Chapter 5

Alison sat on a couch hidden in a corner, a glass of champagne in her hand. She didn't take a single sip, though. She watched the glittering crowd, feeling completely out of place.

"Alison?"

A familiar voice sounded. Alison looked up, taken aback for a second, then smiled. "Samuel?"

It was Samuel Ward, her senior from college. He was the son of the owner of a well-known local pharmaceutical company, and he now worked in a key research lab at Zendale University. Back when she used to scrub glassware in the lab, he had taken good care of her. He was gentle and a loyal friend.

"It's been a while. What are you doing here?" Samuel sat down beside her.

"I came with my husband," she said plainly.

They started catching up. Alison said, "Samuel, I've been bored staying at home, so I want to get a job. Do you have anything you could recommend?"

Samuel lowered his head in thought. "You didn't do your residency training after graduation, so working as a doctor is out of the question. As for being a pharmaceutical rep, your personality is too soft, and you're not good at socializing and entertaining clients. I'm afraid you'll get bullied. How about…

"How about selling lab reagents? Back in university, weren't you always going from lab to lab, washing bottles to get paid? All your seniors from back then know you. They'd definitely be willing to do you a favor."

Alison's eyes lit up. He was right. Back at Zendale University, she'd practically lived in the labs—washing bottles, cleaning test tubes, and doing any chores that needed to be done. She'd had good relationships with her upperclassmen in all the labs. Those connections would come in handy.

"I could give it a try." She smiled. For the first time that night, a bit of light returned to her eyes.

Samuel smiled, too. "Great. Our lab buys reagents all the time, and the labs at all the major universities need them as well. I know quite a few people. Come by another day, and I'll introduce you around. It'll all work out."

He was very sincere, and his body leaned slightly toward her as they talked.

Her eyes brightened further. "Really? Thank you so much, Samuel."

"Don't be so polite with me. You washed so many test tubes for me back then. This is nothing."

She laughed. It was the first time that night that she'd laughed from the heart.

"What are you two talking about that's got you so happy?"

A cool voice cut in. Neither Alison nor Samuel had noticed when Erik arrived. He now stood beside the couch, a polite smile on his face, but his eyes were filled with displeasure and possessiveness.

Samuel stood up and offered his hand, calm and courteous. "Mr. Hale, I've heard a lot about you. I'm Samuel Ward, Alison's college senior."

Erik shook his hand, his grip hard, though his tone stayed indifferent. "Pleasure. I'm her husband."

They exchanged a few pleasantries. Samuel quickly picked up on Erik's hostility and didn't want to put Alison in a difficult spot, so he found an excuse to leave. "I've got something to take care of, so I should make a move. Alison, I'll get in touch another day."

"Okay. Thanks, Samuel."

After Samuel left, Erik sat down beside Alison, his expression dark. "He's going to get in touch with you? What about?"

Alison answered, "I want to go back to work. Samuel said he'd introduce me to a job selling lab reagents."

Erik frowned.

Work? She was doing perfectly well staying home as a housewife. Why did she suddenly want to get a job?

He recalled how she'd greeted Monique earlier and finally caught the undertone in her words. He refused to explain himself. He didn't like the idea of spoiling her, in case she started expecting an explanation and a report from him about everything.

Still, just because she was upset, she wanted to run off and get a job? That was childish.

"Did that guy talk you into getting a job?"

"No. It's what I want to do. It's too stifling staying at home all the time."

"If you're bored, then socialize more with the other wives. Play cards, go shopping, swipe my card. Don't you know how to do that?"

"It's not that I don't know how. I just don't like it."

Alison turned her gaze away. Erik stared at her profile, his eyes growing darker with displeasure.

"Alison, what I need is a sensible, well-behaved Mrs. Hale," he said, his gaze boring holes into her. "Not a little girl who needs me to coax her every minute of the day."

Alison froze for a moment. Her eyes instinctively dropped, landing on the dull tips of her lambskin heels. After a long silence, she smiled faintly, lifted her head, and looked at him. "Understood, Mr. Hale."

Her eyes were like a spring of water at night, faintly reflecting the moonlight. Erik was caught off guard for a second.

Onstage, there was some noise as Monique stepped up to the microphone to host the event. The lights poured down on her, making her champagne-colored gown shimmer softly under the glow. Everyone's attention shifted in her direction.

Erik's gaze also moved to the stage, fixing on her and not moving away. Before he knew it, he had already risen to his feet and was walking toward her.

For the rest of the night, he mingled and networked everywhere, never once taking Alison with him.

At some point, Monique ended up at his side. The two of them stood together with glasses of wine in hand, chatting and laughing with the people around them, looking for all the world like a perfectly matched pair of soulmates.

No one found it strange, and no one so much as glanced in Alison's direction.

Alison stood in a corner, watching the two of them stand side by side. She saw the envy in everyone's eyes, and in that moment, she finally understood something.

In this world of status and power, one survived on one's own abilities. In everyone else's eyes, Monique was the woman who truly deserved to stand next to Erik.

…

The final segment of the gala was a charity jewelry auction. All proceeds from the auction items would be donated to charity.

Monique, Timothy, and Erik stood together, browsing through the auction catalog.

Monique tapped a page with her fingertip, stopping on a set of white pearls. She said softly, "This set is gorgeous."

As she spoke, she glanced at Erik, seemingly without intention.

Timothy nudged Erik with his elbow. "Erik, since Mon likes this set, bid on it and give it to her. A classic pearl set like this would look perfect on her."

"Monique doesn't need jewelry to prove anything about herself." Erik took the catalog and lowered his eyes to the photo of the pearl necklace.

Alison loved pearls. She had a pair of pearl studs she had bought for herself and worn for years. She still didn't have a full string of pearls.

Erik's gaze traveled past the noisy crowd as he looked around, finally spotting Alison standing off in a corner. She was his wife, attending an event he organized, yet there she was, standing all alone.

Without a word to Monique and Timothy, Erik walked straight over to Alison and handed her the catalog. "Take a look. See if there's anything you want."

She was taken aback by that but still casually flipped through the catalog. It showed page after page of dazzling jewels, each with a price tag in the millions. To her, these things didn't mean much.

She shook her head. "No need. None of this really suits me."

"It does if I say it does." Erik flipped to the pearl set Monique had liked—a necklace with matching earrings and bracelet. The pearls were lustrous, the surface flawless. The starting bid for the set was 3.8 million dollars. He said firmly, "This one."

Alison parted her lips, wanting to say more, but the auctioneer's booming voice had already filled the hall.

When it was time for the white pearls to go on the block, paddles shot up one after another. The price climbed rapidly. Erik sat up straight, his fingers pressed to his paddle, his whole posture saying he was determined to win.

Alison couldn't help thinking that he wasn't doing it for her; he was doing it for his reputation.

Right before the gavel came down, the auctioneer suddenly raised his hand and said with a bright smile, "My apologies, everyone. This set of white pearls has just been snapped up by a mysterious Mr. X, who has bought them outright! He said he wants to give this jewelry set to the most beautiful woman in the room tonight!"

The entire hall erupted. Voices buzzed as everyone speculated about who this mysterious Mr. X could be, and which lucky woman would receive this honor.

The auctioneer's gaze swept over the room, finally landing on the corner. He said, loud and clear, "Now, let's invite Ms. Alison Reese onto the stage to receive this gift!"

Alison went rigid. She instinctively lifted her head to look at Erik. She definitely didn't want the pearls, yet some tiny, self-deceiving hope still flickered in her heart.

It was him, right? He hadn't wanted her to feel embarrassed, so he'd secretly arranged this… right?