My Driver's Delusional Girlfriend

Every time my driver, Jason, sent me to the office, he brought his girlfriend along. Since we were all headed in the same direction, I never made a fuss. However, one morning, I opened the car door to see a note taped to my usual seat. [No freeloaders allowed in this car!] I tore the note off and turned to Jason. “What's this supposed to mean?!” Chapter 1 My driver’s girlfriend glared at me from the front passenger seat and snapped, “Can't you read? You’re always mooching rides off my boyfriend. Have you no shame? If you can’t afford a ride, just stay home. People like you are the worst!” I looked at my driver, Jason, completely baffled. He hurried over to me and lowered his voice to explain, “Miss Silva, my girlfriend doesn’t know I’m a driver. She’s pretty possessive. She only put up that note because she loves me. “She’s not comfortable riding in the same car with you. I’ll take her where she needs to go first, then I’ll come back and pick you up.” Then, he got into my car and drove off. I stood there in silence, then pulled out my phone and dialed the police. “Hello, a man and a woman have taken my car without permission. I’d like to report a stolen vehicle!” Never in my wildest dreams could I have imagined that someone would call me, the CEO of a publicly listed corporation, a freeloader. Especially when the car they were accusing me of freeloading in was my personal car! Twenty minutes after I made the report, a patrol car pulled up in front of me. The two officers had barely stepped out when Jason came speeding toward us in my black Maybach. He slammed on the brakes, jumped out, and hurried over. His face was drained of color. “Miss Silva, what’s going on? Why did you call the police?” I looked at him, not saying a word. One of the officers gave him a once-over and asked, “Are you the man Miss Silva says took her vehicle without permission?” Jason immediately panicked when he heard that. “No, no, Officer! It’s all a misunderstanding. “I’m Miss Silva’s driver. I drive her every day. “I was just dropping someone off since it was on the way. It only took a few extra minutes. “I didn’t steal anything.” He pointed at the Maybach with a nervous smile. “See? I brought the car right back as soon as I could.” The officers exchanged a glance before turning to me. “Miss Silva, would you like to pursue this matter further?” I was about to answer when Jason suddenly leaned closer and pleaded in a hushed voice, “Miss Silva, for my father’s sake, please don't do this. He drove for you for years. Please let me go just this once. “You know he’s in poor health. I finally found a girlfriend, and all he wants is to see me settle down. “I only did this because I didn’t want to upset her. I really didn’t have a choice.” The moment he mentioned his father, my resolve softened. Mr. Lane had been my driver for six years. He was dependable, honest, and an exceptionally careful driver who never caused trouble. In those six years, he had never been late or broken any company rules, and he even hesitated to accept the holiday bonuses I always handed out. Three months ago, he was diagnosed with a lung condition and had to resign so he could focus on long-term treatment. On his last day, he stood in my office, rubbing his rough, weathered hands together. He hesitated for a long time before finally asking, feeling embarrassed, whether the company could give his son, Jason, a chance. His son had just lost his job. Mr. Lane had spent his entire life never asking for favors. It was the first favor he had ever asked of me. Out of respect for him, I agreed. To be fair, Jason did a decent job during his first two months. Chapter 2 Although Jason was not exactly the most reliable driver, he still did what he was supposed to do. He always picked me up and dropped me off on time, and he kept the car spotless. However, things started changing last month. One day, when Jason came to pick me up, I noticed a heavily made-up woman sitting in the passenger seat. I looked at him in confusion. As he got out to open the door for me, he quickly lowered his voice and explained, “Miss Silva, this is my girlfriend, Linda. Her workplace is on the way to our company, so I thought I’d give her a ride.” I nodded and did not say anything. Giving someone a ride was not a big deal. However, I slowly started noticing something was off. This so-called 'on-the-way ride' turned into a daily routine. Every morning, Jason would pick up Linda first, then come get me. At first, Linda only took selfies and recorded videos in the passenger seat, showing off to everyone that she was riding in a Maybach. I could understand that. She was young, so being a little vain was normal. What I could not understand was the way she looked at me every time. Her eyes were always filled with disgust and contempt. It was as though I owed her millions of dollars. A few times, she sprayed perfume aggressively toward me and complained nonstop after I got into the car. “Seriously? This is such an expensive car. Why