Noticing something off in Mr. Andrew's voice, Leo pulled up a chair and sat beside him. “What’s wrong? Are you still upset about yesterday? Sophie can be difficult to convince, but she’s a good person. I’ve already had a word with her, so I’m sure she won’t make the same mistake again.”

“Honestly, I wouldn’t dare get angry at her. I’d be lucky if she doesn’t hold a grudge. But I need to ask you something. Aren’t you a bit suspicious?”

“Suspicious about what?”

“Sophie, Elton, and this reformation.”

“What are you getting at? Just say it.”

Glancing out the window, Mr. Andrew lowered his voice. “You really are dense. What’s Sophie’s surname?”

“Delaney.”

“And what’s our company owner’s surname?”

“Delaney...”

If Leo still didn’t understand, he really was clueless. Suddenly, Leo’s expression shifted, and he fell silent, staring blankly at Mr. Andrew.

With a bitter smile, Mr. Andrew shook his head helplessly. “I tried my best to separate you, but Sophie isn’t cooperating. Also, be ready for tomorrow.”

“Just tell me straight. How is the company planning to punish me?”

After a brief hesitation, Mr. Andrew decided to be honest. “The consulting line will be folded into the sales department. So you’ll become a salesman.”

Leo felt a wave of dread wash over him. He was angry at Sophie for hiding her identity, yet he didn’t want to be petty. He hated the company for being ruthless, but perhaps he deserved it.

“When will the official letter be released?”

“Before the end of the day tomorrow. The approval and announcement will come together. Elton will be holding a sales meeting on Friday to hand over all the files.”

“I’m being demoted to a salesman? That’s it? It can’t be that simple. What’s the company really planning to do?”

“Well, that’s all I know. Leo, brace yourself. I suspect there’s more to this.”

Leo remained silent, taking a cigarette from Mr. Andrew's pack. Mr. Andrew lit it for him, and Leo took a puff, holding his breath before exhaling.

“It’s been a while since I quit smoking. I kind of miss this smell.”

“Go ahead and smoke if you want. Don’t hold back.”

“Wait.” Leo stubbed out the cigarette. “What’s up with Elton?”

“I don’t know much, but he seems to have Mr. William’s favor.”

Understanding dawned on Leo. That explained Elton’s sudden promotion and Sophie’s transfer to his department. Everything fell into place.

“I’m resigning!”

“Leo!”

Leo waved him off, no longer wanting to hear Mr. Andrew’s objections. “I have no future here. You know this is the best choice for me. Don’t worry, I won’t starve. Plenty of companies would hire me!”

“Leo, think this through. Maybe if you just stay away from Sophie, everything will settle.”

“There’s no point in that. Even if her father lets me go, do you think she will? Forget it. I’d rather leave than keep suffering here.”

Mr. Andrew fell silent, realizing Leo was right. Nothing would come of their relationship, and it was better for both to move on.

For Leo, leaving Sophie was the best choice, as her affection overwhelmed him. For Sophie, leaving Leo marked the start of a new chapter.

Patting Leo’s shoulder, Mr. Andrew sighed, “Alright then. I won’t stop you.”

“Mr. Andrew, please handle my resignation promptly. It’s best if everything is settled by tomorrow. And don’t tell Sophie, you know how unpredictable she can be.”

Leo took out another cigarette but soon put it away. Standing up, he smiled at Mr. Andrew. “Help me with the paperwork. I won’t be here tomorrow. I’ll pack tonight, and you can deliver my resignation proof to me. You know my address.”

Nodding, Mr. Andrew fought back tears, lowering his head to hide in the smokes from his cigarette.

After Leo left Mr. Andrew’s office, he returned to his own, but Sophie was already gone. She was used to skipping work.

Shaking his head, he started packing. There wasn’t much to take—just enough to fill a laptop bag.

With one last look at his office and the lobby, he walked out of the building with his belongings.

The next morning, Vivian was surprised to see Leo, usually an early riser, still asleep. Assuming he was exhausted, she didn’t wake him.

