Chapter 80: Foreign Photos
Jennifer added several people's contact information, and they all said they'd come to her for custom jewelry in the future. When she finally squeezed out of the crowd, Mia was no longer where she had been. She ran out to look for her and called Mia, but no one answered. Finally, at a corner, she spotted the hem of Mia's dress. She was about to call out to Mia when she heard arguing from that direction, so she walked over quietly.
Aaron's tone was very impatient. "Do you have to make a scene out here? I explained that I didn't know Daphne would be at that dinner. I have no contact with her anymore. It was just social drinking at the table."
Mia's voice was tearful. "Then why did you sneak out when you got that message just now? I saw it - a photo of a woman in revealing clothes. It was her, wasn't it? If you have nothing to hide, why won't you let me check your phone?"
Aaron paused for a moment, then said angrily, "Mia, will you ever stop? I'm a person too. I need my own space! Aren't you the one who's always talking about freedom? When you go out drinking with your male friends, I don't stop you."
Mia's tone softened. "That was when we first started dating. I did do things wrong back then. But after we got married, I've invited you every time I drink, and I've never stayed out all night."
"Forget it, I'm not trying to blame you. I just hope you'll understand me and give me more space." Aaron's tone softened. "Wipe your tears, so Jennifer doesn't see them later and blame me." Everyone here tonight could see how much Francis valued Jennifer. He wanted to join the Carter Group's new project, and maybe he could use the connection that Mia and Jennifer were good friends.
Aaron hugged Mia and whispered something in her ear that made her laugh. The two walked out embracing each other. Jennifer quickly stepped back, afraid they'd discover she'd been eavesdropping. But as she backed up, she bumped into someone and stepped on his foot. Alex cried out in pain. Jennifer quickly lifted her foot and moved aside, apologizing repeatedly. But he reached out to steady Jennifer so she wouldn't fall, and joked with a warm smile, "Jennifer, are you holding a grudge because I teased you earlier? Are you waiting here on purpose to get back at me?"
Jennifer waved her hands awkwardly. "Sorry, I really didn't notice. Is your foot okay?"
Mia walked out quickly and saw Jennifer and Alex. She smiled somewhat unnaturally and asked, "Jennifer, what's going on here?" After all, her conflict with Aaron was a family matter. It didn't matter if Jennifer, who was close to her, overheard, but she didn't want Alex to know.
Jennifer knew what she was worried about and quickly explained, "I came out to look for you and happened to run into Alex. He just got here, too."
Alex blinked. "Do you have some secret?" He even looked toward the corner.
Aaron stepped forward and patted his shoulder. "Not at all, Alex. The girls need to go to the bathroom together. Let's go back and keep drinking!"
Alex raised an eyebrow and glanced at Jennifer again, but didn't ask more questions. He followed Aaron back. He wasn't interested in Aaron and Mia - Aaron's business wasn't big enough for him to pay attention to. He was only a bit curious about Jennifer. Francis seemed different with Jennifer. She and Aurora were completely different types of women. What did Francis like about her? He'd grown up with Francis and had seen Francis's devotion to Aurora back then, and also seen Francis's depression and wild behavior after Aurora left. That kind of deep love was rare in their circle. He'd thought Francis would never change his heart.
After the men left, Mia took Jennifer's arm to the bathroom to touch up her makeup. Seeing no one around, Jennifer grabbed Mia's hand worriedly and asked, "Why were you fighting? I heard Daphne's name. Are they still in contact?"
Mia gave a bitter smile. "Jennifer, maybe I chose the wrong man. His promises mean nothing. I don't think I can trust him anymore." She shook her head. Actually, she'd received intimate photos from Daphne - photos of her and Aaron together in a hotel bed. But she didn't want to share these details with Jennifer and ruin her mood. Whatever, today was Jennifer's birthday - they should be happy. She carefully drew her eyeliner in the mirror. She'd cried earlier, and it had smudged a bit.
Jennifer looked at her with sympathy and said softly, "Mia, if you're not happy, I support you getting divorced."
But Mia blinked with a relaxed smile. "Jennifer, today's your birthday. Let's not talk about unhappy things. Don't worry about me - focus on keeping Francis, that rich guy. Look, as long as he treats you well, you not only get whatever you want, but your business goes more smoothly too." She'd already thought it through. Her family was counting on Aaron. If she really wanted a divorce, her family would be the first to object. Aaron was so brazen because he knew this was her weakness. She could only put up with it and be a couple who seemed happy on the surface. Maybe things would get better after they had children.
"I'm really grateful for all his help." Since Mia didn't want to talk about it, Jennifer thoughtfully changed the subject. "But Mia, you could also put more energy into work. When you're tired from work, you naturally won't overthink things."
Mia nodded. "I'll try. There's a really popular show recently. The host Genevieve is pregnant, and my boss asked if I wanted to host it. I was going to refuse because of the pressure. But hearing you say that, maybe I should try."
Jennifer's eyes lit up. "Why not? You're beautiful, well-spoken, have high emotional intelligence, and quick reactions. You can handle all kinds of unexpected situations. Back in high school, I thought you were a natural host."
Mia covered her face, a bit embarrassed. "Am I really that good? Jennifer, you're so sweet." She pinched Jennifer's cheek, and the two laughed and played around for a while before going back out.
The party went on until midnight. Jennifer remembered the names of all of Francis's friends. Although she kept refusing drinks, she still got a bit drunk. When it was time to leave, Francis held the not-quite-conscious Jennifer and said goodbye to Alex. "That's it for today. I'm taking her home."
Alex had drunk a lot, but his mind was still clear. He glanced at Jennifer leaning on Francis and said with some regret, "We didn't drink enough today. Let's meet up alone next time."
Francis made an OK gesture and left with Jennifer.
At that moment, in a villa in Valdoria, a cold-looking beauty frowned at a photo on her phone. The photo showed Francis feeding Jennifer a drink - a handsome man and a beautiful woman, a lovely scene. The woman suddenly threw her phone. "Francis, you shouldn't do this!"