Chapter 40

**Philip**

Sarah's escape has left me in a foul mood, and I have reprimanded several employees in the office because of it. I issued a strict deadline to my team, sending them into a frenzy as they scrambled to meet it.

Josh has lost his utility as a pawn in my game against Sarah; her apparent fearlessness rendered him useless as leverage.

"Boss, it appears Mr. Amir Benner knew Madam Sarah before your marriage," Alex interjected, drawing my attention.

I looked up, intrigued, awaiting Alex's explanation.

"Ms. Jessica Woods and Madam Sarah attended the same university before Madam Sarah relocated to Highland Hills. That's the extent of our findings."

"So, you're saying they could've been fighting over the same guy, and that guy's Amir?" I grimaced as I asked.

"No, Boss! Please don't entertain such thoughts. You are far more dignified and handsome than him," Alex reassured hastily.

Alex seemed determined to alleviate my mood, but his words failed to stir any emotion within me.

"I don't want to hear any more about Amir Benner or his connection to Sarah," I responded curtly, feeling a wave of darkness wash over me. My growing annoyance towards Amir only serves to strain my relationship with Sarah.

Their connection runs deep, and I can't help but feel jealous whenever Amir crosses my mind!

I couldn't immediately follow her to Henderson to pick up my ex-wife. I must complete the task assigned by the chairman to gain permission to attend Amir's engagement. Additionally, Sarah and I are no longer married, and I lack complete control over her decisions and actions.

She relies on her job at Henderson for financial support. Yet, I can't shake off the frustration of her absence and her persistent stubbornness.

"We've received a letter from TerraTraxx Automotive. It's official, boss! You'll be their ambassador within a year."

The reminder of this opportunity sparked my curiosity about Sarah's potential ties to the company, possibly through her connection with Amir.

Another lingering question arises: Was Sarah truly Blaze Bell, or was this merely a figment of my imagination?

"What else?" I inquired of Alex.

"About the laptop Madam Sarah left at Serenity Pines..." he informed.

Hmm... I recalled that Sarah was eager to bring her laptop to Henderson and return it to BM Technologies. I asked someone to at least fix the technicalities. Maybe she left it behind intentionally, providing herself with a pretext to come back.

"Bring it here!" I instructed Alex.

After a brief delay, the laptop encased in a pink sleeve was placed on my desk. As I powered it on, I noticed confusion etched on Alex's face.

"Are you certain about this, boss?" he queried.

I'm not really sure what I'm doing. I just wanted to dig deeper into Sarah's world. As soon as I powered the laptop on, it demanded a password.

"What would Sarah possibly use as her password?" I queried Alex, peering at the screen.

Alex pondered for a moment. "Maybe your wedding anniversary! You could try Madam Sarah's name followed by your anniversary. The Madam seems straightforward. I doubt she'd choose a complex password."

Sarah's flushed cheeks or her annoyed expression flashed in my mind's eye.

I couldn't help but grin at Alex's suggestion. There was a flicker of satisfaction knowing that Sarah might actually be contemplating our anniversary.

'Error 404: Password not found' flashed on the screen.

"It's wrong!" I said.

"How about trying Serenity Pines? Followed by your address number?" Alex suggested.

After attempting Alex's suggestion, the screen displayed 'Error 404: Password not found' once more.

"I'll take a crack at it myself."

I typed in 'Philip' followed by my birthday, fingers crossed for a breakthrough.

Instead, the screen ominously dimmed, revealing a mocking message: 'Nice try! Is Philip your name? You might be the most stupid hacker ever! How about 'IHaveTheSmallestDickEver ThatSheCannotFeelMyWilly' next time? Just kidding, please don't!' accompanied by a cheeky tongue emoji. Then, the screen abruptly shut off, and the device powered down.

I'm completely at a loss for words, considering whether that emoji was Sarah sneering at me.

Afterward, my expression contorted in extreme displeasure.

"Oh, Boss! Why did you break Madam's laptop? She'll surely discover our attempt to access it. If I had known you intended to hack into it, I would have enlisted an expert," Alex lamented.

"If you were aware, why didn't you speak up earlier?!" I sighed, rubbing my temples in frustration.

I'll have to confront whatever consequences arise when Sarah learns of our failed attempt. In this critical moment, I must press on and fulfill my duties to salvage any semblance of justification for my attendance at Amir's wedding.

"That woman! She's going to see what dick looks like!" I exclaimed, irritated by the situation. "And where on earth did she come up with 'She cannot feel my willy'?"

