Chapter 187
Pearl felt increasingly frustrated. She walked off the stage, strangely wanting to explain herself to Richard, even though she didn’t really need to.
What could she possibly say? That she had no idea this would happen, and she couldn’t just walk out on Hanzel during his concert? She didn’t want to ruin his performance.
Pearl hung her head and tuned out the world around her. All she knew was that Richard was angry at her and ignoring her.
When they got home, Pearl finally saw Richard. He was sitting on the couch, working as if he hadn’t seen her at the concert.
Pearl tried to start a conversation on a random topic. “You went to the concert today?”
Richard nodded and didn’t say anything more.
“Are you angry?” she asked.
Richard couldn’t help but scoff at her questioning. “Why do you care if I’m upset? Weren’t you enjoying yourself with Hanzel?
Pearl’s anger rose. “There’s nothing between me and Hanzel. Stop jumping to conclusions.”
“So you think what I saw was just my imagination, huh?”
Pearl remembered the k*ss and struggled to find the right words. “That was just part of the concert. I was put on the spot… ”
“Put on the spot? You seemed to be enjoying it.” Richard was so angry when he saw the k*ss that he lost all sense of logic.
Pearl’s eyes went cold. “Why are you so childish, Richard? This isn’t like you.”
Those words finally made him realize his own behavior. “I’m sorry for overreacting. I shouldn’t try to control you,” he said, then stood up and walked away.
Pearl stood there, feeling wronged and hurt.
Their strained interactions didn’t go unnoticed by everyone at home and even their colleagues at work. They distanced themselves from each other, avoiding any conversation or eye contact.
Christmas approached, and during a meeting, Richard proposed designing couple’s rings to sell for the holiday season.
One of the employees, Sophia Arnault, a recent addition to the design team, stood up. “Can I take this project please?” She wasn’t usually outspoken, but on this day, she took the lead on the project.
Richard paused and asked, “Can you handle this project on your own?”
Sophia smiled confidently. “Of course. Pearl came up with an excellent proposal shortly after joining the company, so I’d like
to give it a try too.”
She then turned to Pearl and smiled. “Pearl, I wouldn’t be stealing your thunder by doing this, would I?”
Pearl returned the smile. “What thunder? Go ahead.”
Someone in the room scoffed. “Pearl is our internationally renowned designer Angel. Who do you think you are?”
Sophia looked down. “I know I’m not as accomplished, but… I want to make my mark in this company. Also, I’ve heard the company is willing to give newbies a chance, so I’d like to contribute…”
Richard frowned and said to the person who just spoke, “Is that how we treat new employees here?”
The person looked away in fear, intimidated by the president’s disapproval.
Pearl’s heart felt a pang as she listened to the exchange.
“Very well then, Sophia will handle this project. Feel free to approach me if you have any questions. If no one else has anything to add, we’ll conclude the meeting for today.” Richard’s tone signaled the end of the discussion.
