I Was The Favor He Refused To See Chapter 15
A week later, Bradford Group’s Riverton branch officially opened.
The job postings they released offered twice the industry average salary.
They also stated clearly that applicants with experience at Langford’s company would receive priority.
The moment the news came out, Ethan’s HR director rushed into his office, face pale./
“Mr. Langford, Zach from IT just submitted his resignation. He said Bradford Group offered him triple his salary.”
Ethan looked up. “Bradford Group?”
“Yes. They set up a Riverton branch before the start of the year, but today is when they officially began large-scale hiring.”
The HR director gritted her teeth. “Maya Collins from the project team, Sophie Miller from Finance, Dave from Operations, and… Cole Bennett.”
The pen in Ethan’s hand dropped to the floor.
Six people resigned in one day.
Fourteen people resigned within three days.
Within a week, nearly half of the core team was gone.
Everyone who left was someone Ivy had personally trained, mentored, or genuinely treated well.
“Ethan, I’m sorry,” Cole said over the phone. “I couldn’t turn down Bradford Group’s offer. Besides, Ivy called me herself. She said she owed me a favor and wanted me to come help her.”
The call ended.
Ethan looked around the empty office and suddenly laughed.
Then he laughed until tears came out.
Ivy was taking revenge on him, and she truly had the power to do it.
Lily’s ending came even faster.
Ethan had wanted to bury the scandal, but Ivy reported the email incident to the authorities.
Law enforcement and corporate regulators stepped in immediately.
The evidence was solid.
It was confirmed that Lily had maliciously framed a coworker and leaked company confidential information.
The court sentenced her to eighteen months in prison for computer fraud, misappropriation of trade secrets, and related offenses. She was also fined.
In addition, she was ordered to pay Ivy seven hundred and fifty thousand dollars in damages.
That included the salary, stock options, and emotional distress damages Ivy lost after being framed and forced out.
Without someone helping her, that amount was enough to bankrupt Lily, who had only just entered the workforce.
The day the judgment came down, Lily rushed to Bradford Group’s Riverton branch. She dropped to her knees with a thud, clung to Ivy’s leg, and cried.
“Ivy… I was vile. I saw Ethan kiss you. I knew a long time ago that you two were together, but I just couldn’t accept it.”
“Ethan was so outstanding. Why did you get to be capable and be the woman he loved? I was so jealous I lost my mind.”
“But I really know I was wrong. Please let me go, okay? I don’t want to go to prison.”
“Please, for the sake of us going to the same college, show me some mercy.”
Ivy looked down at her.
There was only calm indifference in her eyes.
She lifted her foot and kicked Lily’s hand away.
“If we didn’t live in a society with laws,” Ivy said quietly, “I would’ve sent you to join Buddy.”
Lily’s face went instantly white.
The investigation also uncovered quite a few other things.
When Lily realized Ivy was not favored by Ethan, she had more than once encouraged her cousin in
IT to alter the contract-credit records.
Her cousin confessed everything.
“My cousin said she was going to be the future Mrs. Langford. She said that as long as I helped her, she’d promote me later. I saw that Mr. Langford really did treat her well, and I lost my head.”
The projects that should have been recorded under Ivy’s name had all been credited to Lily instead.
Every time, Ivy had stayed silent.
That was because she had always believed it was Ethan’s decision.
But Ethan had thought Lily was a rare talent.
He had even considered making Lily a full-time employee ahead of schedule and letting her lead a team directly.
He hadn’t known that all of it had been Ivy’s work.
Three months later, Ethan’s company was acquired in full by Bradford Group.
After Ethan finished signing the documents, he suddenly asked, “Is she… doing well?”
The legal representative’s face remained expressionless. “Ms. Bradford is doing very well. She and Mr. Whitmore are holding their belated wedding ceremony next month, and Mr. Whitmore specifically asked us to invite you.”
Ethan stood there as if something had struck him in the chest.
He nodded, then turned and walked out.
On the day of the wedding, Ivy wore a white wedding gown and stood on the beach.
Noah held her hand. The ocean breeze lifted her veil, and her smile was beautiful.`
Cole sat in the first row as one of the bride’s guests, secretly wiping away tears.
After the ceremony, he sent Ethan a photo.
It was Ivy’s profile, sunlight spilling over her hair as she smiled brightly.
The caption was only one sentence.
Cole: [Ethan, she’s doing well.]
Ethan had actually gone too.
He had only watched from far away and never approached.
He saved the photo and locked his phone.
Then he put the dark-blue velvet box somewhere out of sight.
Facing the empty air, he said, “Congratulations on your wedding.”