Chapter 31
Cordelia was stunned, her mind racing with confusion as she turned to Annie for answers. Annie sighed deeply, leaning in to whisper next to her ear. “I’ll just lay it out for you. The news has spread all over the office. They’re saying you’re married to a thug who was put behind bars…”
Annie paused, letting the weight of her words sink in. “They also said that your husband was the one who beat up Jesse yesterday. The stories are vivid, painting him as someone who was often arrested for fights, someone who spent years in prison and only recently got out.”
Cordelia didn’t know whether to laugh or cry. She stood in silence for a moment, processing the absurdity of it all.
Annie was taken aback by Cordelia’s lack of reaction. “Are you really married, Cordelia? Is your husband really like they described?” she asked, her tone laced with disbelief.
“Yes, I’m married,” Cordelia replied calmly, her voice steady. “And yes, he doesn’t come from a glorious background.”
Annie stepped back, her eyes wide with shock. She couldn’t believe what she was hearing.
“But he treats me well,” Cordelia added, her voice soft but firm. Each word she spoke felt like a bead falling onto the ground—clear and deliberate. “I never planned to hide my marriage from anyone. I didn’t keep it a secret. There’s no need to hide. Besides, none of you asked. And there’s no rule in the company that says they don’t hire married individuals, right?”
Annie frowned, mulling over Cordelia’s words. “True, but…” she trailed off, unsure of how to respond.
Cordelia’s expression remained calm. “No matter what people say, my husband is a good man,” she continued. “Maybe he spent time in jail for fighting in the past, but ever since we got married, he’s never done anything like that again. The past is the past. We move forward together, hand in hand, into the present and future.”
Annie looked at Cordelia with admiration. If she were in Cordelia’s shoes, she wasn’t sure she would have the same courage. She reached out and held Cordelia’s hand, her eyes filled with understanding. “If I’m being honest, I admire you,” Annie said quietly. But then, her gaze fell to Cordelia’s bare hand. “You’re married, but why aren’t you wearing a wedding ring? No wonder people are misunderstanding you.”
Cordelia blinked, taken aback. She lowered her gaze and noticed her bare finger.
The truth was, the marriage had been rushed, and there hadn’t been time to buy wedding rings. They hadn’t even had a ring exchange ceremony. She had gotten married on a whim, and as such, she hadn’t thought much about wearing a ring.
But then she remembered something—there was a ring in the sandalwood box Marcus had given her.
Before she could say anything, a shrill voice interrupted her thoughts. “Her husband spent half of his life in jail. How would he have money to buy her a ring?”
Cordelia turned sharply, her eyes narrowing as she saw Karine approaching with a few others, her glare filled with venom.
“Say,” Karine continued mockingly, “you should learn from Cordelia. Her husband was a fighter and a criminal, smokes, drinks—but he’s still a good man, huh?” Karine chuckled, the sound grating on Cordelia’s nerves.
Someone nearby chimed in, “I heard he doesn’t even have a proper job. He’s spending his wife’s money.”
Another voice added, “No wonder Cordelia works so hard. She’ll sleep with any man just to close a sale!”
Karine gritted her teeth, a wicked smile spreading across her face. She had been furious at first when she heard that Cordelia’s husband had beaten Jesse. But deep down, Karine knew that if Jesse hadn’t overstepped his boundaries, he wouldn’t have been hurt.
She couldn’t stand Jesse, but she knew how to manipulate the situation. She had always sided with him in public, but now, she was determined to make Cordelia suffer.
“Cordelia…” Karine sneered, “Are you working so hard to save up for a diamond ring? Haha, well, if your husband can’t afford it, I’m sure there are other men who would be happy to buy it for you. It’s no problem for you to close sales, right? You just need to seduce them.”
“Karine!” Cordelia growled, her voice low and dangerous.
The group of people who had been laughing stopped dead in their tracks. They fell silent, watching as Cordelia’s gaze hardened, her eyes filled with a murderous intent. It was the first time they had ever seen the usually gentle Cordelia give such a terrifying look.