“Huh?”
Allison pouted, “Don’t tell me that you don’t know them.”
Dolores really didn’t know. It was only after she saw them in the exhibition area that she found out who
they were.
They were Armand and Boyce.
“Who designed this?” Armand stood in front of a long skirt with the name written clearly below it, but he
pretended he couldn’t see it and asked Theresa.
“I did.” If she didn’t know that she was talking to a rich and powerful person, she would have cursed
him for being perverted long ago. He was a man snooping around in women’s clothes and furthermore,
he kept asking nonsense questions.
“Oooh!” Armand uttered, deliberately pulling the sound long making it feel uncomfortable. Theresa kept
her temper calm and said, “Do you have any more questions? I you don’t mind, I am busy.”
“Yes, I do!” He picked the thin shoulder straps of the skirt, “What is the source of inspiration for this
design? Why are the shoulder straps so thin? Is it because it would be easy to take it off or to expose
the skin more?”
Theresa’s face turned red in an instant, and she glared at him.
Then she said coldly, “Are you here to stir up trouble and ruin the opening?”
“No, no! I’m just curious.” Armand grinned, “Stir up trouble? Do I not want to live?”
This was Dolores place.
And who was Dolores?
She was Matthew’s sweetheart at the moment. Armand didn’t have the guts.
“If you like it, you can buy it. About my source of inspiration, how about I tell you some other time?”
“I don’t have a girlfriend, why would I buy it?” Armand pouted.
Theresa smiled and two dimples appeared on the corners of her mouth making her look really cute, “If
you want, you can wear it yourself.”
Armand was lost for words.
But Boyce next to him burst out laughing.
“This is a good idea! He can wear it himself! I am telling you it suits him.” Boyce took the opportunity to
dig Armand’s grave.
Armand glared at him, “Will you die if you don’t talk?”
“Yeah… What are you looking at?”
Boyce noticed that Armand’s face had changed suddenly.
He followed Boyce’s line of sight and saw Victoria walk in from the door.
As Matthew’s friends, both of them knew that Victoria was Matthew’s stepmother.
It was because of her that Matthew had left his home so early and began to live alone.
It was also because of her that Matthew and his father’s relationship was so strained.
Naturally, they didn’t like her.
And she and Matthew barely had a familial relationship.
Seeing from a personal perspective, even though she was an outsider, if the grand clothes and makeup
were taken away, Victoria looked like a very gentle and peaceful person; she didn’t look materialistic at
all.
“What is she doing here?” Armand narrowed his eyes.
Boyce didn’t say anything but he felt that it was not a good thing that she had come here.
She looked to be in poor health, her face looked haggard. She had put on a light layer of makeup to
hide it.
Theresa went over to welcome her, “Hello!”
“I’m looking for…”
Just at this time, Dolores came over. The last time she had met her, she had said that she was going to
invite her to the opening. Dolores had sent her an invitation but she hadn’t expected for her to arrive
there so early even before the actual ceremony.
“You came.” Dolores greeted her with a smile.
“Of course.” She didn’t plan to stay long and had come here early on purpose to avoid running into
Matthew. She was afraid that if he found out she came here, he was not going to be happy.
“Can I sit with you alone for a moment?”
There was still time before the event, so Dolores agreed, “Okay, come with me.”
Dolores walked away leading the way.
Victoria deliberately walked slowly, looking at Dolores slender back looking beautiful in the pink gown.
She didn’t look like she had ever given birth, and looked very young.
She thought inwardly that even though her son was perfect, her daughter-in-law was not any lesser.
Especially after knowing that she had given birth to twins for her son, she liked her even more.
Although the test results had not come out yet, she already knew that they were Matthew’s children.
Dolores pushed through the meeting room door, then turned around and said to Victoria, “This room is
quiet.”
“Okay.” Victoria walked in and sat on the sofa.
Dolores poured her a glass of water and then sat down on the sofa opposite to her.
No matter how Victoria looked at her, she still found her very pretty.
Dolores was a little embarrassed by her gaze, so she started to talk, “How are you? Your face doesn’t
look very good.”
Victoria came out of her trance and said, “I have a light cold.”
She took a sip of the water from the table, concealing her embarrassing attitude just now.
As she placed the glass back on the table, she said, “Don’t tell Matthew about the fact that I came here
today.”
Dolores smiled and said, “Okay.”
