"Alright, let's move on. The banquet is just around the corner, so get to work. Nothing's more important than earning money." Joey pulled her coat tighter around her and sat down at the table.Selena sighed at her workaholic side. "You're right. We've been swamped lately. I haven't even sent our clients their gowns. Once I do, they'll probably need a lot of amendments. We shouldn't waste any time."As Selena had predicted, Emmen was swamped with orders before the banquet. Joey was too busy to think about Zachary, and he, in turn, did not contact her.Joey and Selena breathed a sigh of relief when they finally stood in front of the mansion where Eastwell was hosting the banquet.This 20 million dollars had been difficult to earn. Joey felt regretful at agreeing to divorce Zachary without alimony. She should've squeezed as much money as she could from that son of a bitch."Why are we just standing here? My eyes hurt from the lights." Selena nudged her and prompted her forward exci
The woman was stunned.Chloe's dresses were typically pricey, but she hadn't expected Julia's dress to be so expensive. Her face reddened.At first, Joey did not want to stick her nose into the matter, but since Chloe's reputation was at stake, she couldn't help but approach the two women. "Ms. Fisher, there's a lot of people at the banquet. I think you should go and change. You can talk about this when you come back."She didn't remember designing Julia's dress. The other woman's blue dress was one of her designs, though.She had put a lot of effort into the butterflies on the hem of the dress. Even so, she'd only sold it for 30 thousand dollars.80 thousand dollars? In her dreams!"Oh, it's you." Julia recognized Joey as the assistant at Emmen who had helped her try on her wedding dress. She was also one of the women at the entrance Zachary had been staring at!Angered, Julia frowned. "Do you know where this is? Regular people can't be here."Eastwell's fashion banquets wer
The security guards did not hesitate. They grabbed Joey and the woman in the blue dress, and tried to drag them out.The woman was frantic. She sounded close to tears as she said to Julia, "Ms. Fisher, I'll pay for your dress! Please don't get other people into trouble!"She held onto Joey and said in a low voice, "I can't let you get kicked out. Besides, it wasn't easy for me to get this opportunity. If I get kicked out, I'll have to pay much more than 80 thousand dollars for breaking a clause in my contract."Before this, Joey hadn't really cared about Julia. She knew Zachary did not love her, so she didn't care that he was seeing Julia. However, she was toeing the line right now. Julia felt her temper rise. She wrenched herself from the security guard's hands and said coldly, "You shouldn't pay for anything. That dress doesn't cost 80 thousand dollars. She's extorting you!"Julia's expression changed. "Extorting?" she said angrily. "I can afford to buy that 700 thousand doll
The woman's voice was soft and calming. Joey couldn't help but be amazed by her beauty. She smiled and said, "It's alright. You're very pretty."The woman went to the front of the group and led them to her trailer. Even in her long dress, her quickened steps were as elegant as ever.When they arrived at her trailer, she took out a new dress and placed it on the bed. Joey recognized it as another one of her designs."You really like Chloe's designs, don't you?" she laughed."My manager rented this dress," the woman said sheepishly."Everyone loves Chloe's designs," Julia butted in with a gratifying tone as she glanced at Selena."Thank you for the appreciation, but Ms. Fisher, I have to say that your makeup does not suit this dress at all," Selena said professionally, ignoring Julia's attempts to suck up to her. "I can help you to fix the dress you have on, though, if you don't mind."As the dress was rented, the woman would probably have to pay for it if she gave it to Julia.
