The Best Revenge It Wasn't Even Your Child novel Chapter 139

Catherine stopped in her tracks, instinctively edging into the shadows.

The parking garage was dim and quiet. Just ahead, a mother and son stood next to a sleek Maybach. The car door hung open halfway, like Belinda had caught Lance right before he could get in.

Lance was inside the door frame, wrist propped on the edge, his back to Catherine. She couldn’t make out his expression, just caught the low rumble of his voice.

“You all think she’s in the way. Why wait to get rid of her?”

Belinda stared at him for a long moment, searching his handsome face for something, but finding nothing there. Still, she couldn’t let it go. “Adelina really is spoiled, and that’s partly my fault. I can’t help much with your career, but at least she comes from a proper family. She’s so much better than Catherine, you... you can’t hurt her, Lance. Promise me.”

Silence. Then Lance replied, voice flat, “I won’t.”

Two words, but they landed so heavily on Catherine’s chest that she felt like she couldn’t breathe. She pressed herself against the cold wall, fingers tightening around the file she held until the edges dug into her skin.

A car engine started up. Catherine glanced over just in time to see Belinda get in and drive away. Lance still stood there, one foot poised like he hadn’t decided whether to leave.

Catherine forced herself to pull it together. Slowly, she stepped forward.

“Lance, Aaron asked me to give you these,” she said, holding out the file.

Lance turned, staring down at her hand. Her fingers looked even paler against the stark white paper, her grip so tight the edges were crumpled. He frowned a little, taking the file and giving her a quick once-over.

“I thought you’d have made up your mind by now, Catherine,” he said, his voice laced with sarcasm.

He sounded honestly surprised she hadn’t left yet, considering how desperate she was to get away.

It wasn’t until late that night, when she finally got home, that she had a moment to breathe. She spread the resignation agreement out on the table and started reading.

Every client she’d worked with at SilverLeaf Industries was now off-limits. She couldn’t contact them, ever. Anything confidential she’d learned at SilverLeaf was locked up tight, or she’d be hit with a massive penalty. She could live with all that.

But the last clause stopped her cold.

After quitting, she wasn’t allowed to work for any company that competed with SilverLeaf. She’d have to leave the whole industry behind, start from scratch somewhere new. Everything she’d worked for over the years would count for nothing.

“This is insane. He just wants to make things impossible for you so you’ll give up,” Lorinda said, nearly pounding the table. “It’s not even a fair contract.”

Catherine bit her lower lip, brow furrowed as she scanned the contract line by line, desperate to find some loophole—anything that might keep her future from slipping away.