Chapter 499 Behind Their Backs
Rory opened the bag and saw a really stylish and popular floral dress inside. Many women in the upper-class society yearned to have it. A single piece of the dress cost at least thirty thousand. It was very expensive.
A glint flashed across her eyes as she smiled. “This is too expensive, Amelia. I can’t accept this.”
“Take it. I had this specially prepared for you. Consider it part of the thank you gift from me to all of you. If you refuse to accept it, it’ll make me sad.” Amelia blinked and smiled.
“Then… I’ll accept it. Thank you, Amelia.”
After the present-giving session was over, the people in the design department resumed their work. Perhaps it was because they received an expensive gift from her that they were shocked by her astounding wealth. It would take years for them to make enough money to buy the gift she gave them.
Everyone began to have ideas about befriending Amelia. It wasn’t morally pure for them to do that, but reality favored those who had money. Without money, one would have no power and could only bow before those who did. They were jealous of her, but they knew if they could get close to her, they would have a chance to rise to a better position with a higher wage.
That was the reality everyone had to face.
When noon rolled around, Rory finished her work and approached Amelia with a smile. “I’d like to treat you to a meal, Amelia. Consider it my attempt to make up for the regret of not being able to have a meal with you previously.”
Amelia tidied up the documents on her table and replied, “Let’s go, then.”
Just as the both of them walked out of the company, they saw two men heading in their direction. Amelia held her forehead and suggested, “How about we just eat at the cafeteria? The food there is pretty good.”
Before she could head back in while pulling Rory’s hand, one of the men uttered her name.
Instead of stopping, she continued to drag Rory into the company until they vanished from the men’s line of sight.
The two men could only watch her return to the company. Perhaps it would be more accurate to say she had escaped.
“What an interesting woman.” The other man spoke.
“Who are you?” Carter asked.
“I forgot to introduce myself. I’m June, and I was once Cassie’s boyfriend. Since she has dumped me, I’ve developed an interest in Amelia. What’s your name?” June stretched his hand and introduced himself politely.
“Carter Scott,” the man replied as he stretched his hand too. Just as he was about to touch June’s hand, he suddenly changed direction and punched June’s face. The latter failed to dodge in time and fell to the ground after getting hit.
Carter then looked down at him. “Don’t even think about getting close to her. She’s not someone a foreigner like you can touch. Even if you’re the only man alive in the world, she’ll still never be with you, so don’t think too highly of yourself.”
When he finished speaking, he straightened his back and left.
June crawled up from the ground and held his swollen right cheek. He narrowed his eyes as a dangerous look shone from within.
“Carter Scott. You must be the heir to Scott Group, then. The more you don’t want me to approach her, the more I want to conquer her. Her man stole my woman’s body and heart, so I’m going to play with his woman in return. It’s only fair. Only when I win will I be able to let this go. Perhaps Cassie may even be so touched that she’ll offer her body and heart to me.” A resolute and evil glint flashed across his eyes.
He then adjusted his suit before heading back to his car.
After Amelia and Rory entered the cafeteria, they ordered their food and found a good spot to eat. Rory ate her food with infrequent pauses. She would also occasionally raise her head to look at Amelia.
The latter gulped her food down and smiled. “If you have something to say, you can just say it, Rory. You don’t want to choke on your food on accident because you’re distracted.”
Rory felt a little awkward when she was found out. She ate two more mouthfuls of food before raising her head again. “What’s your relationship with those two men, Amelia?”
Amelia smiled. “The one from Chanaea is Carter. You met him before. He’s my best friend from my university days. I used to have a crush on him, but that was a very long time ago. As for the foreigner, I’ve only seen him twice before. I’m not very familiar with him, and I don’t know why he showed up in front of me again. I pulled you back in earlier because I don’t want to cause a scene with either of them at the entrance.”
Rory squeezed out a smile while quelling the envy in her heart. Why is she surrounded by a bunch of rich, handsome men while I have to slave away in this godforsaken city just to make enough money to pay my rent and meals? I have basically no money left after paying all my bills every single month. I may wear branded items, but I bet I live a more frugal life than anyone else. Thanks to my sh*tty job, I have no choice. Even though I keep saying I want to lose weight, all I can eat after going back home is just a pack of instant pasta. Ugh, I almost can’t stand looking at her. The presents she gave everyone probably added up to one hundred or even two hundred thousand. That’s the amount of money I’ll only get after working here for years on end without spending it on anything else.
She was so envious of Amelia that her dreams involved her fantasizing about when she would be able to become a wealthy woman like Amelia.
