Ch. 2781..2790

The Day I Kissed An Older Man Chapter 2781-Sadie immediately put on the appearance of a dutiful daughter and asked with concern, "Mom, are you feeling unwell? I noticed your complexion didn't look good when you sat down. Should we call Mister Morris to come and take a look? Dad, don't you think Mom looks unwell too?"

Vince nodded. "If you're unwell, just quickly call Morris to come and have a look." Sᴇaʀch Thᴇ Findɴovel.ɴet website on Gøøglᴇ to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality.

Karen forced a smile and said, "I'm feeling just fine. I just accidentally dropped a spoon. It's no big deal. But it is getting colder lately, so you all should dress

warmly and take care not to get sick. All I wish for is for this family to be safe and healthy."

Rita kept her head down and did not say a word. She was biting into a chicken wing, which no one else in her family liked to eat, given how little meat there was. Donna, the cook, would specially cook chicken wings for Rita wherever she came back home.

'Seems like Esmond is an old acquaintance of Karen's, since she reacts so strongly whenever he's mentioned. Karen, oh Karen, you're about to be exposed!' thought Rita.

"Mom, I know you care about us, but you also need to take care of yourself more," Sadie said worriedly, but Karen just hoped she would shut up.

"Alright, I'm already an adult, and I know my own health very well."

Sadie choked up at this. She did not understand why Karen was so impatient.

"Okay, Mom. But remember to let us know if you feel unwell," said Sadie.

Karen, despite her impatience, managed to keep her calm.

Since she had said she was fine, Vince did not pay attention to her anymore.

Instead, he turned to Rita and asked, "Who were you asking about again? The name sounds familiar."

"Oh, it's Esmond Parr. Recently, I've been investigating a case related to this man, so I wanted to see if any of you knew him. But it's probably better if you don't. He's caused a lot of families to become homeless, and he'll eventually face punishment."

Vince nodded with disgust. "How could we know such a dirtbag? No wonder you're investigating him. People like him need to be harshly punished through legal means!"

Karen's face turned pale. Eventually, she could not bear it and left the dining table early.

Rita, being 'kind-hearted', followed her and asked, "Karen, are you really okay?

You should see a doctor as soon as possible if you're not feeling well."

Sadie glared at her suspiciously, unsure of what this woman was up to. "No need for you to worry, Rita. I'll take care of her if she really feels unwell. Dad, I'm full too. I'll go see if Mom's okay."

Vince nodded. "Take good care of your mother. If she needs anything, just call Morris over."

"Yes, Dad."

When Sadie knocked and opened Karen's door, she saw her sitting on the corner of the bed, hugging her n arms and lost in thought.

Mom, what happened at dinner just now? You looked like your soul m jumped out of your body when Rita spoke. Don't tell me you're afraid of her."

Karen frowned deeply and looked at her daughter angrily. "When are you going to use that brain Of yours? i even hinted at you not to mention my health anymore, but you kept bringing it up. Now even your father is asking about my health when I'm as healthy as ever!"

The Day I Kissed An Older Man Chapter 2782-Sadie was bewildered by Karen's sudden barrage of accusations and naturally felt angered. "What do you mean? I was just trying to care for you, yet you don't appreciate it. Fine, from now on, I won't care about you anymore. Don't expect me to nurse you at your bedside when you have a headache!"

Sadie turned to leave, but Karen grabbed her arm. "Alright, don't be mad at me.

Sigh. You don't know the whole story. Do you know why Rita mentioned Esmond's name in front of me? She was trying to test me!"

"What's wrong with bringing up a guy called Esmond? Do you know him?" Sadie frowned impatiently. "Haven't you heard what Rita said? This man is no good.

Have you forgotten how we got into the Russell family? We cut off everyone

from the past! Do you really want to rekindle old troubles and reconnect with people from the past?

"Don't tell me you want to throw away your peaceful life as Missus Russell?

Even if you don't care about yourself, you should think about me, your daughter!"

Sadie paced anxiously, fearing Karen might foolishly reconnect with shady characters from the past, which Vince would never tolerate.

"What do you know? Do you believe what Rita said? That little…rat never speaks the truth! She doesn't even understand what kind of person Esmond is!"