When Joey and Selena got back to the banquet, it was time to dance.Selena did not give Joey a break. She pulled her right into the crowd.Joey had cut off most of the feathers on her dress to fix Julia's dress. Now, without the cover of the feathers, the dark lines of her tattoo were visible, giving her a mysterious vibe. Joey was pretty and had a great figure. When she appeared on the dance floor, she attracted many eyes."May I have the honor of a dance, miss?" A man who looked like a foreigner approached them and politely asked for a dance."Um, no …" Before she could finish, she caught Selena's murderous glare out of the corner of her eye and changed her answer quickly. "Yes, of course."The man pulled her onto the dance floor. He put his hand on her back chivalrously. Due to the open back of her dress, she could feel his skin against hers.Joey felt uncomfortable. After getting married, she hadn't had close contact with any man other than Zachary. It had been some time si
However, Joey was wary of Kent. In some ways, she felt he was in league with Zachary, as they were best friends.Joey cocked her head to the side and stared at Kent. "You know that I'm divorcing Zachary, don't you?"Kent looked taken aback, but he quickly spread his hands out in a gesture of nonchalance. "Yeah, I found out a few days ago. Don't worry, though. I don't like mixing my private and professional affairs. "Inviting Chloe isn't just my idea. The whole team decided on it. We don't want to bother her since she just lost her husband. We decided to try our luck with someone close to her.""Out of curiosity," Joey said, "Would the show provide her with an assistant, or …?"Kent gave her a meaningful look. "She'll have to bring her own assistant. The audience doesn't care. They want to see how efficient the designer is and how good the final product looks."If the show provided an assistant, it would definitely cause problems and conflict that would make a buzz, but that woul
Joey had tried everything in the last three years to get pregnant. She'd done health checkups at the hospital, and they had only found some follicular development issues. She'd even tried artificial insemination, but nothing worked. Right now, though, she understood something."I think you'd know if I were infertile," Zachary said, his anger apparent in his expression.Joey raised an eyebrow. "I don't know. Why did I have so much trouble trying to get pregnant over the last three years, then?""Is this all you think about?" Zachary had never been this frustrated before. Every time they spoke, she talked about kids and getting pregnant.They were getting divorced because she couldn't get pregnant. It was as if he was nothing but a tool to get her pregnant.Joey was stunned when she heard his question. When she came to her senses, she realized Zachary had picked her up. She began struggling. "Let me go, Zachary! Let me go this instant!"Zachary ignored her. He took out a car
Joey called Selena and told her she wanted to go home. She asked Selena if she wanted to leave with her.Selena seemed to be busy with something. Her voice sounded muffled. "Sure, you head home first. I need to deal with something … Oh, you tease!"Joey was speechless. She knew Selena must have met a handsome guy and gotten distracted. Selena was good at a lot of things, but her biggest weakness was handsome guys. She couldn't resist them.Exasperated, Joey said, "Then I'll head home. I'll take a cab and leave the driver for you.""Okay." Selena hung up.Relieved, Joey left the banquet.The next morning, she dressed up and went to the Gray Group.Zachary must have informed the receptionist about her arrival, as she was led to the top floor when she told the receptionist her name."Mr. Gray is waiting for you in his office. You can head on in." The receptionist knocked on the door and left her there.Joey entered the office. Zachary was still wearing the suit he had worn to t
Joey shot him a cold glance. "You and he are both the same, so neither of you should be laughing at the other."Zachary nodded. "You're right, but I've turned over a new leaf now.""Let's go. Enough about him," Joey said. She was annoyed whenever Henry was brought up.He had a great girl willing to be with him, yet he was still unhappy. Any other man would have been grinning from ear to ear.They arrived at the restaurant, and while Joey ordered the food, Zachary sent a message to Henry."You should think about this. Joey and Grandma just want you to have someone by your side in the future, which is why they're saying these things."Don't give up on her just because of what her parents said. Having someone who genuinely likes you is rare."From Zachary's perspective, Henry had a pretty good start. Tessa didn't mind his circumstances, so what was he dissatisfied with?Henry quickly replied, "I know. I'll think about it carefully."In truth, Henry found it all a bit troublesome.
Henry was immediately startled and started stammering, "O-Okay."As soon as Joey hung up the phone, she turned to see Tessa, who was crying pitifully, and handed her a tissue.Tessa took the tissue and sobbed without saying a word.Monica had prepared some desserts for her and looked at her with compassion. "Henry has never been in love before. Plus, he's straightforward and doesn't know how to talk properly. There's no need to cry."Joey thought that Henry just didn't love Tessa enough. Otherwise, how could he say such things?Tessa's eyes were swollen and red. Her tears continuously streamed down. "I know he doesn't like me. Maybe he just agreed to the relationship because I pursued him."Joey patted her shoulder. "In love, if one person is too proactive, the other will seem passive. The fact that you dared to love already makes you braver than many.""What's the point? He doesn't care about me at all." Tessa sniffled."Here, eat something," Monica said. "Feelings like love d