“I trust you.” Victoria had a thousand words to tell her, but she didn’t know where to start. She took out
a wooden box from her bag and extended it towards Dolores, “This, I want to give it to you.”
Dolores was unwilling to accept it and pushed it back, “I don’t think I can accept this.”
They were not familiar to each other at all.
And Victoria’s identity… If Matthew knew that they met, she was afraid he was not going to be happy
about it.
“You haven’t seen it yet but still want to reject me?” Victoria looked at her, “Are you afraid that Matthew
will find out and will be angry?”
Dolores pursed her lips. She was right.
But there was another reason. It was only the second time they had met and it was a bit inappropriate
to receive gifts. They were not that close.
Nor were they going to become close in the future.
After all, her identity was in the way.
“I always have to consider his feelings.” Dolores deliberately used Matthew as a shield.
But in reality, it was not entirely true. If Victoria and Matthew’s relationship was not like it was, she
would not have rejected her.
She looked like a graceful and secluded lake with calm waters.
Victoria felt both sad and happy.
She was sad because Dolores did not accept her kindness and happy because she was thinking about
Matthew’s feelings.
“You don’t have to think that out relationship is too complicated. You are you and I am me, there is no
other relationship between us. Today is your store’s opening and I have always shown you my true
heart. Even if I consider myself a friend, I did not want to come empty-handed.” She pushed the box
back towards Dolores, “Open it and see.”
“It’s not very appropriate…”
“Open it and see.” Victoria continued, indicating that she was going to keep saying this until Dolores
agreed to accept it.
Dolores was left without a choice. She reached out and opened the box. A beautiful emerald green
jade bracelet was lying in an embroidered case. It looked pure and high-quality and looked very
valuable even at first glance.
Dolores was even more hesitant to accept it now, “This is too expensive, I can’t accept it.”
What did Victoria mean by this?
Was she trying to bribe her with such an expensive gift?
Dolores thought secretly in her heart.
“There is nothing that you can’t accept. You are the daughter-in-law of the Nelson family; you can afford
it.”
Dolores was speechless.
She didn’t even know what the relationship between her and Matthew was. Were they husband and
wife? Lovers? Friends? None of those words described the relationship between them accurately.
Victoria took out the jade bracelet and put in on Dolores hand. Dolores tried to withdraw her hand but
was caught by Victoria. She stared at Dolores with deep eyes, “Don’t refuse.”
Her tone was extremely suppressed, as if she was trying to hide something unspeakable.
Dolores was stunned for a moment, “But…”
“I like you a lot.” Victoria’s grip tightened on her hand, “If I get a chance in the future, I will tell you a
story.”
Dolores could see the sadness in her eyes, stopped struggling and let Victoria place the bracelet on
her hand, “My Mother-in-law gave it to me. Now, I am giving it to you.”
Her mother-in-law?
Wouldn’t that be Matthew’s grandmother?
But, didn’t she used to be a mistress before she became the wife?
Dolores was confused.
“You must be very busy today, I should go?” As she stood up, Dolores also stood up with her, “I’ll show
you the way.”
“Okay.” Victoria was overjoyed.
Dolores felt a bit uneasy, feeling ashamed after accepting it.
She was going to return it to her when she got the opportunity.
Victoria’s car was outside and Dolores helped open the door for her. Victoria sat in the car, then
lowered her window and praised Dolores with a smile, “You look really beautiful today.”
Dolores’ expressions were a bit awkward as she said, “Thank you.”
Victoria bid her goodbye and then closed the window and turned to say to the driver, “Let’s go.”
Dolores stood on the roadside, looking at the leaving car with narrowed eyes. She was not very familiar
with Victoria; she hadn’t met her more than a few times and hadn’t had much contact.
But she could feel that she was not a bad person.
She looked like there were many hidden things in her heart but she couldn’t talk about them.
That kind of constraint…
Dolores didn’t know how to describe it.
She thought that there must be some secret hidden in her heart.
She was lost in her thought, not knowing that a black car had just stopped not far from her.
The man who got out was wearing a custom-made suit, with smooth edges and no creases, which
made him look rich and noble. The street was full of sunshine but the weather was no longer hot. The
sunshine was not hot and dazzling on one’s eyes; it was just the right amount of light and cool.
His gaze fell on the exquisite and delicate body wrapped in the halo of light.
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