Chasing The Vengeful Villainous Heiress-Chapter 101: I’ve decided to give it up

(I just want to thank everyone for their support. Thanks to you readers, my book was recognized and I was able to win a place in cupid’s quill competition. I’m honestly grateful. Thank you so much)

Valerie woke up with a sudden jolt. She held on to the sheets covering her and then felt her head throb.

"Ugh." She grunted. ’My head. Where am I?’ She looked up, only to recognize her environment to be that of a hospital.

She was confused. How did she end up at the hospital and what... Why was she there? 𝐟𝚛𝕖𝚎𝕨𝗲𝐛𝚗𝐨𝐯𝐞𝕝.𝐜𝗼𝗺

"The company." She suddenly muttered. "It’s going to catch fire for sure with my absence. I have to go back." She said and attempted to get down when she heard Max’s voice.

"What are you doing?" He asked and she paused, turning her head to look at him as he walked out of the bathroom. "You’re not planning on rushing to the company, are you?"

"M-Max? Why are you here?" She asked but quickly rephrased her question. "Rather, how did I end up here? I was sure I was working when I decided to take a short nap and..."

Max placed his hand on her forehead to feel her temperature, taking her aback. He gritted his teeth and grunted.

"Dammit."

Even after everything, her temperature still wasn’t back to normal.

"Max?" She called and Max shifted his eyes to meet hers. She looked confused.

"Valerie," Max called and sat down next to her. He looked disappointed but then shook his head. He had so much he wanted to say to her but he kept most of it away. "Why are you so stubborn?"

"What?"

"You worked so hard till you collapsed." He revealed and her eyes widened like she hadn’t expected it. But how could she not expect it when she was always working till her bones were worn out?

"I..."

"The doctor said you’re malnourished, you’ve lost so much weight and your fever refuses to go down even after two days. Do you know how worried it makes me?"

The words weighed her down and she started feeling guilty. But then, she realized what he had said,

"Wait, did you say I’ve been out for two days?" She asked but he kept silent, staring at her with sad eyes. "Oh no, I have to get back to the company." She said. "Max, I have to work."

Max was silent, looking at her with a bitter expression.

"Even after making me worried, the first thing you seem to care about is that damned company. Tell me, don’t I mean more to you than that company." He asked.

Valerie went silent. Her eyes shook as she was confused. She looked away for a while. She... She didn’t mean to make him feel that way. She just felt so worried for the company since there was no one to take care of it.

She trailed her eyes back to him and stared into his dad and disappointed eyes.

She told herself she would take responsibility for the company till the end, or at least till she found another way to handle it. So that resolve put a lot of pressure on her and that was why she went so far.

She just wanted to do all she could to save it. She wanted to do her best.

Well, it looked like her best wouldn’t cut it. She was only human after all.

And besides, how could she put that company before her husband?

She reached her hands out to him and caressed his face gently with her thumbs.

"I’m sorry." She apologized. "Of course, you mean more to me than the company." She said. "I care for you more and nothing can change that."

"Yet, the first thing you worried about was if the company was doing okay and not how I was feeling." He said, taking her hand and rubbing his cheeks on them. "I found you fainted in your office, you were so pale yet your temperature was incredibly hot and you lost a lot of weight. I... I got mad, Valerie. Why would you treat your body so carelessly? It’s not just yours. It’s mine too. You’re mine."

Valerie slowly lowered her head. Guess she didn’t look in the right light.

"I’m sorry, Max. I just felt so overwhelmed by my decision to take over the company." She said, lowering her head. "I’m not trying to make up an excuse or justify my inability to take care of myself but... I really wanted to do my best for it."

"Then why don’t you rely on me?" Max asked and she immediately raised her head. "You have the most capable husband. Why can’t you learn to lean on me when you feel overwhelmed? Why can’t you reach out to me?"

He got closer and hugged her.

"Just imagine, if something had happened to you," he said and squeezed her tight. "Do you think any of your efforts would’ve counted? If anything had happened to you, I would immediately destroy that company that took a toll on you."

The gravity of his words hit hard in her heart. It sounded so harsh but she couldn’t help feeling touched. Yeah, if something happened to her, Max would definitely destroy the company.

Haha, she should’ve thought ahead of the kind of man she was married to. He was so vicious in his dealings

"Tsk, because of that damned company, I’ve been separated from you for more than a week. I wish I could destroy it right now."

"Hold on, Max." Valerie said and he realized her from the hug. "I think I’m going to give it up."

"What? Give what up?" Max asked, folding his arms.

"The company." She said.

"Uh? Why would you do that after coming this far?"

"I thought about how it’s been left without anyone in my seat for two days. It’s probably accumulated more problems than the average human can handle so I’m going to finally let it go." She explained and Max darted his eyes aside. He shut them, thinking of something.

This was a great idea. With this, she wouldn’t have to work her bones out anymore but... The company wasn’t exactly how she was imagining it to be, thanks to Mariam.

"Honestly, I’m also exhausted." She said. "My joints feel sore after every single day and I can’t rest when I want to. I have only three hours of sleep so it’s understandable that I broke down." She laughed but that was no laughing matter.

Max was mad.

"I don’t even know why I gave up my leisure life to suffer such a fate." She said and laughed once more. "I should just rely on you, like you said. It’s better that way."

"Valerie," Max called and she raised her head to look at him. "Do you mean it?"

"Yes."

"Even if the company suddenly gets some sort of revitalization, will you let it go?" He asked but she went silent, wondering what he was talking about.

The company would definitely get its revitalization under the right ruler but she wasn’t about to take it on till that right ruler came around.

That position was definitely not for her.

She already had her revenge. That was enough. Her parents would not blame her if she was not able to carry the weight of the company. If anything, they would want her to be free and live happily. She was sure of it.

It was also stated in their will. It was a secret that Tom (the lawyer) did not read out loud.

Her parents wished for her to be happy. Even if she could not rake over the company, as long as she lived with her heart full, it was enough.

And that was why she had decided to live quietly without bothering about what her uncle and his family did to her. But she could no longer lie down flat after finding out that on top of the way they treated her, they were also the reason she was an orphan.

She saw it as strange though. She thought of it every single time but it was almost as if her parents had deeply anticipated their deaths and had prepared everything.

But if they anticipated their deaths, couldn’t they have anticipated that she would get targeted as well? Did they go ahead and die knowing she might suffer hell?

She slightly shook her head and lowered it. In any case, it was already the past and she was in the present.

"Yes." Valerie finally answered. "I’m not cut out to be a hardworking lady." She yawned, stretching her arms out, and smirked in a particularly lascivious way. "After all, there’s no tale of a hardworking villainess."

"Oh?" Max squinted his eyes and got closer, holding her chin up. "Valerie, will you keep this up?"

"I don’t know what you’re talking about." She denied, darting her eyes aside. The look in his eyes had suddenly changed and she knew exactly what it meant.

"Want to play dumb?" He suddenly pushed her back, dominating her from above. "You definitely did that on purpose."

"I still don’t know what you’re talking about." She continued to deny it.

"Ah, it seems I held back too much that you try to tempt me even in your sick bed. Well, that’s your only saving grace right now." He said and got off her. "Once you’re fine," he grinned and leaned to whisper in her ear. "Get prepared to have our wedding night." Her face flushed.