"It's good to see that you've already made up your mind.If you need help with anything, just let me
know.I'll bring it up with Eric."
"It's alright.I'll let him know what love is in my own way."
Alana stood up confidently.
Her eyes were lit up with excitement, full of fighting spirit.
Janessa smiled wider as she watched the determined Alana.
Alana's determination was infectious and Janessa couldn't help but think about her own goals.
She also had a battle of her own.
"I just remembered, I had something I wanted to discuss with you."
As Alana looked at the photo opposite her on the cabinet, Alana suddenly remembered why she came
to visit Janessa in the first place.
Alana gave Janessa a serious look before she said, "My brother has been put under house arrest."
Janessa was surprised when she heard the news.
The last time she had seen Gordon at the mall, he looked happy and carefree.
She assumed that the reason she hadn't seen Gordon for a while was that he hasn't accepted his fate
yet.
The last thing she expected was for him to be put on house arrest.
Janessa looked away from Alana as she recalled what Mrs.Shen had told her in the hospital.
She had left without saying goodbye the last time.
Janessa assumed that Gordon would've known what she meant by her actions, but it turns out that he
was clueless in the matter.
Now, it seems as if Mrs.Shen has made up her mind not to let them get involved ever again.
After all, Janessa was a divorced woman.
She couldn't blame Mrs.Shen for her actions.
It would be difficult for Mrs.Shen to accept a daughter-in-law like Janessa.
If the Shen family took in a divorced woman, their reputation would be at stake.
What would their friends and family think of them? Even though Gordon wasn't concerned with such
things, his family was.
This was something the Shen family would never accept.
Because of this, Janessa knew better than to act rashly.
"He's been placed under house arrest.If he only abided by my family's wishes, things wouldn't have
turned out this way."
"Well, I can't blame them."
Everyone was aware that Gordon and Janessa had been in love with one another since college.
However, because of the state her family's business was in, Janessa had no choice but to marry Rayan
instead.
Their love story had turned out to be a tragedy.
However, Gordon had never given up on her.
Occasionally, he would still ask if they could be together again.
He never lost hope that they would be together once again.
However, Janessa knew there was a huge possibility their time might never come, at least, in this
lifetime.
Janessa shook her head helplessly.
"There's no way out of this.You need to go home and talk some sense to your brother.He needs to stop
wasting his time on me.For him to be happy, he needs to find another woman to make his wife."
The two of them lay quietly on the bed, engulfed in their thoughts.
After some time, Alana finally decided to break the silence.
"We should go shopping tomorrow! It's been so long since we've gone to the mall together."
"That sounds like a plan.I have something I need to attend to, and I have to wear something new and
professional for it.Maybe I can find something to wear at the mall."
The next day, the two of them decided to sleep in.
After that, they had breakfast, then headed to the mall for some retail therapy.
It was one o'clock in the afternoon by the time they went out.
They had spent a leisurely morning together.
It was rare for them to go shopping at this hour in the day.When they began to get exhausted from
shopping, Janessa took Alana to a nearby cafe to get some rest.
The two of them purchased more than ten bags worth of things.
"The coat we just saw was gorgeous! Why did you stop me from buying it? You're so mean to
me!"Alana whined.
After a short pause, she decided she needed to have that coat.
"I can't resist it! I have to get my hands on that coat!"
Alana ran out of the cafe, and within minutes, came back in with another shopping bag in her arms.
After Alana took the seat opposite Janessa, she happily took out the coat and admired it.
"Eric would look terrific in this coat!"
Alana had intended to buy the coat for Eric.
She might not have much business knowledge, but she was talented at styling clothes.
No matter who wore the clothes she put together, she was able to transform them into a completely
different person.
The first time she laid eyes on Eric, he was dressed in a similar style.
Although his clothes weren't designer brands, they were still trendy and stylish.
Both Alana and Eric had a similar taste when it came to fashion.
It seemed like they would get along well together in that aspect.
"You've done enough shopping today.Most of the things you bought are for Eric, and now, you still want
to buy more?"
When Janessa went to the mall with Alana today, she thought that Alana would be shopping for herself.
The last thing she expected was for Alana to buy Eric a brand new wardrobe.
lf she were a man, she would be envious of all the clothing.
"Of course! He's a great man, and he deserves to look the man.I want him to look handsome whenever
he goes out,"Alana explained.
Janessa laughed at her explanation, while Alana rolled her eyes in response.
She thought Janessa knew her well enough by now.
"You..."
From Janessa's peripheral vision, she noticed someone seated on a chair not too far away from her.
The woman was Gracie, Rayan’s girlfriend.
‘What is she doing with Sally?’ Janessa recalled everything she had gone through because of Sally.
That woman had been making things difficult for her.
Suddenly, the pieces came together.
It was all because of Gracie! ‘How could she do those things to me behind my back? If I had known her
true colors, I wouldn't have defended her in front of the Lu family, ' Janessa thought bitterly to herself.
"Hey, what's going on? Were you listening to anything I said?"
Alana was brainstorming the perfect excuse to send the new clothes to Eric, but Janessa seemed
distracted.
When she followed Janessa's gaze, she saw Gracie speaking with Sally.
Since when was Janessa interested in other women? "Do you know who they are?"
Alana nudged Janessa's elbows, which made Janessa draw her gaze back.
"Why, yes! We know each other very well!"
Janessa picked up her coffee cup and took a small sip.
Her brows furrowed when the taste of sugar and milk suddenly became bitter in her mouth.
Maybe it was because of the bitterness she felt in her heart.
"What's the matter? Are these women connected to the Lu family? You're looking at the one drinking
coffee, right? I know the other one is the daughter of the Yu family.How come the two of them are here
together?"Alana asked.
"Do you know the woman dressed in red?"
Janessa didn't know that Alana was familiar with Sally.
It seemed that gossip traveled fast.
As expected, when it came to Sally, Alana shook her head with a sneer.
"She's the daughter from a family who started an upstart business.I remember she fell in love with my
brother the first time she saw him at a business party.Back then, she wouldn't leave my brother alone! I
can't remember how he got rid of her later on.It's been a while since I last saw her."
If there was a woman Alana despised the most, it was Sally.
Because Sally's family had become wealthy, she assumed that she would take her rightful place in the
upper class.
However, she had been mistaken.
How could a woman like that ever dream of marrying into the Shen family? She must be out of her
mind! Alana would never accept a woman like that for her brother, let alone her mother.
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