Byron stared sharply at Maeve's indifferent smile. "Does that mean you don't mind?" he asked.

"Why should I?" Maeve said nonchalantly. "We're about to get a divorce. You can do whatever you want with anyone. It has nothing to do with me, right?" Byron thought, What a good retort—saying I can do whatever I want with anyone!

His expression darkened. "So what about last night?" He thought, Since she wants a divorce, why did she still try to please me last night? Is she playing a trick on me?

Maeve was left speechless. The thought of last night's events flushed her cheeks and quickened her breathing. However, she suppressed her reaction. Feigning puzzlement, she said, "It's just a normal exchange of desires between adults. What's the big deal? Mr. McDaniel, could it be that you still don't understand this principle at your age?" Byron thought, At this age…

He looked at her with a chilling gaze, a sneer playing on his thin lips. "Maeve, you'd better remember what you just said. Don't regret it." With that, he coldly shook off her hand, turned, and strode away.

Maeve's feigned composure crumbled. She bit her lip until it almost bled; her face was pale and grim. She thought, It isn't what I think? I didn't think it. I just saw it. From last night until now, he's been with Karen, hugging each other like lovers. Worried about him being sick, I rushed over, looking like a fool. Last night, I was even more foolish. I actually thought he liked me too, which is why he treated me that way. But I forgot that one can desire someone without having feelings for them. She then bumped into Ray, who was hurriedly running out.

When Maeve returned to Bonnie's ward in a daze, Ray's mask hung over one ear, his usually enchanting face slightly flushed, as if he'd been slapped. His attractive eyes were filled with confusion. Maeve was shocked. "Dr. George, what happened to you?" she asked.

"Mrs. McDaniel, your friend is…fierce," Ray said, forcing a smile and adjusting his mask. He didn't elaborate. "Go in and check on her. Just call me if there's any problem." With that, he left, absorbed in thought and looking dazed.

Maeve, no longer concerned with her own frustration, went into the ward. Bonnie was curled up under the blanket, her head buried in it. Maeve patted her. "Bonnie? What happened just now?"

Hiding under the blanket, Bonnie cried, "Maeve, my butt is not clean anymore."

Maeve's expression changed. "What happened? Did Dr. George take the opportunity to mistreat you?"

"Not exactly," Bonnie stammered. "After the adjustment, he kindly helped pull the blanket over me. I was in so much pain that I curled up a little… It just so happened that my butt came into contact with his hand…" (Under the blanket was her butt. One could imagine the situation.)

Maeve, remembering the red mark on Ray's face, suddenly understood. "And then you slapped him?"

"That was a reflex reaction!" Bonnie said angrily. "If his hand hadn't been there, my butt wouldn't have coincidentally come into contact with…"

Noticing Bonnie's trailing voice, Maeve knew she felt guilty. She smiled. "When Dr. George left your ward, he looked dazed. You probably stunned him with that slap." She thought, He's not just stunned. Judging by Ray's expression, it was as if he'd never been slapped before in his life, and his self-esteem took a serious hit.

Bonnie emerged from under the blanket. "I don't care. I got the short end of the stick."

"Do you want to switch doctors to avoid feeling awkward?"

"Forget it. Switching would mean having to adjust all over again, which would be even more uncomfortable."

Maeve nodded. "Bonnie, do you know any reliable lawyers?"

"Yes. What area are you looking to consult about?"

"Divorce."

On the day Maeve returned to work, she received a warm welcome. It should be noted that it had been four consecutive years since anyone from Eternal Hope had defeated Alex and won the award for the most eye-catching design. Hence, after the design exhibition, Maeve and Jack became the company's cutting-edge designers and received a lot of attention. Everyone felt proud of their achievement.

"It feels so good. I can feel good until the next exhibition. Those sons of bitches downstairs won't have this good fortune."

"I'm going to the company cafeteria for lunch today to interview people from other offices about how it feels when no one won any awards in the exhibition." "They previously mocked our new hires backstage, but in the end, they turned out to be even worse than our new hires."

Everyone burst into laughter. Maeve realized the competition between offices at Eternal Hope was intense. If any floor's design office failed to meet performance standards twice in a row, it was harshly demoted to a lower floor. This led to designers on the lower floors desperately trying to move up, while those on the higher floors fought hard to keep their positions. When designers from different offices ran into each other, it was like meeting enemies—almost as if they would draw their swords on the spot. Now that they had a chance to show off, they naturally wouldn't let the opportunity pass.

"Maeve, come over here," Leah called from her desk.

Maeve walked over. "Ms. Mason, what's the matter?"

Leah placed three documents in front of her. "Still remember the right to choose designs for the seasonal collection? It's one of the rewards after Morningstar won the award. These projects are some of the company's top assets. You and Jack are lucky this time." Maeve silently marveled at the company's generosity. She opened the documents. One was for the design of this year's summer fashion collection, another for a private custom spring suit design, and the last for a renowned actress's year-end red carpet gown.

Each was tempting, but Maeve could only choose one.

"How is it? Have you made your choice?" Leah asked, seeing the conflicted look on Maeve's face. "Or should we just draw lots?"

A trace of helplessness flashed across Maeve's calm face as she made her decision. She tapped the middle document. "Ms. Mason, I choose this one."

"A custom suit?" Leah was surprised. "I thought this would be the last thing you'd choose. I figured it would be snatched away by Jack."

"When I was making gowns, my eyes were almost blurry from the crewelwork. This time, I want something a bit easier and a change of pace," Maeve smiled casually. "It should be very interesting." Eternal Hope specialized in wedding dresses and fashion, but their custom designs, for men or women, were equally outstanding.

Touching her chin, Leah smiled mysteriously. "I can only say that you have good judgment."

Each of the three choices carried its own significance: the summer fashion show, the actress's gown (good for publicity), and the custom suit (a different challenge).

While Maeve was still considering, Leah tossed her a contract and a business card. "This is the client's company address. Go there directly. Whether or not you can get the client to acknowledge your design caliber and sign the final contract depends on your ability."