Chapter 74 Has Liked for Years
When Regina heard Douglas say he hoped she'd join him at the annual meeting, her face got a bit stiff and uneasy.
"Isn't this a bit inappropriate?" she asked.
Douglas, with his charming eyes, looked at her intently. "People at work are talking about this, you know."
Regina knew all too well. The department's group chat had been buzzing about the annual meeting, especially with Douglas' comments like, "I don't get to decide that," and "I have to ask my wife's opinion first." These lines had spread like wildfire among the staff.
Some folks even said their relationship didn't seem as cold as the rumors suggested. Douglas seemed to really care about his wife.
While Regina was still processing, Douglas lowered his voice, sounding a bit hurt. "If you don't come with me, people at the company might start whispering about our troubled marriage."
Regina's face showed her inner conflict. He pressed on gently, "Mrs. Semona, do you really want to let me face such gossip alone?""
Regina opened her mouth but couldn't refuse. She compromised, "If I go, can I avoid showing my face?"
Regina thought that if her relationship with Douglas continued on its current path, it was only a matter of time before their relationship became public. However, she hoped this transition would be gradual.
She couldn't even imagine the chaos if they appeared together as a married couple at the annual event.
"Sure," Douglas agreed. He wasn't going to force her. "I'll talk to the event planners."
The planning team immediately brainstormed how to let Douglas and his wife appear together without showing her face.
"Why doesn't Mrs. Semona want to show her face?" Lucia asked during lunch break in the office.
Regina tried to ignore it, but Lucia's voice was too loud.
"Maybe she's just low-key," a colleague suggested.
"Oh my god, what's there to be low-key about? If it were me, I'd want everyone to know who I am," Lucia said, glancing at Regina. "Regina, you're the only one here who's worked closely with Mr. Semona. You've seen clients with him and attended events. Do you know what his wife is like?"
Being put on the spot, Regina felt uneasy. "Just a pretty ordinary person."
"Ordinary?" Lucia's tone was dripping with sarcasm. "Regina, is it fair to say that? Are you implying Mr. Semona has poor taste or that his wife isn't good?"
"What I mean by 'ordinary' is that compared to Mr. Semona's status, Mrs. Semona's status is pretty normal," Regina tried to explain, though she wasn't sure anyone believed her.
"How ordinary can ordinary be?"
"About the same as everyone here."
"Now you're just talking nonsense." Everyone looked at Regina skeptically. "Where did you get such unreliable info?"
"It's true," Regina insisted.
"You sound so serious, I almost believe you." Lucia, usually not fond of Regina, was now curious. "Do you know any other insider info?"
Regina decided to spill, "They met on a blind date. Mr. Semona married because his family pressured him, not to hide his sexual orientation. He's straight."
"You even know such private stuff?" Lucia still looked doubtful.
Regina was puzzled. "He really is."
She recalled various moments, including one night she saw Douglas masturbating in the bathroom.
"Regina, if he's straight, why are your ears red?"
Upon hearing this, Regina paused, instinctively touching her ears. Indeed, they were red and slightly warm, and she hadn't even noticed it at first
"Maybe the air conditioning is too high," she quickly excused herself.
They kept bombarding Regina with questions, and she answered them all. To her surprise, her words spread throughout the company quickly.
Even Douglas heard some of it.
"Mrs. Semona is just a pretty ordinary person."
"They met on a blind date."
"Mr. Semona's sexual orientation is really heterosexual."
"They got married initially to meet each other's needs."
"Now? It's unclear what their relationship is like, but it seems to be heading in a good direction."
Regina hoped their relationship would become very good one day.
Douglas chuckled at the rumors.
Jason, standing nearby, looked puzzled.
Douglas instructed, "I need you to do something for me."
Jason perked up. "Mr. Semona, what is it?"
When Jason received his new assignment from Douglas, his usually sharp mind seemed to hit a sudden snag.
Later, Regina heard new "rumors" in the company.
"I just want to know, who said they got married to meet each other's needs? Obviously, Mr. Semona has liked Mrs. Semona for years. He planned this for a long time to finally get his wish, right?"
"Now their relationship is very good."
"Mr. Semona really loves his wife."
Someone was puzzled. "So, who said these things?"
"No idea. It's just gossip that's been circulating from the executive office. It's probably from people who are close to Mr. Semona."
