Chapter 99
"No sweat," Chloe said firmly. "As long as I can divorce this deadbeat and make sure I get custody of
the kids, I don''t give a damn about the rest."
Aria and Austin were her whole world. As long as she could be with her two kids, she wasn''t scared of
any hardships that mighte after the divorce.
The divorce proceedings dragged on for over an hour. Chloe got what she wanted: full custody of her
kids. But that didn''t mean she was winning at life.
After leaving the courthouse, the Lewis family was still spewing venom.
Roxanne got Chloe into the car. On the ride, Chloe tried her best to keep it together, not to let herself
cry. But she couldn''t hold back. She once thought marrying Oliver would give her a lifetime of
happiness. Who would''ve guessed she''d end up like this?
Roxanneforted Chloe for a long time. Wiping away her tears, Chloe managed a smile, "Actually,
it''s not that bad. When I was with Oliver, we had nothing. Now, even though we''re divorced, at least I''ve
got my two adorable munchkins."
Being able to walk away with Austin and Aria was a blessing indeed.
However, as Chloe wasughing, she started crying again. Roxanne handed her a tissue to wipe away
her tears. Taking the tissue, Chloe wiped her eyes, "I''m fine. I just feel relieved and liberated."
After Chloe''s divorce, Roxanne didn''t waste any more time. She proposed to Oliver to dissolve their
Roxanne and Chloe decided to start a business together. She shared the news with Harrison. Harrison
tried to persuade her over the phone. "Roxanne, running a business isn''t a walk in the park. I can hook
you up with a job at Rodriguez Group. At least it would provide you with a stable ie and security."
"Are you looking down on us?" Roxanne retorted.
"I didn''t mean it like that. I just want you to have a steadier life," Harrison tried to exin. He thought if
Roxanne could work at Rodriguez Group, she''d have an easy time earning a high sry, instead of
hustling all over the ce.
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However, Roxanne was a go-getter. That very day, she registered a newpany with Chloe. Once
the registration was done, they started hiring new staff.
Back home in the evening, Harrison set down his briefcase and started, “Roxanne, you should take a
look at Rodriguez Group. I saw theirtest job posting, they don''t require a degree.”
Roxanne was in the kitchen, making soup. She nced back at him. “Do you think Rodriguez Group is
yours to give? One, I don’t want to go. Two, I don’t have the qualifications. Three, I really want to start
my own business.”
She felt that a steady job had its limitations. Even if she were to join Rodriguez Group, she''d probably
be stuck doing menial tasks.
Skimming off the froth from the soup, she looked at Harrison who came over and added, "Don''t worry
about my job. In a while, Chloe and I will get our business off the ground."
Unable to persuade her, Harrison gave up. Roxanne turned down the heat on the stove a little, turned
around and said, "Tomorrow, I need to go to Pearl Building to collect a long-overdue payment. I still
need to make some preparations. Turn off the stove in about twenty minutes."
"Pearl Building?" Harrison frowned, deep in thought. He had been there before. It was a high-end ce
frequented by the wealthy. To get in, one had to be in formal attire. Should he remind Roxanne?
Harrison asked, "What time are you going?"
Roxanne answered, "I''ll be there at ten in the morning. I''ve already set a meeting with the guy who
owes me."
"How much does he owe you, and for how long?"
"He owes me over a hundred grand and it''s been five or six years. I need the money to get the
business going. I have to get it back."
The next day.
Chloe and Roxanne went to the Pearl Building together.
Chloe was dressed in a T-shirt and jeans. Roxanne, anticipating possible conflict with the debtor, wore
a loose tracksuit for ease of movement.
However, when they arrived at the entrance of the Pearl Building, a young male receptionist stopped
them. "Ladies, I am sorry, but I''m afraid you can''te in."
Roxanne and Chloe were puzzled. Roxanne looked at the elegantly dressed people and asked, "Why
can they go in and we can''t? We''re customers too."
"Ladies, the minimum spend here is over 5000 dors. Perhaps you were not aware of this?" While the
receptionist reminded them with a smile, there was a hint of disdain in his words.
Was he looking down on them? Thinking they couldn''t afford it? Chloe tugged at Roxanne''s hand,
"Anne, what do we do? We can''t get in?"
However, Roxanne remained calm. "We have an appointment. Let us in. Don''t worry, we''ll spend."
"I''m sorry, it''s not that I don''t want to let you in. Our clientele are the rich and famous of society; they all
where anyone can just stroll in."
Although the receptionist was smiling as he spoke, his words wereced with sarcasm. Then he made
a polite but mocking gesture, "Ladies, if you wish to visit a supermarket, you can take a right turn out of
the door, take bus 228 and you''ll reach there after five stops."
"Who are you mocking? How do you know we can''t afford it?" Even Roxanne, usually the cool-headed
one, was getting agitated. Was he looking down on them?
The receptionist seemed to be running out of patience with them, his smile bing stiff: "Lady, look
at what you''re wearing. The whole outfit doesn''t look more than three hundred bucks, clearly flea
market stuff, right? Do you honestly think you can afford the five grand minimum spend here? Plus,
we''ve got rules here. No formal attire, no entry. If you don''t leave, I''ll have to call security, and they
won''t be so nice."
Just then, a man in a suit, tie, and polished shoes approached the entrance. He intended to go straight
in, but when he saw Roxanne, he stepped back. Recognizing the woman as his half-sister Roxanne,
Nathaniel snickered, "Well, isn''t this a small world, did not expect to bump into you here."
Roxanne was already fed up with the receptionist, and now here was another annoyance.
Nathaniel was a regr at Pearl Building. When the receptionist saw him, he respectfully greeted, "Mr.
Martinez, wee."
Nathaniel nced at Roxanne, then remarked, "Dressed like a rag doll, yet wanting to enter a high-end
ce. Roxanne, you look so broke, have you ever seen the big wide world?"
Roxanne shot Nathaniel a cold look, "What''s it to you?"
"How about this?" Nathaniel proposed, "I can raise Sebastian''s allowance to three hundred bucks a
month. You just need to take him in. If you agree, I''ll take you to a high-end ce once. How''s that?"
Roxanne would never forgive Sebastian. She firmly said, "Even if you offer me thirty grand, I won''t take
care of Sebastian."
He abandoned her when she was four. Why should she take care of him when he was old and can''t
walk? She didn''t have such a father.
"You are really stubborn." Nathaniel scoffed, his hand in his suit pocket, "Someone as poor as you will
never set foot in a high-ss ce like this in your entire life."
Just then, a luxury Rolls-Royce slowly pulled up at the building entrance. Inside was Vincent in a suit.
Seeing his daughter-inw Roxanne being stopped at the entrance, his heart ached, and he frowned.