Karen speaking up for another man only fueled Sadie's suspicions further.

"Just tell me the truth. Who is this man to you? Why are you defending him like this?"

"I… I… Look, adults have their own business. Just remember one thing: Esmond is not a bad person. At least to us, he's a good person. Don't believe that rat's words."

"Mom, please, wake up! You need to stay away from that man even if you have a past relationship with him! Rita is investigating him and his company, and Dad doesn't approve of his character.

You shouldn't get no involved with him any Can Sᴇaʀ*ᴄh the (F)indNƟvᴇl.ɴet website on Gøøglᴇ to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality.

matter how good he may seem. Can you just forget about him, please?"

Karen remained silent with her head lowered. How could she agree to her daughter's request when she had just spoken to Esmond on the phone?

"You haven't already contacted him, have you?" asked Sadie.

Seeing her mother's tacit admission, Sadie became even more furious.

'What were you thinking? Isn'tthe life we have how comfortable enough for you ?! Do you want to go back to that filthy alley? I'm warning yous even if you want to go back, I don't want to go back. Mom, please, wake up!"

Sadie shook Karen's arm, trying to make her see reason. Little did she know, while she was busy vying with Rita for the position of the Russell family's heiress, the one she should have been wary of was her own mother. Who could have imagined that Karen would falter at such a critical moment?

Trust me, I've been through more than you can imagine. I'd never harm you. Sadie, don't worry It was just a brief talk If things go smoothly, you'll never have to worry about competing with Rita again. You'll be the only heiress in this family!"

Karen's eyes gleamed with determination, a sight that made Sadie slightly afraid.

"I warn you, you better not do anything that could backfire on us."

The Day I Kissed An Older Man Chapter 2783-"We must proceed cautiously with our plans instead of expecting an overnight success!"

Karen merely nodded. "Just trust me. Alright, don't stay in my room too long, lest they really think I'm unwell. I'm sure that rat would be very happy then. You should go back to your room now. I'll update you if anything comes up."

Despite her concerns, Sadie was thus dismissed from her mother's room. She wanted to say more but found Rita leaning against the railing with her arms crossed and looking at her with great interest. "Tsk tsk tsk. So there are things your mother doesn't want to tell you after all! But then again, you're just a child, so what help could you possibly be to her? If I were her, I wouldn't want to tell you either." "Just what are you trying to say?" Sadie hated Rita's condescending

attitude. She had much more than Rita, yet Rita always acted like she had everything. She was quite the performer.

"It's exactly what you think it means. Truth is a bitter pill to swallow, huh? If I were you, I'd dig deeper. What if something you can't control happens in the future?"

Sadie scoffed. "When did the great Miss Rita Russell learn to speak in such a roundabout way? Or perhaps those are just empty threats, and you're just trying to throw me off? After all, your mother is long dead, so it's only natural that you'll miss spending time with her."

Rita lowered her head and chuckled. "Sadie, don't you have anything to say except for bringing up my mother? But then again, even if you do, I still don't think you have more than I do. What my mother gave me is enough for me to live a lifetime."

Rita's satisfied smile when mentioning her mother was not just for show, making Sadie's expression even more unpleasant.

"Don't put on airs in front of me, Rita. Have you forgotten how hard you were trying to please my mother when we first moved in here? Well, I don't mind helping you remember!"

Rita nodded cryptically. "Yes, when you two first moved in here, I thought she was a good person. Yet it turns out she has quite a vile heart. She only knows how to bully kids But it's okay. I've long passed the age of needing help. You, on the other hand, should take the time to ask your mother about what she has been up to lately, lest you end up deceived in the end."

With that, Rita casually turned and left. She was trying to throw Sadie off. She had reached her aim as long as Sadie became suspicious of her own mother.

However, when she returned to her room-where she was alone-she could not help but clutch her chest bitterly. She never felt like she lacked anything when compared to others, especially considering the brief t she had with her mother, during which she experienced absolute, pure love.

Those memories were enough to sustain her for the rest of her life, yet she felt her deepest psychological scars opening every time Sadie prodded at her deepest wounds. "Mom, I miss you so much."

