Chapter 91: Upright and Responsible

After the banquet began, Zoe and Robert came over to drink a toast.

Robert was a big-bellied man with a greasy face. Zoe clung to his arm, all smiles as well.

They had originally meant to toast the table beside them, but Robert turned and spotted Leon, so he hurried over with his glass in hand.

At first Robert did not notice Vivian. He clinked glasses with Leon, then turned slightly, and his expression changed at once.

He had once booked the star performer at Vivian’s bar; that sordid little affair was common knowledge, and though today was a day of celebration, he still could not quite keep the shame off his face.

Vivian smiled as if nothing were amiss. Before Robert could recover, she rose with a glass of juice. “Mr. Robert, come support us when you have time. Moonlight will be starting work in a few days.”

Jo lowered her eyes, barely able to suppress a laugh.

She could not see Robert’s expression, only hear him mumble a couple of indistinct yeses. “Of course, of course.”

After he finished drinking with Vivian, Robert hesitated with his glass in hand, likely because he was not familiar with the others at the table.

But when his gaze swept over Jo, he stopped at once and quickly poured himself another drink. “Beautiful lady, let me toast you.”

Calling her beautiful lady meant he clearly had not recognized Jo.

Jo lifted her eyes to him and raised her glass as well. “Wishing you a marriage blessed with harmony for a hundred years.”

Robert smiled at her. “Thank you.”

Zoe held her glass the whole time and said nothing from beginning to end, and Robert paid no mind to her reaction.

After the drinks, he nodded to Jo. “Eat slowly. If you need anything, just say the word.”

After they left, Vivian frowned. “Why does that man look at women with such a greasy expression?”

Jo did not answer. She had not eaten anything since early morning and was starving, so she quickly picked up her chopsticks. “Eat, eat.”

No one else came to disturb them. By the time they had nearly finished, Jo took a tissue and wiped her mouth. “Shall we go?”

The answer came from Leon. “Let’s go.”

Vivian also set down her chopsticks. “Go. Otherwise your brother will come over again in a minute.”

Leon took a tissue and wiped his hands. “Actually, I wanted to say this. My brother is a total straight arrow. There should be some misunderstanding between you two. You ought to lay it all out and talk it through. This can’t go on.”

He looked at Vivian. “Are you really willing to just let him go like this?”

“It’s not a question of letting or not letting,” Vivian said as she stood up. “You don’t understand.”

They did not even greet the hosts. They left the banquet hall and went straight downstairs.

Leon had drunk alcohol and could not drive, so he had to call for a chauffeur.

During that gap, the three of them stood in the hotel lobby. Not long after, they saw Tina coming down from upstairs, wiping tears as she walked.

Two women who had just been backing her up were with her, hurrying along too.

Vivian let out a sound. “What’s going on? She’s crying?”

Jo did not understand it either. Tina was holding up her skirt with one hand, first walking briskly and then breaking into a run.

The two women chased after her from behind.

Vivian loved a spectacle and was always eager to get involved, so she called out to them directly. “Hey, finished eating? So fast? You were still talking just now, come on, let’s settle this properly.”

Tina seemed not to hear and ran all the way out.

The two women did hear her. They looked back, and when they saw it was them, they quickly turned around and ran the other way.

Vivian snorted. “Useless.”

They waited a little longer, and then Mrs. Hawthorne came downstairs as well, wearing much the same expression as Tina, hurrying out in a panic.

Jo and Vivian were dressed conspicuously, and as Mrs. Hawthorne passed them, she paused for a moment as if wavering, but in the end she did not stop.

...

Jo was sent home first. Once she got back, she kicked off her high heels and went for a shower, and only then did she feel refreshed.

When she came out of the bathroom, her phone was ringing on the bed.

Jo hurried over, initially thinking Vivian was calling to tell her she had gotten home safely, but when she picked up the phone she saw it was not her.

Another unknown number. What a day.

Jo answered. “Who is this?”

The person on the other end hesitated. “May I ask if this is Miss Jo?”

Jo frowned. “Who are you?”

The other party said, “I’m Daisy.”

Jo laughed on the spot. “What, weren’t you humiliated enough when I cursed you out at the hotel? You had to come crawling back for more?”

This time Daisy’s attitude was excellent. “No, no, please don’t misunderstand. I wanted to apologize to you. I was abrupt today. Your business with Mr. Lance is not mine to interfere with. I was just confused for a moment.”

Jo’s expression stiffened as she still had not figured out what was going on.

Daisy went on, “But what I said today was not something I made up on the spot. When the old gentleman was gravely ill, I really did go to the hospital. At that time he mentioned you, and what he said was the same as what I said today. Maybe the way I expressed myself today was wrong, and it made you uncomfortable, but I meant no harm.”

Jo turned and sat down at the edge of the bed, running her tongue over the back of her teeth as she thought of the scene in the banquet hall.

She said, “Did Lance know you came to provoke me? Did he get upset?”

On the other end, Daisy instantly fell silent.

Jo smiled. So in the banquet hall, he had publicly slapped Daisy’s face.

And Daisy, trying to salvage the situation, had hurried to call and apologize to her.

But the apology came with reluctance and resentment, as if she were merely saying her choice of words had been wrong and her intentions had been harmless.

This woman thought that because she was clever, everyone else must be stupid.

Jo smiled. “Ms. Daisy, if you don’t want to apologize, then you should have kept your chin up and stood your ground. But if you’re going to come around and say sorry, then do it sincerely. Don’t play word games with me.”

She added, “Since you’ve worked at the Jo Group for quite a few years, even if you’ve never met me, you should at least have heard of my reputation. Do you think I’m the kind of person who forgives just because someone bows their head?”

She was in excellent spirits and leaned back against the bed. “If I’m in the wrong, I still insist on arguing my case by a good third. If I’m in the right, then I’m even less likely to let it go.”

Actually, if one thought about it, the matter was easy enough to understand. Daisy had come right up to Jo to challenge her, and Vivian had been there at the time. Vivian was a big mouth and fiercely protective of her own.

If she went out and broadcast this incident, the people outside would certainly not say anything to Lance directly, but they would absolutely be buzzing about it behind his back.

At the time of the divorce, he had splashed the dirty water onto Jo, and although everyone went along with his version, each of them had their own private calculations.

Now one of the managers in his department, who had once served under the old Mr. Jo, had suddenly jumped out to mock the ex-wife he had driven out of the house. No matter who looked at it, the sight was ugly beyond measure.

Lance was not especially concerned with appearances, but he was not willing to have a subordinate tear off his face and trample it into the ground.

After a long silence on the other end, Daisy said, “If that’s how Miss Jo sees it, then take it as though I said nothing.”

“What do you mean, take it as though you said nothing?” Jo said. “You want to act virtuous and still keep your hands clean? I’m not going to let you tiptoe around it. Just because your false dignity fell apart doesn’t mean you never meant it. Since you came at me, you’d better brace yourself and take it.”

Through the phone, she could hear Daisy’s heavy breathing. Jo guessed she regretted making the call to the bone.

Jo was delighted. “You’re the head of public relations, yes? We’ll be running into each other plenty in the future. I wasn’t joking when I said what I said today. You’ll understand soon enough.”