Chapter 239: Chapter 239: Only When It’s Your Turn Do You Know How Painful It Is to Endure

"What do you know!" Joanna Sherman retorted sharply. "Vincent promised me he’d help me achieve my dream. It’s wrong of him to give up halfway!"

Joel Hale reminded her, "President Grant’s promise was to help you launch a rocket. The last launch was a success."

"What? Are you taking Sophia Shaw’s side now, too?"

Joel Hale shook his head hastily. "Of course not!"

’Sophia Shaw and Vincent Grant were already divorced. No matter how much they interacted, it was just a professional relationship. The only one who could stay by his side long-term was Joanna Sherman.’

Joel Hale knew exactly who was the most reliable person to depend on. He explained, "Chief Engineer Shaw is only in charge of this one project. She’ll leave when it’s over. After that, you, Ms. Sherman, will still be the one calling the shots at Zenith. Please, just bear with it a little longer."

"Bear with it?"

Only now did Joanna Sherman realize what a painful thing "bearing with it" was.

Watching Sophia Shaw hover around Vincent Grant, watching his attention shift more and more to Sophia with each passing day—it was unbearable.

Timothy Morgan saw Joanna Sherman’s pain and let out a cold snort.

’Has she forgotten all the suffering and humiliation Sophia Shaw endured because of her?’

’So arrogant and domineering when she was stepping on others, but now she can’t take it when it’s her turn to be stepped on?’

Timothy Morgan felt no sympathy for Joanna Sherman. Instead, he secretly prayed, ’I hope she goes through everything Sophia Shaw ever suffered!’

---

Sophia Shaw worked straight through until she realized it was already past eight o’clock.

As she got up to leave, she noticed Vincent Grant sitting nearby.

She couldn’t help but freeze for a moment.

"Finished with work?" Vincent Grant asked in a gentle voice.

Sophia Shaw, unaccustomed to his suddenly soft tone, gave a faint "mm" and glanced at where he was sitting.

His area was empty; he hadn’t even taken out his phone.

’Has he been here all day? Without doing anything?’

’This was so unlike Vincent Grant.’

Sophia Shaw had no interest in people she didn’t care about, and she couldn’t be bothered to ask. She gave him a polite, distant nod as a farewell.

She walked out the door.

Vincent Grant hurried after her, grabbing her arm with some urgency. "Sophia, I’m sorry."

Sophia Shaw turned her head and looked at him, confused.

Vincent Grant lowered his head, a lump forming in his throat. "Back then... I was the one who wronged you."

’He’d obviously found Mira Quinn.’

’And forced her to tell the truth.’

Although this was expected, she was still surprised that Vincent Grant would believe Mira Quinn.

’Back then, she had explained herself desperately, but he wouldn’t listen to a single word. How could he be so sure now that Mira Quinn hadn’t colluded with her beforehand?’

For six years, she had pleaded for his trust, even in her dreams.

But he refused to believe, to ask, to investigate.

Now that she had finally let it all go, he shows up to repent?

"Vincent Grant, you’re a real piece of work!" Sophia Shaw glared at him, her eyes filled with deep disgust.

"You accuse her when you feel like it, and you apologize when you feel like it. In your mind, my Faye is still just someone you can treat however you please."

Levin Sawyer had appeared at some point.

His hands were in his pockets, his gaze fixed coldly on Vincent Grant.

He walked up to them and reached out to pull Vincent Grant’s hand away.

Vincent Grant refused to let go. "Sophia..."

He wanted to apologize again, but Levin Sawyer’s words left him speechless.

His mouth suddenly felt dry.

"Your sweetheart is watching. What do you think you’re doing, grabbing and pulling at Faye like this?" Levin Sawyer jutted his chin toward Joanna Sherman, who was standing not far away.

Joanna Sherman’s face was pale, and she looked as if she were about to collapse.

Vincent Grant was about to say something more, but Sophia Shaw cut in, "Vincent, you’re hurting me."

Only then did he abruptly let go.

Levin Sawyer deliberately misinterpreted the situation. "President Grant, you’re truly devoted to your goddess. I wish you two—the scumbag and the bitch—an eternity together!"

He took Sophia Shaw’s hand and strode away.

