Chapter 148
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Tears streamed down Bella’s face. Her breathing quickened like she was on the verge of an asthma attack. Zachary hesitated, then lowered his foot and turned back to comfort her, caught in a mess of guilt and indecision.
Farther ahead, Gwyneth stepped into the elevator. She could hear the mess behind her, but instead of heartbreak, all she felt was amusement.
“Serves him right,” she muttered. “A man who can’t make up his mind will end up with nothing.”
Gwyneth returned to her penthouse and fell asleep the moment she hit the bed.
nach &
By the time she woke again, only a sliver of the setting sun slipped through the gap in the curtains. Her stomach growled loudly in protest.
She hadn’t expected to sleep through the whole day. Jolting up, she reached for her phone.
There was a message from Carol. [Thanks for the ceramics. Work’s going really well. Want to grab dinner tonight?]
Another one was from Evan. [The kiln fired perfectly. The pieces for the ceramic show–and the plates and bowls you made for yourself—turned out great. Come pick them up when you can.]
At this hour, Evan’s studio staff had probably already gone home. Luckily, Gwyneth had a key.
She headed there first, loaded her finished ceramics into the car, and then went to meet Carol for dinner.
As soon as Carol got into the car,
her eyes
landed on the carefully packed ceramics. “Are these your mom’s…”
“No, they’re reproductions I made,” Gwyneth replied. “Look real, don’t they?”
She stepped on the gas. Knowing Carol preferred simple, homestyle dishes, she was taking her to a new restaurant that had just opened. Carol, meanwhile, kept her gaze on the ceramics.
“Your skills are just as good as your mom’s. If she were still here to see you carry on her legacy, she’d be proud,” Carol said softly. “Don’t you want to come back and keep making ceramics?”
“I do,” Gwyneth admitted without hesitation. Neon lights flickered in her eyes–brilliant but a bit too blinding.
After a long pause, she let out a slow breath. “But first, I need to get back everything that was taken from me.”
Carol clenched her fists and said nothing more.
They arrived at the restaurant, but just as they reached the entrance, Carol suddenly stopped and tapped a woman walking by on the shoulder. “Sharon?”
“Carol?” The woman turned around, surprised, and the two of them shared a big hug.
Gwyneth looked over, confused. Carol pulled the woman over and said, “This is Sharon Colbert, my classmate from grad school.
‘She was in the economics department at Ardenhill University. Back when I was going through a tough time during grad school, she really helped me stay strong.”
Gwyneth vaguely remembered Carol mentioning her before. She smiled and shook Sharon’s hand, then invited her to join them for dinner.
As soon as they sat down, Sharon slumped her shoulders in her ill–fitting business suit and sighed. “Guess poor people just aren’t cut out for studying economics.
“Mc, a small town girl with no background and no connections–whenever I send out my résumé, I can’t even pass the background checks. The HR people take one look at my parents not being VIP clients and ghost me.”
She looked at Carol with honest admiration, not a trace of jealousy in her eyes. “Carol, I really envy you for having a steady job. I’m so broke I can barely afford meals, and I had to rent the cheapest suit just to come here.”
Carol tried to comfort her, but Sharon laughed it off. “I know I can’t lose hope. So after I complain a little, I’ll go right back to following up with HR. Thanks for treating me to this meal, really.”
Carol sighed. “You’ve always won scholarships, got great grades, packed your schedule with extracurriculars–you’ve got so much experience. It’s insane they’re not hiring you. Too bad I don’t know anyone in economics.”
Just then, Gwyneth, who was setting down her menu, frowned and pinched Carol’s cheek. “What, am I invisible to you?”
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