Chapter 147
No wonder someone as unremarkable as Effie managed to land a designer position at The Etheridge Group—it turns out she’s gotten close to Mr. Etheridge himself.
Nelly was determined to expose this, to let everyone see Effie for who she truly
was.
But she wasn’t entirely sure yet. That’s why she needed to test the waters first.
Effie’s pen paused for an instant in her hand, but she quickly regained her composure.
She looked up, offering Nelly a polite yet distant smile. “You must be mistaken, Nelly. I spent the whole weekend at home.”
Nelly gave a loaded “Oh?” and scrolled through her phone, pulling up a photo. “So, this isn’t you then?”
The image was unmistakable-Effie and Lyman dining together at a resort restaurant.
It was just a side profile, but anyone who knew Effie could recognize her in a heartbeat.
Effie’s heart skipped a beat, but she kept her expression calm. “Nelly, isn’t it a bit inappropriate to sneak photos of people?”
Effie was genuinely annoyed; she hated the feeling of being watched.
She wasn’t flustered, though. After all, she and Lyman were married.
If people found out, so be it.
Clearly, Nelly didn’t know the truth. Did she really think there was something scandalous going on?
“I just happened to run into you, that’s all,” Nelly said smugly, waving her phone.
“But the real coincidence is, I also saw you and Mr. Etheridge going into the same suite… Seems like there’s something special between you two, huh?”
Around them, the other coworkers were suddenly all ears, pretending to work while eavesdropping.
Oh my god, this was the juiciest gossip ever!
Effie and Mr. Etheridge?
Could it be true?
Everyone was dying to know.
Effie’s face turned icy. “Nelly, don’t you think you’re being a bit out of line? My private life is none of your business.”
Suddenly, it hit Nelly-if Effie really was involved with Mr. Etheridge, and she went running to him tonight, Nelly could end up in real trouble.
She needed this job.
In the end, Nelly forced a sheepish smile. “Sorry, I was just curious. Didn’t mean to bother you.”
There’s always another day. Sooner or later, the truth would come out.
Maybe Mr. Etheridge would dump Effie soon enough anyway.
Hmph! Who does she think she is?
With that, Nelly turned and left.
Effie let out a quiet sigh of relief.
She didn’t want this to blow up. If people found out who she really was, it would
make staying at the company unbearably awkward.
She’d need to be more careful from now on.
But she couldn’t help but wonder-what was Nelly even doing at the resort?
That place was expensive, far beyond what an average office worker could afford.
Besides, most of the resort operated on a members-only basis. Only people with serious wealth could even get in.
Nelly must have gone with someone else.
Lately, Effie had heard some less-than-flattering rumors about Nelly. Honestly, it wasn’t hard to imagine.
And now Nelly had the nerve to interrogate her?
Effie just couldn’t be bothered.
She wasn’t one to meddle in other people’s business, so once Nelly left, she didn’t say another word.
The rest of the office, realizing the excitement was over for now, slowly drifted back to their own work.
After work, Lyman had a business dinner with the Luminara Corporation, so Effie made plans to have dinner and do some shopping with Nita.
The school reunion was coming up, and Effie wanted to pick out a new outfit.
It wasn’t as if she didn’t have anything to wear-if anything, her closet was
overflowing. Lyman had luxury boutiques send their newest collections straight to their door.
Those dresses were gorgeous and expensive, meant for galas and high-profile events.
But a class reunion was different.
Most of her classmates lived on modest salaries; the price of a single one of her dresses could be their entire annual income.