Contrary to Rita's expectations, Sadie did not immediately confront Karen.

impatient she appeared, the less likely Karen would reveal the man's identity.

However, she could not figure out who Esmond Parr was and what kind of relationship he had with her mother to make her defend him so fiercely.

'Is he Mom's former lover?' she wondered.

The Day I Kissed An Older Man Chapter 2784-"No, that doesn't make sense. If he's capable of influencing the real estate market as Rita claims, then why would Mom and I be living in poverty back then?"

It was not until Karen and Sadie moved with the Russells did they truly escaped their hardships. Just the thought of the past made Sadie's face darken. If it was possible, she would gladly sever all ties with those memories.

She did not care even if people accused her of being ungrateful. Whoever wanted to relive her past could go ahead, but she had no intention of doing so.

She did not want to return to those dark days. There was no way she would allow Karen to mess up their current lives.

The only way for them to go was forward, not backward. S~ᴇaʀᴄh the Find_Nøvel.ɴet website on Gøøglᴇ to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality.

'Where should I start?' Sadie pondered. 'If Mom isn't willing to tell me, I should find out who that man is on my own.' The next day, Rita left early. She had volunteered and made plans with Virgil a couple of days ago to take the children from the welfare home out for a day of fun.

On the way, Camille repeatedly reminded her of the importance of the children's safety and stressed they must not lose any of them.

"Don't worry. I won't be the only staff there. I promise we'll safely return the children to the welfare home as they are!" Rita smiled as she spoke.

Although she had volunteered at the welfare home several times before, Camille always repeated these instructions every time.

She did not find it annoying at all. Instead, she felt like she had finally found a career that interested her, thanks to Camille. In fact, she was quite surprised to find herself being so patient with the children.

Camille once said something to her that left a deep impression: For them, visiting the welfare home was just a visit, and these children were merely passing through their lives. However, for these children, this place could very well be their permanent home.

Rita had also asked if they would put these children up for adoption, but after thinking about it, Camille shook her head.

"I'll put them up for adoption if the children really want it and just so happen to meet a family who they can get along with. But for me, this is a matter that needs to be handled with the utmost care. They're here because they've been abandoned once by the adults they trusted. I don't want them to get hurt again.

These children are innocent. None of them asked to be born just to be abandoned. It's not something they can choose."

"Now it's just you alone. The staff can't help you with so much. Do you want me to do an interview for the welfare home? It might help the home attract a few more kind-hearted volunteers," suggested Rita.

Camille chuckled. "Forget about it. I can do this alone. The welfare home is running fine, and if I finance it myself, nobody can have a say in how I run it! Besides, promoting the welfare home will only make more parents think they can abandon their children without consequences. They'll probably think that sending their children to the welfare home is giving them a way out. So, no, the welfare home doesn't need any publicity."

Rita sighed. Upon careful consideration, Camille's words made sense.

After all, if the welfare home were to be publicized, things might turn out worse than they imagined. Familles wanting only boys, or with children with congenital diseases, or anyone with an excuse to abandon their children would turn to Camille's welfare home.

As it stood, the welfare home was doing fine. After all, Camille's family was financially well-off, so she had every means to provide the best"

conditions for the children. Moreover, given Camille's family status, those who wanted to work with them would occasionally donate money to the welfare home, which Camille readily accepted. However, whether her family would collaborate with them depended on her father's opinion.

Camille rolled her eyes. "It's not like |

forced them into donating the money. We're all mutually consenting adults. Believe it or not, even if I tell them my dad has no intention of collaborating with them, they'll still willingly give money to my welfare home."

"You're quite the schemer," Rita remarked.

The Day I Kissed An Older Man Chapter 2785-Of course Rita believed it. While she could not help Camille much in other aspects, she could visit the welfare home whenever she had some spare time.

Consequently, most of the children were very familiar with Rita. They knew she was a good friend of Camille, and since Camille was as close as a family to them, they saw Rita as their friend too.

"You're here." Virgil, who had been waiting at the door, greeted Rita as soon as she stepped out of her car. "We have everything we need here, so you don't need to bring so many things every time. It must be difficult for you to carry them all by yourself."

