The girl beside her said, “Who else? Janedream's Elena, of course! I just didn’t expect her to be such a young and beautiful woman in person!”
“Pfft, I didn’t see you defending her earlier, and now you’re all praises.”
“What could I have done?”
The other girl glanced at her, “Did you forget how nasty you, Judie, and Dorothy were talking about her earlier? If I had defended her, you guys would have probably lashed out at me too.”
Keeping a low profile.
Nothing unusual.
She didn’t argue, just mumbled, “My mom was trying so hard to secure a private session with Elena for me, and now, because of my mess… it’s probably never going to happen.”
“It might not be that bad.”
Another girl chimed in, “I don’t think she’s the type to hold grudges, especially not against someone who’s, no offense, not the sharpest tool in the shed.”
The room buzzed with chatter.
Before the dinner even ended, I was swarmed with business cards – some were offers for collaborations, others were trying to secure a private session of their own.
But mostly, they were looking to network.
They believed that if they could get on my good side, any project they wanted to tackle would be a breeze.
Herbert also made it clear on the spot that since I was Bella’s goddaughter, I was naturally considered his niece as well.
That way, even if I wasn’t keen on helping them with anything, just leaving a good impression on me would give them a smooth sailing.
After all, Bella, Gregory, Bryant, Herbert – any one of them was a big fish that nobody at the event could afford to provoke.
To say the least, this was the most kindness I had ever felt in one day.
It’s just human nature, I guess.
But it also made me realize I still had a lot to work on.
Janedream, despite its rapid growth, wasn’t enough to give me a solid standing in Vista Town, where the elite were a dime a dozen.
As I was handed another business card, Gregory strolled over, casually wrapping an arm around my waist.
“Mr. Ford, Ms. Webster, I’ve spotted a friend. Please, go ahead without me.”
It was as if a clear line had been drawn between them.
On the drive back, Nadine felt the tension in the car was palpable, with Bryant’s cigarette never seeming to burn out.
She disliked secondhand smoke but endured it all the same.
For a moment, she wondered, if Jane were here instead of her, would he still be smoking like this?
After a long silence, she finally spoke up, her fingers clenched around her dress, "Mr. Ferguson, thank you for taking care of my mother's medical expenses."
He seemed distracted, but at her words, he frowned slightly, glancing at her indifferently, his voice devoid of emotion, “You don’t need to thank me.”
York Carlson had mentioned it to him after handling the matter, but it wasn’t something he dwelled on.
His response was so cold, leaving no room for further conversation. Nadine looked at his chiseled profile, saying, “The doctor told me it was charged to your account. Don’t worry, I plan to repay you as soon as I save up enough money.”
“Repay?”
Bryant’s lips twisted into a mocking smile, “Then you should contact York and transfer it to his account.”
Comments
The readers' comments on the novel: Lost Me, Gained Regret (Jane and Bryant Ferguson)