Chapter 225 Impulsive Vow To An Enigmatic Husband

• Marcus responded, “Nah, I didn’t.” Steven asked, “Cool. You been busy lately? If not, we can organize a little get–together, chill out a bit.” Marcus nodded, “Sounds good.” After dinner, Comelia and Abigail planned to hitch a ride with Zack. Marcus stopped Cornelia again, “Cornelia, let me take you home. I’ve got something to chat with you about.” Comelia found Marcus a bit odd tonight, like he was constantly hovering around her, “President Hartley, just spill the beans. No need to go out of your way to take me home.” Marcus’s home was on the east side and Cornelia lived on the west, she didn’t want him to detour. “Get in the car. Marcus pulled open the door, insisting. Comelia figured Marcus was adamant to take her home, probably hoping to get some pictures taken to better protect his wife. So, she decided to play along. In the car, Marcus didn’t talk, and Cornelia didn’t know what to say. When they arrived at her place, Cornelia said, “President Hartley, thanks for the ride. I’m gonna head in now.” “Cornelia,” Marcus called her name, his gaze lingering on her, “I never intended to use you. I didn’t think this through tonight.”
• Comelia replied, “President Hartley, you don’t need to explain. It’s all part of my job. I’ll do my best to cooperate with you in the future, and together we will protect your wife from media harassment.” As long as Cornelia was his assistant, even if she was unwilling, she would do her best. Marcus pushed his glasses up, wanting to say something but didn’t know what to say. Cornelia smiled, “President Hartley, if there’s nothing else, I’ll be on my way.” Marcus wanted to keep her, but he just nodded and let her go. After Cornelia left, Marcus lit a cigarette, taking several puffs in a row. Even after finishing his smoke, he still felt annoyed. He lit one after another, his mood getting worse and worse. He didn’t understand what was going on. He flicked away the ashes, looked up and saw the lights in Cornelia’s 15th floor apartment were on. He saw her closing the window. Seeing her, his mood improved a bit. He pulled out his personal phone, opened WhatsApp. He found Cornelia’s chat and sent a message: [Cornelia.] After thinking for a while, Cornelia typed a lot of words: [Jeremy, did you see those photos online? You guessed right, the woman in the photos isn’t the president’s wife, it’s me. If I told you it was just part of my job, that there’s nothing going on between President Hartley and me, would you believe me?] Every word Cornelia sent was screaming her current distress to Marcus, making him realize that tonight’s plan was a colossal screw–up. His original intention was to use the photo to announce his marriage to more people, prepare for disclosing Cornelia’s identity in the future. Hopefully he could fish out some potential threats to Cornelia. His motive was pure, but he overlooked Cornelia’s feelings.
• Regardless of how competent Cornelia was at work, she was still just a young girl in her twenties. When Cornelia thought her boss had thrown her to the front lines of public opinion to take the heat for others, her fear was something he couldn’t possibly comprehend. He immediately texted her as Jeremy: [Cornelia, you’re my wife, and I believe every word you say. I’ve never doubted you about today’s incident, and you must believe in me. Marcus called me about this and apologized for not considering your feelings. He also said he never intended to use you. Please forgive him. But whether he meant to or not, he hurt you. He’s a jerk.” Comelia replied almost instantly: [I don’t care about Marcus’s intentions, as long as you believe in me. Jeremy, thank you! Thank you for believing in me!] Jeremy rarely initiated conversations with her, so her first thought when receiving his message at this hour was that he was here to confront her or propose a divorce. Cornelia wasn’t afraid of divorce. She could live well alone. But she feared being misunderstood, that no one would believe her and people gossiping behind her back. With trembling hands, she typed out a long message trying to explain herself. Before the message was even sent, she had prepared herself for the worst. If Jeremy didn’t believe her and proposed a divorce, she was ready to end the marriage. But as soon as she sent her message, she received Jeremy’s response.