As the clock approached 8 a.m., she could no longer hold back. “Honey, wake up!”

She pinched his nose and shook him gently. Leo stirred, rubbing his eyes. “It’s still early. Let me sleep a bit longer.”

“Don’t you have to work? Breakfast is getting cold. Hurry up before traffic hits!”

Leo flopped back down. “I don’t have to go to work.”

“Did you take a day off?” Vivian asked, excitement evident in her voice.

“I no longer have to work,” he mumbled.

“No longer have to work? What do you mean?”

“Stop asking. It’s annoying!”

“No, you need to tell me. What do you mean you no longer have to work?”

“That’s exactly what I mean!”

Frustrated, Leo buried himself under the covers, trying to escape her questions.

Throwing off the sheets, Vivian demanded, “What happened? Tell me now, or I’m going to get angry.”

Leo tried to reclaim the sheets, but she held firm. Finally, he confessed, “I resigned. I won’t be working at Eastwin Global Ltd anymore.”

Silence fell in the room. Stealing a glance at Vivian, he noticed she looked more surprised than shocked.

“Hooray! I’ve been waiting for this day! Let’s sell our car and house and travel the world! I want to see all the beautiful places!”

Leo sat up, stunned. “Are you crazy? I won’t have any income! Our savings won’t last long. How did you think of traveling the world?”

“It’s fine. We can find part-time jobs. Money isn’t a problem!”

“What about our baby? You want our child to grow up homeless?”

“Hmmm, that is a problem. But we can ask Mrs. Laura to help us. I know kids need stability, but trust me! This isn’t a big deal.”

“What? Why are you so excited when your husband just lost his job? This is odd. Did you plan this?”

“Yes!” Vivian replied, her fury evident. “I’ve wanted you to quit for ages, but I didn’t bring it up because I thought you loved your job so much. You should’ve left earlier to stay home with me.”

Vivian was genuinely thrilled. Leo resigning meant cutting ties with Sophie, which was why she was so happy. As for their daily expenses, she wasn’t concerned.

Leo, confused by her reaction, asked, “Wait. Honey, don’t you have to work today?”

“I resigned too!” Vivian beamed. “I don’t have to work from now on, but I’ll officially leave when the semester ends.”

“Really? You’re quick to act, but I’m not sure this is a good idea. Now we’re both jobless.”

“That’s perfect! We’ll be stay-at-home mom and dad. Isn’t that wonderful?”

“Whatever you say!” Leo flopped back down. “As long as you’re happy, I’ll be happy too. At least we won’t have to wake up early anymore. We can sleep in together!”

Leaning against Leo’s chest, Vivian murmured, “That’s great. I won’t feel lonely anymore with you by my side.”

Gently caressing her hair, Leo smiled. “Are you sure you won’t work anymore?”

“I might have to go back a few times. I promised to teach a student, and I’ve only had one lesson with her so far. I need to keep my promise.”

“What about your vocal classes and choir? You won’t handle those anymore?”

“The kids are already practiced multiple times, and they could do this individually! I just need to finish the paperwork.”

“That’s great! Don’t look for such a job again. It’s tough, pays poorly, and you might run into bad colleagues.”

Vivian immediately thought of Victor. Leo was right—the job was hard and unfulfilling, and she had dealt with some difficult people.

“Honey, I have something to tell you.”

“Go ahead.”

“The music teachers are throwing a farewell party for me at Moonlight-Oasis Resort this weekend, and I agreed to go. Is that okay?”

“Of course! Do you want me to pick you up?”

“Yes, please. They plan to go to the spa and karaoke after dinner, but I won’t join. You can pick me up after dinner.”

“Alright. Now let’s do something fun!”

“Stop joking. Let’s eat first! Our breakfast is getting cold!”

“We can eat later!”

Not seeing Leo in the office, Sophie found it strange and unusual.

She called him, and he mentioned he was on a three-day leave, returning next week.

He had just come back from vacation, why take leave again? Sophie scolded him in her mind.

With Leo absent, she sat in his chair and spun around leisurely.