Chapter 91: It's Time to End
"Jennifer, is something wrong?" Sandra walked over to ask. She had seen Jennifer hang up the phone with a troubled expression and was a bit worried.
Jennifer gave her a reassuring smile. "It's fine, let's continue our discussion. Can we look at the actual gemstones first and then select some of them? I think we should control our material costs for now, and stock up once we have a stable customer base."
...
Jennifer and Sandra discussed for a long time and settled on a budget for this purchase.
In the evening, on her way home, Jennifer went to the supermarket to buy groceries. She immediately noticed the newspaper displayed in the most prominent position at the roadside newsstand—the front page featured a photo of Aurora and Francis together. Seeing her interest, the newsstand owner enthusiastically called out, "Miss, would you like the latest entertainment news? The story of Francis and his first love—who would've thought such a rich man would be so sentimental? But Aurora is really beautiful." The newsstand owner gazed at the photo admiringly.
Jennifer reached out and took the newspaper, the words of refusal left unspoken. She pulled out some change to pay, glanced at it briefly, then stuffed the newspaper into the bottom of her shopping basket. But when she got home and was sorting through the groceries, she saw the newspaper again. This time, she couldn't resist opening it to read.
It turned out that Aurora and Francis's meeting in Solaris was by chance. Aurora had lost her wallet right after getting off the plane, but luckily, Francis happened to catch the thief and recognized her wallet. What a heroic rescue—those two really were meant to be. The editor wrote well, describing Francis and Aurora's past (heard from who knows where) in very touching terms. In the editor's writing, Francis was no longer the playboy with numerous scandals, but rather seemed like a very devoted person. Jennifer smiled bitterly and shook her head. Though the description was exaggerated, maybe there was some truth to it. Francis really was exceptionally different with Aurora.
Putting down the newspaper, Jennifer started cutting an onion. The onion was round, and she nearly cut her hand. Feeling somewhat defeated, she set aside the ingredients and knife and ordered takeout instead. She was tired today—no cooking. She took out a box of fruit salad from the fridge, drizzled it generously with yogurt, and sat at the dining table eating slowly.
Before Francis returned, the semifinals of the Luminous Charm Jewelry Creative Contest began. Jennifer received notice to go to Silverpeak Tower to draw her topic. She heard that this time the contestants would be divided into four large groups, each with a different design theme. If you drew a theme that suited you, your chances of making it to the finals would be much better. This time, without Francis causing trouble, Jennifer arrived at the venue early. But the design theme she drew was one she wasn't very good at—"a luxury ring that would drive all women crazy." Jennifer's design style leaned more toward simple elegance; she rarely created luxury-style pieces. This topic clearly went against her design style, but she had to accept it. She came out clutching the theme envelope, her expression somewhat serious. Originally, she had been eighty percent confident about advancing to the finals, but after drawing this topic, it was down to fifty percent.
"Jennifer?" A memorable voice rang out, carrying Aurora's characteristic proud coldness.
Jennifer's head snapped up, looking at her with some surprise. She had only seen Aurora once, yet she clearly remembered her voice. She stood there dazed for a moment before asking, "Aurora, aren't you in Solaris?"
Aurora glanced at the envelope in her hand, her tone somewhat contemptuous. "You're also participating in this competition. Looks like you're going to lose badly." She had deliberately rushed back early just to participate in this competition. She'd heard Jennifer took this competition very seriously, so she specifically wanted to crush Jennifer in this area. To show Francis who was the woman worthy of him. Whether it was the man or the competition, she had to win both!
Her gaze when looking at people was extremely proud, making Jennifer somewhat uncomfortable. Jennifer frowned, retorting defiantly, "You haven't even seen my designs. How do you know I can't match you? Maybe the one who wins in the end will be me!" Jennifer was truly angry. She could give up Francis, but what right did Aurora have to insult her design abilities?
Aurora's lips curved up, and as she brushed past her, she said softly, "The name I used in Valdoria was 'Smile.E'."
Jennifer's fingers suddenly clenched tight, crumpling the envelope in her hand. She had heard of this name—a famous up-and-coming designer in Valdoria, known for bold and daring design styles. She hadn't expected Aurora to be so outstanding in jewelry design as well. A well-known Valdoria designer versus an ordinary designer that hardly anyone in Golden Harbor knew—there really was a huge gap. Though she was confident in her talent for jewelry design, she wasn't arrogant enough to think she was a genius. But "Smile.E" was recognized by many as a genius. Jennifer felt unprecedented pressure.
Seeing Jennifer's expression change, Aurora smiled with satisfaction. She knew Jennifer couldn't take it—what right did she have to compete with her? She walked into the drawing room with even more confident steps. But Jennifer, clenching her fists, shouted at her back, "Aurora, I won't give up easily!"
Aurora didn't acknowledge her, not even pausing in her steps. With the gap in abilities laid out like that, even if Jennifer didn't admit defeat, she would still lose.
After saying this, Jennifer didn't wait around either, leaving with her topic. She had to put in double the effort in her design—she absolutely couldn't let Aurora look down on her! When she got home, Jennifer shut herself in the study to research. She needed to catch up on luxury-style jewelry pieces and find her direction as soon as possible.
After a day like this, Francis suddenly sent a message saying he was coming back today and wanted to eat a meal Jennifer made herself. Jennifer thought this was a good opportunity to make things clear with him, so she agreed. She bought many ingredients Francis liked and made him a lavish dinner.
Francis's flight was delayed by half an hour, but he still got home at a reasonable time. Jennifer had just finished setting the table and was sitting there waiting for him. As soon as Francis opened the door, he saw the table full of dishes under warm lighting, and Jennifer in a champagne-colored loungewear set. The smile on her face was so gentle, as if it could smooth away his fatigue. His heart suddenly softened, feeling that the cold war between them during this time had been completely unnecessary. Jennifer hadn't done anything wrong—she was just a woman who would get jealous, a woman who truly cared about him.
"I'm home." Francis's lowered voice carried a hint of hoarseness.
Jennifer smiled. "Welcome home. Please sit." Her mood was very relaxed now. Next, she just needed to find the right moment to make her request—Francis shouldn't object, right?
Francis slowly savored the dishes on the table—all his favorites. Jennifer really did love him. When he had eaten his fill, he put down his knife and fork, wiped the corner of his mouth, took a sip of wine, and said, "Jennifer, thank you for working so hard to prepare all this."
Jennifer felt he was in a good mood—it was the right moment. She went with the flow and said, "It's nothing, it's what I should do. There's something I want to discuss with you. I think it's time for our relationship to end."