The bespectacled man was now smiling ambiguously at me, suggesting he knew me well.
“Do we know each other?” I gave him a mental thumbs up for openly addressing me as ‘Mrs. Featherstone’ in front of Thora.
The man then removed his sunglasses and stared into my eyes merrily. He had a burly man with a crew cut. After a few seconds, his identity finally struck me.
He was Joe Quinn, the person who used to pull out all the stops to sabotage my relationship with Anthony, was now calling me “Mrs. Featherstone” so intimately.
I was astonished. “When did you come back?”
Joe had distanced himself from Anthony after he got married. I took it as a sign that he wanted to retire from the corporate world. His sudden appearance caught me by surprise.
The man said sullenly, “I never left K City, Mrs. Featherstone. It’s sad enough that you and Mr. Featherstone didn’t come for a visit before. Now it’s just plain hurtful that you think I’m no longer living in this city.”
It was rather amusing to see a man in his thirties with manly stubble on his chin to pout like a teenage girl.
Is this still the Joe Quinn that I used to know?
“Um…” I was at a loss for words.
“Mr. Quinn, I believe today is an important day for Ms. Stanhope. You should leave your reunion for another time.” Thora chimed in. “It’s great to see that you are finally letting go of your failed marriage and started dating again. Your effort is really commendable, Ms. Stanhope.”
The woman paused for effect, then turned to Elliot. “Mr. Jacobson, you made the right decision to go out with Ms. Stanhope. Everyone in K City knows all the virtuous qualities she possesses.”
I really admired Thora’s flawless choice of words that masked her sarcasm perfectly to make it sound like a heartfelt compliment.
The mere mention of my marriage with Anthony was bound to confuse those who did not know me well. A simple search online would produce results of me clinging on to him like a jealous ex-wife.
Thora is still holding grudges on the fact that I had previously forced a kiss on Anthony.
On second thought, she might have miscalculated her move to tarnish my image in Elliot’s mind. If she succeeded, her master plan would backfire and give me more legitimate excuses to continue latching on to Anthony.
I simply played along and turned to Anthony. “You’re absolutely right, Ms. Ziegler. Everyone in K City knows how devoted I am with love. I’ll never let go of my man no matter what happens.”
Thora’s expression darkened instantly as she struggled to control her anger. “What if your love is one- sided?”
I let out a small yet victorious smile and replied slowly, “Ms. Ziegler, you’ve never been married before, so it’s natural that you don’t understand the ins and outs of a couple’s married life. As we overcome the trials and arguments in our relationship together, we build a rapport and strengthen our love for each other. This emotional bond is exactly why we, and other married couples, want kids?
“Having kids only proves that the man has normal functioning organs, nothing else. No sane man would reject when a woman offers herself to him for sex. One should know that schemers won’t last forever.”
Thora’s eyes were burning with rage as I continued unceremoniously. “It doesn’t really matter how outdated the methods are as long as it works. Given your confidence, your relationship with your partner must be exemplary. But come to think of it, I haven’t seen much of your current relationship being reported by the paparazzi. Ah, your tight security must have stopped them from obtaining any sort of materials. Why don’t you share with us which security company you hired?”
Upon hearing my sarcastic retort, Thora was livid beyond words.
Everyone in the VVIP room knew Thora and Anthony were always seen in each other’s company at various public events. Despite that, the two had zero interactions in private. In her presence, Anthony never failed to maintain his distance out of courtesy.
Although I was the clingy and shameless ex-wife, I didn’t have to worry about suffering a backlash if I hugged or kissed him in public because we used to be legally married.
Regardless of how sound Thora’s argument was, moral and the law were on my side.
Both women refused to back down. The silent room was instantly filled with a tensed awkwardness which was unbearable for the guests.
Joe, being immune to catfights, spoke up fearlessly at this moment, “Well, if you ask me, I think it’s pointless to fight; the result speaks for itself.”
He then raised his wineglass to no one in particular. “It’s not every day that we get to gather here with everyone. Why don’t we set aside our differences make a toast to this chance encounter instead?”
