"What's wrong with Flora? Doesn't she know that Director White is pregnant? If anything happens to the baby, selling her entire life wouldn't be enough to compensate!"
"That's right, Director White's unborn child is the future heir of the S.E.I Corporation."
"Are you ladies joking? Isn't it well-known throughout the entire S.E.I Corporation that Director White is pregnant? It's obvious that she knew but still deliberately... Right? Flora, are you trying to cause Director White to lose her baby?"
The S.E.I employees surrounding them kept whispering amongst themselves, each comment more outrageous than the last.
Flora, having reasons she couldn't articulate, was at a loss for how to defuse the situation.
A thin layer of perspiration formed on her forehead.
Her hand, that was just stepped on by Selena, trembled slightly, a vivid red swelling against her fair skin stood out strikingly.
However, nobody seemed to pay any attention to that.
Selena, who had most likely acted intentionally, furrowed her brows, clutched her stomach, her carefully made-up face wrinkled: "I know you don't like me, but... don't harm my child! This baby is the crystallization of my love with Matthew, nothing can go wrong!"
"What's going on?" A familiar, icy voice echoed.
The tall figure of a man appeared.
The noisy crowd suddenly fell silent.
The CEO had arrived, on one side was his secretary and lover, and on the other was his pregnant fiancée, leaving everyone to wonder whom he would side with.
Regardless of whose side he took, the employees didn't dare to openly gossip about his affairs.
Flora's face turned deathly pale, she instinctively stepped back.
She hastily hid her injured hand behind her back.
Someone, out of concern, whispered to a colleague: "I heard that Flora is the CEO's mistress, if we talk about her like this, will the CEO...?"
"Rest assured." the person beside her dismissed: "Director White is still the fiancée of that CEO over there.
She is soon to be the wife of the CEO, what is a lover like Flora compared to her? How could she possibly rival Director White."
This statement emboldened the surrounding crowd, no longer fearing the punishment.
However, what Matthew uttered next, left them all aghast, as though their eyes were ready to fall out.
He declared: "Flora, inform the finance and accounting department, deduct ten percent of this month's salary from everyone who was clamoring loudly earlier.
The reason... being disruptive during work hours."
Flora was taken aback, not expecting such a statement from him.
Was this... was he indirectly defending her?
After all, the crowd had been directing their barbs at her alone.
"Yes, CEO."
With a gentle smile on her lips, she quickly broke away from the crowd, heading towards the finance and accounting department to convey the CEO's instructions.
After she was done and returned, the crowd had dispersed.
The wound on her palm had turned a swollen red, throbbing painfully with a slight movement.
Flora heaved a sigh, looking at the firmly closed office door of Matthew.
Then, pressing her lips together, she went in search of the first aid box.
She had been stepped on by Selena, whose high heels were sharp and forcefully applied.
The palm had swollen and was scratched as well.
Flora opened a bottle of rubbing alcohol, using a cotton ball soaked in it to cleanse the scratches.
The intense pain shot up to her brain, causing her to wince, sweat soaking her forehead.
Yet she bit her lip, continued sterilizing the wound and then bandaged it up.
Treating her wound herself, she was unaware that her actions were not escaping the gaze of a certain man.
"Boss, if you care for her this much, why not go help her with her wound?" A subordinate of Matthew couldn't bear to watch any longer and suggested.
All this time, he had been intently watching the surveillance camera.
When the girl on the screen used alcohol to disinfect the wound, he too involuntarily grimaced.
In his eyes, the concern, care and pain, were definitely not feigned.
"No need." Matthew shook his head, diverting his gaze: "She can handle it herself."
He had to restrain himself, not to spoil everything due to a moment of impulse.
With a casual gesture, he switched off the monitor and let out a statement: "Instruct our people to guard her carefully." He then walked out.
Earlier, Selena had tried to seek justice for her supporters with fury, but was stopped by his indifferent remarks.
She must be in the medical room by now.
Despite being the nominal fiancé, she was carrying their child. He had to check on her.
The workday went by swiftly.
Unexpectedly, Matthew did not pile up work to make Flora work overtime.
Finally, she could finish work on time.
"Flora!" Standing outside the headquarters of S.E.I Corporation, Patrick waved enthusiastically as he saw Flora walking out: "I've timed it quite well, haven't I?"
"Patrick... Why are you here?"
Patrick smiled warmly, casually ruffling her hair: "I'm here to pick you up after work, afraid you would have to take a taxi or walk home."
Although he didn't explicitly say it, he was quite displeased with Matthew's behavior.
