Chapter 1365 Shielding
"Yo, you really think Joseph's gonna stick by you without any status?" Laura asked, grinning.
Cassie let out a sigh, "Guess we'll find out. I'm pretty chill with how things are. What about you? How's Michael been this past month? Dude looks rough and like he's dropped some pounds."
"For real?" Laura was shocked.
"Isn't it obvious?" Cassie shot her a weird look. "Maybe you're so used to seeing him every day that you don't even notice."
Laura stayed quiet, feeling all sorts of conflicted. She thought, 'Michael might really be losing weight; seems like he hasn't slept well this past month.'
"But hey, you've done a bang-up job wearing him down," Cassie teased with a smirk. "By not letting him handle the baby, he has no clue how tough it is to raise a kid."
Laura's brief guilt got squashed by Cassie's words.
By noon, the banquet kicked off.
As the main guest, Michael hit the stage with Laura and Maeve to give a speech. Someone snapped a pic of the family and threw it online, even though Maeve's face was blurred out.
Still, tons of people saw the photo.
[What a cute little family. The baby is adorable.]
[Why do I feel like Laura and Michael seem kinda distant? Look at how they're standing apart, not very close.]
[People have said before that they got hitched because of the baby. During their engagement, Michael was often seen with another chick.]
[I remember her, Megan, Joseph's first love. Michael had a thing for her for ages. He even proposed, but they split up later, probably 'cause the Jude family didn't approve of Megan.]
[Such a messy love story among the rich. But now that they're married, Michael should treat his wife and kid right.]
While everyone was gossiping, over in a four-star hotel abroad, Megan opened her laptop and stared at the photo of Michael's family. She was super jealous and thought, 'The Jude family is now the top political family in Madison, with Carl as president, boosting the Jude Group's status. Michael's status is skyrocketing too. All of this should be mine. I should be the one enjoying this honor. But now, that bitch Laura gets it all. I'm even losing David as a backer and can't afford a five-star hotel. My only shot to start over is to win Michael back. Even though I'm a famous psychologist, Joseph's people are everywhere looking for me. I can't see patients anymore and I'm running out of cash, living like a rat, hiding and dodging. I can't live like this anymore!'
Megan stared greedily at Michael's face.
Silverwood.
At the Skyline Hotel.
Laura was halfway through her meal when Maeve started fussing. The baby couldn't talk yet, just cry. So, she took Maeve to a private room to breastfeed. After feeding her, as she stepped out, she overheard some socialites chatting by the floor-to-ceiling window.
"Did you see that pic online?"
"You mean the one of Michael's family? Yeah, I saw it. People are saying Laura's put on some weight."
"She totally has. Look at that loose black dress she's rocking today. Does she think we can't tell she's gained weight? And black really doesn't suit her."
"Well, even if she's connected to the president, it doesn't change the fact that she's from a small town."
Laura's arms stiffened as she held Maeve.
She'd been feeling self-conscious about her body when she left the house this morning. She hadn't expected to be talked about even after leaving.
These socialites had been all smiles and compliments at the banquet, but now they were trash-talking her. They clearly looked down on her.
Laura mocked herself, thinking, 'They're right. No matter how much I'm flattered now, I'm still from a small place.' She felt a pang of sadness.
Just then, Laura saw Michael walking out from the other side of the corridor, his expression icy. "Enough. Even if my wife is from a small town, she's still better than you so-called socialites from Whisperlyn City. At least she wouldn't be so ungracious as to talk behind someone's back."
The socialites hadn't expected Michael to show up suddenly. They blushed with embarrassment but were still defiant.
One of them shot back, "Even if Laura is the star of the night, can't we discuss her? Besides, we're just stating facts."
"Exactly, Michael. Just because you have a special status doesn't mean you can be unreasonable."
Michael's gaze swept over their faces, all of whom Caroline had once praised. But seeing their hypocrisy now, he thought they were far inferior to Laura. He thought, 'Laura could be harsh with her words, but she's not fake. She always speaks her mind.'
"Is this the grace of you Whisperlyn City socialites?" Michael sneered, "It's downright shameful. I see no manners or courtesy in any of you. You're women too. One day you'll get married and have children. You'll gain weight from pregnancy. As women, shouldn't you be more empathetic? Haven't you seen the many women online calling for an end to body shaming of pregnant women and for respect for all mothers?"
The socialites' faces burned with shame.
But one of them still retorted, "Even if we get pregnant, we'll control our weight."
"Hah."
Michael sneered, "If you ever plan to get married, I'll make sure to tell your future husband this. I guarantee no man would want to marry you. Is pregnancy the time to control your weight? That's just stupid. Are you so obsessed with your figure that you'd ignore your baby's nutrition What an idiot!"
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