I looked around from my car, trying to spot anything unusual, but everything appeared normal. However, that strange feeling persisted.With that nagging thought, I pressed on the gas pedal and drove home.My parents were still in the living room, watching TV. I knew they had been waiting for me."Did you drop him off?" my mother asked."Yeah," I replied casually, changing my shoes before heading in. "Why aren't you two asleep yet?"My dad finally got up, stretching with a yawn. "We were waiting for you to get home.""Mr. Atlas seems quite special. And he treats Ava so well!" My mother seized the opportunity to tease me. "Who would've thought our little girl would be so clingy?""He's been quite lonely. Since his parents are gone, maybe he liked the warmth of our family."Atlas must have spent New Year's alone amidst the celebrations of other households. My father seemed interested. "He has a big company, right?" "The bigger the company, the more he might be constrained. Whe
I hung up and quickly got ready before heading downstairs. Ava had already left.Just as I was about to have lunch, I got a call from Carol informing me that Eleanor was waiting for me in the office. I promptly let her know that I would be on my way.Grabbing my bag, I hurried towards the door. My mom had just returned from the grocery store after seeing Ava off.Seeing me heading out, she asked, "Have you had lunch?""Not yet. I'll grab something at the office. A client is coming, and we'll have lunch together." I explained hurriedly and left.When I entered my office, I saw that Carol was keeping Eleanor company.Eleanor quickly stood up and greeted me awkwardly as I came in, "Ms. Chloe."I smiled. "I'm sorry to have kept you waiting. It was my daughter's birthday yesterday, and we stayed up late, so I overslept!" I explained. I glanced at the time. It was still too early for lunch."Ms. Chloe, I took a look around your office earlier. It's quite impressive!" Carol complime
Eleanor could sense the tension in the air and whispered, "Who is she?"I chuckled softly. Eleanor didn't recognize Liora, which confirmed my suspicion that Liora had been the mastermind behind the sabotage of our contract, working from the shadows without revealing her face.So, I quietly informed Eleanor, "You might not be aware, but that’s the troublemaker who ruined our deal."Eleanor frowned at me, unsure of what I meant.I continued, "She's the one who extended a helping hand to your boss and caused us to miss a great opportunity for cooperation."Understanding dawned on Eleanor, and she pointed towards Liora, asking, "Her? What's her reason for acting so arrogantly?""She's the wife of the owner of a real estate development company in Foswood. Their company has quite a reputation," I stated calmly."Which company?" Eleanor inquired."Echelon Group," I replied in a low voice.Eleanor was even more astonished. "H-How can someone like her behave that way?"I raised an eye
My statement surprised everyone, including Liora. I knew she didn’t expect me to be confrontational. She paused and stared at me but remained silent.The receptionist who attended to me first said smilingly, “Don’t worry, Miss. Let me check how much longer it’ll take for your room to be ready.”“Oh, I’m not in a hurry. Since I’m here, I’ll wait patiently like everyone else. Discussing special treatment for members is unfair, right?” I deliberately provoked the crowd to draw their resentment. After all, Eleanor and I weren’t the only ones waiting.The others also voiced their frustrations. Those who didn’t respond to Liora’s earlier words were equally unhappy with the situation but chose not to express it.One displeased lady added, “That’s right, I want to know the difference between all members here, too.”The receptionist awkwardly replied, “Of course, they’re different, Miss. You’re a regular here, and I wasn’t talking about you.”“Oh, so you directed your words at me?” I smil
I calmly sipped my tea while observing Liora. I even smiled at her to show I didn’t care. Her expression grew colder as she glared daggers at me. I found it amusing but couldn’t understand how Atticus could be attracted to such a troublesome woman.No wonder he told me someone needed to humble her.Suddenly, I realized Atticus was trying to protect his assets. Perhaps he had realized Liora wouldn’t be a long-term partner who would share his hardships. Since he had started hiding his interests, he must be preparing for something.Soon after, a woman in a black pantsuit emerged. She looked authoritative, with sharp features and cold eyes. She glanced around and said, “Please calm down, everyone.”Everyone turned to her as her gaze landed on Liora momentarily. I noticed Liora’s smirk, and then she sat down calmly.Liora knew she had the upper hand, saying, “Ms. Kate, you arrived just in time. If you can’t resolve this, me and my friends will cancel our memberships.“Quick, cancel yo
Kate smilingly motioned to take my card but froze as she was about to touch it. I looked at her in puzzlement while still holding the card. I didn’t know why she froze.She widened her eyes and observed my face. “Y-You—”Eleanor was as puzzled as me, saying, “Just cancel our membership, Ms. Kate.”However, Kate looked embarrassed as her lips twitched. “P-Please wait a moment. I-I need to make a call.”Eleanor protested, “Why must we wait for you to cancel our membership? You already made us wait for someone to serve us. Do you think we have that much free time?”“I-It’s not that, Miss. I just need you to wait a moment.” Kate’s expression showed something was amiss.Liora was just as confused but appeared dissatisfied. “Ms. Kate, my friends and I will cancel if you have trouble handling the situation!”She slapped her card on the coffee table before turning to her friends, saying, “Girls, let’s go!”Her friends followed suit and placed their cards on the table, declaring, “We’re
Liora looked like she had misunderstood something. She glared at Kate, asking, “Did I mishear you?”"Yes, Mrs. Liora, I’ll process your membership cancellation immediately," Kate became more assertive and called the head of the membership department to start the procedure."Wait!" Liora roared, "Kate, what do you mean by this? Tell your boss to explain things to me!”"I'm sorry, Mrs. Liora. Please don't make things difficult. It’s my boss’s decision.""What do you mean? Why won't you process hers?" Liora was outraged, forgetting her reputation. Her friends also became agitated. "Exactly. Why are you canceling ours?"Liora stepped forward and glared daggers at Kate. "Do you want me and my friends to cancel our memberships?”"Mrs. Liora, since you insist on canceling, I can only comply. If I cancel theirs, we'll have to close the spa immediately. So, I'm sorry, Mrs. Liora." Kate paled despite her anger.“Why would you need to close?!” Liora exclaimed."Because these two ladies' h
Soon, the remaining patrons got their turns while I went inside with Elanor.Kate came in to tell me that they had prepared the best masseur for us. During the massage, Eleanor and I discussed what had just happened. She smiled, and we grew closer.Afterward, I took her to a nearby Crispy Crust. Most knew the restaurant for its pizzas, and we ate while continuing our conversation. Eleanor told me about how she had met her boss. I knew she was capable, and I felt tempted to be on her side.I tried probing, “What will you do if the boss’s wife gives you a hard time?”“I haven’t thought that far, but I’ve been involved with him for a long time. I don’t want to make things awkward for my boss, but I don’t want to continue life like this. Perhaps I must decide soon. Maybe I’ll leave him.”"Have you thought it through?" I asked."There’s nothing much to consider. My boss can’t give me what I want, and I can’t stay by his side forever. I don't want to work hard for him only to get nothi