Chapter 444 The Company Went Bankrupt
When Susan and Seb rolled into the banquet hall, the shindig was already in full swing. The place was packed, easily two hundred folks mingling around. The setup was top-notch, with flowers, fancy food, and primo wine everywhere you looked.
Seb, being the smooth operator he was, proudly introduced Susan as his wife to everyone and dropped the news about their wedding next month. Susan got showered with congrats, and for a hot minute, she was on cloud nine.
But honestly, what really hit home for her was how Seb treated her like she was the only girl in the world. That kind of love and respect was the jackpot every girl dreams of. Susan was soaking it all in, feeling like the luckiest gal alive.
Soon enough, a bunch of Seb's business and political buddies swarmed him, and Susan, not really into their boring chit-chat, gracefully stepped aside.
She snagged a dainty piece of cake from the table and was about to dig in when someone called out her name.
"Susan?"
She spun around and there was Linda, grinning from ear to ear.
"Linda? It's been ages!" Susan beamed, genuinely stoked to see her.
Linda gave Susan the once-over and smirked, "Girl, you're looking hotter than ever. I'm so jelly."
Susan blushed and shot back with a grin, "Oh, please. You've always been the stunner. I've been green with envy forever."
Linda chuckled, "You're so sweet."
"Hey, we should grab a bite sometime. I still owe you big time for hooking me up with those clients," Susan said, all grateful.
Linda waved it off, "No biggie, seriously. Oh, and I heard you and Seb are tying the knot?"
Susan caught the slight hitch in Linda's voice when she mentioned Seb. She knew there was some old baggage there, but she couldn't just dodge the question.
She smiled and nodded, "Yep, that's the plan."
Linda noticed Susan's careful look and burst out laughing. "What, you weren't gonna invite me to the wedding?"
"Of course I was, I just thought you might..." Susan trailed off, unsure.
Linda laughed again, "Oh, I've moved on ages ago. Seb's great and all, but you guys have two kids. I'm not about that stepmom life. I'd rather find someone fresh off the market!"
Seeing Linda joke about it, Susan realized she was overthinking things. Linda was cool.
Susan grinned, "You'll have the invite in your hands in no time."
"I'll be there, no doubt," Linda nodded.
Just then, a bit of a ruckus broke out nearby.
Susan and Linda glanced over and saw a bald old man begging a middle-aged guy in a black suit, who looked super annoyed and walked off.
The bald guy then tried his luck with another well-dressed man, who also seemed pretty ticked off. Tagging along with the bald guy was a heavily made-up woman in her late forties, dressed to the nines but looking worn out.
The bald guy was Ethan's dad, Dominic, and the flashy woman was Sophia.
Dominic, who used to be a big shot, now looked totally beat, while Sophia, who once loved to show off her rich-wife status, looked worn out, a total mismatch with her fancy clothes.
While Susan was scratching her head, Linda jumped in, "I couldn't believe Capgemini Software Company would tank so fast. Ever since Dominic hitched up with Sophia, it's been one bad break after another for him."
"Wait, Capgemini's really going under?" Susan asked, eyebrows furrowed.
Linda nodded, "Yeah, it's not officially bankrupt yet, but it's circling the drain. Dominic and his first wife built that company from the ground up. Naturally, he doesn't want to see it crash and burn, but what can he do? He showed up here hoping to snag an investor, but with the company's current mess, no one's biting. Word is, the company thrived because of Dominic's first wife. After she passed, he married Sophia and even kicked his own son to the curb. Sophia talked him into some risky investments, and with his son taking a chunk of the company's cash when he left, the whole thing just fell apart."
Looking at the down-and-out Dominic and Sophia, Susan thought, 'Anyone who gets mixed up with a woman like Sophia is asking for trouble. She was so high and mighty not long ago, and now look at her. She totally brought this on herself.'
Linda kept going, "Seems like Dominic's downfall is all thanks to Sophia. The business bigwigs don't want anything to do with him or his new wife, not to mention working with him. His first wife was tough but fair, and she earned a lot of respect. Dominic remarried right after she died, so a lot of people don't want to deal with him. I heard Ethan started his own gig, and many of his big clients were his mom's old connections. They're sticking with Ethan because he plays by the rules and out of loyalty to his mom. His new company is apparently doing pretty well."
Just then, Susan looked up and saw a man and a woman walk into the hall.
The guy was sharp and good-looking, and the woman was tall and gorgeous. It was Ethan and his new girlfriend.
Linda followed Susan's gaze and chuckled, "Speak of the devil, and he shows up!"
Seeing Ethan and his new girl, Susan thought, 'I haven't seen Amelia yet, but she's gotta be here. And with Sophia around, there's bound to be some fireworks.'
"Have you heard the gossip? They say Ethan and Sophia's daughter, Amelia, had a thing. But Amelia's no pushover; Ethan couldn't shake her off. Dominic, under Sophia's thumb, tried to force Ethan to marry Amelia, which is why Ethan cut ties with him," Linda said, looking puzzled.
"Yeah, I've heard that too," Susan nodded.
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