Filed to story: When His Wife Can’t Forgive
Yolanda, having no patience for his explanations, grabbed a fruit knife from nearby and swiped at his shoulder.
The designer shrieked in pain and blurted out, “An engagement ring, a diamond engagement ring!”
The moment she heard his response, Yolanda felt as if her heart had shattered.
She knew Caden didn’t love her and had hurt her countless times, but seeing him go to such lengths for Alicia was unbearable.
She lowered the knife in her hand, tears streaming down her face.
The designer, clutching his injured hand, took a few steps back. Seeing her breakdown, he forgot his own pain and asked gently, “Miss Moss, are you alright?” How could she be so distraught on what was supposed to be a joyful occasion?
Corey entered just then, glancing between them. “What’s going on here?” he asked, his tone calm yet curious.
Yolanda’s gaze hardened as she looked at Corey and then pointed at the designer. “Get this man out of my sight.”
The designer looked at her in shock. “Miss Moss, I haven’t done anything to you.”
“Leave! Just get out!” she shouted, her voice laced with anger.
Then, in a sudden burst of rage, she grabbed him by the collar. “You are not to design a ring for Caden. If I find out you’re working with him, I’ll have my father destroy you.”
The designer, startled, looked at her in shock, remembering the once graceful and poised heiress he used to know. Now, she seemed unhinged, consumed by anger and pain.
Corey interjected, his voice biting, “Are you waiting for her to actually cut your throat?”
The designer swallowed, said nothing, and left in stunned silence.
Once he was gone, Yolanda steadied herself, her mind flashing back to her harrowing time at the police station-the threats, the rough and revolting touches. Though they hadn’t taken things to the worst extreme, the memory haunted her.
And the snakes, seen as symbols of misfortune in her culture, had crawled over her, making her skin crawl.
And she knew it was all Caden’s doing.
He had wanted her to suffer.
Yolanda’s face hardened with hatred as she turned to Corey. “Help me,” she whispered, her voice laced with venom.
Corey glanced at Yolanda, unimpressed by her sudden determination.
Without a word, he tossed the documents he was holding onto her desk. “The Q Robot has a bug, stemming from the chip Caden provided. I need you to find a way to fix it.”
Distracted and visibly shaken, Yolanda snapped, “I can’t deal with work right now!”
Corey’s voice was firm, unyielding. “Then why agree to work with me in the first place? If you’re unwilling to focus, we can end this contract now and be done with each other.”
Yolanda bit her lip, speechless.
After a tense moment, she gritted her teeth and picked up the documents, flipping through them.
They were minor issues, ones she could handle with ease. “Fine,” she said at last. “I’ll solve everything by tomorrow-but only if you help me first.”
Corey raised an eyebrow, his patience thinning. “Help you with what?”
“Caden wants to propose to Alicia,” she explained, her voice wavering. “He’s looking for a designer to create the ring. The designer you saw earlier once worked with my father and assumed I was Caden’s fianc?e.”
Her face fell, the heartbreak evident as her lips trembled. “I won’t let him propose to her.”
Corey let out a cold laugh. “Do you really think you can stop Caden from doing what he wants?”
Yolanda’s eyes flashed with defiance. “If they get married, you can forget about ever having Alicia.”
Corey’s expression remained indifferent. “Whether Alicia marries him or not means nothing to me-as long as she’s alive.”
“But if you want Alicia, she’ll have to leave Caden first, won’t she?” Yolanda’s voice was steady as she gripped Corey’s hand. “I have a plan, but I’ll need your cooperation.”
Corey hesitated. He didn’t particularly want to scheme with Yolanda again, especially after she’d recently tried to push the blame onto him.
However, the issues with the Q Robot were pressing, and Yolanda was the only one who could help.
And she was right; for him to have a chance with Alicia, she would need to be away from Caden’s influence.
Finally, Corey relented. “Alright. Tell me what you need me to do.”
