Chapter 48
Clinton was a mutual friend of Caroline, Arthur, and Heidi—though to call him Caroline's friend would be an overstatement. They were merely acquaintances.
As Arthur's wife, she and Clinton would occasionally meet, but Clinton didn't like her.
He always thought she was too meek, with nothing in her life except her husband and children—nothing like a noble lady of a big family.
Unlike Heidi, who had her own career and interests. Clinton had more than once commented in Caroline's presence that Arthur and Heidi were a perfect match.
Over time, even someone as unassuming as Caroline couldn't fail to notice Clinton's dislike.
Clinton had been managing a project in Eldoria, and his return now clearly meant the project was complete. When he spotted Caroline, his face registered surprise before quickly shifting to contempt.
He walked up to Caroline, looked her up and down, and said in a scornful tone, "If it isn't Caroline. What brings you to work here? Trying to copy Heidi, looking for something to do? I'd advise against it—imitating your betters will only make you look ridiculous."
Caroline's expression immediately darkened. She clenched her fists, struggling to contain her anger.
She knew Clinton had never liked her, always believing Heidi was the better match for Arthur. In the past, she would have swallowed her pride and stayed silent, but now, she didn't want to be that person anymore.
Just as she was about to respond, she caught sight of Arthur and Heidi not far away.
They had clearly heard Clinton's remarks, yet both remained silent, as if it had nothing to do with them. Arthur's face showed no emotion, while Heidi maintained a faint, enigmatic smile.
Caroline felt as if something had pierced her heart, leaving it instantly cold. She quietly lowered her head and said nothing.
At that moment, any retort would have been futile, only making her situation more humiliating.
Seeing Caroline's silence, Clinton assumed she was intimidated, and his smirk grew more pronounced. He ignored Caroline and walked directly to Arthur and Heidi, saying with a smile, "Arthur, Heidi, it's been a while."
"It truly has. When did you get back?" Arthur's face softened slightly, his tone noticeably warmer.
"Just yesterday. Thought I'd stop by today to see you all," Clinton said. "Didn't expect to witness such an interesting scene." He glanced meaningfully at Caroline.
Arthur didn't take the bait. "Let's go upstairs and catch up," he said flatly. With that, he entered the elevator with Heidi and Clinton.
Watching the elevator doors slowly close, Caroline sighed deeply, overwhelmed by a sense of helplessness.
She sat down at her desk and had just turned on her computer when her phone rang.
It was a message from Alton, saying the venue for the conference had been confirmed. Many important figures would attend, and it would take the form of a gala. He advised her to find an appropriate evening dress.
Caroline stared at her phone screen, momentarily dazed. It had been a long time since she'd attended such an event, and she wasn't sure what to wear. After some thought, she decided to visit a shopping mall after work.
Just then, her phone rang again—this time it was Tiffany calling. Caroline's heart sank with a sense of foreboding. She hesitated before answering.
"Caroline, you come back home this instant!" Tiffany's severe voice came through the line. "Look at what you've become! Abandoning your perfectly good home to parade yourself in public. Aren't you afraid people will laugh at the Windsor family? And Logan and Layla are crying for you. Aren't you being irresponsible?"
Caroline held the phone with a trembling hand. She opened her mouth to explain, but the words died on her lips. She knew that in Tiffany's eyes, she could do no right.
"Mom, I'm at work. I can't leave," Caroline said, her voice slightly hoarse.
"Work? What work could be more important than your children?" Tiffany's voice grew even more severe. "Let me tell you something, Caroline. Either you come back now and quit that job, or you never come back to this family! Your choice!"
With that, Tiffany hung up.
Listening to the dial tone, Caroline felt dizzy. Giving up her career was absolutely out of the question.
As for that house—even without Tiffany's ultimatum, Caroline had no intention of returning. But Tiffany's words had poured salt on her already wounded spirit.
She leaned back in her chair, closed her eyes, and took a deep breath. She sat there for who knows how long until Jessie's concerned voice brought her back to reality.
"Caroline, are you okay? You look terrible."
Caroline shook her head and forced a smile. "I'm fine."
She reopened her computer, forcing herself to focus on work. Taking a deep breath, Caroline's gaze gradually hardened with determination.
She would not abandon her work, nor would she continue to compromise herself to please others as she had in the past.
She would live for herself this time, even if the path was strewn with thorns.
She picked up her phone and replied to Alton: [Got it, thank you, Alton.]
---
When the end-of-day bell rang, Caroline immediately shut down her computer. Remembering what Alton had said about the gala, Caroline felt a twinge of nervousness.
She had originally thought it would be a standard conference where business attire would suffice, but a gala meant she needed to prepare an appropriate evening dress—and nothing in her closet would meet the requirements.
She entered the address of a well-known dress shop into her navigation app.
At the dress shop, Caroline directly stated her needs, "I need an evening dress for a gala—something formal that I can take with me today."
The shop assistant nodded and led her to the ready-to-wear section. "Miss, these are our newly arrived ready-to-wear pieces. If you're in a hurry, you can choose one from here. They all look quite good when worn."
Her gaze scanned across the various dresses, finally settling on a light blue one.
"May I try this one?" Caroline asked, pointing to the light blue dress.
"Of course," the assistant smiled. "This dress would suit your style perfectly. You'll look beautiful in it."
Caroline entered the fitting room, took off her work clothes, and changed into the light blue dress. Standing before the mirror, she looked at her reflection and paused in surprise.
The woman in the mirror wore a flowing dress, her hair falling loosely around her shoulders. Her face showed signs of fatigue, but her eyes were determined.
Was this really her? It had been a long time since she had looked at herself so carefully.