Chapter 5

Xavier suddenly let out a mocking smile. He pressed his tongue against his cheek in amusement. "Are you trying to play hard to get? That doesn't work for me. You'll regret it someday!" Lily turned her head away. She worried that he would notice her gradually reddening eyes. Henry McKay walked out from behind him. "Mr. Fulton, I look forward to our collaboration." Xavier's sarcastic expression which only appeared in front of Lily vanished as he turned to Henry with a smile. "Likewise. Feel free to stay a few extra days here, I'll let Sarah show you around." Henry laughed heartily. "Oh, I wouldn't dare take her from you. I'll leave her with you!" Sarah drove over and stepped out of the car before she walked up the stairs and stood beside Xavier. Instead, she spoke to Henry. "Mr. McKay, let me take you to the hotel so you can rest." Henry was flattered. "It's my pleasure. Thank you, Ms. Lynde!" Xavier leaned slightly toward Sarah and rested his hand on her waist as he said, "Drive safely." Sarah nodded before leaving with Henry without sparing Lily a glance. It was as if she didn't recognize her in different clothes, or maybe she was deliberately pretending not to know her. Lily pursed her lips as she watched their retreating figures. It was her first time meeting Sarah, and she couldn't deny that she was truly a remarkable woman. Was this the kind of woman Xavier preferred? The admiration in his eyes when he looked at Sarah was something Lily had never seen before. She couldn't even fathom how he saw herself. He made no effort to hide his special regard for Sarah in front of her. What did that leave her? She lowered her head slightly, revealing a glimpse of her elegant neck. Her ears had turned pink from their argument earlier. Xavier's gaze toward her burnt uncontrollably with desire. Her appearance looked stunning tonight. It left an unforgettable impression on him. His throat tightened before he took a few steps closer and pulled the car keys from his pocket. His attitude remained condescending. "Did you drive here?" He purposely asked that, intending to offer her a chance to take her home. However, Lily didn't seize the opportunity as he expected. "It has nothing to do with you whether I drove or not apart from our impending divorce." Xavier's expression immediately hardened. He was irritated. Every word he spoke was his way of offering her a way out, yet she was unappreciative of his kind intentions! "Lily, you've worn out my patience. Don't push your luck!" His tone now was worlds apart from how he had just spoken with Sarah. Lily was nearly consumed by a surge of negative emotions after seeing the difference in his treatment. Her throat tightened, and she couldn't utter a word while a layer of mist gathered in her eyes. "Where's the rat?" Maryanne burst onto the scene with a loud voice and circled Lily. She spoke with a frightened expression and made sure Xavier could hear her. "Why didn't you run from the rat? Aren't you afraid it'll bite you?" Maryanne was spoiled from a young age by her parents and older brother. There was no one in Jadeford's business circle she wouldn't dare to confront. Although the Devereux family wasn't as powerful as the Fulton family, they had close business ties. Xavier would show some respect to the Devereux family and not hold it against her. Maryanne acted fearlessly based on that. She would always seize the opportunity to jab at him whenever Lily was upset because of his neglect. However, those were just minor antics. She had never shown him such blatant disrespect as this time. Lily feared she might irritate Xavier, so she pulled her and turned around to leave. "Maryanne, let's go." Maryanne glared at Xavier. Her lips moved, but she didn't utter a word. However, her expression made it clear that she was mouthing something vulgar. The two of them reached the car. Lily had gotten into the car, but Maryanne still felt dissatisfied. She rolled down her window and shouted at Xavier, "Xavier, you hound! Lily will be a great designer one day! She's out of your league!" Lily gasped in shock and frantically leaned over to close the window as she urged her to drive off. The car pulled away from the spot. Maryanne's words echoed in Xavier's ears as the vibrant lights of the bustling street reflected in his hawk-like eyes. After a long while, he took out his phone and called Timothy. "What was my wife's major in college?" There was a few seconds of silence before Timothy replied, "Interior design!" "Keep an eye on her. Make sure she doesn't get a job at any design firm." Xavier saw no problem with his actions. The Devereux family was wealthy and powerful enough to support Lily for her lifetime. Since Lily refused to play by the rules, he saw no reason to go easy on her. He wasn't bullying her. He was helping her to get back on track before it was too late! … "What are you afraid of?" Maryanne was driving as she flew into a rage. "You're his wife! He and his mistress shouldn't have the upper hand over you!" Lily wanted to say that being his wife was beginning to feel like a joke. "It wasn't wise to offend Xavier, whether it was for the sake of myself or the Joyner family." Their divorce would be much more complicated if a scandal erupted in the Fulton family. It wouldn't just be between the two of them at that point. It would involve both families. "Lily, have you told your family about the divorce?" Maryanne stopped the car at the traffic light and turned to ask her. Lily shook her head. "Not yet." Her family relied heavily on the Fultons. Her father would be the first to disapprove if he knew about the divorce! Her mother was compliant. She would echo her father's wishes and constantly remind her to be the perfect wife. Lily had always believed that Xavier liked her and that he was merely not good with words. Besides, her mother's constant remarks had led her to endure his indifference for two long years. She felt she had been foolish after discovering his affairs! No one in her family understood her feelings, so she had to settle the divorce before they found out. "Then let's be quiet for now. We'll get the divorce done first! Have you drafted the divorce agreement?" Maryanne was still indignant. "Don't you even think about walking away with nothing! You should ask for a car, a house, or a few million dollars!" "I… I'll think about it!" Lily had never thought about this. Maryanne knew her mind must be in turmoil now, so she didn't press her further. She brought her home and prepared supper for her. She even planned to take her out all night to blow off steam. However, Lily refused as she sat on the couch with her laptop in her arms. "I need to send out resumes and get a job as soon as possible." Maryanne thought for a while before asking, "Do you need my help?" Lily could skip the application process if Maryanne helped her. "It's fine. I'm confident I can find a job on my own." Lily refused to make use of her connections. She was confident that she could find a job on her own. She wasn't being boastful. Her award-winning college project ensured many positive responses to her applications despite her lack of work experience and having been out of the design field for two years. The success of her first step filled her with a surge of motivation and rekindled her fighting spirit. She was accompanied by Maryanne the next morning to purchase formal wear to prepare for her interview. Xavier would occasionally surface in her thoughts even though she was busy. However, the image of Sarah would appear together with him. She hadn't interacted with Sarah much, but she always made Lily feel inadequate whenever she thought of her. A sharp and relentless ache filled her heart. That pain had driven her to enter the workforce quickly by finding a suitable job to prove herself and break free from their shadow. Yet, it also left her feeling constantly unsettled. She couldn't help but wonder that she might have carved out her success by now if she hadn't married Xavier. Several companies scheduled her for interviews on Friday. She had arrived at the first company at 9:00 am. She waited for questions from the interviewer after introducing herself. "Ms. Joyner, what have you been doing for the past two years?" the interviewer asked. Lily wasn't surprised. She had anticipated questions about the gap in her resume. She felt slightly ashamed. "I… got married." The interviewer spoke regretfully. "There's a prime time for job hunting. We would have welcomed you if you had applied right after graduation. But now—I'm sorry." It was a polite way of saying no. She had braced herself for rejection, but she was puzzled. "You haven't even asked me any questions related to the role. Are you turning me down simply because I lack experience and am married?"