Chapter 39 Do You Like Me
"Cool, I'll hang at the restaurant and wait for you."
"Okay."
Around noon, Elizabeth and Sarah met up at this cozy little restaurant.
Elizabeth went for a plate of pasta.
Sarah, on the other hand, ordered herself a steak.
"Elizabeth, how's just pasta gonna fill you up? Didn't you used to love steak? If you're trying to save some cash, don't sweat it. It's on me," Sarah said, cuting her steak into mouthful pieces.
Elizabeth grinned, "Nah, Sarah, it's not about the money. I'm on a diet. Gotta keep this figure in check."
"Girl, your figure's already on point. Unlike me, I gain weight just by looking at food," Sarah pouted.
Elizabeth sighed, "Honestly, I don't have much of an appetite. The company's in deep trouble. If we don't get some investment soon, we're looking at bankruptcy in a month."
"Don't stress, Elizabeth. Isn't it just about finding someone with deep pockets?"
Elizabeth chuckled, "Sarah, that's exactly what I need right now."
Sarah's eyes lit up, "Hey, there's a party tonight. My dad signed me up and is making me go. It's supposed to be full of rich folks. You should come with me. I'll do the matchmaking thing, and you can hunt for investors."
Elizabeth thought it over and nodded.
Later that evening, Elizabeth swung by school to change clothes.
Sarah picked her up and they headed to the Crystal Oasis Retreat downtown.
They decided to split up, one on matchmaking duty, the other on investor-hunting duty.
They entered the hall separately.
Elizabeth found a quiet corner and sipped on some juice.
She texted Sarah: [I'm on the north side. Holler if you need anything.]
Sarah replied: [Don't bail early. If I need an escape, I'll need you to save me.]
Elizabeth: [Got it, I'll be here.]
Elizabeth kept an eye on Sarah's matchmaking scene from a distance.
Sarah was a rich kid, whose family owned a department store.
Her dad must've set her up with a man equally loaded.
Elizabeth glanced over and froze.
That guy looked familiar.
Charles had shown her a pic of David before, a handsome, young man with a killer smile.
Wasn't that the guy sitting across from Sarah?
Elizabeth texted Sarah: [Is your date named David?]
Sarah was confused: [Liz, you know him? Am I stepping on your toes here?]
Elizabeth: [Nah, I saw his pic online.]
Sarah: [Why were you looking him up online?]
Elizabeth: [He once wired me a million bucks.]
Sarah: [Wait, did I miss some crazy story? Spill!]
Elizabeth: [You're overthinking. He wanted to buy my dad's company for 500 million. That million was a deposit.]
Sarah: [Is he that loaded? He told me he just graduated, still lives off his parents. ]
Elizabeth: [Seriously? Then where'd that million come from? Is his allowance in the millions?]
Sarah: [Don't worry, Liz. I'll dig a little.]
Elizabeth: [Just don't let him know we know each other.]
Sarah: [I got this.]
David, in the middle of the matchmaking, noticed Sarah constantly texting.
Feeling awkward, he glanced around and spotted Elizabeth. 'Why the hell is she here? Does Michael know about this? If he does, how could he let his wife show up at a matchmaking party?'
David slyly took out his phone, snapped a pic of Elizabeth, and sent it to Michael: [Dude, did you get a divorce? How could you let her come to a matchmaking party?]
David put his phone away with a smirk. He soon saw Elizabeth answer a call and rush out.
David thought she was ungrateful.
With a husband like Michael, she still came here to find some rich guy?
In all of Aurora Bay, what single man could even compare to Michael?
Michael was rich, good-looking, had a chill temper, and totally cared about her.
Knowing The Jones Group was in trouble, he turned to David for help to invest in The Jones Group under David's name.
But it seemed like Elizabeth didn't appreciate Michael at all.
David thought, 'even Michael has his challenges.'
At the hotel entrance, the driver opened the car door for Elizabeth.
She got in and texted Sarah: [Sarah, something urgent came up. I gotta bounce.]
Sarah: [Okay, I'll fill you in after I dig a bit.]
The driver took Elizabeth back to the Sunset Heights.
As soon as she walked into the living room, she saw Michael sitting on the couch with a dark expression, glaring at her.
Elizabeth squatted down to change her shoes and walked towards Michael.
Michael spoke angrily, "Elizabeth, we haven't divorced yet. You're still my wife."
"I know." Elizabeth said, feeling his anger was a bit over the top.
Was it just because she didn't borrow money from him?
Michael sneered, "You know? Then why did you go to a matchmaking party? Are you that eager to find your next husband?"
"What matchmaking party? I was in the hotel lobby looking for investors." Elizabeth replied.
"Oh, did you find one?"
"I was there for less than five minutes before your call made me leave."
"So it's my fault?"
"Who else then?"
Michael said, "Even so, I have to call you back. It would be the least thing I want to let people think you're betraying me again."
"Michael, let me ask you something."
"What?"
"The million dollars from David, you had him transfer it to me, right? And it was all your idea, right?" Elizabeth asked.
"You're quite slow. It took you this long to figure it out."
"So, you want to buy my dad's company for 500 million dollars?"
"The Jones Group is just an empty shell now. 500 million is the highest price. For other investors, 500 million is already a losing deal." Michael said pointedly.
"But The Jones Group is my dad's life's work. I don't want it to be ruined in my hands."
He explained, "Elizabeth, selling the company now is cutting losses in time, in which way you can pay off the debts and still have some money left to settle the employees. If you drag it out, you'll have to declare bankruptcy. By then, the assets might not even sell for 300 million."
"Michael, do you like me?" Elizabeth suddenly changed the topic.
Michael was stunned at her sudden question, "Elizabeth, why?"
Elizabeth found it strange. He wasn't even angry.
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