Our Anniversary, You Chose Her – I Chose Divorce

After giving Owen Sterling his instructions, Judith Pierce paced back and forth in her room, a grim expression on her face.

She hated being threatened.

Chloe Reed was disappointing her more and more.

After mulling it over, she gave Selene Adler a call.

”Auntie,” Selene Adler answered, her tone respectful.

Judith Pierce asked gently, ”Selene, have you gone back to being Walker’s secretary?”

Selene Adler’s voice was full of frustration. ”Auntie, I was just about to tell you. Mr. Grant won’t even see me. He’s blocked my number, so I have no way of contacting him.”

Judith Pierce sighed. ”That’s just his personality. Once he’s made up his mind, it’s hard to change it. Don’t be discouraged. There’s a banquet tomorrow night, and you should come with me. Walker will be there too. When you see him, you can have a proper talk. Once he realizes you want to help him, he’s sure to soften up and let you stay.”

Selene Adler’s voice filled with excitement. ”Okay, I’ll do whatever you say.”

Judith Pierce chuckled. ”Are you free today? Come with me to the salon.”

”Of course.”

...

The invitation to the banquet arrived on Walker Grant’s desk.

Without looking up, Walker Grant said, ”You go in my place.”

Dylan Finch looked troubled. ”Mr. Grant, the Vance family is taking this banquet very seriously. It’s meant to build momentum for their eldest son, who’s been abroad for years. If you don’t attend personally, our future collaboration might not go so well.”

He paused before adding, ”Mrs. Grant also insisted that you must attend. She and Mrs. Vance are friends, so as a member of the younger generation, it’s only right that you go.”

Walker Grant’s brow twitched. ”Fine. In that case, you can stay and work overtime with me on everything else.”

Dylan Finch: ”...”

’All I did was pass on Mrs. Grant’s message! Why do I have to work overtime too!’

’Such is the miserable life of a corporate drone!’

...

When Chloe Reed got home that evening, she received a call from Autumn Linton.

She hadn’t contacted her parents since the incident with the sapphire earrings. Seeing the caller ID, she was surprised, but also felt a wave of annoyance.

’What could it be this time?’

”Hello?”

she answered, her tone flat.

Autumn Linton’s tone was as gentle as ever, as if their previous conflict had never occurred.

”Chloe, the Vance family is hosting a banquet tomorrow night. You should come with Mom.”

”I’m not going,” Chloe Reed refused without a moment’s hesitation.

”Chloe, are you still angry about what happened? It’s all in the past. I’ve already moved on, so why are you still holding a grudge?” Autumn Linton’s tone was slightly reproachful.

Chloe Reed said coolly, ”You called my grandmother a homewrecker. That’s not something I can just ’get over.’”

The other end of the line went silent for a moment before Autumn Linton spoke again. ”Chloe, you don’t know the full story about your grandmother, so Mom won’t argue with you about it. Let’s just drop the subject. Please, come to the banquet with me tomorrow night, okay?”

Chloe Reed’s lips curled in a sneer. ”Don’t you have that precious adopted daughter of yours? Take her instead.”

With that, she hung up.

’She didn’t know what Autumn Linton was planning, but she refused to fall for their tricks.’

The next day, however, Iris Yates came to see her.

Seeing that she was still at work, Iris asked, ”Why are you still here? Aren’t you going to the Vance family’s banquet?”

”I’m not going.” Chloe Reed shook her head, then asked, puzzled, ”Why does it seem like everyone is going?”

”Of course you have to go!” Iris Yates said, her expression serious. ”The Vance family is hosting this banquet for two reasons: to build hype for their eldest son who just returned to the country, and to find business partners. Everyone attending is a representative from a major company. Your family was definitely invited, so if you don’t go, Sunny Reed will. If any partnerships come out of it, she’ll be the first person they think of. Chloe, you can’t just hand an opportunity like this to that bitch.”