Free Web NovelChapter 21: Chapter 21: An Unholy Alliance
Cecelia Archer went home and spent the evening with her daughter, then went to work the next day as usual.
She placed two contracts in front of her manager, who pulled out a chair for her with an apologetic look on his face.
"You’ve worked hard. Quick, sit down and rest. I’ll get you some water."
"Ah, Cecelia, I understand everything. A young woman like you, all alone in Corvane, having something like that happen... I should have... But Vivian Mason was right there with me yesterday."
"Cecelia, at this point, I won’t hide it from you. Honestly, I can’t stand Vivian Mason either, but our big boss is her maternal uncle. The boss personally entrusted her to me, so what can I do...?"
"You’re a smart woman. Your main goal for working here is to make money, not to fight with her. From now on, just ignore her. If you have to, walk the other way when you see her. It’s not worth getting into a conflict with someone like that. I have to walk on eggshells around here all day too, don’t I?"
Cecelia Archer suddenly understood.
No wonder Vivian Mason had such poor performance yet had been so arrogant at the company for years, and the manager still kept her around. It turned out she had connections higher up.
The manager was right about one thing: she was here to make money, not to get into a pissing contest with Vivian Mason.
’This kind of petty person... if you can’t beat them, avoid them. I’ll just stay even farther away from her from now on.’
But some people are just that despicable. You don’t bother them, but they insist on bothering you.
A little over an hour later, Cecelia Archer had a meeting with a client at the coffee shop downstairs from the office. As soon as she walked in, she ran into Vivian Mason.
And it wasn’t just her; Claire Clark was there too. freēwēbnovel.com
The two of them were dressed elegantly and stylishly, sitting together, laughing and chatting while sipping their coffee. They looked just like the best of friends.
’Veridia really is a small world. She and Claire Clark actually know each other!’
Although Cecelia found it strange, she didn’t spare them a second glance. She was here to work.
But as it happened, Vivian Mason spotted her immediately.
"Well, well, Cecelia, you’re back? I heard you and Kevin Lee had a disagreement about sleeping together in Corvane and ended up at the police station. HAHAHA, that’s hilarious! I was just dying to hear the details. Come on, come over and tell me all about it."
Vivian Mason had this special talent for taking something perfectly ordinary and making it sound utterly filthy, as if every woman in the world was just like her.
Cecelia couldn’t be bothered with her. Pretending she hadn’t heard a thing, she chose an empty table and sat down.
Vivian Mason turned to Claire Clark with a smirk that didn’t reach her eyes.
"That’s my colleague. See? Not much to look at, right? Wears the same two work uniforms day in and day out, doesn’t even put on makeup. A total plain Jane. But guess what? Her private life is wild. Any male client that comes her way never gets away. She carries condoms in her purse—I just saw them the other day. Used ones, too. TSK TSK TSK."
As soon as Claire Clark heard this, her expression turned gleeful.
"Oh, so she still hasn’t kicked that nasty habit."
"What do you mean, cousin? You know her too?"
"Not only do I know her, we were once roommates. She was like this back in college. Became a sugar baby for an old man for money, even had his kid. Later, the school found out and expelled her."
"What? That really happened?"
Vivian Mason had always disliked Cecelia Archer but could never find any solid dirt to use against her. Today, she’d finally hit the jackpot. freeweɓnovel.cѳm
"What exactly happened, cousin? Tell me everything, in detail!"
Claire Clark fabricated a story, embellishing details about Cecelia’s time in college. Vivian Mason remarked with feeling.
"No wonder I’ve never seen her pregnant in all the time she’s been at the company, yet she claims to have a child. So she gave birth a long time ago! This woman is far more complicated than I thought!"
"Cousin, you know what? That pathetic wretch is still trying to keep up appearances. She claims the child is her husband’s, and that her husband is a young, handsome, and successful man. Isn’t that hilarious?"
Claire Clark: "She has a husband? She’s married? Impossible! What young, handsome, and successful man would be blind enough to marry such a slut?"
Vivian Mason: "Exactly. He’s probably just an actor she hired to save face. How can someone be so vain? It’s not like it’s easy to sleep your way into money..."
The two of them looked at Cecelia, who was just a few steps away, getting more and more worked up as they spoke.
Thinking about how Cecelia had argued with her just two days ago right in front of Damien Vaughn, Claire Clark felt a surge of anger.
’Since she loves putting on an act so much, I might as well give her a stage and let her perform to her heart’s content!’
Coincidentally, tomorrow was her birthday. Knowing that she was doing well now, many of her old classmates wanted to curry favor with her and were clamoring to throw her a birthday party. Among them were several guys from college who used to have a crush on Cecelia.
’If I let them see what a wreck Cecelia has become... just thinking about the scene is so satisfying.’
Claire Clark grabbed Vivian Mason and walked over to Cecelia Archer.
Cecelia was looking down, organizing product information, when she felt a foul wind sweep over her. She looked up to see the two women she despised most sitting across from her.
’Judging by the looks on their faces, they’re up to no good.’ Cecelia had no intention of fighting with them, so she lowered her gaze and went back to looking at her computer.
Claire Clark reached out and slammed the laptop shut.
"Are you blind? You see me and don’t even say hello? What’s with the attitude?"
"You’re so eager to chatter away when there are men around, aren’t you? What, no men here today, so you’ve lost all desire to perform?"
The action made Cecelia’s anger flare up instantly, but she remembered her manager’s advice from an hour ago: it’s better to avoid trouble.
"Can I help you?"
Claire Clark looked down on her condescendingly. "We were classmates for years, after all. You did so many rotten things and your reputation is trash, yet I’m not disgusted by you. I’m taking the initiative to talk to you, and you give me this long face? Do you have any shame?"
Cecelia watched her without expression, waiting to see what else she would say. Claire continued.
"Tomorrow night is my birthday. A lot of our old classmates heard I was back in the country, and they’re all clamoring to throw a party for me. You probably haven’t seen them in years, right? I’m giving you a chance to come see them. How about it?"
’Not interested.’
Cecelia had no interest in those irrelevant people.
"Thank you for the kind offer, but I have something else and can’t make it."
’She actually refused me?’
Claire shouted, "Weren’t you so indignant when you got expelled from school? You always felt you were wronged. Now I’m giving you a platform to explain yourself to our classmates, and you’re not willing?"
’There’s nothing to explain. And even if I did, it’s not like anyone would believe me.’
Cecelia said flatly, "I’m sorry, but aside from my clients, I’m not interested in invitations from anyone. My client will be here any minute, so please move."
"Also, let me remind you, Vivian Mason, it’s working hours right now. Don’t you feel any shame, running out to drink coffee and gossip with random people?"
’She refuses my kindness and now she’s turning on me?’
Vivian Mason sneered, "How do you know I’m not meeting a client? So prim and proper all day! You’re the one whose ’meetings’ are all about sordid affairs, and you have the nerve to lecture me?"
Even a fool would know that Claire Clark was in the medical field.
’They sell electrical equipment. What kind of business could they possibly discuss with someone in the medical field?’
Seeing Cecelia’s expression—one that said ’I know you’re lying but I’m not going to say it’—Vivian Mason got angry and shoved her laptop.
"I just closed a five-million-dollar deal with Claire. If you agree to go to her birthday party tomorrow night and liven things up, I’ll give you the deal. How about it?"
