CHAPTER 36: CHAPTER 36: YOU ARE RUBY SULLIVAN

Leaving the café, Rhonda Sullivan suddenly stopped, blinking her reddened eyes, looking pitiable yet feigning strength, "Ethan, I’ll drive myself back."

"Okay." Ethan Sterling had a lot on his mind and didn’t want to waste words, he had originally planned just to get her a taxi.

She clutched at his coat, lowered her head, "I’ll return your clothes clean, I..."

"Go home now." Ethan Sterling cut her off, seeing she was truly a bit pitiable, he mercifully smiled, then turned and left.

Rhonda Sullivan’s hand gripping the lapel tightened fiercely, her once soft doe-like eyes turned into those of a fierce wolf. She’d been bullied by Wenny to this extent, yet he didn’t even offer a word of comfort. What kind of potion did that woman give him?

She had to make that woman understand, not just anyone’s man can be taken!

The assistant waited until Ethan Sterling walked far away, then drove over, walked to Rhonda Sullivan, and inquired, "Mr. Sullivan, the video is all done, would you like to see it?"

Rhonda Sullivan shot her a glance, "Are you wanting me to watch myself get bullied so miserably? You pig-brain!" Saying this, she quickly walked toward the car.

The assistant hurriedly followed to open the door, "Mr. Sullivan, rest assured, leave the rest to me."

On the other side, Ethan Sterling walked quickly, his stride growing larger, until he finally saw Ruby Sullivan waiting at the traffic light at the intersection. He was about to go up to her when he saw her waving to a girl across the street, an employee from the lab.

Ethan Sterling slightly furrowed his brow, stopped in his tracks.

The noon incident made Ruby Sullivan more and more angry as she thought about it, and only after finishing a full plate of seafood fried rice and downing a large mocha did she feel a little better.

Just after returning to the lab to work for a short while, Howard came over saying Mr. Sterling wanted to see her.

Ruby Sullivan, harboring some anger, didn’t want to see Ethan Sterling’s face, "The formula I’m working on will come to nothing if not completed in one go, unless it’s something as urgent as ten thousand fires, let Mr. Sterling be understanding."

She focused intently on shaking the flask, as if she were truly too busy to leave.

When Ethan Sterling was assigning tasks, his face became more difficult than a deal involving billions; whether it was as urgent as ten thousand fires, he couldn’t say, but the boss was definitely going to eat someone alive.

Howard showed a troubled expression, unable to think of any solutions, he could only grit his teeth and go back to report.

After he left, Young, who was helping record on the side, wondered aloud, "Wenny, why does this formula need to be completed all at once?"

"Even the keenest sense of smell is relatively emotional judgment; we can’t always distinguish between Damascus and Vorosnya roses. I don’t want some petty thing affecting my judgment." She carefully added a special orange blossom essential oil, gently sniffed, and was very satisfied with the new fragrance, her expression no longer like a fighter jet.

"Here, you all give it a try." She smiled, handing the flask to a few other colleagues.

After the four girls had smelled it, their eyes sparkled, and they all gave Ruby Sullivan a thumbs up, making the previously quiet lab suddenly buzz with excitement.

So much so that when the lab door was suddenly pushed open, everyone was startled, falling silent all at once.

Ethan Sterling glanced coldly over everyone, then sneered, "So Mr. Wallace was busy chatting, huh?" He said this without a moment’s pause, pushing Ruby Sullivan’s wheelchair out.

The four girls exchanged glances, then showed expressions of admiration.

"Wasn’t Mr. Sterling being a bit too overbearing just now?" Mia clasped her hands raised to her chin, smiling dreamily.

Zoe, however, pouted, "Wenny is already married, isn’t she? Still unclear with Mr. Sterling."

Young knocked on their heads, "Get to work."

On the other side, Ethan Sterling, after giving Howard an order, "No one is to disturb us," pushed Ruby Sullivan into his office and locked the door.

