Chapter 15
The conversation with Emily brought back those painful memories once again.
I made an excuse about needing the restroom, but really, I just wanted to escape those suffocating memories and get some fresh air.
I walked to a quiet corner, about to take a deep breath to calm myself, when I saw Sarah and George around the bend, their bodies so close they were almost kissing.
George stood there, letting her get close to him.
My heart sank.
Even though I'd already given up hope, seeing this scene with my own eyes still hurt sharply.
I immediately turned around, wanting to leave.
"Mrs. Smith?"
Sarah's voice came from behind me, with just the right touch of surprise and barely noticeable smugness.
I stopped but didn't turn around.
George's gaze fell on me, still with that usual coldness, even mixed with a hint of annoyance at being interrupted.
Sarah quickly walked in front of me, blocking my path. "Mrs. Smith, you're here too? Are you volunteering to help out?"
I ignored her, looking at George's face instead, forcing a smile. "Don't worry, I didn't see anything."
George frowned at me. "Grace, why do you always have to look at things with such malice and target Sarah?"
Malicious assumptions? Targeting?
Was he trying to use this excuse to scold me for interrupting his fun?
I almost laughed from anger.
Sarah immediately explained, "Mrs. Smith, don't misunderstand. My hair accidentally got caught on George's button just now, and he was helping me untangle it."
"Actually," I spoke up, my voice calm and flat, "you don't need to explain. I understand everything."
"What do you understand?" George sneered, his eyes sharp.
But Sarah acted as if she didn't catch the sarcasm in my words and continued, "Mrs. Smith, you came here to volunteer just to see Jack, right? Jack insisted on coming to support me. I'm sorry you had to go through this trouble."
"I can talk to the manager here and get you a good position. After all, you know, with my current reputation and abilities, many companies want to sign me. I have that much influence."
She went on and on, not giving me a chance to speak, as if she'd already cast me as a loser who envied and looked up to her.
"Speaking of which, I really envy you." She changed direction, her eyes showing just the right amount of sincerity. "You can stay home with your child and don't have to work hard outside like me. If George and Jack hadn't been there for me all along, I probably wouldn't have achieved what I have today. So I really want to thank you."
A sharp, dull pain hit my chest, and I instinctively looked at George.
His face showed no expression. He just stood there coldly, without a trace of guilt or unease.
So he didn't think abandoning his wife and daughter to accompany his mistress and her child was wrong?
Six years.
Six whole years of marriage, into which I poured all my heart, youth, and hopes.
But these six years, in his heart, weren't even worth one strand of Sarah's hair.
Six years of devotion, ending with nothing.
I suddenly felt exhausted and completely clear-headed.
I smiled and said, "Then I wish you two eternal love."
With that, I turned to leave.
"Grace!" George suddenly reached out and grabbed my wrist hard, hurting me. "Apologize to Sarah. What you just said offended her."
Apologize?
Offended?
I laughed out loud.
"How did I offend her?" I looked at him, asking word by word. "Is it offensive to say that if you married her? George, if you really want to take responsibility for her, just hurry up and get divorced, marry her properly, don't make her a mistress, and don't let me, your wife, get in your way anymore."
I was about to take the opportunity to bring up signing the divorce papers when a figure rushed over.
"Grace, what are you doing here? I've been looking everywhere for you!" Emily pulled me behind her, looking at Sarah and George. "Oh, it's Miss Wilson who's shameless about being a mistress, and the scumbag Mr. Smith! Trying to bully Grace again?"
Sarah's eyes immediately reddened as she said pitifully, "Why does Mrs. Smith always misunderstand us? I should keep my distance from George from now on, or what if Mrs. Smith signs the divorce papers because of this?"
George looked at me coldly and said, "She wouldn't dare. She can't leave me, and she can't leave Jack."
Hearing this, Emily exploded instantly, rolling up her sleeves, ready to charge forward. "You're shameless!"
"Emily!" I grabbed her in time, shaking my head firmly. "Forget it, let's go. There's nothing to say to people like this."
I pulled Emily away, leaving that suffocating corner without looking back.
Back in the team prep room, William was waiting for us.
He handed me a tablet, playing a video.
"This is footage of Sarah participating in an international programming competition last year."
"I studied it, and she does have some skills. Solid foundation, quick thinking. But..."
He glanced at me and smiled. "Still can't compare to you in your prime."
I took the tablet and quickly browsed through it.
Sarah's performance was indeed excellent.
But as William said, compared to me at my peak, she still lacked some depth in algorithm creativity, logical precision, and on-the-spot adaptability.
"I've gotten rusty too," I said honestly, putting down the tablet. "But beating her shouldn't be a problem."
Emily sneered from the side. "Beat her? I've seen that video. She can't even match your performance when you won your first championship at 15. George must be blind to think she's the best."
Her exaggerated words made me smile, though I agreed with her.
The competition started soon.
To avoid unnecessary attention and trouble, I put on a hat, mask, and plain glasses—the same look from the photo Joshua submitted when registering. Keeping a low profile was the goal.
The team relay format was intense and exciting.
Although our team hadn't worked together in years, our foundation and chemistry were still there. Combined with thorough preparation, we solved the first difficult problem cleanly and quickly, at an impressive speed.
Sarah's team was equally fast, finishing almost simultaneously with us.
From the audience, Terry's voice immediately rang out, "Sarah is amazing, truly all-around talented!"
During the break, Sarah didn't return to her team's prep area but walked straight to the front row guest seats, sitting intimately next to George. They talked with their heads together, occasionally looking at each other and smiling, their posture intimate.
The cameras gave them multiple close-ups, causing whispers and envious praise from the audience.
Some reporters even took advantage of the break to interview Sarah, jokingly asking about her relationship with George.
Sarah faced the camera, somewhat shy and helpless. "Mr. Smith? He's a friend I greatly admire and respect. I really like him, but unfortunately, Mr. Smith is a married man. So we're just very good friends. I hope Mrs. Smith won't be jealous, and especially won't target me because of this."
Terry immediately chimed in, "Grace? What right does she have to be jealous? She doesn't even qualify to stand on this stage. You don't need to be afraid of her. How can she compare to you in any way? Even the daughter she gave birth to isn't as smart and capable as Jack!"
George gave Terry a warning look, and only then did Terry shut up.
After the break, it was our team's turn to explain the solution approach and process for the first problem.
As the core algorithm solver, I walked to the microphone at the front of the stage.
Despite wearing a mask and hat, I deliberately straightened my back and adjusted my breathing.
When my clear and logical explanation came through the microphone and filled the entire venue, the previously noisy scene gradually quieted down.
Sarah, who had been so confident, changed her expression. From the corner of my eye, I caught her gritting her teeth.