does it always smell so cheap and poor?” I thought she had truly noticed some strange odor, so I specifically told Jason to take the car for a thorough cleaning and disinfection. She only became more excessive after that. Sometimes, after I got out of the car, she would disinfect the seat I had been sitting on. Other times, she would place disposable seat covers directly over my seat. Whenever I questioned Jason about it, he would always awkwardly explain in private, “Miss Silva, Linda just worries that the car isn’t clean and might get your clothes dirty. She’s just being extra careful about hygiene.” I did not think much of it. After all, I had too many things to deal with every day. Billions of dollars in projects were passing through my hands, and I simply did not have the time or energy to argue with a young woman over something so trivial. That was, until this morning. The moment I saw the note stuck on my usual seat, I finally understood. Linda actually thought I was a freeloader who was mooching rides from her. Originally, I planned to teach both Jason and Linda a lesson. However, Jason kept begging me desperately. “Miss Silva, I promise this will never happen again. “I’ll explain everything to Linda today. I’ll never pick her up or drop her off again. “Please, for my father's sake, forgive me for this once.” I let out a sigh at the thought of Mr. Lane. “Forget it. “I'm not going to pursue this.” After the police officers left, Jason let out a huge sigh of relief. He thanked me repeatedly, and his attitude became incredibly respectful. I did not say anything else. I got into the car and had him drive me to the office. After that day, Jason really did behave himself for a while. Every time he came to pick me up, Linda was no longer sitting in the passenger seat. The car had also been cleaned thoroughly, and all traces of the note were gone. His driving remained smooth and professional. The only thing he did poorly was arriving on time. Every single time, he had a different excuse. “Miss Silva, I'm sorry. There was an accident on the road today, and traffic was terrible. “Miss Silva, I’m really sorry. My alarm didn’t go off, and I overslept. “Miss Silva, the water pipe at my place burst. I was trying to sort things out with the downstairs neighbor, so I’m running late.” Even though his excuses always sounded a little far-fetched, I did not press the issue since he was still polite. Chapter 3 I thought things would end there. One weekend, I decided to spend a couple of days relaxing at my villa in the suburbs. I called Jason. “Where are you now? I need to go somewhere. Come pick me up.” He hesitated for a long time before carefully replying, “Miss Silva, I found out this morning that the car has a flat tire. It’s at the repair shop right now. The mechanic said it won’t be fixed until tomorrow. “Where do you need to go? I can call a ride for you if you’d like.” I frowned, unwilling to trouble him. “Forget it. I’ll get a ride myself.” After hanging up, I called a car and headed to my suburban villa. However, the moment I arrived at the entrance, I froze. My Maybach was parked right outside my villa, completely untouched. I stared at the car for several seconds, confirming that it was mine, before immediately quickening my pace toward the front door. The door was slightly ajar. I pushed it open. The moment I saw what was inside, I was completely stunned. The entire living room was a disaster. Empty liquor bottles, candy wrappers, watermelon rinds, and cigarette butts were scattered all across the coffee table and floor. The sofa and carpet, which were worth millions, were covered in footprints. There were even several spots where cigarette burns had left black holes. My fists instantly clenched. I had bought this villa specifically as a place to relax and take vacations. I had put a lot of thought into every detail of the interior design and furniture. I usually took meticulous care of everything here, yet these people had destroyed it. I scanned the room and noticed Linda sitting on the sofa across the entrance. A crowd of people surrounded her. “Linda, you’re seriously so lucky. You found such a successful boyfriend!” “Right? He’s not only rich, but he treats you so well. You just mentioned wanting strawberry cupcakes, and he immediately ran out to buy them for you.” “When you become a rich man’s wife someday, don’t forget your old friends!” Linda was enjoying the compliments, the corners of her mouth lifting proudly. She was about to respond when she suddenly looked up and saw me standing in the doorway. Her smile disappeared. She stepped toward me in her high heels, looking arrogant and full of herself. Slap! Without saying a word, she raised her hand and slapped me hard across the face. “You shameless woman! You actually followed my boyfriend all the way here?” The sudden slap left me stunned. Everyone around us widened their eyes in shock. “Linda, what’s going on?” Linda pointed at me with disgust. “This is the freeloader I told you about! “Riding in my boyfriend’s