Lily choked on her words, her irritation barely concealed.
Still, she forced herself to hold it in and managed a smile. “I’m just curious, that’s
all. I heard Director Whitmore is already married, but I don’t think I’ve ever heard her
mention her husband.”
Evangeline could tell Lily was being deliberately provocative.
Her tone stayed cool. “There’s nothing worth mentioning.”
Seeing Evangeline dodge the subject, Lily became even more convinced her suspicions were right. She cooed, “Sometimes chatting about our personal lives brings us all closer together, don’t you think?”
But Evangeline clearly had no intention of opening up. So Lily pressed on, “Director Whitmore, you’re so beautiful–your husband must be absolutely crazy about you, right?”
Her nosiness caught the attention of the others in the office.
“Yeah, Evangeline, what does your husband do?”
“Is he handsome? Come on, tell us!”
A chorus of eager voices surrounded Evangeline, peppering her with questions.
The noise made her head throb. Wanting some peace, she answered offhandedly, “He’s nothing special, and actually, we’re about to get divorced.”
The room fell silent for a moment.
The ones who had been so excited to gossip suddenly went quiet, shooting her apologetic looks.
Lily, however, refused to let it go: “Director Whitmore, divorce isn’t something to be taken lightly.”
“Couples fight sometimes my boyfriend and I fight too–but you can’t just throw around words like divorce or breakup.”
“And besides, you’ve already been married once. If you really get divorced, who knows if you’ll ever find someone better?”
She put on a face full of faux concern, but Evangeline could see right through her. The sympathy was nothing but a façade; Lily was clearly relishing the situation.
1/3
12:35
Evangeline smiled. “I appreciate your concern, but I’m not worried. There’s no magical connection between being married and finding a good man.”
“And honestly, I have a lot going for me–I’m not exactly worried about my prospects.”
Lily scoffed inwardly.
Did Evangeline actually believe that? Was she seriously that confident Glenn liked her?
Over the past weeks, Lily had figured Glenn’s interest in Evangeline was nothing more than neighborly courtesy. She’d never seen any sign he wanted something
more.
Just as she was thinking this, a deliveryman walked in, arms full with an enormous bouquet of blue roses, phone pressed to his ear as he searched for someone.
The blue roses were striking and lush, impossible to ignore.
Several women gasped in unison. “Those are gorgeous! They must have cost a fortune.”
“I saw this variety when I was abroad–just a single stem costs hundreds. That must be at least a hundred roses.”
“That would be thousands of dollars, easy.”
“Lily, is that another gift from your boyfriend?” one of the women teased, shooting Lily a sly look full of envy.
Lily froze.
Her boyfriend was notoriously clueless when it came to gifts; she always had to remind him to bring flowers, and even then, it was the standard red roses. He definitely wasn’t the extravagant type.
So what had gotten into him today?
Before she could say anything, someone waved the deliveryman over. “The person you’re looking for is right here!”
The deliveryman hurried over.
Basking in everyone’s jealous stares, Lily felt like she was floating on air. Chin high, she confidently gave her name for the delivery confirmation and reached out, fully expecting to claim the bouquet.
2/3
12:35
But the deliveryman pulled the roses back. “Sorry, these aren’t for Lily. The recipient is Evangeline–Ms. Whitmore.”
