Chapter 56 Regret?
Anna slumped at the dining table, feeling a wave of anxiety crash over her. She watched George and Emma chat, her heart burning with jealousy and frustration.
Not wanting to let it slide, she put on a fake smile and said, "George, why do you only take Emma to work? I wanna have breakfast with you!"
"Sorry, got stuff to do," George shot back, his eyes flashing with that stubborn look.
"You always do this. Can't you hang out with me for once?" Anna's voice had a tinge of annoyance, her heart secretly racing. George didn't even glance back, heading straight for the door. As he passed Emma, he leaned in and whispered, "Come with me."
Emma loved seeing Anna act like she was about to explode but had to keep up that sweet and kind act, even though she was boiling inside.
So, Emma made a show of hopping into George's car right in front of Anna, sliding into the passenger seat. She couldn't even remember the last time she was allowed to sit up front.
George fired up the engine, and the car rolled out of the villa, cruising down the familiar road.
The vibe in the car was kinda awkward. Emma tried to chill but couldn't shake off the anxiety gnawing at her.
She had a gut feeling today was gonna be a rough day at work.
The car pulled up to the gates of the Russell Group. She shot George a confused look, but he quickly got out, walked around, and opened the door for her.
She thought George was being nice, but nope, he was just dropping her off. Whatever, Michael's company was just across the street.
Emma grabbed her bag and stepped out. "Thanks, Mr. Russell," she said, then turned to leave.
"Where do you think you're going?" George asked, his tone sharp.
"I'm heading to work!" Emma was totally confused.
"From today on, you're working here," George said, his voice leaving no room for argument. "You like designing jewelry, right? The Russell Group's got the best setup for you."
It sounded good, but Emma didn't trust George one bit.
Maybe George forgot, but Emma remembered all too well how he and Anna had accused her of plagiarism and thrown her in jail.
If she stayed at the Russell Group, the same crap would happen again, and she'd have to see Anna every day.
How could she work in such a toxic place?
Why would she walk into that trap?!
"Someone like me, Mr. Russell, you better not hire me. I might just plagiarize and ruin your company's rep." As soon as she said it, she saw George's face darken, a storm brewing in his eyes.
Emma's heart pounded. She quickened her pace, afraid that if she slowed down, her forced smile would crack. But even after walking a good distance, she didn't hear the car's engine.
Was George still there?
Emma glanced back and saw George staring blankly at her, lost in thought.
What the heck did George want?
Emma couldn't figure him out anymore.
Could he be feeling guilty? After sending her to prison,, killing her baby, and trashing her reputation, was he actually regretting it?
The morning at work went by without a hitch, and as lunchtime rolled around, Emma and her coworkers were buzzing about what to eat.
The vibe was light and fun, with everyone tossing out food ideas and cracking up.
Then, the department manager, Lisa Ellis, strutted in. She was young, gorgeous, and dressed to kill. She clapped her hands and said seriously, "We've got a big project. The hot new online celeb Skylar Tate is getting engaged, and she wants us to design a pair of rings, a bracelet, and a necklace. The custom fee is ten million bucks. If we nail this, our department gets a ten percent bonus."
Everyone went nuts, promising to give it their all, and the room buzzed with excitement.
Emma felt a rush of excitement too, secretly pumped for the chance.
The quick meeting wrapped up in minutes, and Lisa's pep talk had everyone fired up.
Just as Emma was about to dive into the project, Lisa's eyes landed on her, a cold smile curling her lips. "Are you Emma?"
"Yeah, I'm Emma, Ms. Ellis. Nice to meet you."
"So, it's you." Lisa gave her a once-over with a knowing look.
The stare made Emma squirm, but she kept a polite smile.
After a beat, Lisa said seriously, "In my team, plagiarism is a no-go. Got it?"
Lisa paused, then added, "I heard you got sued for plagiarism and did three years in the slammer. That true?"
The room went dead silent. Colleagues turned to Emma, their faces a mix of shock and judgment.
A few started whispering, gossiping about what Lisa had said.
"Did she really do that?" one coworker murmured.
"I heard about it ages ago. So, it was her," another replied, dripping with disdain.
Emma's face went pale. She forced herself to stay calm and said, "I never plagiarized anyone's work."
"If you didn't, why'd the court find you guilty?" Lisa shot back, raising an eyebrow. "Whatever, you’ve got connections. But let me warn you, don't pull that crap here, or I won't stand for it."
Lisa rolled her eyes and strutted off in her high heels after dropping the warning.
Emma sneered but didn't feel any better. Fate just wouldn't cut her a break.
Trying to calm down, she thought about grabbing a coffee from the break room to chill out.
She quickly walked out of the office, feeling a wave of irritation. Just as she was about to push open the break room door, she bumped into Sophia.
Emma always felt a weird sense of familiarity with Sophia, even though she was Anna's mom. She greeted her politely, "Mrs. Stuart."
Sophia's face was twisted with anger, and without a second thought, she slapped Emma. The loud smack echoed in the empty hallway.
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