Having said that, Jennifer looked at Amelia’s belly subconsciously. “Are you perhaps pregnant, Ms. Winters? It looks like you are.”
Amelia’s expression stiffened a little. Then smiling, she said, “It’s just that I’ve been overindulging myself recently and have gained some weight.”
Jennifer grinned. “I’m sorry. But from the look of your belly, it seems that you’re pregnant.”
Amelia replied, “What keen eyes you have, Ms. Larson. I’ve tried to disguise it with loose-fitting clothes, but I didn’t expect you to notice it.”
Jennifer grinned.
Amelia added, “Carter, Ms. Larson is your friend anyway. You should send her home first. I will take a walk alone.”
Carter wanted to take her hand, but he put his hand down on second thought. “Let me take you home, Amelia. You’re all wet.”
Amelia noticed the other lady’s unpleasant expression, but she nodded and said, “Let’s go.”
Carter could not hide his grin and his mood seemed to have brightened a little.
Upon arrival at the neighborhood where she lived, Amelia opened the car door and said, “Thanks for the ride, Carter.”
Carter quickly unfastened his seat belt, got out of the car, and said, “Amelia, wait up.”
Amelia paused in her track, then turned her head to glance at Carter who was walking toward her. “Carter, what’s the matter?”
Carter took off his suit jacket. “Put this on. Be careful not to catch a cold. Call me if anything happens.”
Amelia wanted to take off the suit, but Carter grabbed her hand and insisted, “Amelia, put it on.”
“You should leave your suit for your lady. Save the courtesy toward my wife, please.” Oscar’s voice was heard from afar. Amelia traced the voice and discovered the former leaning against the car.
Amelia’s eyes twinkled. She took off Carter’s suit and gave it back to him, saying, “It’s getting late, Carter. You should go and send Ms. Larson back.”
Carter nodded and returned to his car.
“Just a second, Mr. Scott. I am not finished,” Oscar piped up.
Carter paused and turned around. “How may I help you, Mr. Clinton?”
“Amelia is my wife. Her well-being is my responsibility, so you need not worry about her. She only treats you as a friend. You wouldn’t want our marriage to fall apart because of you, would you?”
Carter smirked and said, “If only you were more concerned about your wife, perhaps I wouldn’t have to trouble myself to care about her.”
“Just remember your place, Mr. Scott,” Oscar said. “Oh, by the way, I think you’re a perfect match with the lady next to you. You should probably propose to her and get married soon, lest the lady overthink.”
Carter wanted to respond, but Amelia stepped forth and interrupted, “Just go on your way now, Carter. I appreciate what you’ve done for me today.”
Carter nodded. He then went around the car to the driver’s seat and revved up the engine before driving out of the neighborhood. Jennifer, who was sitting in the passenger seat, chuckled and said, “I didn’t expect you to have a thing for married women. You have such good qualities. Are you sure you want to downgrade your own status?”
Carter shot her a look. “We don’t know each other very well, Ms. Larson. Maybe you should mind your own business. Amelia and I are both innocent so please watch your mouth.”
Jennifer leisurely leaned back in the passenger seat. “When I first saw you, I was like—how could there be such a perfect-looking guy in this country? And since my parents have been praising you all the time, I thought they were finally right this time.”
Jennifer continued, “But now it seems that your look is your only gift. Your shortcoming is that your taste in women is too bad. You shouldn’t have fallen for a married woman no matter what. I see that man is not easy to mess with.”
Carter steered the wheel and stopped the car directly on the side of the road. He uttered coldly, “Get out.”
Jennifer glanced at the road where only a few vehicles were passing by. She then pointed at herself and questioned in disbelief, “Are you seriously asking me to get down from here?”
Carter nodded without emotion.
Jennifer tittered. “You’re not that petty, right, Carter?”
“Yes, I am,” Carter admitted without much care.
“I don’t know the way around here. How are you going to explain to our parents if something were to happen to me?” Jennifer pouted.
“Out,” Carter repeated coldly.
Jennifer sat unmoving. “If you’re gonna chase me out of the car today, I’ll tell the whole world that you’re a scumbag.”
Carter gazed at her unconcernedly. “You have overstepped your boundaries, Ms. Larson. If that’s what you want, I’m happy to oblige; I’ll show you what a real scumbag looks like.”
Jennifer was a little intimidated now. All the men she had met could never resist her innocent and charming appearance, but this man in front of her seemed different.
