Chapter 142
Shirley snapped back to reality, her face wearing a polite and composed smile. "No, you've got it all wrong. Mr. Preston and I are just friends. He's my boss, and I'm his subordinate at work."
As Shirley spoke about their moments at the office, her joy was difficult to hide.
Shirley was truly in love with Ethan. From the very first moment she saw him, she just knew. Even knowing he was already married, she couldn't hold back her feelings for him.
Luckily, Ethan didn't have any affection for Nora. Their engagement had been purely a business arrangement.
"Come on, Shirley, are you still trying to hide it? Everyone knows about you and Mr. Preston. He's about to get divorced, and when you become Mrs. Preston, you better not forget about us, your best girlfriends."
Shirley's cheeks turned rosy as she grew bashful from their teasing. "Alright, you guys, cut it out. Mr. Preston is still married—don't let people get the wrong idea."
"Please, everyone knows that Nora Sinclair is just chasing after him. Mr. Preston doesn't love her; she's just a shrew. If it weren't for her family connections, she would’ve never married him. It's pure wishful thinking."
"Exactly, Shirley, we all know the one Mr. Preston truly loves is you. Remember the three-million-dollar necklace he gave you last time? Why didn't you wear it today?" another voice chimed in.
"That's three million dollars, Shirley. Mr. Preston really treats you well," someone chimed in.
"Exactly," another person added.
Shirley lowered her head, neither confirming nor denying it. That three-million-dollar necklace was actually bought for Nora.
Back then, Shirley had just tried it on when Nora happened to walk in. Later, when Ethan gave the necklace to Nora, she started making veiled accusations, and Ethan, annoyed, blurted out that it was for Shirley instead.
Of course, Shirley would never spill the truth to these girls.
"Mr. Preston and Miss Sinclair even have a son together. Honestly, I truly wish their family well. My feelings for Mr. Preston are purely admiration. Though Miss Sinclair can be a bit intense at times, I believe she truly loves him, which is why she cares so much," Shirley added.
Sienna, overhearing this, shot them a cold look, finding it utterly ridiculous.
"Ms. Dalton, if all you felt for Mr. Preston was admiration, you wouldn't say things that are so easy to misunderstand." Sienna's voice cut in sharply, and her words shut the whole group of gossiping girls up in an instant.
Shirley bit her lip, knowing that Sienna and Nora were best friends. She felt a bit indignant. "Miss Enna, I don't understand what you mean. I haven't said anything that could be misunderstood."
Sienna glanced at Shirley, unable to understand why anyone would say she resembled Nora.
"First, you speak in vague terms. Did no one teach you how to speak directly? Or maybe you just don't know how to express yourself properly! When your friend asked who invited you, you should've just said it was Ethan's mother who invited you."
"Second, calling Ethan 'Mr. Preston' and his wife 'Miss Sinclair'—don't you know how to address a married couple? Third, you say Miss Sinclair is extreme, but you admire Mr. Preston and call his wife extreme. Your words don't match up."
Sienna's words were sharp, leaving no room for anyone to argue back.
For the first time, Shirley felt truly intimidated, as if she and Sienna were on completely different levels. She could only look up to Sienna, feeling utterly beneath her.
Shirley's family background wasn't exactly lacking—she was the heiress of the Dalton Group, and back in the day, the Hart Corporation was pretty much in the same league as her family.
"Miss Enna, I didn't mean it that way. If I said anything that made you misunderstand, I apologize," Shirley said.
Of course, Sienna had already looked into Shirley. She was never the type to just blame the woman when it came to cheating.
In this world, a lot of women were still stuck on the weaker side. Some had no choice but to stick with men because of power or money, just trying to survive.
As a woman herself, Sienna got how tough things could be for women. Even in rich families, most girls couldn't escape their family's plans for them. Only a handful ever got to take charge of their own lives, free from anyone's control.
But Shirley wasn't one of those girls. She actively pursued Ethan from the start. She created the illusion that she and Ethan were very close, feeding the media misleading stories, causing trouble between Ethan and Nora, and constantly trying to please the Preston family.