I sensed Alex getting a second-hand embarrassment! His mouth was hanging open.  "Boss, s-she didn't feel your willy?"

My cheeks flushed with anger. "Stop staring at me like that! Don't you want to head home and rest?"

Alex cleared his throat before speaking cautiously. "No! I mean, perhaps it's..." He paused, eyeing me like I have three heads. "Just how small is it, boss?"

I shot him a sharp look. "Alex, leave! I'm perfectly adequate!"

It's as if Alex is entertaining the idea that the size of my package could be the reason Sarah fled to Amir Benner's fortress!

"Get rid of this!" I commanded, pointing at the laptop.

But Alex looked at me skeptically, as if he doubted my intentions.

That saucy little minx! How dare she humiliate me like this?! I must finish my task so that I can teach her a lesson!

**Sarah**

"Miss Sarah, are you certain about this?" Mr. Reynolds inquired as I strode towards the wing designated for Jessica's bridal party. Regrettably, I am among her bridesmaids.

"Yes," I replied nonchalantly.

"B-but won't Ms. Jessica be upset?"

"Let her be! Get that wedding planner on the line! I need to speak with her!" I instructed Amir's assistant.

Amanda awaited me at the entrance of the adjacent wing, visibly relieved.

"Miss!" Her expression lit up.

"I'm delighted Amir sent you today."

"I've missed you! Your Grandpa Mitchell brought me along to attend to your needs."

Oh, how desperately I needed Amanda's assistance! Yet, the cruel reality was that I couldn't bring her along to Highland Hills.

Mr. Reynolds stayed alone at the hallway's entrance, hesitating in the faint light. Meanwhile, Amanda guided me towards Jessica's bridal party. Despite the bustling activity, the muffled laughter of women echoed through the closed door. With a gentle knock, Amanda signaled our arrival before opening the door.

All eyes turned to me as I entered. Ten women were present, and Jessica and her mother were seated on the expansive couch.

Jessica let out a scream upon spotting me in a long white dress. "Ahh! I knew it! I knew you had something planned for today!"

Tss! With a sigh, I rolled my eyes at the scene unfolding before me. This woman seemed utterly clueless, or perhaps her facial features were so altered by injections and Botox that her expressions couldn't convey her drama properly.

"Wow! Is that Amir's other woman?" inquired her maid of honor, sneering at me.

I raised an eyebrow. It appeared that Jessica's excessive cosmetic enhancements had not only altered her appearance but also clouded her ability to introduce me to others properly.

Jessica's mother stormed over, her face contorted with anger. "You show no respect for my daughter!"

Her hand moved to strike me, but I swiftly intercepted it, avoiding any escalation.

"Tsk! It's becoming clearer where Jessica inherited her unpleasant attitude," I remarked casually.

"You're a slut!" Jessica screamed in response. "Why did you choose to return after being away for three years?"

With a nonchalant stride, I approached her and delivered a hard slap to her artificially plumped cheek and lips, a result of her excessive cosmetic enhancements.

"Aah!" she cried out. "Somebody gets Amir! Tell him this woman is ruining everything!"

"Lock her up! Amir must see the truth about this troublemaker ruining Jessica's special day! Who in their right mind wears white besides the bride?" Mrs. Woods demanded; her voice filled with anger.

The other bridesmaids in the room quickly moved to restrain me, restricting my movements.

"Miss Sarah!" Amanda interjected, her voice filled with urgency. "Please, let's not resort to drastic measures."

They shoved me forcefully into another room, an extension of the previous one, which was a tearoom. It was a relief that it offered more space than the cramped wardrobe that Philip had confined me to.

My attention was drawn to Jessica's words: "Slap that maid!" She was referring to Amanda.

A surge of anger coursed through me. Jessica's behavior was beyond reason. She was targeting Amanda because of me!

My frustration intensified until I heard Amir's voice.

"Amir! Sarah is wearing a long white dress!" exclaimed the stupid woman. Should I remind her that she instructed me to wear white?

"Where is Sarah?" Amir inquired urgently.

"Th-There!"

"Boss, help Miss Sarah inside!" Amanda suggested.

"Shut up! Amir, we're just trying to prove to you that Sarah's a total brat! She couldn't even bother to follow the bride's rules!" Mrs. Woods exclaimed, her tone dripping with irritation.

"Amir, Sarah is wearing white, almost like a bridal dress!" Jessica cried.

"Open the door!" Amir commanded.

The room I was confined, swung open, and everyone gave me a puzzled look because I was clad out in black from head to toe.