car wasn’t enough. Now, she wants to freeload off my boyfriend’s house, too.” I stared at her in disbelief. “Who told you this was Jason’s house?” Linda sneered, “Obviously, he did. “You shameless woman! Isn’t it obvious? You saw that my boyfriend is a company executive, so you’ve been trying every possible way to seduce him. “You ride in his car every day just to create chances to be alone with him, and now, you’ve even come to his villa to throw yourself at him? “Let me tell you, Jason told me himself. He only drives you to and from work because you’re an employee at his company. He didn’t want to make a big deal out of it because of your position. Don’t mistake his kindness for permission!” Had Jason actually told Linda all of this? No wonder she had always treated me with such hostility. In her mind, Jason was a wealthy company executive who drove luxury cars and lived in a mansion, while I was merely an employee working under him. Chapter 4 Linda had always believed that I was the one shamelessly freeloading off Jason’s luxury car every day, while secretly trying to seduce her boyfriend. How ridiculous. As she spoke, Linda turned around and loudly announced to her friends, “Do you know how shameless this woman is? “She clings to my boyfriend’s car every single day. We couldn’t get rid of her no matter what we did! “I even put up a note telling her not to ride in my boyfriend’s car anymore, but she got furious and called the police, accusing my boyfriend of mistreating an employee. “He had no choice but to protect the company’s reputation, so every day, he takes me to work first, then drives back to pick her up. “I’ve never encountered such a shameless b*tch before!” My eyes widened instantly. No wonder Jason had been late every day recently. He had secretly been picking up Linda first, then coming back for me. What a joke. ‘Jason, you really did take me for a fool. Since you chose to play me, don’t blame me for what happens next!’ Right there, I pulled out my phone and called the company’s legal department. “Get a team here immediately. Come to my Peach Blossom Villa—” Before I could finish, Linda suddenly snatched my phone and smashed it onto the ground. “You shameless woman! Why are you pretending to be so important? “Your villa? Bullsh*t! This is my boyfriend’s place!” Linda’s friends immediately joined in, looking at me with disgust. “See? She’s exactly the kind of shameless woman we thought she was. She hasn’t even managed to marry into wealth, yet she’s already treating someone else’s villa like her own?” “Some people are just that pathetic. The moment they see a rich man, they can’t wait to throw themselves at him. Disgusting!” “Linda, you’re way too kind. If I were dealing with someone like her, I would’ve torn her mouth apart already!” Linda became even more confident after she listened to them. She grabbed my collar and pulled me closer. “Did you hear that? Everyone thinks you’re shameless.” Then, her eyes suddenly fell on the jade pendant necklace around my neck. Her expression brightened. “That necklace looks expensive. Did you get it by selling yourself to some rich guy?” The moment she finished speaking, she yanked hard and ripped the necklace off my neck. Linda was too fast and too forceful. Before I could react, the necklace was already in her hand. My expression changed instantly. “Give it back!” Linda sneered when she noticed how anxious I was. “You’re that desperate for it? Looks like this necklace is worth quite a lot.” I panicked and quickly replied, “It’s not valuable, but it means a lot to me. Please, just give it back.” I reached out to take it from her. That jade pendant necklace was the protective charm my mother had obtained for me at the cost of her own life. I had been weak and sickly since childhood. When I was four years old, I became critically ill and was hospitalized. I was unconscious for days. The doctors told my parents to prepare for the worst. My mother could not accept losing me, so she went to a temple to pray for my recovery. To show her sincerity, she climbed the mountain in the scorching hundred-degree summer heat, kneeling and praying with every step from the foot of the mountain all the way to the top. She continued until her knees were torn and bleeding, until the bones beneath her skin were almost visible, until her knuckles were covered in blood, and until she could barely stay conscious. Only then did she receive this jade pendant necklace. Perhaps even Heaven was moved by my mother’s devotion. The child who had been unconscious for so long miraculously woke up. However, my mother became seriously ill because of it. Before she passed away, she placed the necklace in my hands and told me to treasure it forever. I treasured this necklace more than anything and had carried it with me everywhere since I was a child. It was something my mother had traded her life for. It was what I cared most about in the world. I would never allow anyone to lay a finger on it! “The more you want it, the more I want to destroy it.”