Chapter 73 Provocation
The next morning, James left the Smith family early.
Mary had not returned to her room to sleep the previous night, so she chose to spend the night in her sister Kaitlyn Smith's bedroom instead. This indicated that she did not want to see James.
James, understanding the situation, chose to leave early to avoid any awkward encounters.
As he was leaving, he saw Addison already up, standing at the door, talking on the phone.
It seemed like Alice was on the other end, and the two were discussing some ancient remedies. Addison, brushing off the unpleasantness of their last encounter, was smiling as she chatted with Alice.
James was somewhat surprised that Addison was still in contact with Alice. He had thought that after Taylor fired Lydia, Addison would feel too embarrassed to maintain contact.
However, he didn't dwell on these things. He got into his car and headed straight for the JZL Medical Clinic.
Kelsey asked, "James, have you had breakfast?"
When James arrived at JZL Medical Clinic, he saw Kelsey bringing breakfast to Mark and Bradley. She was quite surprised to see James so early.
But she quickly smiled and said, "I made some sandwiches. Join us."
Kelsey was wearing a faded shirt and a short skirt today. Her long ponytail swayed as she moved, and her fair legs were quite striking.
Especially when she came closer, her youthful energy was almost palpable.
James felt a flutter in his heart and quickly coughed. "Thank you, Kelsey."
"I should be the one thanking you. You healed my leg, saved my life, and got me into BH Pharmaceuticals." Kelsey swiftly set up three sets of cutlery and then brought over several different sandwiches, inviting Samuel to join them for breakfast.
"You're quite the cook." James took a bite of the sandwich and couldn't help but exclaim, "With skills like these, you could be a gourmet chef."
Kelsey smiled sweetly. "When I was studying at Innovate Academy, I couldn't get used to the food there, so I made my own meals. At first, they were terrible, but after making them so many times, they became barely edible."
She poured a large glass of juice for James and Samuel. "I'm glad you like it, James."
James looked taken aback. "You went to Innovate Academy?"
"Kelsey is a genius!" Samuel teased. "She got into Innovate Academy at sixteen, earned dual degrees in business and management by eighteen, and got her law doctorate by twenty-one."
Samuel didn't mention that Kelsey had to return home after her parents died in a car accident.
James laughed. "Looks like I've found a real gem this time."
With someone as capable as Kelsey taking over BH Pharmaceuticals, James no longer worried about its future operations.
"That's all in the past now," Kelsey took a sip of her juice. "I have no experience now. I told Skylar that she can treat me as an equal without any reservations."
James laughed and added. "You're not going to the company today. Later, I'll take you to the mall to buy some clothes. The Bashful Flower formula will soon go into production. Not only does the product need to be glamorous, but you, as the first secretary, also need to be dazzling. If you look like a man, customers will lose confidence in the product."
James decided to buy Kelsey clothes. Although Bradley's JZL Medical Hall was valuable, Kelsey didn't have much cash on hand.
JZL Medical Hall charged only 4 dollras per consultation. Despite Kelsey's high education, she had yet to start working, and the car accident compensation was still pending, so money was tight.
A girl of Kelsey's age would typically possess a wide variety of clothes, yet she only had a few outfits to cycle through, and her shirts were already showing signs of wear and tear.
So James found an excuse to help her out.
Kelsey lowered her head and said, "James, I have clothes. There's no need to buy more."
"Why not buy more?" Samuel said, laughing as he munched on a sandwich. "James is going to buy it for me, too. If we don't dress well, it reflects poorly on him. And with JZL Medical Hall newly renovated, if we dress shabbily, patients might think James is stingy."
Samuel lightened the mood. "So let's all go to the mall later and give James a good run for his money."
Kelsey looked at James gratefully.
An hour later, the three of them appeared at Fashion Haven Mall, a haven for luxury goods and a gathering place for countless elegant women.
James was unfamiliar with the place, having never set foot in such a venue, and Kelsey was in a similar situation, so everything they saw was novel to them.
On the other hand, Samuel, being familiar with the area, led them to the Fashion Fusion clothing store without any trouble.
The store was not small, around 6500 square feet in size, with six sales associates bustling back and forth. All the clothes were expensive.
Knowing James's character, Kelsey quickly adjusted her mindset and began searching for styles she liked.
Her eyes soon locked onto a small suit, not only stylish but also very sharp, giving off a professional vibe.
"Are you Kelsey?" Just as Kelsey's hand was about to touch the suit, a tall, fashionably dressed woman appeared, her gaze fixed on Kelsey as if she recognized her.
A manager's name tag hung on her chest.
The question took Kelsey aback. She then turned to look at the woman and, recognizing her, exclaimed joyfully, "Are you Donna? Oh my God, long time no see."
James, who had been fiddling with his phone, looked up and immediately recognized the manager as Donna, Jennifer's close friend.
She was the woman who had trampled on him at the bar when he had borrowed money.
James had thought that after the battle at SH Headquarters, he would have little interaction with Jennifer's circle, but in the past few days, he had repeatedly run into familiar faces.
Seeing that Kelsey knew her, James decided to stay silent.
Donna said, "Yes, long time no see."
Compared to Kelsey's enthusiasm, Donna was much colder. They had been classmates for a year, but that year had made Donna resent Kelsey for many years.
In the fourth grade, the genius Kelsey had skipped a grade into Donna's class, instantly ending Donna's reign as the class beauty and top student.
That year, Kelsey received endless adoration. In addition, Kelsey outscored Donna by fifty points, leaving a deep impression on Donna.
Confirming that Donna was indeed her classmate, Kelsey eagerly pulled James up to share her joy. "James, this is my elementary school classmate, Donna. We sat next to each other for a year."
"Oh, James?" Donna also recognized James. She was initially surprised and wary of the aftermath of the SH Headquarters battle, but then, remembering this was her turf, she sneered, "James, you've come a long way. From an ordinary person to Mr. Williams?"
Kelsey was taken aback and asked, "Do you two know each other?"
James gave a faint smile and replied, "Of course, we're friends."
"We're not friends," Donna asserted dismissively, her voice dripping with scorn. "You don't even meet the criteria to be considered my friend. So, after Jennifer rejected you, you became so desperate that you've sought out Kelsey."
Then, she looked at them both scornfully.
Donna added. "But it makes sense. A commoner drowning in debt and a near-disabled orphan girl, a match made in heaven."
"But what about your seriously ill wife? What will you do about her?" Donna prodded James without restraint. "Did she dump you after you failed to borrow a hundred thousand dollars for her treatment?"
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