02
So, I didn’t care whether the man in front of me was a handsome guy or not.
I just muttered, “Don’t block the way.”
No sooner had I spoken, the man flushed, staring at me, but he didn’t say a word.
His big eyes were wide open, almost as if they were glowing. It was the first time I’d met someone who didn’t snap back after being insulted.
I didn’t know how to react.
As I stood there, a little confused, Norma quietly walked up to
e and tugged at my sleeve, whispering, “Gloria, don’t yell at
him. He actually looks like he’s enjoying being scolded.”
I was stunned. “Could there really be someone like this in the world? Someone who enjoys being insulted? What kind of masochist is this?”
But when I looked at this guy’s face, it did seem like Norma was right.
He looked oddly familiar as if I’d seen him somewhere before.
Before I could think further, he spoke up, “Gloria, long time no see. It’s Matthew Stewart. Do you remember me?”
So it was him.
After more than a decade, he still looked as serious as ever, with a loud voice.
But his movements were a little frantic, like he was in a hurry, almost as if someone was chasing him.
He quickly shoved the gift box in my arms and turned to leave, walking so fast it was almost a jog.
Only when I got into the extended Lincoln at home, did I remember to ask Norma, “How did Matthew Stewart end up here today? Isn’t he always abroad?”
Norma scratched her head, looking confused. “I don’t think I invited him, but I heard he got promoted or something. Anyway, he’s really impressive.”
Seeing her so puzzled, I couldn’t help but ask, “You don’t even know who you invited?”
Norma smiled innocently. “Why would I care about that? It’s not my business.”
When our eyes met, I suddenly felt she was a bit guilty, though I had no proof.
She quickly tried to change the subject, staring at the gift box Matthew had given me, flashing a flattering smile. “Aren’t you going to open it and see what he gave you?”
With that, she started helping me unwrap the box.
As soon as the box opened, Norma couldn’t help but exclaim, “Wow!”
I glanced at the gift inside and smiled.
It was a camera.
Matthew was an interesting guy. Even after many years, he still sent me a gift.
The camera looked expensive, and I nodded in approval.
This was a nice gift. At least I liked it.
As for why he gave it to me, I couldn’t be bothered to think too hard about it.
Work was already tiring enough, and I didn’t want to add unnecessary trouble to my life.
As for the truth, I figured he’d reveal it when he was ready.
Since he chose to stay silent for now, I respected his wishes.
After all, receiving a gift was always something to be happy about.
But the person giving the gift mattered.
For example, even if Benjamin’s gifts were expensive, I wouldn’t care about them.
People who secretly mocked me under the guise of a welcoming event were not worth building relationships with.
On the other hand, gifts from Norma and Matthew, even if not valuable, I appreciated, because it wasn’t about the value. It was about the thought.
The feeling of being valued by someone was really nice.
Though the welcome party didn’t go well, thanks to Matthew’s camera, I wasn’t in a bad mood.
The next morning, since I didn’t have to work, I slept until noon.
After a quick tidy–up, I headed back to the Johnson Villa.
“When a child faces trouble, they always go home to complain to the adults.”
Smiling at Grandpa, I immediately listed all the people who had talked badly about me at the welcome party yesterday. “Grandpa, yesterday Benjamin called me unreasonable in front of everyone. Then the heiress of the Bailey family said I have
a bad temper, and the only thing I have going for me is my looks. Also, Gary, that traitor, he actually joined in and said bad things about me. I’m his cousin!”
Grandpa was over seventy, but he took good care of himself, his complexion rosy and full of energy.
After hearing me out, he called Gary, demanding he come over immediately.
I went to the garden to water the flowers with Grandma. By the time I returned to the study, Gary was standing in a corner, facing the wall, with a book balanced on his head.
When he saw me, he immediately gritted his teeth and spat out, “Gloria, you backstabber. I knew it was you.”
I smiled. “Then come over here and hit me.”
Maybe my smug expression provoked him, and Gary grumbled, “What’s there to be smug about? If it weren’t for Grandpa spoiling you, who would you be? You’re nothing compared to Kathy. She’s had such a hard life, yet she’s kind and gentle and never loses her temper. Why do you have to bully her just because you came back?”
“Always bringing up Kathy… He is hopeless.”
I couldn’t be bothered to look at him anymore. I pushed the door open and shouted at Grandpa, “Grandpa, this big fool Gary, just throw him out!”
Behind me, Gary was fuming with anger, stomping his feet in frustration.
Grandpa, however, just chuckled and scolded me lightly, “What nonsense? You can’t treat your cousin like that. If he doesn’t know better, you should teach him. If you just throw him aside, who’s going to help you when you’re in trouble?”
As he spoke, he showed me an email with apology messages.
Apart from a few, most of them were apologizing for what happened at yesterday’s welcome party..
I smiled and handed Grandpa the documents I had prepared about the branch office before coming.