Virgil naturally took over the things Rita was carrying. Her car was filled to the brim with things for the welfare home.

"Whether you need it here is one thing, but whether I brought gifts for the children is another. I just want to see the children happy. I promised them I'd bring what they wanted, so how could I go back on my word?" Rita explained.

Virgil scratched his nose. "Yes, you're right."

Besides visiting the children, Rita had an important matter to discuss with Virgilthe developer who tricked him off the land.

While she knew Esmond was the mastermind behind the scenes, she was unsure of his current influence and activities. Thus, she had no choice but to jog Virgil's memory for the details.

With so many residents, how did he manage to convince each household? Rita was certain it was not just Virgil's family who disagreed with the initial proposal.

"Kids, look who's here!" Virgil approached with the gifts and was immediately surrounded by the children. "Miss Rita brought you all of these goodies."

Several little girls rushed into Rita's arms. She bent down and scooped one of them up.

"Oh, let me hug you to see just how much you've grown," said Rita.

"Miss Rita, you haven't come in so long. I've grown taller and bigger," said the child.

"Sorry, I've been so busy lately. Otherwise, I'd definitely come to see you all more often," replied Rita.

It was taken Sittil all the children were that à and Virgil had a chanchet the other staff for I sit Swno è to "You seem to get along well with these kids," Rita commented after taking a sip of water.

Virgil gulped down some water.

'Yeah. Taking care of these children not only requires patience but om stamina too. Thanks, again, for.

getting me this job. I feel like I'm being healed just by hanging out with these children."

Rita hesitated for a moment before asking, "Have you ever thought about going back to find your wife and children"

Since Virgil had a stable job, he could go back to his children. Every time she saw him watching the children from a distance with that contented Smile on his face, Rita own could not help but think of hi biological children whom he had to stay away from.

The Day I Kissed An Older Man Chapter 2786-Virgil froze. After a long pause, he smiled bitterly. "You don't understand. It's precisely because I love them that I need to stay away from them."

"Are you worried that Esmond and his people will cause trouble for you? We live in a lawful society now, and no matter how cocky they are, they can't get away with murder. Besides, you don't even live on that land anymore. You don't even have your own house, so why do they still pursue you relentlessly?" Rita asked.

Virgil's expression darkened. "It's not that I don't want to pursue this matter, but the gap between me and them is too vast. Perhaps it's because I'm the only one among us who insists on causing trouble, which riled them up. As long as I'm alive, I'll never let those unscrupulous developers off the hook. I'll always

remember who made me homeless, who made me afraid to even see my own children!"

"Actually, part of the reason I came here today is to ask you for more specific details about what happened back then. I've found out about Esmond and the company behind him, but more details are hard to come by at the moment," Rita said with a frown.

She was also at a loss for how to proceed with the investigation. She tried to look into Esmond's company from many angles, but it seemed impenetrable like an iron barrel with no cracks to be found. "Did they show any suspicious behavior when they evicted you? They must've compensated you for something, even if the contract was unfair. Did they leave any evidence behind?"

Virgil lowered his head in recollection, while Rita anxiously stared at him in the hope to hear a useful clue from him.

"I felt the contract was extremely unfair when first saw it, so I didn't sign it at all and didn't pay them any attention Later, as more and more residents moved out, I gradually sensed that something was wrong… But couldn't find that contract anymore." Sᴇaʀᴄh thᴇ FindNøvᴇl.nᴇt website on Gøøglᴇ to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality.

Virgil suddenly clutched his head in anguish. "It's all my fault for having no legal awareness. Otherwise, I would've taken a photo of the contract as a record.

None of my neighbors understood what the contract was about when I vel.net discussed it with them, either. But in the end, they were forced to leave too. I only knew that they must have threatened them through illegal means!

Yes, that must be it! My neighbor didn't hear anything until he moved out. He just told me to take care of myself and not to confront the developers before leaving."

The more Virgil thought about it, the more he felt that his neighbors had all been threatened to leave. Maybe someone even resorted to violence against them.

"What about you? It couldn't have been just your family was the exception, right?" asked Rita.

