Chapter 13


    Chapter 13 Outright usation


    The ident happened suddenly, and it was entirely unexpected.


    Chaos ensued at the scene as people scrambled to clear the debris and rush the Injured to the hospital


    Fortunciely, the cultural heritage boat was merely a framework and not particrly heavy.


    Emelie’s lower leg was struck but an X–ray showed no fracture.


    Had the boat beenplete, its considerable weight in the tons would have resulted in a much more


    severe injury.


    However, the incident had left Mr. Smith unconscious, necessitating an e


    exnation.


    While the injured were being attended to, the factory manager quickly investigated what had happened


    It turned out one of the hemp ropes holding the cultural heritage boat aloft had loosened, causing the


    boat to lose bnce and triggered the ident.


    The critical question was why that particr rope hade undone.


    In the hospital room, the factory managermented. “The loosened rope was marked number 4, but we


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    have no surveince in the factory, so it’s unclear how it happened. ording to witnesses, only one


    person had been near that spot before the ident urred, and it was…”


    William’s expressionless face was recognized by those who knew him well as his expression of anger.


    Who?”


    The manager hesitantly nced in a direction. “It was…”


    Emelie was propped up in her hospital bed as she suddenly spoke up, “It was me.”


    William looked at her.


    She presented a sorrowful image with her hair in disarray, clothes stained, and a thick bandage around


    her slender leg.


    It brought back memories of the previous night when she had gazed at him with tears in her eyes, equally


    pitiable.


    He inhaled deeply, his voice cool as he asked, “What were you doing there?”


    “I was answering Daphne’s question about the profitability of investing in the cultural heritage boat factory, “Emelie replied truthfully.


    The factory manager appeared even more distraught. “Profit? The cedar wood we use for the cultural heritage boats took us


    five years to source. Without the right wood, a 330–foot boat is impossible to build.


    Now that it’s damaged, I don’t even know if it can be repaired. The loss is significant…”


    William asked, “Did you touch the rope?”


    Emelie responded clearly, “No, I didn’t.”


    But just after Emelle spoke, Daphne Interjected in a low voice, “It seemed like there was…”


    Emelie and William both looked her way.


    Despite Daphne being the least hurt with only a scraped palm, she still received medical care because


    William insisted.


    Her watery eyes met theirs from her seat on the edge of the bed.


    Emelie straightened up. “It seemed like there was? What does that mean?”


    Daphne was intimidated by her cold tone and stammered, “Ms. Hoven, I remembered you seemed to pull


    on the rope, so I thought…”


    “Go on,” William urged.


    “So I thought… Perhaps that idental tug loosened the rope… Mr. Middleton, I’m sorry, I had no ideal such a small action could lead to


    serious consequences. Had I known, I would have stopped Ms. Hoven, possibly preventing this from happening.”


    Emelie stared in disbelief.


    She had tolerated Daphne’s maniptions, understanding that the reason fell short of bias, but Daphne’s outright usation was beyond her expectatio


    Emelie’s expression grew significantly colder. “Repeat what you just said, what did I touch?”


    “Mr. Middleton,” Daphne whimpered, retreating behind William and adopting a pitiful guise.


    “I’m asking her the question,” William said, looking at Emelie.


    Emelie was aware that William intended to refrain her from speaking,


    Daphne’s tactics seemed ludicrous to Emelie.


    Yet, William’s rebuke brought her frustration and resentment to a peak.


    “So, you believe everything she says?” Emelie challenged.


    “Which of her statements isn’t the truth?” William countered.


    Daphne timidly added, “Mr. Middleton, I’m not lying. We can check the surveince… Everything I’ve said


    is true…”


    Emelie exploded. “Didn’t you hear the manager? There’s no surveince in the factory!”


    What was Daphne acting at?


    Her voice rose with each word until William sharply rebuked her, “Shut up! Have you yelled enough?”


    Emelie was taken aback.


    She felt as though her entire body had been encased in ice, growing stiff and rigid until she couldn’t move


    at all.


    While William’s temperament was for from perfect, he had never lost his temper with her in all three years.


    This was the first time he had ever told her to shut up.


    Daphne’s eyes welled with tears, her voice barely a whisper as she spoke, “Mr. Middleton, I didn’t lie…”


    “I believe you,” William said, his simple words causing Emelle to feel her resolve crumbling.


    He then turned to Emelie and asked, “You’ve been distracted today. Are you sure you didn’t touch


    anything?”


    Emelie was stunned and leaned back against the headboard as William began to seem like a stranger to


    her.


    She had been by his side for three years, handpicked by him as his head secretary. She had never made even the slightest mistake in both his work and


    Why would he believe she’dmit such a fundamental error, solely based on Daphne’s usation?


    She spoke, each word deliberate, “If I had identally touched it, I would admit it, I‘


    Before she could finish, William interrupted, taking her words out of context. “So what are you denying now? Daphne saw you with her


    own eyes. Would she falsely use you?”


    Emelie found the situation absurd and couldn’t help butugh.


    Would she falsely use her? Of course, she would!


    But a clear disdain could be heard through herughter.


    It wasn’t Daphne’s usations that stung the most, but William’s blind trust in her.


    What did her three years of loyalty mean to him? What was she in his eyes?