After they discussed their strategy, Corey left the hospital, and Yolanda felt a hint of relief at the thought that her plan might actually work.
Once she had calmed down, she opened the documents, ready to tackle the robot’s issues.
At first, she thought it was a matter of minor bugs, but as she reviewed the files, her confidence waned.
The problems were intricate, as twisted and complex as a tangled bird’s nest of wires.
When Dorian had trained her, she’d only learned the basics, and she rarely handled complex issues; those were left to the experts.
This was beyond her skill level. Frustrated, she picked up the phone and called Corey.
“Isn’t it overkill to have me handle this?” she asked. “Anyone else could fix these bugs.”
Corey’s tone was icy. “If anyone else could fix it, why would I have asked you?”
Yolanda was taken aback. “You’re saying no one else can?”
“That’s right. The chip was Caden’s design, which was complex to begin with. Now, with the added account programs, my team’s at a complete loss.”
She remembered her involvement with the chip’s initial development. It had been so intricate that even Caden had needed her input.
If Caden couldn’t solve this, then Corey certainly couldn’t either.
The weight of the situation pressed on her, and she fell silent.
Sensing her hesitation, Corey spoke up, his voice demanding. “Yolanda, are you telling me you can’t handle it?”
Yolanda’s face changed subtly, and she quickly said, “It’s just a small glitch. I can handle it.”
Corey responded, “Then stop wasting my time. Come up with a fix by the end of the day, or we risk not satisfying the client. We can’t afford the losses.”
Yolanda was aware that each robot carried a significant cost.
Substantial funds had been allocated across various aspects.
More than just money, their reputation was at stake.
For Corey, this could be a severe setback.
Reflecting on these consequences, Yolanda suddenly experienced a twinge of remorse.
Yet regret was futile now, with the pressure mounting. She couldn’t allow a minor issue to tarnish their image.
Without hesitation, Yolanda reached out to Dorian to examine the chip malfunction.
Although it was his first time dealing with such a problem, Dorian, an experienced professional, quickly identified a potential fix.
Still, his solution wasn’t perfect.
A complete repair seemed too challenging.
“This software is unlike anything I’ve encountered before,” Dorian said, squinting a bit. “It seems that the designer had their own ideas when creating it. It’s a distinctive design. I’ll need the source code to fix it.”
Yolanda hesitated, biting her lip, then reluctantly said, “Alicia designed it. She fine-tuned the robot Lina before.”
Dorian raised an eyebrow in mild surprise. “Alicia?
Wasn’t she known to all as a fragile woman who curated famous artworks?
How could she be familiar with technology?”
A memory then struck him. Right after Caden came back, Alicia had contributed to a project that turned out to be a resounding success.
“Did she ever study technology?” Dorian queried.
Knowing Alicia well, Yolanda responded, “No, she studied art. Yet, she passionately explores technology as a hobby.”
Dorian whispered, “She really has a knack for technology, doesn’t she?”
Yolanda immediately bristled with irritation.
After all, Dorian was a celebrated figure in the tech community, and both Caden and Corey had once been his students.
And here he was, complimenting Alicia.
“Dad, I need you to fix the problem, not sing Alicia’s praises!” Yolanda exclaimed.
Dorian answered gravely, “I’ve done what I can for now. The next step is to clone a new chip, but that will take a while.”
Yolanda’s heart skipped a beat. “Dad, are you saying you can’t fix it?”
“It’s not completely out of the question, unless you convince Alicia to assist you,” Dorian explained. “She holds the source code, and her voice is recorded. We can’t reset to factory settings without her.”
Yolanda turned ashen. “I would do anything but ask Alicia for help!”
Furthermore, Alicia was unlikely to offer assistance.
Dorian remained unmoved by Corey’s predicament. He suggested, “Then let Corey face the consequences. It’s better if you distance yourself from him. He’s no good. Claiming another’s work as his own – wasn’t that akin to stealing?”