Virgil suddenly slumped at the mention of his family, his earlierm riled-up emotions gone. He was once .

again thrown into the pits of despair.

"Well, I don't know what my wife heard from others, but since all the neighbors were leaving, she refused to stand the ground with me. I know | can't blame her. We would've ended up with nothing if we didn't leave , but I was too stubborn. We argued endlessly about the matter. Looking back, I knew she was terrified, yet I didn't fulfill my duties as a husband to comfort her. In the end, it led to our divorce. I just can't understand. I spent all of my savings buying that house, so why were we forced out so easily in the end?"

The Day I Kissed An Older Man Chapter 2787-"That was my home!" Virgil's emotions flared up again.

The only thing Rita could do was to comfort him.

"You must hold firm to the belief that those developers will be punished by the law one day. The law won't let anyone who exploits loopholes off the hook. Let's end the interview here. Sorry, I shouldn't have kept asking you about the past or reopening old wounds. I'll look into Esmond Parr through other avenues. Don't worry; there has been progress. Another person I know might have connections with him, and I might be able to uncover a lot from her."

"Really? Does this mean I can soon return to my family?" asked Virgil.

Seeing him so excited, Rita nodded solemnly. "Yes. Trust me, you'll be able to go back to them soon."

As Rita drove away, her face turned solemn. It would not be easy to uncover the truth about what happened back then, especially since she could hardly figure out what evidence was left behind. Relying solely on herself would not be enough. Sᴇaʀᴄh thᴇ FindNøvᴇl.nᴇt website on Gøøglᴇ to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality.

'But what if I bring Sherman in? With his family backing him, hardly anyone would dare to oppose him, right?' thought Rita.

She suddenly recalled the last time Sherman told her not to intervene in this matter anymore. He and his family had already begun investigating the developer. Did that mean they had been misled, too? 'Sherman should be able to uncover the truth very quickly if he involved himself in the matter!' The more Rita thought about it, the more excited she became, so she went straight to Sherman's company to find him.

Rita thought she would have to wait downstairs for a long time before getting to meet Sherman. To her surprise, the receptionist smiled and ushered her into an elevator as soon as she showed up. "Miss Rita, Mister Sherman said that from now on, you can go straight to his office to wait for him."

Even though Rita was somewhat surprised, she did not show it on her face.

In fact, the receptionist seemed even more excited than she did. Ever since Sherman instructed all the receptionists to let Rita come and go as she pleased, they had been secretly looking forward to meeting this legendary woman.

'Is she the company president's fiancee?' wondered the receptionists.

No one had ever received the kind of treatment Rita was getting. The moment the receptionists saw Rita, they all nodded in realization.

It seemed only natural for Sherman and Rita to be together. After all, Rita's beauty matched Sherman's handsomeness perfectly; it was as if these two were meant to be together from the start.

When Rita arrived at Sherman's floor, the long-legged Lucy smiled and led her to his office.

"Miss Rita, Mister Sherman is with another guest at the moment. Do you mind waiting here for a moment? Would you like some coffee, tea, or water?"

Rita waved repeatedly. "Lucy, I hadn't even told Sherman I was coming. Is it really okay for me to wait here like this? You know what? Just tell him I'm not coming anymore."

"Don't worry, Miss Rita. After your last visit, Mister Sherman mentioned you don't need to make an appointment to see him. However, the current guest in his office isla bit special, so you might need to wait a little longer."

"Oh…" Rita nodded somewhat confusedly.

Even when Lucy closed the office door behind her, Rita still had not quite grasped why Sherman wash giving her such special treatment, especially since they were not even that close! Even so, she could not help but feel a surge of warmth flowing into her heart.

Does this mean I hold a special place in Sherman's heart? she wondered.

The Day I Kissed An Older Man Chapter 2788-"Don't you have to go back to training? Didn't you always say you must practice every day?" Sherman glanced down at the documents while Claire stood in front of him, chattering away about the movie they had watched together.

In truth, Sherman had long forgotten what the movie was about. Throughout the two hours in the cinema, he was consumed by an inexplicable restlessness, though he did not show it on his face.

