“Of course, I’m sure!” Maggie replied confidently.
“Alright!” Lucas held her close. Although Maggie tried to pull away, she ultimately allowed him to embrace her. “Maggie, be honest—why are you lying? Are you trying to deceive someone? Who’s the unlucky guy you’ve set your sights on? Do you really think he can outsmart you?”
“Stop talking nonsense.” Maggie sneered. “I’m not afraid to tell you: my family has run into some trouble recently. This time, I’m determined to make Scott Livinus marry me and take over the Will Family. Right now, he’s the only one who can save us and the only one who can guarantee my lifelong wealth and status.”
“Scott Livinus?” Hearing that name, Lucas’s expression changed. People constantly talked about the big players, and Scott Livinus’s name was the most frequently mentioned. Although he was from an Older Generation, he wasn’t very old himself. It was said he began managing his family’s business as a teenager, brought several companies to the stock market, and raised the Scott Family to the pinnacle, multiplying its assets many times over.
Anyone with sense knew not to mess with a man like him, yet Maggie dared to lie to him?
“Maggie, what are you planning?”
Maggie leaned close to his ear and whispered, “It’s simple: accuse him of assault. He’ll have no choice but to marry me! Once it’s out…”
Lucas’s expression darkened as he stared at Maggie with a complicated gaze. Maggie’s plan was indeed ruthless. An accusation like that didn’t even need to be proven; merely spreading the rumor could ruin a person’s life. But… was Scott Livinus so easy to manipulate? Maggie might have her tricks, but so did he. If Livinus Scott really wanted to retaliate, he could have Maggie kidnapped, assaulted, or even locked in a mental institution. Maggie would have no way to come back from that.
“Maggie, don’t play with fire! Some things are doable, some aren’t. Faking an accident might be okay, but messing with Scott Livinus is off-limits!”
Lucas felt more clear-headed than ever.
Maggie hesitated, then scoffed dismissively. “Then go on being broke! I can’t stand this any longer! I have to see this through!”
Lucas stared at her, his desire waning as he began to question whether teaming up with Maggie to bring down Scott Livinus was the right decision.
—
Early the next morning, Sophia arranged with Chloe to deliver some herbal bath packets and beauty cream to her.
In recent days, the herbal bath packets have become a hot item at Chloe’s beauty salon. Every salon could barely keep up with demand. Since the herbal baths were sold in bundled packages costing thousands or even tens of thousands, this product alone generated hundreds of thousands in sales within just a few weeks. To maintain quality, Sophia’s production couldn’t fully keep pace, but since clients only used one packet per visit, the salons only needed to stock enough for each customer’s appointment, allowing Sophia’s production to keep up for now.
When Sophia arrived, she saw a woman chatting with Chloe.
“Ms. Chloe, your herbal bath packets are amazing. I used to have terrible cramps, but the beautician recommended the cramp relief packet, and after just two baths, my period pains were gone!”
Others nearby nodded in agreement. “It really works. I used to have fibrocystic b****t issues, and after a few baths, it’s disappeared. It’s incredible!”
“I used to have a cold in the womb, and I feel so much better now.”
“My whole body feels so relaxed after the bath, and my skin looks better. I feel warm for days afterward.”
“I’ve been using the baths since they launched, coming in two or three times a week and pairing them with body massages and skincare. It works wonders.”
“I think it even helps with weight loss.”
Everyone chimed in, and Chloe smiled as she saw Sophia enter, saying, “These bath packets really are fantastic! My stores can’t keep up with demand. I’d recommend you all keep coming regularly. By the end of winter, your ailments will mostly be gone.”
Everyone nodded, agreeing to come regularly for their baths.
After the others left, Chloe said with a grin, “Look at you! These bath packets are selling so well; hurry up and develop more skincare products!”
Sophia smiled back. “How’s the trademark registration coming along?”
“Don’t worry about the trademark; I’m already working on setting up a factory.”
“Let’s channel the beauty salon income directly into the company account as capital to start the business.”
Chloe nodded. “By the way, we can sell the products online, too. Herbal products don’t require much certification. Why not start with online sales and go for both online and offline?”
Sophia had already considered this and shook her head. “Let’s make sure we have all the proper certifications first. With solid preparation, the business will have a stronger foundation.”
Chloe thought this over and agreed. She didn’t urgently need the money, so Sophia’s careful approach made sense for long-term growth.
—
Recently, people online had begun reaching out to Sophia to purchase acne cream.
Sophia rarely checked WhatsApp, and she had no idea why these people trusted her so much. When she didn’t respond, they simply sent her the money first.
By the time she checked her messages that evening, she was surprised to find 22 people had already sent payments for the acne cream, which made her laugh.
Weren’t they afraid she might be a scam?
“Dr. Smith, please save a bottle for me! My acne is really serious!”
“Dr. Smith, I’ve already sent the money. When you have time, could you send me a bottle? After seeing those before-and-after photos, I really want to try it.”
“I’ve had acne for years; I really need this.”
“Dr. Smith, I’m getting married soon and would love to clear up my skin before then so I can have beautiful makeup for the wedding.”
Sophia chuckled. They really did trust her, despite her never posting on social media or being active online.
She replied to everyone, collected their addresses, and sent out the acne cream the following day.
By midday, she had sent the packages and was planning to return to the clinic to open for business. Although she was confident in her medical skills, the reality was that visitors to the clinic were indeed few. She figured if there were no clients today, she’d close early and go home to start preparing for her divorce.