Why? Clearly, I am prettier than her. Yes, I admit she’s lovely and sexy, but I am way better than her. What is it about a married woman that makes Carter fall head over heels for her? He wouldn’t even spare me a glance.
Jennifer dialed Faye’s number. Carter snatched her phone away and saw that she was about to call his mother.
He switched off her phone and said, “Ms. Larson, quit using my mother to get what you want. I took you around out of respect for my family, but I didn’t expect you to be so uneducated. Shame on your reputation as a top student.”
Jennifer’s lips twitched at what he said. But for some reason, she was not offended. Ripples of admiration arose in her heart instead, and the emotions in her eyes changed when she gazed at Carter.
The initial curiosity she had about him had now turned into affection.
She felt that only this kind of man was able to subdue her.
In a softer tone, she said, “Carter, it was my fault just now; I apologize. I was jealous of seeing you treating another woman so nicely. I feel insecure at her beauty when I first met her, so I might have come off rude. If you think I was too over, I can apologize to her. Please don’t chase me out of the car.”
Carter observed her with confusion. Are all girls so fickle-minded? If that was true, he dared not marry such a girl.
He revved up the engine again and sent the lady home.
“You know, I thought you were a gentleman at first sight, who knew you have such a big ego. You’re rude when you’re angry, but I like it,” Jennifer confessed straightforwardly.
Carter’s eyes remained fixed on the road. “Thank you, Ms. Larson, for your admiration, but I don’t deserve it.”
Ignoring that statement, Jennifer said, “Carter, I will go to work at your company tomorrow. I believe you will fall in love with me someday.”
Carter directly rejected her, “Ms. Larson, let me be frank with you—since you’re highly educated, I’m afraid you’ll be a mismatched graduate for the job that my small company can offer. You should continue working in your own company.”
Jennifer pretended not to understand him as she said, “Small companies have their own strengths too. Besides, your company has dozens of people to be considered small. One day there will be hundreds of employees. I like working in a small company; it’s challenging. To witness a small company evolving to a large company will indeed be gratifying.”
“Our company treats everyone equally, regardless of your academic qualifications. I am afraid you will need to start as a clerk. Won’t that be a little insulting to your status?”
Jennifer smiled disapprovingly. “Carter, the strong will eventually survive. I like the atmosphere of your company. Don’t worry. I will climb to the position I want within a year. I have the ability, so I am not concerned.”
Carter had to admit that Jennifer was indeed a mature and confident woman. Not only did she have high self-esteem, but she was also full of confidence, stylish, competent, and beautiful. In other words, it is such a woman that causes men to have an inferiority complex in society nowadays.
Carter was not into complacent women. She and Amelia were not the same type of women, even though both of them were attractive. Although she looked naive and weak in appearance, she was rather proud inside. She only honored those who were of the same status as her and she was too arrogant to even spare the lower-class people a glance. On the other hand, though Amelia might be a little aggressive sometimes, she never looked down on the poor and her respect for the elderly was undeniable.
By comparison, he knew why he liked Amelia so much.
Amelia was gorgeous and, at the same time, had a heart of gold. Although most people might assume her to be difficult to get along with based on her appearance, time would tell how she was.
“Carter, what are you thinking about?” Jennifer was somewhat dissatisfied with his silence.
Carter responded without much thought, “I was thinking—Amelia and you are both beautiful, yet the difference is so significant. She is gentle, kind, dedicated; but you, apart from your look, you’re less than impressive.”
It wasn’t until he had finished his sentences did he come back to his senses and realized he had offended her by accident.
Jennifer fluffed up her lengthy hair, trying to hide her discontent. “Carter, we only met today. Isn’t it a bit unkind for you to define me like this?”
Carter said insincerely, “Sorry.”
“If you feel sorry,” Jennifer responded timely, “then let me go to work in your company tomorrow.”
Carter did not reply.
Jennifer continued, “Carter, give me a chance, and I will prove to you that I am just as capable as the others are. I can guarantee that I am a professional employee. And I will never take things personally at the workplace.”
After a moment, she continued, “Unless you’re the one who’s being unprofessional here.”
“Tomorrow at nine o’clock, bring your resume. I will look at it and decide if you’re a suitable candidate for the company. Otherwise, I’m sorry but I have to let you go.”
“Okay! I am certain that we will be good partners in the future.” Jennifer smiled confidently. “You can rest assured that I will show my full sincerity and not disappoint you.”
Carter held his tongue. Upon arrival in front of a villa, he said, “Ms. Larson, is this the place?”