"Well, that's true, but I'm also just a regular person. Can't I give myself a break from time to time? Why are you rushing me to go back anyway? Is it because you want to go meet with your girlfriend?" Claire joked.

Sherman did not respond.

However, the next moment, Lucy's voice came through the office's landline, "Mister Sherman, Miss Rita is waiting for you in the conference room."

Claire's expression immediately soured, and Sherman's hand paused.

"Got it. You can carry on with your work," Sherman said.

"Yes, Mister Sherman."

Claire's smile faltered. "Is Miss Rita the reporter who interviewed me? Why would she come here to see you?"

"You've said so yourself that she's a reporter, so she must be here for an interview. Why don't you head back first since I have another guest? I'll have the driver take you."

Sherman stood up as if to escort Claire out, but it seemed like Claire's feet were glued to the floor.

She had no idea when the relationship between Sherman and Rita had become so close. She had not even looked into Rita's background thoroughly yet, and all of a sudden, these two were meeting again.

"Why are you in such a hurry to see her? Can't I stay for the conversation? I thought you didn't like taking interviews. Could it be that, like me, you've been tempted to accept interviews because of Rita?" Claire's tone was sharp as she continued to block Sherman's path, seemingly afraid he would escort her out.

"Well, it's not entirely impossible. You can change your mind, so why can't I try something new?"

Claire felt like Sherman's words held some hidden meaning. "What do you mean? Explain yourself to me right now!"

Sherman immediately regretted provoking her at this crucial moment. He had to admit that he had been too reckless with his words. At the same time, he did not want to pretend everything was fine between them every time they argued like Claire did.

Over time, the cracks between them would only widen. Besides, they had gone through so many issues in their relationships, so he did not want to give Claire false hope.

I'm sorry. I shouldn't have said that.

But you should go back now. Miss Rita is only here for work," said m Sherman Then, not wanting Rita to wait for him in vain, he said to his secretary, "Lucy, please ask Miss Rita to wait for me at the reception room.

I'll be there in a moment."

"As you wish, Mister Sherman."

Claire continued to stand in front of Sherman with her arms crossed. She was prepared to stand her ground until the end. "Huh! I'm not leaving this place even if you force me to! I want to see what you two have to talk about."

Sherman sighed, feeling a headache coming. "Must you make a scene, Claire? You know that we can't go back to how things were since that incident. Can't we just be friends?"

No, I don't want to be just friends!

Sherman, I know I messed up, and I've apologized to you countless times. I've even punished myself by staying abroad for the past few years, and I didn't contact you untess absolutely necessary. Isn't that enough?"

The Day I Kissed An Older Man Chapter 2789-"Or is it because you've fallen for someone else? Who is it? I want the name of the woman who stole my childhood sweetheart! Tell me!"

Claire grabbed Sherman's collar, her eyes turning red with emotion. He could tell she was about to lose control again.

"You're sick, Claire. Go home and take your medicine. Don't waste both of our time here. Please? Take it as a favor to me. Don't make a scene here."

Sherman glanced toward the door. He did not want things to get any uglier, especially with Rita waiting for him in another room.

"Heh, so I'm right. You've really fallen for someone else. Is it Rita? I knew it.

You've never spoken up for any other woman! What's so special about her?

What do you even like about her? Have you forgotten how happy we were together?"

"Claire, don't push me. Yes, we were happy together, but that was a long time ago. You need to wake up."

Sherman was growing increasingly frustrated.

"You've never spoken to me like this before. Is it because of Rita? I know you've fallen for another woman. You're infatuated with Rita, and that's why you're so impatient with me. How could you be so heartless?"

Sherman's frown deepened, and he blurted in despair, "Yes, I've fallen for Rita.

I've developed feelings for her. Can you just let me go?"

"Miss Rita, Mister Sherman is seeing off a guest. He'll be with you shortly."

Rita heard the argument coming from inside and asked with concern, "Who's in there? It sounds serious. Is everything okay?"

Lucy looked conflicted. She knew who was inside, but this was Sherman's private affair. Moreover, she was unsure if she should take a look inside since the argument was only getting more intense.

Finally, under Rita's urging, she mustered the courage to push open the door.

As soon as she opened the door, she heard Sherman's confession. She glanced instinctively at Rita, only to find her standing there in a daze.