"Vincent..."

Joanna Sherman ran over.

Vincent Grant’s eyes followed Sophia Shaw’s retreating figure until she was completely out of sight. Only then did he yank at his tie, trying to relieve the tightness in his chest.

He shoved a stack of documents into Joanna Sherman’s hands. "These are the issues Faye summarized with your proposal. Both Elder Hawthorne and Old Master Sloan have endorsed her opinions. You... should reflect on this carefully."

Joanna Sherman clutched the documents, her eyes fixed on Vincent Grant.

’She had waited all day for this, and this was all he had to give her?’

Joanna Sherman had thought he would at least speak up for her, fight for her a little!

"Vincent..."

"Joel Hale, see Miss Sherman home."

Although Vincent Grant was having Joel Hale escort her home just like always, to Joanna Sherman, it felt completely different this time.

And when she opened the file Vincent Grant had given her, it felt like she was being slapped in the face repeatedly.

Sophia Shaw’s comments were incisive. The proposal she had believed to be flawless now looked full of holes.

If it were actually implemented, it would surely be another disaster!

’How could this be!’

’Why could Sophia Shaw see problems that she couldn’t?!’

In the documents, Elder Hawthorne’s notes were particularly galling. His words were full of admiration for Sophia Shaw, and... criticism for the person who created the proposal—her!

’Elder Hawthorne hadn’t taken her calls in a long time. So this was why—Sophia Shaw had stolen him away!’

Joanna Sherman gripped the edge of the documents tightly, a tempest raging in her heart once more.

"Mommy’s back."

As Joanna Sherman pushed open the door to her home, the nanny came over cheerfully, holding Stella Grant.

She habitually tried to hand Stella Grant over to her.

"Get away from me!"

Joanna Sherman snapped irritably, brushing past the nanny and walking inside.

Leaving Stella Grant behind with her arms outstretched, her lip trembling in a wounded pout.

Joanna Sherman lay on her bed, utterly exhausted.

She fell asleep almost immediately.

But half an hour later, she shot up in bed, gasping for breath.

Her head and face were covered in a cold sweat.

She had just had a dream. She dreamt that Sophia Shaw had taken everything from her.

She had become the Sophia Shaw of the past, tied up with ropes and hurt at will...

Even though it was just a dream, Joanna Sherman still gripped the sheets beneath her, her lips trembling.

’No! She absolutely could not let Sophia Shaw take what belonged to her!’

’She had to hold on tightly to everything, especially Vincent Grant!’

Joanna Sherman got out of bed and pulled out a thick technical book to read.

The words on the page seemed to squirm, each one transforming into Elder Hawthorne’s praise for Sophia Shaw and his criticism of her!

"AH!"

Joanna Sherman violently swept the book off the table, crazily swiping everything else on it to the floor!

She leaned over the table, panting for a long time before the frantic look in her eyes slowly subsided. Her gaze fell on Stella Grant’s room across the hall...

「Late at night, at the hospital.」

"I’m so sorry, Vincent, for calling you over in the middle of the night."

Joanna Sherman said guiltily, looking at Stella Grant, who was in Vincent Grant’s arms with an IV drip in her hand and red, puffy eyes.

"I was too careless. I didn’t notice Stella was feeling unwell, so I let it drag on for so long. I didn’t even realize it had turned into pneumonia."

Joanna Sherman’s eyes were also red, as if she’d been worn out by Stella Grant.

"The nanny took the day off, and I thought I could handle her on my own... She was crying so hard tonight, I couldn’t calm her down at all."

"It’s okay now," Vincent Grant comforted her softly. "The doctor said she’ll be fine after a few days in the hospital. You don’t have to blame yourself so much."

"Mm," Joanna Sherman sat to the side and sighed softly.

"It’s just taking up so much of your time."

At dawn, Vincent Grant was taking a walk downstairs, holding Stella Grant.

Joanna Sherman followed close behind, never leaving their side. One moment, she was pulling down Stella Grant’s sleeves; the next, she was touching her forehead.

When Sophia Shaw and Ms. Archer walked in holding Bun, this was the scene that greeted them.

Someone nearby commented, "That couple is so wonderful."