Scarlett's POV:
"Sorry, I don't know the Charles you're talking about. And I can't help you," I said and looked at Nancy. I refused her request without hesitation.
Nancy was stunned and didn't seem to understand what I meant.
"Drink some water first, Scarlett," Charles offered and smiled.
He handed me a glass of water and stared at me as if he didn't notice Nancy there, desperately begging for mercy.
"Charles, are you the man that Nancy mentioned just now?" I asked Charles deliberately in front of Nancy while taking the glass of water from him.
"No, I'm not. I have nothing to do with her," Charles denied immediately.
"Then who are you?" I asked Charles again.
"I'm your husband, Scarlett," Charles replied, holding my hand and looking at me affectionately.
I saw tears in Nancy's eyes as she stared at Charles in disbelief.
"How couldyou say something like that, Charles?"
"Who allowed you to call my name?" Charles snapped at Nancy.
Frightened by his cold eyes, Nancy's face turned pale, and she lowered her head in grievance.
"Nicholas, please get Nancy out of here. My wife needs to rest. I don't want anyone disturbing her," Charles urged Nicholas impatiently.
"Of course. Nancy, come on. Scarlett needs some rest," Nicholas said while flashing me an apologetic look. He gently took Nancy's arm, but Nancy didn't want to leave.
Unwilling to give up, Nancy shook off Nicholas ' grip and addressed me once again.
"Please help me, Scarlett! I've been working hard all this time. You have no idea about the kind of hell I had to go through just to get where I am. I can't lose this job!" Nancy pleaded, practically kneeling by my bedside.
Looking at the desperate expression on her face, I kept silent.
As a woman, I didn't think Nancy had done anything wrong. If I were in her shoes, I definitely would've made the same choice.
But I still didn't understand why Nancy was asking me of all people for help. After all, our relationship was not that good.
All of a sudden, what Charles said a few days ago occurred to me. He said that he wanted Nancy to be James's stepmother, which made me feel extremely disgusted. I looked at Nancy coldly.
"Are you really unwilling to help me, Scarlett?" Nancy pressed.
"Nancy, you made the company lose an important client, and you didn't engage in introspection. What else can I say? Besides, I don't think it's my obligation to help you," I retorted, feeling a little taken aback by the sheer entitlement in Nancy's tone.
Did she think that I had to help her just because she sobbed and wailed in front of me?
"It's not my fault at all. Any woman would resist being sexually harassed. You're also a woman, Scarlett. You should take my side," Nancy said, trying to arouse my empathy.
"If it were Charles who sexually harassed you that day, would you have resisted?" I asked Nancy with a sneer.
Finally, Nancy was rendered speechless. She clearly wasn't expecting me to ask that question.
Her reaction was enough of an answer for me.
Since Nancy liked Charles so much, she must be eager to have more physical contact with him.
"Please leave. I'm tired. I want to rest," I finally said and looked away.
"I'm so sorry, Scarlett. Nancy's spoiled and doesn't know when to quit. Don't worry. I'll take her home right now," Nicholas apologized and put his arm around Nancy's shoulder. He hurriedly steered her out of the room before she could start a whole new conversation.
After they left, both Charles and I kept silent.
I picked up the magazine on my bedside table and began to read it.
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