Chapter 205: I’ve Thought About Getting Married, But the Bride Was Always You
The mere thought of that scoundrel Ethan Linden and the disrespectful way he treated the company infuriated Charles Prescott. "The company isn’t just mine; it’s yours too. I refuse to believe that you, as a board member, genuinely don’t care about your own interests."
"I’m listening to Ethan now. Whatever he wants to do, I’ll go along with it." Chairman Grant had now made up his mind.
Charles Prescott looked at him, stood up, and said, "Forget it. It seems there’s no point in counting on you."
Seeing Charles Prescott storm out in anger, Chairman Grant remained seated, unconcerned.
Grace was standing outside the door. When she saw Charles Prescott emerge, she said, "President Prescott."
Charles Prescott reached up and loosened his tie. "I don’t know how Ethan brainwashed him. He used to be against Ethan and Anne Sutton being together, and now, who knows what happened, he’s suddenly on Ethan’s side?"
Grace said, "Chairman Grant doesn’t seem like the type of person to disregard the company’s interests."
"Then what’s the reason?" Charles Prescott laughed in exasperation. "Damn it, in the end, I’m the only one who cares about the company! They all act like it doesn’t matter!"
’It makes me look like the biggest fool!’
Charles Prescott asked Grace, "By the way, what’s the situation with President Sterling? What did the police say?"
Grace replied, "They said President Sterling did indeed force himself on the woman; she wasn’t lying. He won’t be getting out anytime soon."
"..." Charles Prescott wasn’t surprised to hear this.
’That man, President Sterling, never had any principles to begin with. He’s exactly the kind of person who would do something like this!’
Charles Prescott wasn’t foolish enough to cover for him just because they had a prior relationship.
He just didn’t want the matter to get out.
He instructed Grace, "You have to suppress this. Don’t let any information leak. I don’t want to see a single news report about it. If this blows up, the company will be affected again!"
Charles Prescott felt utterly miserable at that moment.
’It feels like everyone is just trying to make my life difficult!’
’And with Ethan Linden’s personality, he has a feeling Ethan might just stab him in the back!’
’Ethan would probably love nothing more than to run the company into the ground and snatch his position.’
’He’d stop at nothing to seize power!’
Grace said, "I’ll make the necessary calls. You have a meeting soon. Will you be attending?"
"I can’t be bothered." Leaving the office, Charles Prescott felt suffocated.
As he was driving, Mia Shaw gave him a call. "Are you at the office? I’m in Westhaven! I wanted to come see you."
"I’m busy." Hearing Mia Shaw’s voice, Charles Prescott had no desire to see her right now.
He replied curtly, hung up, and drove away.
...
Anne Sutton had just stepped out of her mother’s hospital room, planning to go for a short walk.
Her mother had just fallen asleep, and she was a bit tired herself.
As soon as she came out, she saw Charles Prescott standing in the hallway, looking at her. "Anne."
He looked exhausted.
Anne Sutton stared at him, a little dazed. She remembered back when she was still his fiancée; sometimes, when he was exhausted, he would show up and ask her to have a meal with him.
He would also vent to her about his frustrations at work.
The look on his face then was just like it was now.
Anne Sutton said, "Well, if it isn’t President Prescott. It’s working hours. Why aren’t you at the office? What are you doing here?"
Charles Prescott was a workaholic; everything else took a backseat to his job.
Charles Prescott said with deep emotion, "I missed you."
"..." A look of disgust appeared in Anne Sutton’s eyes when she heard him. "I just ate. Are you trying to make me throw up?"
She turned to walk away.
As she passed him, Charles Prescott blocked her way. "Anne, please, just talk with me for a bit. I really don’t know what to do anymore!"
He had gotten in his car, intending to go elsewhere.
But he realized the person he wanted to see most was her!
He admitted he had many women in his life.
He had never stopped.
But with those other women, all they cared about was whether he loved them or not.
Only Anne Sutton was willing to listen to him vent, to hear him talk about the things that made him unhappy.
’She seems to be the only woman in the world who can listen to me pour my heart out.’
Anne Sutton said, "You have times when you don’t know what to do? I would have thought you wouldn’t have a care in the world right now!"
"Sometimes, the higher you climb, the greater the responsibility you have to bear," Charles Prescott said. "Ethan Linden is targeting me every single day, just causing trouble for me, did you know?"
"..." For some reason, hearing Charles Prescott say that Ethan Linden was targeting him put Anne Sutton in a remarkably good mood.
Anne Sutton said, "Go on. I’d love to hear more."
She loved seeing Charles Prescott miserable.
Seeing her kicking him while he was down, Charles Prescott said, "Isn’t that a little cruel? I’m already miserable enough!"
"Your misery is my happiness." Anne Sutton crossed her arms, sizing up the man before her. "Keep talking."
Seeing he couldn’t do anything about her attitude, Charles Prescott could only endure it. "Did you know that Ethan Linden has thrown the company’s affairs into total chaos?"
"What does that have to do with Ethan Linden?" Anne Sutton countered. "Isn’t President Sterling the one who messed things up for the company? You’re in this mess because he has no self-control and did something despicable. There’s no justice in this world! Why did they only arrest him and not you too?"
"..." The corner of Charles Prescott’s mouth twitched. "What did I do? I didn’t break any laws."
"You didn’t break the law," Anne Sutton said. "But you have no morals. You think you can cheat on people just because you have some stinking money. You play with women’s feelings! Go on, tell me, aren’t all those girls you keep around in their early twenties? You duped them when they were young and naive, didn’t you? Charles Prescott, you’re shameless!"
Speaking of his vile behavior, Anne Sutton truly hoped he would get his comeuppance.
Hearing her words, Charles Prescott said, "But I never lied to you."
"...You never lied to me?"
Charles Prescott said, "From the day we got engaged until now, have I ever even touched you? You tell me."
"..." Anne Sutton looked at Charles Prescott, suddenly at a loss for words.
Charles Prescott continued, "In my heart, you were always different from the others! I always thought that you weren’t like them. Being with them was all just an act, but you... you were my future wife. Anne, I never thought of being with anyone else but you. I’ve thought about marriage, but the bride was always you."
As Charles Prescott spoke, his voice grew sincere.
He felt like he was lying, but in that moment, even he couldn’t tell if it was true or not.
He had never imagined saying these things to her before, but now that he had, he discovered...
...he quite enjoyed saying them to her.
They were meant to be lies for her, and while she didn’t believe them, he himself started to!
"You’re about to make me laugh," Anne Sutton chuckled. "Charles Prescott, you’re so full of it. What did you say when you were with Sylvia Warren? You said you never gave a damn about me. And now you’re feeding me these hypocritical lines? Do you really think I’m that stupid?"