Chapter 55
Around noon, Ines went to grab some lunch with the gang. Looking at the yellowed and dry veggies,
Ines lost her appetite after just a few bites.
All of a sudden, she found herself missing the meals Ethan used to cook. His cooking was top-
notch, a feast for all senses.
In her mind, she thought maybe Ethan had spoiled her taste buds, as she never used to be picky
about food.
Thinking about Ethan, her mind naturally drifted to the crappy things that happenedst night. She
had never experienced such a disaster before.
Facing that guy, she waspletely clueless about what to do.
Kelly, sitting beside her, was captivated by the slight smile on Ines'' face. Blinking her eyes, she
sincerely said, "Ines, you''re really pretty, you know."
Deep eyes, adorable dimples when she smiled, and a calm aura around her. The more time they
spent together, the more Kelly found her beautiful. The charm of her personality seeped in with
time.
Ines snapped out of her thoughts and yfully red at Kelly, "Stop pulling my leg."
Kelly touched her heart, "Ines, you better not smile like that at guys, you''ll have them lining up."
Ines just shook her head in amusement. Kelly stuck out her tongue yfully, "By the way, Ines, did
that woman give you any trouble? I bet Jaime gave her a piece of his mind this morning."
"Nope, not really," Ines replied with a light smile.
Seeing Ines reluctant to share more, Kelly dropped the subject. Ines excused herself to go to the
ladies'' room. As she was about toe out, she heard a shrill sound of high heels approaching.
The woman was clearly upset. Then she heard a familiar voice, "Leo, dream on if you think you can
get custody. There''s no way I''m handing Naomi over to a father like you! Your family''s wealth and
power mean nothing to me. I''m financially independent and can provide for my child. Even if we go
to court, the judge will consider Naomi''s opinion. I won''t necessarily lose."
That voice belonged to Amelia. The man on the other end of the phone was also heated, so much
so that Ines could hear everything clear as day.
She suddenly remembered what Kelly had told her a few days ago about Amelia going through a
divorce. Turned out it wasn''t just a rumor.
Judging by their tone, things seemed pretty serious. They were arguing over custody. "Amelia, don''t
think too highly of yourself! You only gave birth to her, but you never took on any responsibility. How
many of Naomi''s birthdays did you attend? How many gifts did you remember to buy? How many
times did you pick her up from kindergarten? Every time, Naomi was left standing alone in the cold
with her backpack, waiting. And every time, she was disappointed to see me alone. At first, she
would ask why her mom didn''te. Butter, she stopped asking. The few times you did pick her
up, she was so happy she was jumping all over the ce."
Amelia seemed struck by his words and fell silent for a moment. Ines stood awkwardly in the
bathroom, unsure whether toe out. After a while, Amelia''s voice rang out again, "Leo, I won''t
deny what you''ve just said. I did put a lot of my energy into work over the years. But don''t use that
as an excuse for your infidelity. It''s you who betrayed our marriage first. I admit I neglected Naomi,
but from now on, I''ll shift my focus back to her."
The man on the other side of the phone seemed to find this hrious, he sneered, "Amelia, we''ve
known each other since college, that''s ten years now. I know you better than you know yourself.
Work has always been your top priority. I once thought you could be a good wife, but you''ve
disappointed me time and time again. You always have an excuse for working overtime, for not
spending time with me and Naomi. You always say you''ll be free after this period, then you''ll spend
more time with us. But your busy times never end. I can hardly believe your words anymore."
"Regardless, I''m Naomi''s mother. I won''t hand her over to another woman. And I don''t believe a
man who cheats in marriage can be a good father." Amelia was firm.
"Amelia, if you insist on making things difficult for everyone, going to court won''t do you any good.
Think about it." The man seemed to have run out of patience. His tone was harsh, even threatening.
"I don''t care. I don''t want a penny of your money, just my daughter. I won''t back down on this matter.
There''s no room for negotiation." The argument outside went on and on, only quieting down after
quite a while. Ines let out a sigh of relief. She had been in the same position for too long and her
legs were starting to feel numb. She squatted down and lightly massaged her calf, nning to wait
until Amelia left beforeing out. But unexpected things always happen. Her phone rang. It was
Ethan. She had no choice but to quickly hang up.
Amelia naturally heard the ringtone. Her face changed and she asked suspiciously, "Who''s in
there?"
Ines reluctantly put her phone back in her bag, steeled herself, and walked out of the bathroom,
"Ms. Young, it''s me."
Amelia''s face darkened instantly, "I didn''t know Ms. Galeana had a habit of eavesdropping on other
people''s phone calls."
"Um, Ms. Young, you''ve got the wrong idea. I didn''t mean to listen in on your call. I just happened to
be..." Ines started to exin.
Amelia let out a coldugh, staring at Ines, "Happened to be here, huh? Don''t you think that''s a
weak excuse? This is a workce. I don''t want to hear any rumors about my personal life in the
company. No matter how much you heard, you better forget it all. It''s for the best."
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Ines was at a loss for words, "Ms. Young, don''t worry. I won''t say a word."
"You better remember what you just said." Amelia said.
Amelia Young fixed herself up in front of the mirror, then slipped back into her usual cool demeanor,
walking out of the restroom as if nothing had happened, a stark contrast to her previous emotional
outburst. If it wasn''t for today''s incident, Ines would never have imagined that Amelia had such a
side.
Ines heaved a sigh, feeling like she really drew the short straw today. She''d managed to piss off
Amelia in the morning, and identally overheard her private matters at noon. If any rumors were
to spread around thepany, she''d certainly be the first one under suspicion. Feeling a bit down,
she pulled out her phone and dialed the number of that bolt from the blue call. If it wasn''t for that
sudden call, she could''ve made a clean getaway.