Chapter 325: Chapter 325: Huo Tingdong’s Absolute Deterrence
Lin Qi looked at her with new respect for her sudden and drastic change in attitude!
She didn’t expect Maeve to kneel so resolutely, so humbly.
Out of the corner of her eye, she glanced at Huo Tingdong and noticed that he had been staring intently at Maeve all along.
Yet, Maeve didn’t dare to meet his gaze.
With tears in her eyes, she looked at Lin Qi, her palms pressed together, pleading with both aggrievement and humility: “Lin Qi, I’m sorry, it’s my fault, I was wrong… I really realize my mistake now…”
As she spoke, she tried to grab Lin Qi’s hand: “Can you forgive me and not hold it against me?”
She seemed on the verge of tears, her voice trembling, her eyes reddening and her shoulders shaking as if, any second now, she could be devoured by some ferocious beast!
Even though Maeve didn’t dare to look Huo Tingdong in the eye, she knew that his stern and sharp gaze had been cutting into her from the beginning, like a knife to her back!
Lin Qi awkwardly tugged at the corner of her mouth: “Ms. Mia, you don’t need to kneel to me, do you?”
Maeve looked up at her, surprised.
Lin Qi said: “Please stand up to talk, okay?”
She didn’t like sitting while others were kneeling.
However, Maeve dared not stand up: “Unless you forgive me, I will not get up.”
Lin Qi said: “Don’t be like this…”
She was made very uncomfortable by Maeve’s attitude.
Huo Tingdong asked: “Wife, was it she who splashed you with coffee this afternoon?”
Lin Qi made an “mm” sound.
Maeve hurriedly explained: “I didn’t do it on purpose… I was just hot-headed at the moment… Mr. Huo, please listen to me explain! I really didn’t mean to target her; I had no idea…she was your wife! She’s so low-key in the company, no one knew she had this kind of background…”
Huo Tingdong said: “I am asking whether you splashed her with coffee, I didn’t ask if it was deliberate.”
Does it matter if it was intentional?
He only cares about the outcome.
As for why she splashed Lin Qi with coffee, he didn’t care. All he knew was that his wife had been bullied right under his nose!
Maeve said: “If I had known she was your wife, even if I had the courage of ten leopards, I wouldn’t dare, I really wouldn’t…”
Lin Qi believed she truly wouldn’t dare.
She pressed her brows and gently massaged the bridge of her nose: “Even if my husband isn’t Huo Tingdong, you can’t splash me with coffee either.”
Maeve dared not make any more excuses, only nodding in agreement: “Yes… yes…”
She asked resentfully and plaintively: “Lin Qi, can you forgive me? Will you forgive me?”
She was eager to seek her forgiveness!
The supervisor on the side said: “Lin Qi, just forgive her! Ms. Mia sincerely realizes her mistake, everybody’s colleagues here; wouldn’t it be better to let bygones be bygones?”
The anger Lin Qi had been suppressing flared up again at these words; she gave the supervisor a cold glance and said dismissively: “You weren’t the one who got splashed; isn’t it easy to be generous on someone else’s behalf?”
Maeve immediately said: “Look, there’s alcohol here, and there’s juice, or else, I can have someone pour boiling water for you to splash me with. You can splash me all you want!”
Lin Qi sneered coldly: “Do you think I’m like you?”
Was Maeve setting a trap for her?
She is now Huo Tingdong’s wife, and with so many employees here, if she really did douse her or splash her with boiling water, and someone secretly filmed it and posted it online, in today’s society with public opinion, how would she, how would Huo Tingdong, be viewed by the outside world?
Those who are unaware might think she’s bullying others with her power!
Lin Qi said: “I’m not you; I don’t repay grievances with grievances!”
Maeve asked earnestly: “Then what can I do for you to forgive me? I sincerely seek your forgiveness!”
Lin Qi narrowed her eyes and asked: “Do you want me to forgive you because you really know what you did was wrong, or because I am ‘Mrs. Huo’?”
Maeve suddenly fell silent.
What difference does it make?
Lin Qi said, “Forget it, there’s really no point talking to you. Get up, I don’t want to see you anymore.”
She felt that Maeve wasn’t truly apologetic at all; she was merely afraid of Huo Tingdong’s potential to blacklist her, so that’s why she wept and begged on her knees for forgiveness.
Maeve asked, “So have you forgiven me?”
Lin Qi said, “Why must I forgive you?”
Maeve was stunned once again.
Lin Qi said, “Apologizing is your business; whether or not I forgive you is my choice. Not every apology deserves forgiveness.”
Some apologies don’t warrant forgiveness!
Maeve asked, “Then what should I do… what can I do to get forgiveness…”
Lin Qi said impatiently, “Just leave! I don’t want to see you!”
She felt Maeve was wasting her time!
She didn’t want to waste her own time and energy listening to insincere apologies!
If only Maeve hadn’t come in clinging to Huo Tingdong so humbly, Lin Qi might have thought more highly of her!
At the end of the day, she’s just a coward who bullies the weak and fears the strong!
The private room fell into utter silence.
Maeve, feeling embarrassed, slowly stood up, glanced at Lin Qi, and then at Huo Tingdong: “Mr. Huo…”
Huo Tingdong raised an eyebrow at her.
Maeve said, “I know I was wrong, I really recognize my mistake… Can you forgive me?”
Huo Tingdong asked, “Why should I forgive you?”
Maeve said, “I didn’t know she was your wife, and I was disrespectful to her, it was wrong, I really was wrong…”
Huo Tingdong snorted coldly, “And? Are you afraid that because of this, I’d hold a grudge against you and blacklist you throughout the industry?”
His second half of the sentence uttered ominously, sent shivers down the spine.
Maeve bit her lip, steeling herself.
Huo Tingdong said, “My wife says she doesn’t want to see you, you should leave.”
Then, without giving her another glance, he added, “Rest assured, no one will blacklist you; I certainly won’t waste resources on someone like you.”
After he spoke, he waved his hand as if to swat away an annoying fly.
The supervisor gave Maeve a look: “Ms. Mia, we should… go now!”
Maeve then obligingly said, “Mr. Huo, I’ve already spoken to the manager, all of tonight’s expenses will be charged to my account.”
Huo Tingdong said, “No need.”
With that, Maeve found herself snubbed again and had no choice but to tuck her tail and slink out of the private room.
The supervisor also hurriedly followed suit.
After a prolonged silence,
Lin Qi lifted her head, looked around and said, “I heard you all singing when I was at the door; why did the music stop? Keep going.”
Despite her words, nobody dared to move.
Lin Qi then turned to Han Na, who seemed somewhat uneasy on the side, “Nana, what’s wrong with you?”
She was not accustomed to such an atmosphere.
She always felt that everyone had become very afraid of her.
Should she leave?
With that thought, Lin Qi said to Huo Tingdong, “Husband, let’s go.”
Huo Tingdong made a sound of agreement.
Seeing Huo Tingdong and Lin Qi about to leave, a male colleague suddenly came over ingratiatingly: “Mr. Huo, Mrs. Huo, won’t you stay? We were just… slow to react earlier! Lin Qi, we all work in the same place and I haven’t heard you mention that your husband is… Mr. Huo!”