Chapter 13 What happened yesterday?
"What can they say to me?" Evelyn shrugged off Liam's hand and walked in front of Vivian. "I'm actually quite curious. What do you think they would say to me?"
Facing her sharp gaze, Vivian averted her eyes. "How would I know what they would say to you?
"But they tried to poach you, right? I guess they must be trying to tarnish someone else's reputation and boost theirs. Evelyn..."
Pausing for a moment, Vivian seemed to recall something. "Could it be that they offered you a high price?"
"High price? What are you talking about?" Evelyn blinked, appearing completely baffled, as though she were unaware of anything at all.
Vivian regarded her with disdain, thinking, 'Evelyn truly is naive. How can she negotiate a salary without grasping the basics? How did she even get mixed up with Neogenito Fragrances? Someone must be pulling the strings behind the scenes, instigating her.'
"Evelyn, I'm doing this for your own good. Can't you talk to me more respectfully? I'm afraid you're being deceived!" Vivian grabbed her arm, her eyes filled with worry.
Being taller than Vivian, Evelyn found it awkward to hold her arm. She leaned her body downward but refused to lower her head, pulling Vivian's arm upward without considering her comfort.
Evelyn turned her head and glanced at Vivian. As she looked at this "friend" she had known for many years, she couldn't help but feel naive for not recognizing a wolf in her midst.
Passionate about her research in perfume making and disliking socializing, Evelyn had always believed that having a few friends was enough. Yet, she never expected that some people, whom she considered friends, saw her as a fool.
She silently tightened her arm, gripping Vivian's hand and pulling it downward. "What did I say? I've always talked to you like this. Oh, I see. Are you angry because I said 'First Love' was my own work last night?"
Innocently blinking her eyes, she continued, "But it really was my work. Didn't you say that such an important competition could very likely fail? I thought about it and decided that I shouldn't let you take the blame for me. But then you claimed at the competition that I stole your formula."
Vivian's arm was being pulled, causing it to ache. The interrogation about the core issue flustered her, prompting a quick glance at Liam.
"Evelyn, emotions were running high yesterday, and things were said without much thought. Some of what was said wasn't sincere. That's how it is with us, and I believe it's the same for you. Don't hold onto those things anymore!"
Liam gently patted her shoulder and spoke softly, "Do you realize that we searched for you all night yesterday since you didn't return? Can you please explain what happened? I'm concerned that your innocence might have made you vulnerable to exploitation."
"Looked for me all night?" Evelyn chuckled and turned to face Liam, causing Vivian to be forced to turn as well. Her arm was twisted and painful. "Evelyn, my hand..."
"Hmm?" She seemed to have just noticed and leisurely let go of her arm, allowing her to retrieve her hand. "Sorry, I didn't notice your hand; you reached out to me."
Vivian furrowed her brows, feeling that she was being subtly mocked.
Ignoring her, Evelyn continued speaking to Liam, "But if I remember correctly, Vivian fainted yesterday, right? How did she recover so quickly? And she went through the trouble of finding me all night? I truly feel guilty now."
With her lips puckered, Vivian suppressed her anger and smiled, saying, "We're friends, right? Evelyn, you've been together with Mr. Scott for so long, and your feelings run deep. You shouldn't be swayed by others so easily!
"Why did you do what you did yesterday? Do you know how much damage it caused to Liavian Perfumes and Mr. Scott? What did they say to you?"
These were the questions Liam wanted to ask the most.
He wondered, 'What happened yesterday? Why did Evelyn, who is usually gentle and obedient, suddenly become different?
'I could hardly recognize her when she stood on stage and accused me. And all of this happened without any warning! She just appeared like that and almost ruined the reputation of Liavian Perfumes.
'If it wasn't for her still having some use, I would really want to get rid of her! With such a huge change yesterday, could it be... she already knows about me and Vivian?
'That's highly unlikely! If she knew, how could she not cause a big scene? She doesn't seem to have the typical reaction of a woman.'
"They said..." As Evelyn watched the two of them anxiously and desperately trying to hide it, she found it amusing.
Evelyn initially believed she could simply have a falling out with them and leave, especially since she hadn't signed a contract with Liavian Perfumes. It seemed like a chance for her to claim what was rightfully hers. However, she hadn't anticipated their continued pretense.
Evelyn thought, 'Do they really think I'm foolish enough? Even if there was such a big commotion yesterday, do they think they can convince me to work for them again? I might be a bit naive, but I'm definitely not that dumb.'
She deliberately drew out her words, intentionally teasing their curiosity. She walked forward at a leisurely pace, lowering her head as if she was struggling and conflicted.
Vivian and Liam stood behind her, exchanging a knowing glance. They both understood what the other was thinking: See, someone must be causing trouble.
"What did they say?" Liam anxiously asked.
"Well..." Evelyn continued to shake her head, her gaze lowered in apparent distress. Yet, in truth, she felt a surge of satisfaction. She hadn't anticipated that these two would also fall prey to her manipulations.
She thought, 'Do they enjoy being played? Well, the show has just begun. I'll accompany them in this performance. They like acting, don't they? Then let's put on a good show!'
As she watched her figure and listened to her speak slowly, Vivian clenched her teeth.
She thought, 'Yesterday's incident already made me furious. If it weren't for Evelyn causing such a scene, I would have won an award and made the front page headlines. But now, the newspapers are filled with photos of me fainting and various nasty comments, insinuating that my works are plagiarized. It's all because of her; it's all because of Evelyn that it has turned out like this.
'But now is not the time for me to have a falling out with her.'
With this in mind, Vivian stepped forward and blocked Evelyn's path. "Evelyn, tell us quickly, what did they say to you? If you don't say it, I'll go and confront them. It's unethical to poach our company's people!"
Despite her words, she had no intention of acting on them.
Stopped in her tracks, Evelyn paused and suddenly looked up. She was no longer hesitant and her speech became fast. "They said...”
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