Silence filled the room.

Sherman was dumbfounded, his eyes shifting between Claire and Rita. He only said what he said to get Claire off his case, but he had not expected Rita to appear at his office door.

Rita's face flushed red. Coupled with Claire's murderous gaze, even the most oblivious person would realize what the argument inside was about.

She scratched her cheek sheepishly. "Sorry, I didn't mean to eavesdrop on your conversation. If you have things to discuss, I'll leave for now…"

"Stay where you are! Why are you running away?" Claire went back to her composed self upon seeing Rita. She put on a cold demeanor, crossed her arms, and walked slowly up to Rita. She looked her up and down.

"I have to hand it to you, Rita. You must've plotted this entire thing, yet you pretend to be innocent. Just who are you trying to fool?"

Rita did not expect Claire to harbor such hostility toward her, and her expression darkened as well. "Miss Claire, what do you mean by that?"

'What do I mean? Miss Rita, we're all women here, so there's no need to put up an act in front of me. What else could the reason be for you to keep meeting Sherman like this?"

As soon as Sherman heard Claire say that, he realized things were only about to get worse. Claire was probably going to trot out those cliches again. It was one thing to say them in front of him, but it was insulting to say them in front of Rita.

The Day I Kissed An Older Man Chapter 2790-"Alright, Claire, you should head back now," said Sherman.

"Why are you stopping me from speaking? Everything I said is true. Can't Miss Rita handle the truth?"

Claire looked aggrieved, and Rita's expression turned cold.

"Miss Claire, why don't you just come right out with it? There's no need to beat around the bush. You're acting quite different from when we met during the interview. I thought you were the straightforward type.' Rita shifted her gaze aside. She could not quite discern which version of Claire was the real one. After all, they had a pleasant conversation during the

interview, but at this moment, she seemed like a different person. In fact, she was acting more like the resentful wife she performed on stage.

"Huh! Aren't you also beating around the bush? I warn you-stay away from Sherman! In fact, he shouldn't even be in your thoughts! We're both women here, so don't think I don't know what you're up to!" Finding Claire's words amusing, Rita could not help but chuckle.

"It seems our last interview wasn't long enough. Otherwise, how could I have missed out on your humorous side?" said Rita sarcastically.

Claire's expression turned serious, and her previous air of superiority vanished completely. She never expected to meet such resistance. Rita did not seem to be affected by her words at all.

"What do you mean by that? Don't change the subject!"

"You're right about us two being women, but you shouldn't lump me in with you just because of that, Miss Claire. I'm not the type to cling to a man who doesn't love me."

Rita's words were laced with sarcasm, and Lucy struggled to contain her laughter. The staff had thought Rita was only pretty-faced, so it was a surprise to them that she was able to win an argument against the wily Claire.

'Miss Rita is formidable, alright. She was able to shatter Miss Claire's cy facade with just a few words! guess it's true that there'll always be someone more capable than you,' thought Lucy.

Sherman could not help but let out a faint smile, but in Claire's eyes, it was unforgivable.

"Sherman, are you teaming up with outsiders to mock me?" asked Claire in disbelief. "Yet, all I wanted to do is to protect you from scheming women! You've truly disappointed mel IMS Claire stormed out, even bumping into Rita in her haste.

'Oh well. Now that she's gone, I don't need to think about asking which driver to send her home,' thought Sherman.

Although he knew the aftermath would be hard to clean up, at least he could have some relief at that moment.

"Lucy, what did I tell you? Is my office somewhere you can barge in whenever you please?"

Lucy immediately lowered her head. "I'm sorry. It was wrong of me to do that."

She did not try to defend herself.

Rita anxiously explained, "It wasn't Lucy who wanted to come in here. I was worried about you since the argument sounded intense, so I … "

"There are things you can do, but as my secretary, she can't. Anyway, you can go now, Lucy. But I don't want to see you making the same mistake again."

Lucy breathed a sigh of relief and left quickly, not forgetting to close the door gently behind her as she did.

Rita suddenly felt awkward with only the two of them in the office. In fact, the spacious office suddenly felt claustrophobic to her.