Chapter 3
*****
At 9:30 the next morning, Andrew walked into the office and finally felt that something was off.
Nina was already sitting in his office, her eyes still red from crying.
She was dressed in a light gray suit, her hair pulled back neatly, looking both vulnerable and wronged.
"Andrew, I really didn't do it on purpose," Nina said, and her voice was shaky.
Andrew took off his coat in silence.
And then Nina stood up.
"I just thought, you two were married, and there's no need to draw such clear lines. Charlotte helping you is basically helping the company, right?"
Hearing this, Andrew got his brow twitched.
Nina went on, "And yesterday, she embarrassed you in front of everyone. Maybe she planned this from the start?"
Before Andrew could say anything, the office phone rang.
The receptionist's voice was a little nervous.
"Mr. Collins, Mr. Carter is here. He says there's something urgent from the bank," she said.
"Let him in," Andrew responded.
Mr. Carter walked in with a polite expression.
And Andrew gestured toward the sofa.
"Have a seat."
Mr. Carter didn't sit down. He just set the folder on the desk.
"Mr. Collins, your company's loan renewal needs to be reassessed."
Andrew's hand stopped mid-flip as he went through the papers.
"Why?" he asked.
"Ms. Lane signed a statement yesterday and she explicitly stated she won't guarantee any of your company's future loans, extensions, or renewals," Mr. Carter replied.
After that, the office went quiet.
Nina looked up at him.
And Andrew snapped the folder shut.
"What statement did she sign?" Andrew asked, his tone tense.
Mr. Carter repeated the statement.
It could be seen that Andrew's face got darkened at that moment.
"She can't just do that," Andrew snapped, his voice tight with anger.
Mr. Carter kept his expression unchanged.
"Mr. Collins, Ms. Lane absolutely has the right to decide if she wants to keep guaranteeing your loans," he replied.
"But that's how it's always worked, hasn't it?" Andrew pressed.
"Because she used to be willing to sign. That's all," Mr. Carter replied.
Andrew froze for what he just heard.
Nina then asked quietly, "Mr. Carter, if we provide more documents, will that be enough?"
Mr. Carter looked at her.
"You can submit more documents, but you'll have to start the whole process over. I can't guarantee you'll get the same loan amount as before," he replied.
"How long will it take?" Andrew broke in.
"At least two weeks," Mr. Carter replied.
"We need to settle payment with our suppliers next week," Andrew said, his voice tight with urgency.
"That's why I came here myself today to talk," Mr. Carter replied.
And then he slid the folder across the desk.
"Mr. Collins, if you can get Ms. Lane to sign again, the whole process will go much faster," Mr. Carter added.
Andrew picked up his phone and dialled my number.
But I refused to pick up.
He called again.
But I still didn't pick up.
On the third call, I answered.
Andrew didn't waste any time. "Charlotte, get to the office. Now."
I was at the law firm when I answered the phone.
The lawyer spread out a document in front of me.
It showed where my three million dollars went before marriage, the early investments I made in the company, a few loans that were never paid back, and documents proving who really created the project.
I put the call on speaker.
"What do you want?" I asked.
Andrew's voice was cold as ice.
"The bank says you refused to sign the guarantee," he complained.
"Yeah," I replied.
"Do you even realize we have to pay the suppliers next week?" Andrew snapped.
"Yeah, I know," I replied.
"Then why are you still making a scene?" Andrew snapped.
The lawyer's pen stopped mid-sentence.
"Andrew, I spelled it out for you yesterday. I'm not shouldering any more risks for you or your company. That's over." I answered.
"Charlotte, don't push me," Andrew warned.
I let out a cold laugh.
"What else can you do to me?" I shot back.
There was silence on the other end.
Back then, just one icy look from him and I'd back down.
Now, I couldn't even bother to hear him out anymore.
I hung up and placed my phone face down on the table, cutting him off for good.
The lawyer watched me quietly.
"Should we keep going?" he asked.
"Keep going," I responded.