Chapter 4

Cecilia's POV

Just as I was about to refuse, Tristan Shaw had already ushered me out the door.

Vivian Burke was already sitting in the passenger seat. When she saw me approaching, she immediately made a move to get out. “

I'm so sorry, Ms. Vance. I'm just used to sitting in the front passenger seat. I'll get out right now.” Tristan Shaw pulled open the back door.

“You get motion sickness, so stay where you are.” “

Cecilia, you sit in the back.”

As the car pulled onto the main road, Vivian Burke started chatting away.

“Tristan, do you remember the ginkgo tree by the school's back gate? Every autumn, you would help me gather leaves to make bookmarks.”

Tristan Shaw's lips curled up slightly.

“I remember. The books in the school library were filled with your bookmarks.”

Vivian Burke laughed and patted his arm. The two of them bantered back and forth, reminiscing about high school. Their chemistry was so seamless, it was as if they had traveled ten years back in time.

I sat in the back seat, like an irrelevant bystander.

Whenever Tristan Shaw turned his head to look at Vivian Burke, his eyes were filled with nothing but tender affection, and his tone was completely different from usual.

It turned out that the usually cold and quiet Mr. Shaw also had such a warm and talkative side.

When we were first married, Tristan Shaw and I used to commute to work together. Back then, I also liked chatting about trivial little things in the car.

Once, as I was enthusiastically sharing something, Tristan Shaw hadn't even turned his head.

“I'm not interested in any of this.”

After that, I gradually stopped speaking.

The car pulled up in front of a dessert shop.

Vivian Burke pushed open the car door cheerfully.

“This shop is actually still here! We used to sneak out every day at lunchtime during high school just to eat here.”

Smiling, Tristan Shaw reached out and tapped Vivian Burke's forehead.

“You have the nerve to say that? Someone insisted on eating iced buns with hawthorn filling during her period, and wound up doubled over in pain. You forced me to sneak out during evening study to buy you a heating pad, only for me to get caught red-handed by the homeroom teacher and made to stand in the hallway for the whole period.” Vivian Burke stuck her tongue out.

“I just really wanted to eat it.”

The three of us walked into the shop.

The owner's face lit up with pleasant surprise upon seeing Tristan Shaw and Vivian Burke.

“Tristan! Vivian! I haven't seen you two in so many years! Are you married now? Any kids?”

Tristan Shaw's smile stiffened.

He quickly wrapped his arm around my waist, pulling me forward.

“You have the wrong idea. This is my wife.” The owner gave an embarrassed laugh.

“Ah, I'm getting old and muddled! The usual, then? Iced hawthorn cake?” Tristan Shaw nodded.

“Yes, three portions.”

When three iced buns with hawthorn filling were served, Tristan Shaw and Vivian Burke ate with great relish.

Only after Vivian Burke had finished her portion did she look at the untouched iced bun sitting in front of me.

“Why aren't you eating, Ms. Vance? Is it not to your liking?”

“Pregnant women can't eat hawthorn.” Tristan Shaw's hand froze, the smile fading from his face.

“Cecilia, I'm sorry, I didn't realize.” I had already stood up.

“Are you finished? Let's go if you are.”

I stepped out of the little shop ahead of them, not waiting.

On the streets of the old town, Vivian Burke and Tristan Shaw walked in front.

As they strolled, they pointed at the shops along the street, reminiscing about the past.

“That stationery shop is still open! I picked out a birthday present for you there back then.”

“It closed long ago. A new owner took over and reopened it later.”

Tristan Shaw walked on the outer side of Vivian Burke. Whenever a cyclist passed by, he would reach out to guide her toward the inside of the sidewalk.

When a few playing children ran toward them, Tristan Shaw immediately wrapped his arm around Vivian Burke's waist, pulling her protectively into his chest.

When Vivian Burke's shoelaces came undone, Tristan Shaw knelt down to tie them for her.

Walking behind them, I was left further and further behind.

At five months pregnant, my body felt heavier and heavier. My lower back ached terribly, and I simply couldn't keep up with their pace.

They walked far ahead, laughing and chatting, having long since forgotten about me.

