Sophia felt her house was being overhauled unnecessarily.
“Really, just a simple renovation is enough!”
She had merely mentioned it to Livinus casually, not expecting such a grand response. He’d sent an entire construction team—at least 20 people by her count—to measure, construct, and modify the house. The level of efficiency was unparalleled.
“Of course, CEO Scott’s thoughts align perfectly with yours. The simpler, the better. You two really are in sync,” the designer said with a smile.
Sophia sighed, deciding not to argue further. As long as the renovations weren’t too extravagant for her budget, she didn’t mind. Before leaving, she reminded the workers not to trample the vegetable garden at the door.
“Don’t worry! CEO Scott has already given specific instructions.”
“…”
Sophia suddenly felt her presence was entirely unnecessary.
Meanwhile, Kim Brown stood at the door of the CEO’s office at Scott Corporation, frowning. “Is your CEO still busy?”
“Sorry, we haven’t received any instructions from him. However, the CEO specifically mentioned that he wouldn’t see unrelated people.”
“How am I an unrelated person?” Kim Brown asked, holding back her frustration.
“Apologies, but those were the CEO’s orders.”
Kim Brown wanted to argue further but couldn’t bring herself to lower her standards. Initially, Andrea had planned to introduce her to Livinus. Kim Brown had acted aloof, pretending not to care about the matchmaking or Livinus. Coincidentally, he seemed indifferent as well.
Though they had shared a meal, it felt more like a performance for others rather than genuine interest. Later, when Andrea asked how things were progressing, Kim Brown didn’t know what to say.
She had only been playing hard to get, but had she overplayed her hand?
Feeling frustrated, Kim Brown left Scott Corporation. She had never experienced such cold treatment before. With her excellent qualifications, men usually pursued her. When had she ever been on the receiving end of such indifference?
As she reached the entrance, she ran into Scott Henry, who was returning.
“Kim Brown?”
“Henry”
Scott Henry smiled. “What brings you to Scott Corporation?”
Kim Brown sighed. The two had shared drinks at a bar before and had grown closer since.
“I came to see your uncle, but he wouldn’t see me.”
“He…” Scott Henry’s expression darkened. “He must already have someone!”
“Someone? Who? That’s impossible. I’ve asked around—there’s no woman by his side, nor has anyone been introduced to him in our circle.”
Kim Brown couldn’t understand it. She had excellent personal qualities and a clean family background. While not as prestigious as the Scott family, she was still far from lacking. Was there really a woman in their circle with better qualifications than hers? There was no way Livinus would reject her for someone else. So why didn’t he like her?
Scott Henry sneered, his tone unpleasant: “Maybe he’s gone after someone else’s wife.”
“Someone else’s wife? How is that even possible?” Kim Brown defended Livinus. “With his status, what kind of woman couldn’t he have? Do you think he’s stupid? Businessmen are profit-driven; he would never do something so foolish.”
“Why not? You don’t really know him. He might not be as good as you think. Maybe he just doesn’t like women like you and instead finds it exciting to go after married women!”
Kim Brown was momentarily unsure of what to believe.
“Forget it. It’s not like I’m dead set on him anyway. My family has already arranged other blind dates for me in the past few days.”
“Another blind date? With whom?” Scott Henry asked.
“They say he’s a returnee, but I don’t know much about him yet.”
Scott Henry was stunned for a moment, then smiled. “Since you’re here, let me treat you to a meal.”
“Why? Don’t you need to be with your pregnant wife?”
“No need, she’s being taken care of.”
After their meal, the two made plans to have drinks. By the time Scott Henry returned home that evening, he reeked of alcohol, which greatly upset Olivia.
She had had enough of this life. She was a celebrity in the past, albeit not very famous, but at least people admired her wherever she went. Now? Her reputation was in tatters. She became a target of online criticism, all because of a man who didn’t even treat her well.
The Scott family still hadn’t recognized her, making her a laughingstock.
Quitting now wasn’t an option either. Part of the Scott family’s fortune belonged to the child she was carrying, and she couldn’t afford to make a foolish decision.
Thinking of this, Olivia suppressed her anger and lay beside Scott Henry. However, as she moved closer, she caught a whiff of a distinct perfume.
Her alarm bells went off immediately. Furious, she jumped up. She initially thought Scott Henry was too busy with work to pay attention to her. Who would have guessed he was seeing another woman?
And who was this woman?
—
The next evening, Scott Henry left the Scott Corporation office building.