After a prolonged silence, Marshall stood up. “I’m with you, Mr. Quinn. Cheers!”
I inhaled sharply and looked at him with disdain. Such an idiot for making the situation ten times more awkward than it already is.
To think that Emery was wasting such wonderful wine on this person got under my skin, but there was nothing I could do right now other than hoping for this meal to end as quickly as possible.
Anthony and Elliot remained eerily silent and motionless throughout the whole time.
Marshall refilled his glass and approached the former. “Mr. Featherstone, I heard Featherstone Corporation has successfully won the bid for a piece of land lately. Will you consider developing it as a potential joint venture to share the workload?”
I heaved a long sigh of relief, feeling grateful that the ball was no longer in my court.
Anthony was unmoved by the flattery and replied flatly, “I prefer not to discuss business during meals.”
I stifled a laugh at his outright rejection.
From the moment Marshall had arranged for Elliot to sit next to me, he was destined to fall on the wrong side of Anthony. It seemed that he would never get his hands on pie for the real estate and properties industry.
Marshall was caught by surprise as his hand was still hanging in mid-air; his smile froze awkwardly on his face.
Coming from a prestigious background himself, he was usually on the receiving end of adulation. It was no wonder that he looked as though he had just swallowed a hard pill.
The air in the room once again turned frosty.
Thora furrowed her brows. She didn’t want to offend Marshall, but she couldn’t go against Anthony too. At last, she decided to just keep her mouth shut.
Just as Marshall seemed like he was about to blow a fuse, Elliot intercepted, “Mr. Tiedemann, I think Mr. Featherstone is tipsy. It would be wiser to continue the discussion about the land another time. Why don’t we talk about the financing plan for your company?”
Upon Elliot’s timely rescue, a broad grin crept across Marshall’s face as he turned around and said, “Mr. Jacobson, I appreciate you getting straight to the point. I’m willing to absorb another extra five percent on the prior agreed amount.”
“That’s fine by me, as long as it’s a win-win solution.”
Before long, Elliot seemed to have the situation under control while he cultivated the image of a reliable business partner.
Nonetheless, just as the two men were about to drink to a deal successfully struck, Anthony intervened, “If I may, Featherstone Corporation might not be the best in the city, but we have a team of top analysts. Those companies they deem as having no potential to grow may not submit their proposals in the president’s office.”
Marshall’s body stiffened at his sudden snide remark. His expression was now as dark as thunderclouds.
Even though Anthony did not spell out any names, his intention was clear. Despite being a reputable company, the Tiedemanns thought too highly of themselves to think that they could have the resources to collaborate with Featherstone Corporation. One might consider his words to be a warning for Elliot to be cautious when choosing a business partner.
It looked like Anthony was determined to interfere with Marshall’s business plan.
A clever man like Elliot understood Anthony’s subtle hint for him to cut ties with Marshall. However, he was completely unfazed as he raised his wineglass and clinked gently with Marshall’s. “Mr. Tiedemann, you heard the man. It’s time to pull up your socks and show your real capabilities to the public.”
Upon hearing his business partner’s reassurance, the tension on Marshall’s face eased up instantly. “Thanks so much for your confidence in me. You won’t regret this.”
Anthony’s attempt to sabotage the business deal fell flat. It allowed Elliot to gain an upper hand over the situation without engaging him head on.
Clink!
Following the toast, Anthony stood up nonchalantly and announced while buttoning up his coat. “Excuse me. It’s pointless to stay for the meal since we don’t share a common view.”
Before Thora and Joe could respond, he left the room without another word.
The remaining guests in the private room exchanged puzzled looks with one another, wondering what was wrong.
New Book: Back Home to Marry Off Myself
Loredana’s father left the family for his mistress, leaving them to fend for themselves abroad. When life was at its toughest, her father showed up with “good news” after 8 years of absence: To marry off Loredana to a paralyzed son of the wealthy Mendelsohn family.
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