The Abandoned Bride's Flash Marriage - Chapter 14: Chapter 14

"I'll help," Gwyneth said, still facing away, tucking a stray hair behind her ear. "But I need the title I deserve. Projects should be handled by the Project Department anyway."
Quentin hesitated. The Project Department was a key part of the Jenkins Group. He worried that if Gwyneth took charge, she might pull some tricks. But if projects kept getting delayed, the company would face serious cash flow problems.
Meanwhile, Gwyneth had already opened the office door. "Then I won't bother pleading with Harrison for leniency. Do as you wish, Dad."
Quentin finally called out, "Deal!"
Gwyneth slammed the door shut again. The noise seemed to seal her victory in this power struggle.
Quentin's face turned pale. "But since you've been back at the Jenkins Group, you haven't closed a single deal. Transferring you to the Project Department is easy enough, but earning their respect? That's a different challenge. We'll need to think about this carefully."
Gwyneth sneered inwardly, 'Hmph. There's always a catch, as expected.'
Right then, Melanie burst into the room, her voice sharp. "I heard everything outside! You're going too far, Gwyneth. The Project Department is full of the company's best. Dad's trying to keep you from joining without achievements to protect you—and you're threatening him instead?"
Quentin's eyes softened with pride as he pulled Melanie close. "That's my girl," he said, his voice gentle but firm. "We'll get you into the Project Department, but you've got to deliver results. No one lasts there without solid achievements."
"Dad always thinks ahead," Melanie said, her tone sweet as she looped her arm through his, casting a triumphant glance at Gwyneth. "The Project Department has only a few spots left.
"Oh, and they're hiring next week. If you don't have anything to show for yourself by then, you won't even get a desk."
Gwyneth's expression remained calm. 'Just a week?' she mused.
She'd spent years in the cutthroat world of startups, closing deals over endless networking events. A few years as a "trophy wife" hadn't dulled her edge. She said firmly, "I'll secure partnership contracts within a week."
"Ha! Don't get ahead of yourself," Melanie scoffed. "You've been head over heels in love for years, far away from the business world. You think it's easy? Alright, let's put it in writing. If you fail, you leave the company."
The Everprosper Group had grown exponentially under Zachary's leadership, but Gwyneth's name rarely surfaced. Melanie was convinced that Gwyneth was a leech with no real talent, clinging to Zachary's success.
But Gwyneth just raised an eyebrow. "Since this is a bet... I'll wager I can secure a contract in a week. Why don't you stake your Vice President title?"
"Deal!" Melanie blurted out, her mind already racing with visions of finally outshining Gwyneth.
Gwyneth pulled out her phone, recorded their conversation, and played it back. "The pact stands," she said, slipping the phone back into her pocket and walking out.
Melanie's smile faltered. She'd just risked her entire career on a rash impulse. That wasn't what she wanted. As Gwyneth disappeared down the hall, Melanie gritted her teeth. 'It's okay. She would never pull this off.'
Gwyneth walked back into the PR department, and to her surprise, her colleagues were acting like their usual selves again. It was probably Quentin's doing—he must have wanted her to get cracking on the negotiations with the Lopez family.
Just then, a coworker hurried up to her. "Gwyneth, there's a last-minute contract meeting at noon. Could you go in my place? My dad's been rushed to the hospital. I need to be with him."
Gwyneth didn't have much on her plate, so she nodded. The coworker bowed in relief, scribbled down the time and address on a piece of paper, and then dashed off.
Gwyneth arrived at the hotel on time and wrinkled her nose at the gilded lobby. "He said it's a small project, no? This feels like overkill."
'Something doesn't add up. Is this little company trying to pull a fast one on me?' She approached the VIP lounge with caution and pushed the door open.
Confetti exploded in a burst of color. The room was a sea of red roses, and there was Zachary, kneeling on one knee, holding up that pink diamond ring she used to cherish. "Marry me, Gwennie," he said, his voice earnest.
The hotel staff and the hired crowd behind him were chanting, their enthusiasm almost deafening. "Say yes!"
But Gwyneth felt nothing. She had loved that ring once—back when it still meant something.
She remembered the days when Zachary was just starting out, when Everprosper Group could barely afford to get into an auction. They'd sit in the farthest corner, holding hands, watching the glittering ring from a distance.
"One day, I'll get you the most beautiful pink diamond ring," he had promised, his voice soft and sincere.
Back then, she'd been so in love, leaning against his shoulder, content to be a background figure in the corner.
But before she ever got her ring, Bella was already wearing a matching pink diamond necklace. Bella had batted her eyelashes at Zachary. "I don't deserve something this nice. You should give it to Gwyneth."
"She'll get her own present," Zachary had said, stopping Bella from taking off the necklace.
All Gwyneth had gotten was a quick kiss on the forehead.
Every bit of love she'd given had been worthless to Zachary. And a diamond ring that came too late was just as worthless.
She stepped back into the hallway, the doorframe cutting them off from each other like a boundary. "I don't need your junk."
Her words made Zachary's forehead crease into a frown. The cheers around him had died down, but he didn't seem to notice.
He got up and walked straight toward Gwyneth. "Gwennie, didn't you always love this diamond ring? You used to spend ages flipping through those auction catalogs, and this was the one you always talked about—"
Suddenly, Zachary glanced down at the ring and let out a soft laugh. "Right... Forgot this was the style we both liked back then. But you deserve so much more now—bigger pink diamonds, a fancier ring. I'll get you something better, I promise—"
"Save your money and fix your delusion," Gwyneth snapped, her eyes cold and dismissive. "Don't bring me someone else's cast-offs. It's disgusting." Then she turned and walked away, her high heels tapping a sharp rhythm on the polished floor.
Zachary pushed himself up, wincing at the sharp pain in his knee. But he was too focused to care. He lurched after her, grabbing her arm in a desperate attempt to stop her.
His eyes were filled with a mix of pain and regret as he stared at her. "Gwennie, please," his voice trembled with urgency, "let me explain. I know I was wrong. I regret everything."