Chapter 5

Grace had no way to explain herself. Upon seeing how exhausted Joanne was, she didn't want to argue the point. Joanne placed a fresh set of pajamas on the bed. "Your room has its own bathroom. Go shower and get some rest. I'm too tired to chat tonight." Grace nodded and simply said, "Thank you." When she saw Joanne enter one of the bedrooms, she knew the other room had to be hers. She grabbed the pajamas and took a shower. Finally, she felt a little more comfortable. Just as she was about to sleep, her phone buzzed with a new message. It was from her younger brother, Liam Lambert. "Grace, I'm home for break. Just got back. It's Alice's birthday today. Why aren't you here? Mom said you ran away from home again. Are you serious? Can you stop already? Just come back. The housekeeper's cooking is awful. I still prefer your food. I want mashed potato salad for breakfast, okay?" "Alice cried tonight. Just come back and apologize first. Aren't you tired of making a scene all the time? Yancey doesn't even like you. Sometimes, I feel embarrassed because of you." As she clutched her phone tightly, she felt a sharp pain stab through her heart. It felt like the whole world adored Alice. Meanwhile, she was just trash that people couldn't even be bothered to kick aside. Even without her memories, she could still feel the pain. … The next morning, she woke up early with dark circles heavy under her eyes. She went to the kitchen and started cooking, surprised to find that she seemed quite skilled at it. Joanne walked out of her room, inhaling the scent of food, and sighed. "Are you bringing breakfast to Yancey again? Over the years, how many meals have you made for him? Has he ever eaten a single one? A rich girl like you wasting her time perfecting cooking skills just so you can chase after a man… "You graduated and didn't even look for a job. You spent years running after him, and all you got in return was everyone's mockery. What's the point?" Grace's hand froze. She wanted to say that she hadn't made this for Yancey. But from what she learned so far, no one would believe her anyway. She silently plated the food and brought it to the table. Joanne's resume was sitting there, so Grace glanced at it. "Joanne, I want to find a job. What did I study in college?" Joanne stared at the food for a moment, frowning in thought. "Grace, you're acting more convincingly than ever this time." A bitter feeling crept up in Grace's heart. She pushed a bowl of soup toward Joanne. "Just tell me." Joanne ate some and let out a sigh. "You studied finance, but your family's company belongs to Liam. You probably don't even know which direction the office doors face. Even Alice has ten percent of the shares, but you have nothing. "Back when you graduated, you had the chance to intern there, but you turned it down because working would mean less time to pursue Yancey. Now Alice has made a name for herself in the company. Everyone knows her as the second daughter of the family. No one even remembers you exist." Grace quietly ate some food before suddenly saying, "Then I'll work at Henderson Group. Ethan just got back, right? I want to go after him." Joanne choked on her soup, coughing hard as if she had just heard something ridiculous. She quickly grabbed a napkin and wiped her mouth. "Did you hate Ethan the most? Since Yancey never liked his uncle, you followed suit. Every time someone mentioned Ethan, you looked absolutely disgusted. Do you even know what kind of man he is? "He graduated from Haverford with a double degree at 18. At 19, he founded the biggest acquisition firm overseas. He was a regular on Varnell Street finance covers. If it weren't for the accident two years ago that crippled his legs, every woman in Druville would still be in love with him." Grace thought about the deep, compelling voice she had heard over the phone and couldn't help but ask, "What does he look like?" Joanne did a quick search and pulled up a foreign news photo. "Here." The man in the picture was wearing a black suit, and his shirt was buttoned all the way up. He had a reserved, almost ascetic air about him. His gaze, cold and deep, was like a vast ocean on a winter's night, concealing unseen storms beneath the surface. It was the most breathtaking face Grace had ever seen, over a hundred times better-looking than Yancey's. Joanne clicked her tongue. "It's a pity. After the accident, he never returned to Druville. No updates in any domestic or international newspapers. Even with his legs injured, he still has women lining up for him. Grace took a sip of soup and suddenly said, "Yancey told me he's my boyfriend. I'm going to Henderson Group." Joanne gave Grace a strange look and rubbed her temples. "Are you going to Henderson Group to pursue Yancey, or are you actually going after Ethan? Do whatever you want. If you can manage to win over Ethan, I swear I'll never criticize you again."