"I'm busy," Chloe snapped coldly. "If your mother needs to go see the doctor, you or Curtis can take her."

Without waiting for a reply, she ended the call and blocked Joanne's number.

During the past three years, every time Helen needed to see the doctor, Chloe had always been the one who handled everything, from making appointments at the hospital to getting in line, making payments, getting prescriptions, and going for follow-ups. Yet the Greens took her efforts for granted and never showed any gratitude.

Today was supposed to be a follow-up appointment for Helen's eye surgery.

"Who was that?" Lena asked.

"Curtis' sister. Don't worry about it," Chloe replied.

Half an hour later, Curtis called her. "You'd better get to the hospital now, Chloe. I'll never forgive you if anything happens to my mom."

Chloe frowned. She didn't want to go, but the divorce hadn't been finalized yet. Sh

Chloe stared in disbelief as Curtis continued, "Also, you should clarify that Sonya's your friend too. Tell the press you were worried about her safety and asked me to protect her."

For a moment, she almost thought she'd misheard him. "Have you no shame, Curtis? How could you even bring yourself to suggest that?"

Did he have any idea how much it had hurt when, in the middle of gunfire, he'd pushed her aside, and she'd turned around to see him shielding Sonya?

She'd believed that after three years of marriage, he would at least care for her even if he didn't love her. But in that moment, she'd realized that when danger struck, he would abandon her without hesitation.

"Sonya worked hard to become a captain. Things like this will affect her reputation, and it'll cost her future promotions," Curtis argued.

Chloe almost felt like applauding. He cared so much about Sonya's future, yet he 

Sonya's expression stiffened. She wanted to retort, but she couldn't think of an explanation that would hold up.

Red-faced with anger, Curtis turned to Chloe. "Did you put your friend up to this circus just to embarrass me?"

Lena snorted. "Excuse me? That was all me. Chloe has nothing to do with it!"

But Curtis was convinced that Chloe was trying to embarrass him on purpose. "What will it take for you to make her shut up? If you want compensation… fine. Tell me what you want."

Looking at the furious Curtis in front of her, Chloe once again sensed just how little he cared for her and how much he cared for Sonya. 

How could she have been so naive in the past that she'd believed she could win his love?

"I don't want any compensation from you. I want to resign," she said.

"What?" Curtis froze. Even Luke looked surprised.

"I'll submit my resignation letter tomorrow and hand over all my projects. From then on, Green Tech will have nothing to do with me."

Since she was getting divorced, she figured she might as well completely cut off all ties to Curtis.

"Is this a threat? Are you resigning just because I didn't protect you when the shots were fired?" Curtis frowned.

"No. I'm stating my terms," Chloe replied. "After I resign, Green Tech's future is none of my business. You and Sonya can do whatever you want, and it won't concern me."

As more people in the police station turned to look at them, Curtis rubbed his temples and gave in. "Fine. Quit if you want. Maybe a break will help clear your head."

Chloe didn't reply. She simply grabbed Lena's hand and walked out of the station without looking back.

Back inside the station, Luke muttered, still in disbelief, "Wait… Is she serious about resigning? Does she really think she can find a better job out there?"

"Let her go. She'll come crawling back soon enough," Curtis said dismissively.

"I can't stand people who use their job as a bargaining chip. Quitting over such petty drama—what a waste of her National Defense Academy degree," Sonya said haughtily.

"So what if she graduated from the academy? Out there, she'll probably end up waiting tables or doing odd jobs!" Luke laughed.

Sonya smiled. What good would a degree from the National Defense Academy do if Chloe was nothing but a jealous woman clinging to men for status? After being stripped of that status and losing the man she leaned on, she would be left with nothing.

In Sonya's eyes, Chloe had spent three years of marriage toiling away at Curtis' company, and that was exactly why Sonya looked down on people like her.

…

After arriving at the company the next day, Chloe informed her project team about her resignation.

"You're leaving, Chloe? That's so sudden!"

"What about the project? What will we do after you leave?"

The employees at Green Tech had no idea Chloe was Curtis' wife. Curtis' secretary was the only one in the know. 

But everyone on the team knew how capable Chloe was. If she was in charge of a project, it was always completed perfectly.

The thought of a new project manager worried them all.

"Mr. Green will appoint a replacement soon," Chloe said. She then printed her resignation letter and walked into Curtis' office. 

He was there with Joanne, and his expression darkened at the sight of Chloe's resignation letter. 

"Are you serious about this?"

"I thought I made that clear yesterday," Chloe said evenly.

"If this is some trick to get your way, then I can only say that I'm really disappointed in you."