Grandpa glanced at me, seriously put on his reading glasses, and began studying the financial report.
As he read, he grumbled, “In the past, I turned a blind eye to a lot of things because they were senior staff. But now? They’ve gotten bold, and their greed keeps growing.”
I poured two cups of coffee, one for Grandpa and one for myself.
And I had to admit, the coffee here really was better than anywhere else.
I wondered if I could sneak a few packs home later.
Grandpa saw my expression and scowled. “Don’t even think about it. There’s barely any good coffee left, and if you try to take some, I’ll call your parents overseas to come back and deal with you.”
At that moment, there was no more point in continuing the conversation.
I couldn’t believe I hadn’t noticed before. Grandpa was actually this petty,
But then again, it wasn’t that surprising. After all, I hadn’t seen him in two years.
“He is old but still childish, right? I should let him have his way.”
Grandpa sipped his coffee and continued to complain, “They keep talking about the branch’s poor management, but the truth is, they’ve been pocketing the money for themselves. And now they have the nerve to come crying to me about being poor, secretly trying to get a share of the company. They’ve just gotten too greedy. Do they really think the company is their personal property? They act like they own the place!”
I couldn’t respond to that.
While I had indeed passed by Frada a few times over the past two years, most of my time had been spent running between
the domestic branch and the overseas distributors.
In these two years I’d lost more than ten pounds
Though Grandpa had brought it up, I hadn’t disagreed at the time.
There were really few people in the family who could step in when needed.
Anyone capable had already been assigned a task by Grandpa, especially Gary’s uncle, who had taken advantage of his connection to the Johnson family, using Gary’s name to get a lot of benefits from the branch.
Everyone understood the situation, but when it came time to make the hard decision, he still hesitated.
The assets that were supposed to be handed over to Gary were now put on hold.
It wasn’t because of anything else. It was simply because of Gary.
He was too indecisive, always weighing his feelings before making decisions. A person like that, too emotionally driven, wasn’t cut out to be the heir.
Grandpa understood this better than anyone.
If this issue were to be uprooted, there would be too many people involved.
One wrong move would bring unexpected trouble.
So I only mentioned breaking up with Benjamin to Grandpa and didn’t bring up anything else.
While Grandpa hesitated on big matters, he never avoided the smaller issues regarding me.
over.
He immediately told the Clarke family about calling off the engagement.
As soon as I arrived home and was about to go out with Norma for dinner, I got the message that Benjamin was on his way
Unlike yesterday, his personal assistant Kathy didn’t follow him this time.
Norma quickly found an excuse to hide in the kitchen, all the while keeping an eye on the living room.
Benjamin didn’t seem to notice any of this.
I had slapped him yesterday, and today, he was able to calm down and come over to apologize. I had to admit that Benjamin was a natural businessman.
Feeling in a good mood, I decided not to make things difficult for him.
After sitting down, Benjamin, who was sitting across from me, furrowed his brow and said, “Gloria, why do you have to make things difficult for everyone, and what good does it do you?”
I smiled and replied, “Because I feel like it. It’s none of your business. You can’t expect to rely on the Johnson family’s connections while hiding your assistant away in secret. Are you trying to make a fool of me?”
At the mention of Kathy’s name, Benjamin’s expression finally became more complex, and his tone softened considerably. “I know you heard a lot of rumors about me and Kathy before you came back, but I assure you, they’re all false. No one is a threat to your position. There’s no need to get upset or jealous over it.”
He paused for a moment and then spoke more calmly, adopting a confident, even arrogant attitude, “Kathy is different from you. She’s a girl who fought her way out of a poor background. Even if she has her own schemes, it’s nothing to be concerned about. If I kicked her out of the company, she’d never be able to stand on her own in Javia again.”
“Different?” I couldn’t help but laugh when I heard this.
“So you’re saying that because I’m luckier than her, she has the right to openly take everything I have, just like that? Benjamin, when did you become like this? Impulsive, hot–headed, and completely lacking in reason? Her misfortune was never caused by me, so there’s no need for her to come crying to me. You keep saying there’s nothing between you and her, but she caused a scene in front of me yesterday, crying and complaining. And you chose to scold me for causing trouble. Do you really not realize who’s making a scene there?”
I never liked to beat around the bush.
I wasn’t sure which of my words had set him off, but suddenly Benjamin clenched his fists, his forehead veins bulging, his expression darkening with a hint of anger.
“Gloria, have you already made up your mind to break up with me? Was that why you made things difficult for Kathy at the welcome party yesterday? Were you planning this all along? All this time, I didn’t believe you were hearing the rumors about me and Kathy for the first time. You’ve been letting it slide, but now, all of a sudden, you’re holding on to it just to make those rumors true. You want to make us look like the cheating man and the mistress.”
After saying this, he looked at me with disappointment in his eyes. “I never realized you were this kind of person. I can’t believe I misjudged you. If I had known, I never would have saved you back then.”
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11:40 AM O
