The Perfect Wife's Perfect Revenge

In Gwyneth's memory, Yvette had never struck her as the approachable type.

"It's fine," Gwyneth replied curtly, not bothering with any extra pleasantries. She answered Yvette's questions with the bare minimum, making it clear she had no interest in a drawn-out conversation.

"I know girls these days are eager for success and recognition. Ambition is good- having goals and dreams is good. But you should still be mindful of your reputation at work," Yvette said, voice laced with implication.

Gwyneth caught her drift instantly. This little errand to pick up some documents was just a pretense; what Yvette really wanted was to lecture her.noveldrama

But what did her business have to do with Yvette anyway? For a company VP, she sure liked to meddle.

Still, Gwyneth didn't see the point in explaining herself to someone she couldn't be bothered with.

Yvette, however, took Gwyneth's silence as tacit agreement.

"Your husband dropped you off at work today. The other colleagues saw you. But was that really your husband?"

Gwyneth froze. Husband? Today? Did Hawthorne drop her off and get spotted? No, that wasn't right. Hans had given her a ride, but then his car had a flat, so she'd hitched a ride from a stranger.

Which meant-

The "husband" Yvette mentioned was actually the man who'd kindly given her a lift this morning.

Gwyneth grew even quieter. Yvette wasn't just smug-she was outright clueless. "No, that's not—” She realized she needed to clarify.

"I knew it," Yvette interrupted, leaning in conspiratorially. "Come on, you can tell me—are you the fourth or the sixth? Men that age always have a string of women on the side. You're young and pretty, don't let those office rumors about Mr. Everhart get to your head."

Gwyneth could hardly believe how far off the mark Yvette was wandering. "What rumors?" she asked, genuinely puzzled.

She and Hawthorne had only just come back to Starfall City, and since she'd started at the company, she'd been buried in work with the gaming department. Even when she passed by the break room, the chatter would die the moment she walked in. She honestly hadn't heard a thing.

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"That Mr. Everhart got married," Yvette replied, eyes glinting. "Everyone's talking about it-word is, he's tied the knot."

Gwyneth's heart skipped. Was Yvette trying to suss out if she was Hawthorne's wife, tossing out these hints to see how she'd react?

But that didn't make sense. If she and Hawthorne were married, it wouldn't be a secret for long. News like that would spread fast. Why bother fishing for information unless Yvette had her own motives?

"Oh," Gwyneth managed, keeping her guard up.

"I know you must be upset, heartbroken even-" Yvette's expression, however, was anything but sympathetic; if anything, there was a flicker of schadenfreude in her smile.

What? Gwyneth was getting more and more confused.

"If you really want a boyfriend," Yvette went on, "I actually have a few contacts. You're pretty and

smart, and I've met all types-taimet

short, athletic, rich, you name it. If you're interested, I can introduce you to someone decent. There's no need to stoop so low."

Gwyneth almost laughed. So that was it-Yvette thought she was having an affair

with the middle-aged man who'd given her a ride this morning.

"Our company works closely with

the Everhart family. They're a big

deal in Greenvale. If you get it net

up with someone unsavory, it

reflects badly on all of us. The fumor about Mr. Everhart being married is nonsense-but it's true that he'll soon have a beautiful, intelligent, and capable fiancée. And trust me,

that woman isn't you."

Gwyneth listened to the lecture without protest, but couldn't resist one final question.

"Miss Yvette, I'm just a small-time employee here. Hardly anyone even knows my name. How could my private life have such a big impact on the company's reputation? Since when does who I date matter so much?"