Chloe almost laughed in anger. She was the one who should be disappointed.

"I have no interest in playing any games, Curtis. I just don't want to work for a man who'd shove his wife aside in times of danger."

His expression turned grim. "Fine. Don't regret it."
 
After signing the resignation letter, he coldly instructed, "From now on, Joanne will take over your projects. Make sure you hand everything over to her before you leave."

Joanne triumphantly lifted her chin. Fresh out of college, she was eager to prove herself. 

"I'll make sure the project succeeds, Curtis!" 

If Chloe could do it, Joanne was sure she could do it better!

Her contempt showed in every word. When they sat down to go over the files, she couldn't resist sneering. "That's it? I thought your job was complicated, but it turns out it's child's play. No wonder you've just been freeloading off Curtis' company all these years."

Chloe ignored Joanne's sarcasm, but the rest of the team certainly heard it loud and clear. 

Simple? Nothing about these projects was simple.

Chloe's proposals were packed with complex technical details only someone with real expertise could pull off. 

The fact that Joanne had dismissed them so casually only proved she had no idea how drone systems worked. Was someone like that really fit to lead their team as the project manager?

No one dared to say it out loud, though. After all, Joanne was Curtis' sister, and offending her meant getting fired.

Joanne casually tossed aside the project proposal Chloe had written for the first phase. "Alright. I've seen enough, so get out now. And don't even think about coming back. Green Tech isn't a recycling center for trash!"

Hearing that, the team members were stunned by just how ignorant and stupid she was. Their respect for Chloe grew even more as they watched her with reluctance and regret.

"Don't worry. I won't be coming back," Chloe calmly replied. "As for you, a recycling center seems like a perfect fit."

Joanne's expression fell. Did Chloe just call her trash?

Furious, she raised her hand to slap Chloe, but the latter firmly caught her wrist. "Joanne, I used to tolerate you for Curtis' sake. But now, I have no reason to."

"Let go! Let go now!" Joanne yelped in pain.

Chloe flung her wrist off, releasing her. Rubbing her wrist, Joanne opened her mouth to fire another insult, but then she met Chloe's cold, razor-sharp gaze. A shiver ran down her spine, and her words died in her throat.

Only after Chloe walked out of the office did Joanne force a scoff in frustration. Why had she been intimidated when Chloe was all bark but no bite?

…

A few days later, Lena cheered when she heard that Chloe had officially resigned.

"You should've quit a long time ago! You worked yourself to the bone for Curtis, but he never appreciated it. Does he even know that his company would've never gone public this fast without you?"

Chloe gave a faint, humorless smile as Lena pressed. "So, what's next?"

"I don't know yet. Maybe I'll return to the military."

"Why don't you join my company?" Lena eagerly suggested. "I'd always wanted to recruit you when you left the military. You're one of the best minds in drone research, and if you hadn't spent years helping Curtis start his business, you would've already become a leading expert by now."

Chloe lowered her gaze. It was true that she'd focused on drone technology in college and worked on several related projects during her military service. 

After Curtis' company went public, her latest project had involved drone development too. But since she'd resigned and planned to cut all ties with him, Lena's company wasn't a bad idea.

"I'll think about it," Chloe said.

"Great!" Lena cheerfully replied. When Chloe said she would think about it, it usually meant yes. Landing a talent like Chloe on her team would feel like gaining a powerhouse.

Just then, Chloe's phone rang. She picked it up, only to hear Joanne's spoiled voice screeching over the phone. 

"If you're not dead yet, get over here right now! Did you forget today's the day you're supposed to take Mom to the hospital for her appointment?"

"I'm busy," Chloe snapped coldly. "If your mother needs to go see the doctor, you or Curtis can take her."

Without waiting for a reply, she ended the call and blocked Joanne's number.

During the past three years, every time Helen needed to see the doctor, Chloe had always been the one who handled everything, from making appointments at the hospital to getting in line, making payments, getting prescriptions, and going for follow-ups. Yet the Greens took her efforts for granted and never showed any gratitude.

Today was supposed to be a follow-up appointment for Helen's eye surgery.

"Who was that?" Lena asked.

"Curtis' sister. Don't worry about it," Chloe replied.

Half an hour later, Curtis called her. "You'd better get to the hospital now, Chloe. I'll never forgive you if anything happens to my mom."

Chloe frowned. She didn't want to go, but the divorce hadn't been finalized yet. She didn't want any unnecessary trouble, so she eventually gave in.

The moment she stepped into the h

Chapter 8 Not Everyone Gets to See Dr. Davidson