Chapter 34
Cordelia led Oliver to the meeting room, her mind still buzzing with the events. Meanwhile, the group of colleagues at the door whispered among themselves, gloating at Karine’s apparent defeat. “Ms. Carmichael just wanted Mr. Jones to say that Cordelia’s ring was fake. Who knew it was a real emerald? And she even got the client in the end!” one of them whispered cheerfully. “Looks like she suffered a double loss,” another commented.
“Pfft! More like penny-wise but pound-foolish!” another voice chimed in. “Hahaha!”
Karine, standing frozen in place, was shaking with rage. Her mind was blank, and her anger surged as she quickly walked over and slammed the door, the loud thud echoing through the office. The group outside dispersed, but the laughter continued, echoing through the office walls. The colleagues were already annoyed by Karine’s arrogance but had tolerated it due to her uncle’s position as a major shareholder. Now, they were secretly delighted to see her humiliated.
After sending Oliver off with a smile, Cordelia caressed the ring on her finger. Was it really an emerald? Her smile widened, her dimples deepening as she thought about how much her luck had improved since marrying Marcus. She was getting more sales and, more importantly, Marcus was always there to help when needed. The fortune teller had said she would bring good luck to her husband, but Cordelia couldn’t help but think it was Marcus who had brought her the luck.
As she sighed in relief, planning to make meatballs for Marcus that night, she suddenly turned around to find Karine standing there, her eyes bloodshot with rage.
“Ms. Carmichael,” Cordelia greeted her neutrally.
Karine’s voice followed, mocking and full of venom. “Hah, an emerald! I’m sure you stole it somewhere.”
Cordelia snapped her head back, her expression turning hard. “What did you say?”
Karine didn’t back down, continuing with her taunt. “I say, what shady things hasn’t a man who’s been in prison done? You have a strong will, Cordelia! Look at you and your husband. One steals things, the other steals hearts. The two of you are a match made in heaven!”
Cordelia’s face turned pale, and she bit her lip. Karine scoffed and glanced at the surveillance camera, which was recording the entire interaction. She was playing it smart—always making sure to taunt Cordelia in front of the cameras, ensuring that Cordelia couldn’t retaliate without facing severe consequences.
“My dear junior,” Karine sneered, glancing at Cordelia’s ring again. “It’s nothing to be ashamed of to be poor, but it’s too much to steal! You’re a good lady, so why did you marry such a man?”
Cordelia took a deep breath, trying to stay calm. She had had enough of the insults. With a composed tone, she looked at Karine and softly asked, “Senior, can we have a proper talk?”
Karine’s anger seemed to subside a bit at the sight of Cordelia’s composed demeanor. ‘Is she surrendering?’ Karine thought smugly. ‘Hah, at least she knows her place.’
Cordelia continued gently, “You’ll get Mr. Jones’s business. I won’t take it from you. You’ll take all of the commission when the deal is closed. You’ll take the credit. Are you happy with that arrangement?”
Karine scoffed, clearly pleased that Cordelia was backing down. “You know your place, all right.”
“Can we talk somewhere else?” Cordelia asked, her tone still calm. “There are too many people here, and there are things I can’t say in front of them.”
Karine, sensing a chance to further assert her power, agreed. She followed Cordelia as she led her through the office building to a remote space at the back. The spot was hidden, a grove where no one would pass by, and most importantly, there were no cameras.
As they arrived, Cordelia surveyed the area, noting that this was the perfect place to have the conversation. She glanced around to ensure they were alone and then turned to Karine. “Just spit it out,” she said, her voice now colder, preparing to address the real issue at hand.