As everyone stared in wonder at Rachel, cutting through the crowd dressed in a white suit, looking very smart and capable, she stopped next to Amber and whispered, “It’s been a while, my dear sister.”
Clutching her fists tightly, Amber thought in disbelief, She actually came back and can even speak now? Everything was so shocking to her that she couldn’t find the words to say and was simply dumbstruck.
In front of the journalists, Rachel faced them with ease. “Allow me to introduce myself. I’m Chris, the new sales director of Burton Pharmaceuticals, as well as the medical representative of the company for the exhibition this time.”
Her introduction almost made Amber’s eyes fall out of their sockets. She’s the new sales director of Burton Pharmaceuticals?
“Since this is an exhibition jointly organized by the pharmas in Riverdale, I hope everyone will focus on the new drugs. After all, the new drugs are the results of painstaking efforts by our researchers for the benefit of society, and I don’t think it’s fair if the focus of the day is overshadowed by some meaningless topic.”
At her words, the journalists in the venue all nodded their heads in agreement, while Amber was livid. Just when she had finally found the chance to make herself public and be interviewed as Justin’s fiancée so that the Burtons could push the wedding bells forward, unexpectedly, Rachel came out of nowhere and foiled her plans!
“Hold it right there, Rachel Hudson!” Amber called out and chased after Rachel when they were away from the journalists.
Stopping in her steps, Rachel asked, “How may I help you?”
Giving her a once-over, Amber said, “I never thought that a mute would be able to speak one day. I thought I was imagining things!”
Rachel snorted, “Didn’t Jefferey tell you that I wasn’t born a mute?”
Amber’s fists tightened warily. “You should have just left for good. Why did you return? And you even became the sales director of Burton Pharmaceuticals?”
Five years ago after Rachel disappeared, she had used five years’ time to be by Justin’s side. With only one step away from her marriage to Justin, Rachel suddenly returned at this point. Just what is she planning? Amber pondered.
Casting her a glance, Rachel crossed her arms. “Why can’t I return? I have my own legs. I’m free to go wherever I want.”
“What are you planning to do?”
“What do you think?”
Gritting her teeth, Amber hissed, “I’m telling you, no matter what you’re planning, Justin is now my fiancé, and we’ll be getting married soon. It just goes to show how shameless you are if you try to get between us right now!”
“Fiancé?” Rachel snorted. “You didn’t seem to find it shameless back then when he was my husband and were clinging on to him more than myself. Look, you’re still on the same spot even after five years have passed. Did you think with me out of the picture, you could claim the title of Mrs. Burton?”
“You,”
The elevator doors opened slowly, and Rachel stepped in before saying nonchalantly, “I don’t plan to
hook up with my exes. If you do, that’s your choice. I’m not the least bit interested. Now then, you better pull yourself together. I’ll see you at the exhibition.”
The colors on Amber’s face shifted from pale to red and back again to colorless. She was gritting her teeth so hard that she could have gritted them to pieces. Rachel Hudson. She’s like a changed person now, she noted. She definitely has her reasons for coming back.
At the exhibition, the pharmaceutical companies gathered at their own booths as they explained and presented their new drugs to the journalists.
“Miss Hudson, could you please introduce the new drug from Burton Pharmaceuticals this time?”
“Sure.” Amber said and glanced at her assistant. Catching her hint, her assistant played the video behind her.
However, Amber’s expression shifted the moment it played, and she gawked at her assistant next to her with a look of confusion. “What’s going on?”
That’s not the introduction video of the new drug! she thought.
“Miss Hudson, isn’t this a capsule based on eastern herbs? But the information we received prior to this stated that Burton Pharmaceuticals is working on a western prescription this time.”
“I’m sorry. This isn’t right. She must have played the wrong video.”
“That’s not the wrong video.” Rachel started explaining to the journalists right after Amber finished speaking. “In the beginning, it’s true that the new drug started as a western prescription, but after some market and clinical research, we think that the supplement will be better off with an eastern prescription. The result is the new drug from Burton Pharmaceuticals this time, the E-Vital Pill.” Then, she gestured for the assistant to distribute the samples and introduction brochures to the journalists.
Next to her, Amber sulked and questioned the assistant, “Who allowed you to let her change my prescription?”
Hurriedly, the assistant explained, “Amber, she’s the sales director that the company poached from SG Pharma with a high salary, and the legendary figure in pharma sales for three consecutive years. She’s just like an influencer in the world of pharmaceutical and medical equipment. Nobody dares to disobey her!”
With that explanation, Amber was mad and tongue-tied. After five years of absence, Rachel actually managed to climb to this position. All of a sudden, a clamor started some distance away. Amber
stared in the direction of the clamor. With a sparkle in her eyes, she rushed over and cried out, “Justin!”
Surrounded by his assistant and others, Justin strode toward the booth of his company.
Amber immediately hugged his arm at the sight of him, saying, “You’re finally here, Justin.”
“How are things going?” he asked.
“You won’t believe this, Justin. Things would’ve gotten out of hand if you hadn’t shown up in time.”
“What happened?”
“Somebody changed the new drug that the company is releasing by herself and replaced it with a drug that hasn’t been tested by the FDA. The journalists have been through the interview, and there will be a huge problem if we don’t resolve this before they publish their articles.”
Before Justin could say a thing, a woman’s voice sounded. “Who said that the new drug I introduced
isn’t registered with the FDA?”
Seeing the woman approaching them, Justin immediately narrowed his eyes. It’s her? All at once, everything that happened in the club that day resurfaced in his mind.
In her five-inch heels, Rachel walked over steadily, her straight bob hair that reached right above her shoulders tucked neatly behind her ears. The white on her white suit brought out the boldness and precision of her red lipstick as she said, “Do you think I’d have the guts to show this to the journalists if I hadn’t registered the new drug with the FDA before this?”
“Still, you shouldn’t have rejected my drug by yourself. My drug has been approved by higher management and has passed the clinical trials for a long time. They’re even ready for mass production
and sale.”
“I’m sorry, but I’m afraid it won’t be mass produced anymore.”
“What did you say?”
“Amber,” Justin interjected in a cold tone.
The muscles on Amber’s face froze, and she became nervous when she saw that Justin never once took his eyes off Rachel.
However, after Justin glanced at the name tag on Rachel’s chest, he asked, “You’re Chris?”
The representative from SG Pharma who was well-known in the industry as well as the sales director he had spent a lot of effort on trying to poach for the past six months turned out to be her.
Composedly, Rachel answered, “That’s right. I’m Chris. Are you surprised? I’ve always been contacting your HR department through emails, and this is the first time we’re meeting since I took up the position.”
They held each other’s eyes. This was the scene that greeted them when they met each other again after five years. From his eyes, Rachel could tell that he thought of her as a stranger. He really doesn’t remember me anymore.
Out of the blue, Amber blurted, “She’s not professional at all, Justin. It’s risky to have her in the company as the sales director.”
Nonchalantly, Rachel said, “Are you worried that I’ll put the company at risk, or I’ll put you at risk instead because of the fact that I’m his ex-wife?”
Ex-wife? With furrowed brows, Justin asked, “What did you say?”
