits and compensation might not be as good as what you have here!”
Cole tried to speak gently, trying his best to dissuade her. “Lana, be a good girl. Don’t quit, okay? As long as you’re willing to stay and work here, I’ll give you anything you want.”
Alana thought for a moment, then shook her head firmly in refusal.
Cole’s heart sank.
She really wasn’t giving him even the slightest glimmer of hope.
He could have used force to keep her, but he didn’t want her to hate him.
What happened before had already left a lingering resentment in her heart, and he didn’t want their relationship to deteriorate any further.