Chapter 202 Can Sex Improve Your Skin?202
Vanessa glanced at Alissa with a smile and said, "Mrs. Garcia, your complexion has been looking better and better lately. Your skin is so much fairer and more delicate that I almost didn't recognize you. You look just like a girl in her twenties. Have you been using some imported cosmetics?"
"I'm too old for cosmetics," Alissa replied, slightly taken aback by Vanessa's unexpected friendliness. Although she didn't want to engage much with Vanessa, she couldn't afford to be too cold. "You young folks don't need any makeup to look beautiful. You're the most gorgeous teacher in our school. You've got a great sense of style and an amazing figure. If you weren't married, who knows how many male teachers would be crushing on you. Isn't that right, Ms. Johnson?"
Her words seemed to be complimenting Vanessa's beauty, but there was a hint of something hard to put into words. Vanessa, of course, picked up on it. She usually found ways to target Audrey. Alissa had a good relationship with Audrey, and this was clearly a backhanded compliment, hinting at too much interaction with male colleagues. She couldn't help but let out a cold laugh in her mind.
If Audrey overshadowed her, she could accept it. But Alissa, an older woman with neither the looks nor the figure—just bigger breasts—had no right to mock her.
With a coy laugh, Vanessa replied, "I don't dare claim to be the school's top beauty. Ms. Johnson is the real beauty. Last time we went to a training session at the Education Bureau, none of the other female teachers could compare to her. Oh, and we ran into Mr. Jones. He said that talented young teachers like Ms. Johnson should be nurtured well. She could be the backbone of our English department. In a few years, we might be calling her Director."
Audrey's expression changed slightly. Among the three of them, Alissa had the most seniority, the highest qualifications, and the strongest abilities. She was the most suitable candidate to succeed David, the current head of the English department, who was nearing retirement. But school politics were complicated. If it weren't for Kevin 's scheme against Quentin, Quentin would have been the department head by now. Moreover, Oliver had promised Audrey the department head position if she agreed to be his lover, a proposition she had refused.
Vanessa was unaware of Audrey and Oliver's power struggle. She mentioned it merely to remind Alissa that Audrey could be a threat to her interests, hoping to sow discord. Audrey already had strained relationships with other female teachers, with Alissa being her only ally. If Alissa started to guard against Audrey, Audrey would be isolated.
Kevin , though somewhat confused by the undercurrents, sensed the tension and realized Vanessa was targeting Audrey. He glanced disapprovingly at Vanessa, remembering her promise not to antagonize Audrey. But he couldn't confront her in front of Audrey and Alissa, so he discreetly kicked Vanessa's leg under the table as a reminder.
Unexpectedly, Audrey flinched and looked under the table, realizing Kevin had kicked her by mistake. Kevin quickly smiled apologetically at her. Audrey, thinking it was an accidental nudge, didn't mind and focused on Alissa, worried that she might misunderstand her intentions regarding the department head position.
Alissa smiled and said, "I think Mr. Jones's idea is great. Our school should give young teachers more opportunities. Mrs. Johnson has always performed excellently and has published several teaching papers in recent years. By the way, I heard Mrs. Jones also published a few papers in provincial journals. Could you share your experience with us?"
Vanessa was stunned. She had no idea how to write papers. To secure her position, she had seduced David to co-author her papers. Alissa's remark was a deliberate jab. Audrey, seizing the opportunity, added with a light laugh, "Yes, Mrs. Jones, I heard your papers were co-authored with Mr. Carter. They must be exceptional. Please enlighten us."
Audrey, a graduate of a prestigious university with a strict academic ethos, despised unqualified people like Vanessa. Seeing Alissa exploit Vanessa's weakness, she couldn't resist piling on.
"It's nothing worth mentioning, just a formality," Vanessa forced a smile.
She knew she couldn't compete academically with Audrey and Alissa. Feeling humiliated, she glared at Alissa, stood up, and said, "Alright, I'm done eating. You all take your time. Kevin , I'll catch up with you later."
She threw Kevin a flirtatious wink and swayed her hips as she left the cafeteria.
Kevin , uninterested in Vanessa's seductive departure, was annoyed by her parting shot. He thought, 'She loves stirring up trouble. Next time, I'll make sure she can't get out of bed.' Seeing Alissa and Audrey's scrutinizing gazes, he quickly said, "Mrs. Johnson, Mrs. Garcia, I'm done too. I'll leave you to your conversation."
Without waiting for a response, he hurriedly left, fearing the situation would escalate.
Watching Kevin disappear through the cafeteria door, Alissa sighed, puzzled by Vanessa's interest in Kevin . She didn't know about their relationship, only finding it odd that Vanessa had business with him. Seeing Audrey still looking at the door, Alissa sighed and said, "Mrs. Johnson, why don't you come to my office? Let's have a chat."
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