No one tried to persuade Henry further, but Zachary continued to say to him, "Come with me to choose a location for the security company. It's worth doing."Henry was a bit speechless. "I'm not even pursuing the relationship anymore. Why should I still think about the security company?"Zachary responded, "Do you plan to cling to Joey's coattails your whole life? Once the business is set up, you can have apprentices teach others, and you can become a hands-off boss in a year or two."With that, Zachary headed out.After they left, Monica sighed in disappointment. "And I here I thought Henry had found someone good for him.""I think it's quite normal. Finding a good woman isn't easy," Joey said.Henry was indeed a good person, but with one eye missing and his job as a bodyguard, it was inevitable that Tessa's parents would worry."How disappointing," Monica murmured repeatedly.Joey didn't know what else to say and could only comfort her. "There's still a chance. What if Tessa d
Joey snorted. "You looked down on me and thought I had no opinions back then."Zachary pulled her into his arms. "Joey, do you like the person you are now or the person you were before?""What about you?" Joey asked him."I liked you from the beginning. Do you think I would have pursued you for so long if I didn't? I never thought you were serious about the divorce. At first, I was angry, but now I just think I was too slow to react."Joey was genuinely angry back then, but he had thought she was playing hard to get.The two of them sat close and watched the movie together.Selena hadn't returned yet, so Joey guessed that she wouldn't be coming back."Selena probably won't return. Hanson is cunning by taking her away with just a movie," Joey said.Zachary turned off the projector and was still savoring the moment as Joey left his arms."They're in love. Otherwise, Selena wouldn't go with him so easily," Zachary remarked.Selena must really like Hanson. Otherwise, she wouldn't
Zachary squeezed her hand tightly. "You're just like an exquisite and beautiful flower."Joey couldn't help but laugh. She pulled her hand back with a little force. "Even though we just had a heartfelt conversation, I haven't thought about being your girlfriend.""I get it. You're Chloe, and countless people are lining up to pursue you," Zachary said in a voice tinged with jealousy.If she wasn't so focused on her work, she probably would have found a new boyfriend by now. For example, Kenneth was an excellent person. If Joey had accepted him back then, Zachary thought he wouldn't stand a chance now.When they got back to Emmen, Joey freshened up and got back to work.Zachary couldn't help but say, "Can't you take a break?""I've gotten used to this over the past year. When I can't sleep at night, I'll work. I find it hard to relax now," Joey said while reading a document intently.Without her dedication and hard work, Emmen wouldn't have grown so quickly.Zachary beckoned her
Zachary felt a heavy weight on his chest as he looked at Joey.She continued, "Even if I accept you again, and we try to rebuild a family, I know things can never go back to the way they were. I gave you my best years, and I don't feel like I owe you anything."During those three years, you ignored my true feelings and neglected me. Do you think it's possible to go back to the past now?"Zachary said, "I'm truly sorry.""I want to fully accept you, but I can't. You all think that the many hurts inflicted on me are something I can just get over, let go of, and move forward from. But I can't."I realize now that people are complicated and hold grudges. I constantly revisit every wrong done to me. If I didn't care, it would mean I don't care about any of you at all."Joey rarely opened up to Zachary like this, but she felt it necessary to make this clear.Zachary watched her silently and felt as though it was his first time knowing what she actually thought."It's like how I don't
Selena readily agreed, "Alright. It's not fair for you to handle everything alone."Her relationship with Hanson was intense and passionate at the beginning, but now that the initial fire had burned out, Selena felt less attached to Hanson. But after dinner, she was still dragged by Hanson to watch a new movie.Joey was exhausted from work and didn't want to move, so she sat at the dining table with Zachary to enjoy the peace."Shall we head back soon?" Zachary asked after a long while.Joey hummed, exhausted. "Let's sit a bit longer.""If you don't want to walk, I can carry you," Zachary said with a smile.Joey snorted. "Do you want Grandma to scold me? Have you even recovered?""Probably not. These wounds don't heal so easily," Zachary admitted honestly. He wanted to please Joey but had forgotten that his health was no longer as robust as before."Let's sit for another half an hour," Joey said as she leaned back in her chair and replied to messages on her phone."You're work
Selena felt that what Joey said made sense and immediately nodded in agreement. "Then I won't consider marriage."Zachary glanced at them and thought that Selena was a bad influence on Joey. Even if they were married, couldn't they still have fun? What was the difference?Around noon, Hanson and Tessa arrived at Emmen together.As soon as Tessa saw Henry, she ran to him and grabbed his arm. "I got out of class early to see you. You're not mad, are you?"Henry was taken aback, but seeing Tessa clinging to him so sweetly filled his heart with joy."Not at all. Why didn't you tell me? I could have picked you up," Henry said.Tessa held his hand. "Why do you have to pick me up? I know where you work, so I can come to find you."Henry nodded dumbly."Tessa, have you eaten?" Monica stepped forward with a gentle smile."No, but my parents want to invite him to dinner tonight. I've already arranged it with them," Tessa said with a smile.Joey thought this wasn't just a regular dinner
Henry had a smile on his face, looking quite pleased with himself. "Of course, she fell in love with me at first sight."Selena laughed. "Impressive! But your cosplay style probably appeals to most young girls, right?"Henry may have only one eye, but he was still very handsome. He was like a cosplayer you'd see on the street.He simply smiled and picked up his phone to check in with Tessa.After chatting, Henry grinned like a fool. "She asked me out to lunch. She said she doesn't have classes this afternoon and wants to take me to her place."Joey felt a bit envious. "You're incredibly lucky. You need to cherish this."Henry nodded as Monica looked at Henry with a smile."What is your girlfriend studying in grad school?" Selena asked curiously."Something related to Eldelish language studies I think," Henry replied, unsure.Joey nodded. "That sounds good."After finishing his meal, Henry sat nearby, playing on his phone.Selena couldn't help but tell Joey, "Is he just going