Having decided to marry a pregnant fiancée, yet he couldn't let go of Flora or treat her decently.
But then, if he didn't treat Flora well, he shouldn't blame others for stealing her away.
"It's too much trouble for you." Flora shook her head: "It's not necessary, I can just take a taxi."
Patrick couldn't possibly pick her up every day.
The company headquarters were not far from her place, she could hail a taxi herself.
She shouldn't bother others.
"What's our relationship, anyway? Why speak of inconvenience or not... Wait a minute, what happened to your hand?" Only then did Patrick notice Flora's hand, wound in several rounds of bandages.
In fact, the wound on her hand wasn't too severe, just slightly bloody.
But because it was swollen and red, every touch hurt, so she bandaged it to prevent further impact.
Unexpectedly, it drew Patrick's attention.
She hid her hand behind her back, a bit panic-stricken, and shook her head dismissively: "It's nothing.
I... I just..."
"Let me see your hand!" Patrick's voice was very gentle, but it carried a tone of decisive authority that didn't allow for negotiation.
His hand gripped her wrist, pulling it before his face.
"You got hurt like this and didn't tell me?" Patrick frowned, looking at the haphazard bandage on her hand: "Don't tell me you bandaged it yourself."
Seeing her face, he knew he had guessed right again.
Damn, how could Matthew take care of people this way?
Flora bowed her head, not daring to meet Patrick's eyes, full of affection and pity.
The feelings in those eyes seemed to have never changed, making her incredibly uncomfortable.
Patrick sighed deeply, leading her into the car.
"Let me disinfect it and re-bandage it for you." Thankfully, he always kept a first aid kit in his car.
Patrick gently removed the messy bandage from her delicate hand, then disinfected it with alcohol, and carefully bandaged it again.
His movements were so gentle, as if they were back seven years ago, when they were still together.
It seemed only Flora had changed.
And the one to blame in this love story, was only her.
"Flora! You're zoning out again... Is it too painful to speak?" Patrick put the first aid kit back in a corner of the car, then said: "I've told you, if it hurts, you have to tell me.
You're always like this, always enduring alone, never willing to share your troubles with anyone."
He was not only referring to today's event but many things from the past as well.
This girl was both foolish and kind, but perhaps that was why she left an unforgettable mark on his heart.
"Thank you.
I have to go now." Flora avoided his gaze, stretching her hand to open the car door.
Before her hand could even touch the car door, Patrick stopped her.
He casually smiled: "Since you're already in the car, let me drive you home."
Unable to think of a reason to reject his kind offer, Flora nodded.
On the way, the atmosphere between them fell into an odd silence.
They quickly arrived at Matthew's mansion.
Once the car stopped, Patrick didn't rush to let Flora out.
He turned around, looking at her with longing, nostalgic eyes: "I still look after the flower garden like before.
You can come back... anytime you want."
Flora suddenly felt her eyes welling up.
She nodded softly, stepped out of the car.
Each step she took towards the mansion's door was a step away from Patrick, away from their past.
Sitting in the driver's seat, silently watching her slender figure slowly moving away, Patrick felt a pang in his heart.
The two of them were childhood friends; he had taken her home countless times, had seen her back countless times.
But there was no time he had wanted to jump out and hold her as much as this moment.
Perhaps because, he knew, everything could no longer return to the way it was.
The Flora in front of him was still Flora, but she was no longer his Flora.
"Do you still know the way home? Weren't you going to visit the kids?" The cold, steady voice of Matthew pierced into Flora's ears.
Upon hearing those few words, she could already discern the wretched state of his mood.
She furrowed her brow slightly: "Are you angry?"
"You knew I'd be upset? Yet you went home with another man?" Matthew snorted: "Not long ago, he even claimed he wanted to rival me. I think you know who I'm talking about, don't you?"
Seeing Flora not responding, he abruptly closed the distance, pinning her against the wall.
Her back was against the icy cold wall, and in front of her was a man fuming with rage.
"Flora, you should understand your position. You are my woman, I will not tolerate you leaving me."
"Is that so?" Flora suddenly burst into laughter: "If I am your woman, what are you to me? Matthew... do you really think I would stay by your side even if you marry someone else?"
She didn't consider herself that cheap. If he chose to marry someone else, it meant he had chosen to let her go, forever.
Matthew frowned, and it took a while before he said: "In your opinion... is marriage more important, or is love?"
In his eyes, love and marriage didn't conflict. Even if Selena became his wife in name, his heart still always turned towards Flora. And the two of them could still be together.