Ruby Sullivan was still recovering from the shock when he then braced both hands on the wheelchair armrest, leaning down. She frowned, "Mr. Sterling, this is the company, please respect yourself."

Ethan Sterling laughed coldly, "What exactly is the relationship between you and Ruby Sullivan?"

Whether his aura was too oppressive or his eyes were too sharp, Ruby Sullivan, in a moment of panic, couldn’t answer right away, her eyes wandering as she looked into his. After a long while, she stammered, "I already said, I don’t know her."

"Then how do you know how Rhonda Sullivan treated her before?" Ethan Sterling pressed on, aggressive.

Ruby Sullivan’s facial features stiffened, instinctively avoiding his piercing gaze, fearing he’d see through her lie, "Sasha told me."

"Sasha really doesn’t treat you as an outsider, does she?" Ethan Sterling laughed exaggeratedly, not believing a word of her nonsense. "Rhonda Sullivan is an award-winning actress, and you? Are you the best screenwriter?" Suddenly he silenced, lifted his hand, and pinched her chin, forcing her to meet his gaze, "Ruby Sullivan, keep pretending!"

Ruby Sullivan, greatly shocked, instead cleared her mind. In a confrontation, the brave win, she bet he was merely guessing wildly!

She hurled off his hand, her gaze growing firm, "Ethan Sterling, if you want to get my attention with this method, it’s a bit outdated!"

"Then tell me, why does Mama Bennett say you and her sound similar, even have almost the same living habits, including your mutually known friend, Sasha, don’t tell me this is all coincidence!"

Ethan Sterling’s voice raised by eight octaves, surprisingly unable to suppress his emotions.

He stared into her eyes, the more he looked, the more they seemed familiar!

Ruby Sullivan took a deep breath, seeing his furious state, instead calmed down, "Mr. Sterling, what exactly is it you want to say? If I say it’s really all coincidence, you wouldn’t believe it, would you?"

Ethan Sterling was stunned.

Indeed, even if she was Ruby Sullivan, so what? Would he chase after her like an ignorant child, asking her why she left without a word back then? This childish question, would it even matter if there was an answer?

It wouldn’t affect the Sterling Group’s stock price, it wouldn’t affect the project’s progress, it wouldn’t even cause a ripple in his life...

But he just wanted to know!

He fixed his gaze on her, every word he said unwaveringly resonant, "Ruby Sullivan, why did you leave without a word back then?"

Ruby Sullivan looked into his eyes, seeing the earnestness and seriousness in the depths of his gaze, the nonchalant smile on her lips vanished.

After a long moment, she used the same serious tone to retort, "Did you ever consider the bond of a hundred days of marriage when you forced her to abort and drive her to despair back then?"

"I asked you to have an abortion because..." Ethan Sterling grabbed her shoulders, gazing into her eyes, but couldn’t continue.

Suddenly, he didn’t dare continue looking into her eyes.

Ethan Sterling released her, slowly rose and sat on the sofa, speaking as if explaining or brushing off, "I did it for your own good."

Ruby Sullivan felt her heart being cut open by a knife, blood spraying yet feeling no pain.

She had hurt for so long; she was numb to the pain.

She mocked, "Oh yes, if you planned on a divorce early on, a child would indeed be a burden."

"No!" Ethan Sterling urgently denied.

Ruby Sullivan raised an eyebrow, "Mr. Sterling, no matter what you think, I really don’t know your ex-wife. As for whatever you and Rhonda Sullivan did... um... indeed, it was all told to me by Sasha. She probably... felt too sorry for Ruby Sullivan, so she was indignant."

She took a breath, "Mr. Sterling, if there’s nothing else, I’d like to leave work early today."

Ethan Sterling frowned, watching her for a long while, the confusion in his eyes slowly replaced by the usual calmness, "Wait a bit, let me handle a few files, and I’ll leave with you."

"It’s not necessary." Ruby Sullivan said, turning the wheelchair around, struggling to unlock the door, knocking a few times and shouting, "Howard, open the door."

Today, she really wasn’t in the mood to deal with him.