Chapter 40
Sarah brought the conversation to this point, full of provocation, her eyes showing unbridled arrogance.
Ava paused for a moment, then calmly replied,
"I'm not into celebrities and rarely follow entertainment news. The few male stars I know are all married. Ms. Brown's boyfriend isn't a married man, is he?"
Sarah's expression instantly changed. Seeing her discomfort, everyone dropped the topic.
At TranquilJoy Hotel, Sarah gave William's name to the server, who led the group straight to the top floor.
The luxuriously decorated top floor covered several hundred square meters and had been completely reserved for the day. With dozens of people arriving, the atmosphere became lively.
Various premium wines, cocktails, drinks, and exquisite desserts were displayed everywhere.
The design department colleagues rarely had opportunities to attend such upscale gatherings. Their birthday celebrations usually meant dinner at an ordinary restaurant and karaoke.
Everyone started flattering Sarah even more, their envy distorting their expressions.
"Ms. Brown, what does your boyfriend do? Anyone who can book the entire top floor of TranquilJoy Hotel must be really wealthy, right?"
Sarah took a sip of wine, wearing a confident smile,
"He's alright. Help yourselves, everyone. We're all from the same department, so I don't need to play host, do I?"
At that moment, Ella, who was beside Sarah, noticed Ava sitting alone in a corner, eating fruit, not joining the others for drinks.
Who was she putting on that aloof act for?
"Ava, aren't you going to toast Ms. Brown? You're the first apprentice she took on at the Morgan Group. She takes such good care of you—come toast her."
Others joined in,
"Exactly! Ava should definitely toast Ms. Brown. It's so rare to meet someone important right after starting a job. If I'd had a mentor like Ms. Brown when I started out, I might be a chief designer by now."
Sarah leisurely held her wine glass, looking toward Ava with a triumphant smile, as if waiting for her to come over.
Just then, her phone rang.
She put down her glass with a charming smile,
"Let me step out to take my boyfriend's call. Help yourselves, don't be shy."
She walked out with her phone.
Everyone lost interest in drinking and eating, craning their necks to see Sarah's legendary boyfriend.
Ava sat in the corner eating cherry tomatoes, feeling like a stone was lodged in her throat, blocking her breath. The food in her mouth tasted like wax, hard to swallow.
About ten minutes later, the clicking of high heels approached from far to near. Everyone stopped talking, their eyes focused on the doorway, waiting to see which celebrity Sarah would bring.
When they saw the figure beside Sarah, the entire floor fell silent.
Was this a mistake? Why was Mr. Morgan here?
Mr. Morgan was Ms. Brown's boyfriend?
The colleague they worked with every day was actually their boss's wife, Ava Morgan. This news was even more explosive than bringing in a male celebrity.
Everyone's jaws dropped, standing frozen in place, not daring to speak.
Beyond shock, they also felt somewhat awkward. After all, this was their boss—running into your boss after work was like elementary students running into their teacher after school.
Everyone was afraid of saying something wrong and ruining their career.
The atmosphere became stiff and cold. Sarah pouted her red lips, complaining to the person beside her,
"Now that you're here, my birthday party has turned into a staff meeting. They're all scared of you."
In that short time, Sarah had changed into a white dress—simple in style but perfectly suited to her gentle temperament. Standing next to William in his formal attire with a white shirt, they looked like they were wearing a couple's outfits.
To anyone watching, they were a perfect match.
William's face showed no expression, his eyes unreadable. He was always like this, as if nothing could catch his interest.
Ava only glanced at the doorway once, her heart gradually sinking to the bottom.
He actually came to Sarah's birthday party.
Ava knew that William hated these boring gatherings, especially occasions full of women and flying gossip. Yet he came. He truly held Sarah dear to his heart.
'When you love someone, even habits can change—what does this matter?'
Sarah had schemed to get her here just to show off to her.
She and William hadn't even divorced yet, and they couldn't wait to announce their relationship in front of the Morgan Group employees.
Making her witness it—wasn't that too cruel?
Married for three years, William wouldn't let her reveal their marriage at the company, yet he was announcing his relationship with Sarah in front of colleagues.
William, I have a heart condition, so you keep ripping my heart out again and again?
Ava's heart ached to the point of trembling. She wished so much she hadn't come here, even regretted knowing William at all.
She still remembered when she and William got their marriage certificate, Howard held her hand and said earnestly,
"Ava, don't be afraid. From now on, the Morgan Family is your home, and he is your support."
She once thought home was a safe harbor, but now it seemed all the storms came from him.
Feeling eyes on her, Ava looked up, and her gaze met William's across the crowd for a brief moment.
He stood with Sarah at the center of the crowd, his eyes extremely indifferent. Ava felt like she was just an ordinary employee at his company, nothing more.
The intimacy at the hotel a few days ago seemed like it happened to someone else, having nothing to do with him.
Those intensely passionate nights when he whispered "Ava" in her ear—all seemed like dreams.
Sex and love—he separated them most clearly.
In this relationship, he maintained a state of being ready to withdraw at any time, while she had fallen in completely.
The man she'd loved for three years had never once been moved by her. His heart only thought of Sarah.
Ava couldn't bear it anymore. She wanted to escape immediately, afraid she'd lose control and cry the next second.
She grabbed her bag and walked out with measured steps. Never had she felt more embarrassed than in this moment. She didn't want to greet anyone, wishing she could become invisible and disappear silently.
But things often go against our wishes.
Besides, Sarah had carefully arranged this scene for her to see—how could she let her leave so easily?
As she neared the door, Sarah's voice came from behind,
"Ava, we haven't cut the cake yet. Have a piece of cake for good luck before you go. You've hardly eaten anything, and you haven't had any drinks either."
Her tone was extremely caring.
Ava turned around. Everyone was looking at her, including William.
In the center of the table sat a five-tier cake with twenty-three candles—presumably carefully prepared by him for Sarah.
William held the cake knife, waiting to cut the cake.
"I'm not feeling well, I'll leave first. You all have fun."
Ava stepped out and slowly exhaled, pressing the elevator button.
She never expected Sarah to follow her out.
"If you leave now, does that mean you don't want that necklace anymore?"
Ava steadied herself, trying to stabilize her emotions.
"You've already achieved your goal. What more do you want?"
Wasn't it just showing off in front of her? She'd already done that. Did she have to make her their witness too?
Sarah curved her lips,
"Nothing much, just asking you to have some cake. Is that so disrespectful? William bought the cake—don't you want to try it?"
"You're already the other woman, and you still care about respect?"
Sarah seemed to react strongly to "the other woman," saying emotionally,
"Who are you calling the other woman? Make yourself clear!"
"He's not here. Who are you putting on this act for? Want me to show you the marriage certificate? You're only good for picking up other people's trash. I'm giving you this scumbag—remember to get regular HPV screenings at the hospital."
Ava tilted her head back, suppressing the anger in her chest.
His cake—she should try it.
After all, she'd never tasted the birthday cake he bought. If it weren't Sarah's birthday, she probably would never have the chance to try it in this lifetime.
Sarah was furious, her face distorted with anger. If it weren't for the crowd watching behind her, worried about ruining her image, she would have gotten physical.
Ava's mind was still full of her mother's necklace,
"Sarah, can you please return my mother's necklace first?"