I stopped, hailed a cab, and went straight home.

Long after I arrived home, Tristan Shaw never once called to check on me.

That night, Tristan Shaw did not come home.

The next morning, I went to the office as usual, planning to wrap up my work for the final few days.

The moment I walked through the doors of the Shaw Group, I sensed a strange atmosphere.

Everyone looked at me with complex, indescribable expressions.

I didn't understand what was happening until I passed the lounge and overheard the gossip inside.

“Did you guys see yesterday afternoon? Mr. Shaw personally brought that Vivian Burke to the office.”

“See? That's putting it lightly. Mr. Shaw directly appointed her as the Director of the Strategic Development Department. She's Manager Vance's direct superior now.”

“Manager Vance has been with the company for five years, climbing up to senior manager step by step through performance reviews. Vivian Burke gets to be a director the second she arrives, and even takes over the collaboration project with Apex Group—that's a two-billion-dollar deal.”

“And did you see how Mr. Shaw looked at her yesterday? His eyes were filled with nothing but love. Sigh.”

“Manager Vance is quite pitiful. She's the actual CEO's wife, yet she's only a senior manager after five years. Meanwhile, this other woman parachutes in as her boss on day one, takes the biggest project, and expects Manager Vance to do the grunt work for her. It's pretty obvious who he loves and who he doesn't.”

I sneered inwardly.

In reality, the collaboration with Apex Group was a gift from me to the Shaw family.

The majority shareholder of Apex Group was a wholly-owned subsidiary of Vance Holdings. The funding, channels, and client resources for this partnership all came from the Vance family.

But to spare Tristan Shaw's pride, I had hidden all traces of the Vance family's involvement.

Once I left the Shaw Group and the Vance family withdrew its resources, what became of this project would go without saying.

Vivian Burke still treated this project like some prize jewel, cradling it in her hands with smug satisfaction.

Little did she know, it was a hot potato.

Free lunches in this world always come with a price.

Vivian Burke called me into the director's office and slid the divorce papers in front of me.

“Manager Vance, I did the favor you asked of me.” I opened the document. Tristan Shaw had already signed it.

I didn't care to ask how Vivian Burke had managed it. I muttered a quick thanks and turned to leave. “

Manager Vance,” Vivian Burke called out from behind me, unable to hide the smugness in her voice.

“Aren't you going to ask what Tristan and I did last night?”

I didn't turn around. “

Do whatever you want. I don't care.”

I pushed the door open, only to run straight into Tristan Shaw.

He had clearly overheard my last sentence, and his gaze darkened.

“What's that in your hand?” Vivian Burke followed close behind.

“It's nothing, Tristan. Just a few project coordination documents. I'm new and not very familiar with the procedures, so I asked Manager Vance to review them with me.”

Tristan Shaw didn't look at Vivian Burke.

He stared directly at my face, grabbed my wrist, and dragged me back into his office.

“Vivian had a stomachache last night, so I took her to the hospital. It was just a medical checkup. We didn't do anything.”

I nodded.

“Alright. I understand.”

Tristan Shaw scrutinized me with an unreadable expression, then continued to explain.

“I admit I hid things from you last time. She is my first love, but she and I are in the past. My wife now is you.”

I wanted to laugh.

A “past” first love, whom he had held and kissed repeatedly in our matrimonial home.

And he claimed they had done nothing?

“Okay. Anything else?”

I looked at him calmly.

Tristan Shaw looked dazed for a moment, and then seemed slightly uneasy.

He stared at me for a long time before softening his tone again.

“She just returned to the country and has no foundation here; I'm the only one she can rely on. Making her director is to help her get a foothold. You have strong capabilities, so assist her more.”

After saying all this, not a single word was spent asking why I hadn't kept up yesterday, or if anything had happened to me.

“I'm currently pregnant and can't overexert myself. I'm afraid I won't be of much help to her.”

Tristan Shaw's face flushed with irritation and embarrassment.

“There's a class reunion tonight to welcome Vivian back. You're my wife, so you should come too.”

“I don't want to go.”

Tristan Shaw would not drop the matter.

“There is nothing going on between us. You're coming so you don't overthink things.”