Joanna didn''t dare call the police. If the incident with Cynthia came to light, her acting career would be over before it even started. She quickly changed the subject, deliberately bringing up Susan White. "Has Susan bothered you since you got back?"


    At the mention of Susan, a wicked smile crossed Jared''s face. "She''s always calling Monica vicious, isn''t she? Well, I sent her an e-vite to our wedding. I want her to see with her own eyes how happy we are. I want her to finally give up on me. The person I love is Monica. Nothing Susan does will ever change that."


    Jared felt a surge of satisfaction as he said it, but it was quickly followed by a wave of bitterness. His eyes dimmed slightly. The truth was, Susan hadn''t tried to contact him at all. In the past, she would have been at his door the moment he returned, fussing over him. He hadn''t spoken to her in the year he''d been away. He used to find her clinginess annoying, but now that she was gone, he felt a strange sense of unease.


    With the wedding just days away, his mood soured. Before, when he couldn''t have Monica, he''d wanted to be by her side twenty-four-seven. But now... he found himself thinking about all of Susan''s good qualities, magnified a thousand times. He was getting married, he''d sent Susan an invitation, and she hadn''t reacted at all. Remembering all her past kindness now that she was ignoring him, he felt a sharp, unpleasant pang in his chest.


    Susan had been devoted to him. They were not only ssmates but had sat together through high school and college. For six years, she had brought him breakfast and cared for him, rain or shine. Yet, he just didn''t love her. Perhaps because she had made it so easy for him, he could never bring himself to like her.


    Jared took a deep breath. Ever since that night, he''d felt off. A saying came to mind: the timing was perfect, and then they were over. The feeling was damnably ufortable.


    Joanna seized the opportunity.


    ase


    "Natalie and Susan are very close. You need to be careful Susan doesn''t plot against you. Look what happened to Jerome he waspletely tricked by Natalie and Zenobia. If it weren''t for that whole mess, Jerome and Yvonne would have been married by now. But now Jerome..." Joanna trailed off" feigning regret. The truth was, they had almost traced that incident back to her. Thankfully, she had been discreet. Natalie suspected her, but she had no proof. Natalie had a recording, but Jerome didn''t believe her.


    Jared reassured her in a low voice, "Don''t worry about me, Joanna. I''m not as stupid as Jerome." Joanna just smiled without a word. He was even more foolish, she thought, believing me unconditionally. She was determined to make Jerome the heir to the Scott family.


    What Jared didn''t expect was to run into Natalie and Susan having dinner together that very afternoon when he took Monica out to a restaurant. Susan was dressed in a chic ck pantsuit, sitting beside Natalie. Natalie looked surprised, remarking on Susan''s transformation. "Susan, I haven''t seen you in months! You''re like apletely different person."


    She had shed her youthful awkwardness and sported a sharp, short haircut. She was much slimmer than before. Her oval face


    ver


    and delicate features were entuated by elegant makeup. If you passed her on the street, you might not recognize her at first


    nce A year the business world


    had given her a sharp assertive


    look. She was proud but not


    arrogant, confident but not


    conceited, carrying herself with an


    incredible new poise.


    Susan smiled faintly at Natalie''s words. "You''ve changed too, Natalie. It just goes


    to show, we''re both better off once we steer clear of toxic men."


    In Susan''s eyes, Natalie had changed immensely. Herposure and grace now seemed to emanate from her very core.