It took a lot of effort for her to calm her heart and suppress her volatile emotions. Then she smiled and spoke. “You’re too charming, Amelia. Handsome men basically surround you all day. I’ll be happy if I can get even one prince charming like that to approach me.”
Amelia continued to eat and stare at her with a smile. “I’m already married with a child. I don’t have that kind of charm you’re referring to anymore. A woman gradually loses her value after she enters her thirties. You, on the other hand, just graduated from university and have great potential. Your future prospects are immeasurable. I really think you’ll succeed one day. As long as you continue to do your job well, the right man will eventually show himself in front of you. There’s no need to rush. You should solidify your career for two more years first before finding a partner. The workplace will sharpen and refine your aura. Once the time comes, you don’t even need to find a man. They’ll swarm right to you when they hear about you. You just need to keep your eyes peeled and pick a good man.”
“You’re very interesting, Amelia. I learn a lot from you by sticking with you,” Rory replied with an insincere tone.
After lunch was over, they returned to the office together. Rory covered her tummy and said, “I need to go to the bathroom, Amelia. I think I ate too much.”
The latter nodded.
The moment Rory sat on the toilet bowl after entering the restroom, she heard the sound of high heels. Someone had just finished their business and walked out of the cubicle next to hers. Then she heard two people talking. The first one said, “Rory is so lucky. Aside from the fact she managed to get her hands all over Mr. Moore, she has also gotten Amelia’s favor. Amelia is so wealthy. Even the presents she gave are genuine branded bags. I’m so jealous of Rory.”
“Then you need to learn her *ss-kissing skills. You aren’t going to make them like you if you don’t flatter them.”
“Forget it. I’m not as good as her. Hell, I can barely butter up a woman, let alone a man. Only someone from the countryside can get so crazy thinking about money. She just graduated from university, and she’s already thinking about taking shortcuts instead of doing her job well. It’s going to be a matter of time before she falls.”
“She’s young. It’s only natural for young people to aim high. She’s trying to take shortcuts because she thinks a couple of thousand per month is too low. Still, I have to say; she’s quite persistent. At least she’s willing to put in an effort to please so many people. However, I don’t think Amelia’s a softie based on what I observed. There’s a chance she already saw through Rory’s tricks and that she’s just playing with her. Rory really thinks herself to be someone special when she’s just yet another tuft of grass on the roadside.”
The two women then giggled while making their way out of the restroom.
Meanwhile, Rory’s face fell as she listened to their conversation. She took a deep breath, loosened her fists, and calmed herself.
After stepping out of the cubicle, she stared at herself in the mirror and sneered, “They’re just a bunch of useless women who are envious of me. There’s no need for me to get angry. The only thing incapable people can do is badmouth others behind their backs. If they’re talking about me like that, it means I’m getting closer to success.”
Being in the center of everyone’s attention was something she enjoyed very much. Despite the fact that some of the attention included people looking down on her or treating her with disdain, she was still very happy about it. She understood one crucial thing after only spending a short time in real society. The lesson she learned was that one must be willing to dirty their hands if they wanted to reach the top of the social hierarchy. It didn’t matter to her what she needed to do in order to get a better view of the world. She had no sympathy for the people she kicked away as she climbed up because if she didn’t, she would be the one getting kicked down. The last thing she wanted was neverending sympathy and charity from the people sitting on top of the hierarchy.
After she was out of the restroom, she returned to the design department and saw the two women who had talked about her earlier. She didn’t see their faces, but she recognized their voices. I’m going to remember their faces. When the time comes when I finally reach the top, I’ll stomp on everyone who ever looked down on me. Revenge is a dish best served cold.
Rory turned to Amelia and put on an elegant facade. She approached the latter and asked, “I’m struggling to come up with good ideas regarding a blueprint I have. Do you mind giving me some pointers?”
Amelia replied with a smile, “Sure.”
She then proceeded to explain to Rory patiently how to come up with new ideas that could be added to the blueprints.
Just as she finished, Rory received a call from Eduardo.
As soon as the call was connected, the manager’s voice rang out. “Come to my office, Rory.”
“Mr. Moore’s looking for me, Amelia. I’ll be right back,” Rory informed.
Amelia nodded.
Rory entered the manager’s office in her high heels.
Upon pushing the door open, she put on an act and asked, “Are you looking for me, Mr. Moore?”
“Close the door. I have something I want to discuss with you.” Eduardo spoke.
She did as he asked.
He pointed at the chair in front of his desk. “Sit.”
His solemn expression made her a little nervous as she sat down. She then steadied herself and asked, “What’s wrong, Mr. Moore?”
