Chapter 4

On the other end of the line, Gavin remained silent for a long time. After a while, his icy voice came through the phone, audible even to Giselle. "Tell her that private visits require an appointment at the front desk." Then, the call was cut off from Gavin's end. Andy glanced at Giselle, expecting her to throw a tantrum as she always did. However, Giselle simply thanked Andy and walked over to the front desk. She said to Cindy, "I'd like to book a private appointment with Mr. Farrell." Cindy took one look at her and exclaimed mockingly, "Why, I thought you were someone important! Turns out you still have to make a normal appointment, don't you? Honestly, people really have no shame these days. "Anyway, Mr. Farrell's private schedule is fully booked for the next ten days. Do you still want to make an appointment?" Giselle nodded. Once the appointment was finalized, Giselle casually picked up a feedback form from the front desk. She gave Cindy a one-star rating and dropped the form into the suggestion box. "I gave a one-star rating not because your service deserved it, but because one star is the lowest possible rating. You're welcome." With that, she smiled faintly, turned around, and walked off. Cindy's expression became ashen the moment she realized she had just been hit with a one-star rating. Five minutes later, Cindy received a call from HR. "You're fired. Go to the finance department to collect your salary for this month." … It would take ten more days before Giselle could meet Gavin again, and there was a mandatory 30-day cooling-off period for a divorce to be processed. So that meant that it would be at least 40 days before she could get the divorce certificate and be truly free. And on top of that, Giselle had to earn her own living. But she had the education and the capability, so she had nothing to be worried about. However, her hopeful illusions about the future were shattered after a whole week of sending out job applications and receiving no response. She tried asking an HR representative on a recruitment platform. "May I ask if my résumé has failed your company's screening? I haven't received any interview invitations." "Hello, your profile doesn't match our job requirements." "Could you please tell me which part I fall short in?" "Your academic background is excellent, but this role requires frequent cross-department collaboration and strong familiarity with the latest industry policies and digital tools. Frankly, a five-year gap would present significant challenges for you in the workforce." "That is something I can overcome." "Ms. Whitman, we also require candidates to bring their own portfolio of quality clients. This is a requirement that you can't meet. Therefore, we tend to prefer candidates with continuous work experience, as they can integrate into the role more quickly." "Alright, thank you." "Besides, here's a reminder for you. For someone of your age who is married with a child, we will have to consider whether you might want a second child, or if there are any unresolved postpartum depression issues. In short, your profile presents significant obstacles." "Thank you." Indeed, she had a five-year gap on her résumé. She had married and had a baby before even graduating from university. She had spent the most crucial five years of her life entirely on her family. While she had a prestigious degree, she had absolutely no work experience to back her up. It came as no surprise that she'd be rejected. Giselle held her phone in her hand and stared at it for a long time. In the end, she sent her résumé to the HR department of Mia's company. What was pride compared to putting food on the table? Just after sending the résumé, Giselle received a call from an unknown number. She answered the call. On the other end came the frail, elderly voice of Gavin's grandmother, Marina Dunham. "Aren't you coming to visit me, Gigi? Have you forgotten all about me?" Tears streamed down Giselle's cheeks. She frantically wiped them away and answered, "No, Marina, I haven't." Marina said, "Well, come and visit me tomorrow, then. I've got things to tell you." Giselle agreed. "Okay, Marina." … Over at Crownridge Estate, Penelope sat on the floor playing with her toy train. She looked up and asked innocently, "Daddy, is Mommy Chantelle better now? I miss Mommy Chantelle." Gavin set aside his laptop and gestured for her to come over. Penelope quickly ran over, climbed onto the couch, and settled on his lap. Gavin looked at Penelope's face, which was so similar to Giselle's, and gently pinched her cheek. "Do you miss Aunt Chantelle already, Poppy?" Penelope, with a serious expression on her face, nodded vigorously. "I miss her a whole lot." Gavin couldn't hold back a cold, derisive scoff. He truly didn't understand what kind of mother Giselle had been. Penelope had never once said she missed her mother back when Giselle had been sent to the psychiatric hospital. Now, after Chantelle had been by Penelope's side for just six months, Penelope couldn't bear to be without her. Giselle had truly failed as a mother. Thinking of Giselle, Gavin suddenly grew curious. What was she doing now? How could she possibly survive without him and the Whitman family? He set Penelope down and said, "Go and play by yourself." But she clung to his leg and asked, "So when will Mommy Chantelle come back to play with me?" Gavin replied in a low voice, "We'll stop by Grandpa's to visit Aunt Chantelle after we visit Great-Grandma tomorrow." Penelope cheered and went back to playing with her train on the carpet. Gavin stood up and walked to the floor-to-ceiling window. Outside, the fairy lights that Giselle hung in the yard before New Year's twinkled. He couldn't help but call Andy. "Find out what Giselle is doing right now." True to his role as an executive assistant, Andy reported back on Giselle's current situation within half an hour. Gavin frowned. "Job hunting?" Andy affirmed, his tone matter-of-fact, "Several major companies have already rejected Mrs. Farrell. A few smaller companies haven't responded yet. This evening, Mrs. Farrell even sent her résumé to Harper Corporation." Harper Corporation was Mia's family business. Everyone in Kingswell knew that Giselle and Mia were arch-rivals. Andy said tentatively, "It seems Mrs. Farrell has reached a dead end." If she was sending applications to Harper Corporation, the company owned by her former arch-rival, wasn't that a sign that she was out of options? However, Gavin gave a light chuckle. His face, though handsome, held a cold expression. "If she still has choices, then that's hardly a dead end." After a brief pause, he gave Andy a cruel instruction. "Spread the word that no one is to hire Giselle. If they do, they can expect bankruptcy." Andy acknowledged the order and went to get it done. As Gavin stared at the blinking fairy lights, he couldn't help recalling the way Giselle had smiled while hanging them up. He had confined Giselle to a psychiatric hospital for half a year with the intention of forcing her into obedience. However, she had only grown more defiant. Suddenly, something small and soft bumped into his leg. Penelope looked up at him and said sweetly, "Since Mommy Chantelle isn't here, I want to sleep with you tonight, Daddy." Gavin picked her up and said, "Sure!" Then, they both returned to the bedroom. Penelope was in the walk-in closet choosing a dress to wear tomorrow when she suddenly saw a pretty little box in the trash can. She couldn't resist picking it up. She went out to show off her find to Gavin. "Look, Daddy! I found something interesting in the trash can." Fresh out of the shower, Gavin wore a loosely tied bathrobe, revealing his robust, well-defined chest. "What treasure do you have there?" Penelope stood on her tiptoes and handed it to him with both hands. Gavin opened it up to find a pair of cufflinks. He let out a cold laugh. What was Giselle playing at now? Was she hoping that he'd see this and be reminded of her? With a contemptuous snort, he tossed it out the window without further thought.