Husband Backing the Mistress

"I could talk about it nicely, but…" Iris Hart's gaze shifted towards Zoe Dawson, "Are you sure this is something others should hear?"

Ava Sterling settled into her seat with a slight, cold smile, "I believe Manager Dawson is fully entitled to be part of this conversation."

After all, Zoe Dawson was well aware of many of her matters. As for whatever Iris Hart had to say, Ava could guess; there was nothing that couldn't be heard.

Zoe Dawson raised an eyebrow at Iris Hart, which only served to infuriate Iris, turning her face red. 

Ava Sterling let out a stifled chuckle at the sight, and Zoe, having had her fill of entertainment, patted down her clothes and stood up:

"Ms. Sterling, I have a proposal to discuss with a client, so I'll leave you to it."

Ava Sterling nodded with a smile, while Iris Hart arrogantly surveyed the office before sitting down with self-importance, "It seems your employee knows her place."

"She's not my employee; she's my partner," Ava Sterling corrected.

"Oh, what's the difference?" Iris Hart scoffed, clicking her tongue, "Ava Sterling, oh Ava Sterling, your place is so small. You should see my office that Nathan decorated for me—it's so beautiful, way bigger than your entire studio."

"Miss Hart, if you're here to brag, then I'll kindly not see you out."

"Hmph… Brag?" Iris Hart snorted coldly, admiring her freshly done nails.

Then, she slowly stood up, her high heels clicking as she walked straight towards Ava Sterling, leaned her hands on the desk, and looked down at Ava with a superior posture, her words biting, "Ava Sterling, do you hate me that much?"

Iris had only intended to belittle Ava and leave, but seeing Ava's reaction only fueled her irritation; she felt challenged.

"Hate you for what?" Ava Sterling found Iris Hart's demeanor utterly ridiculous, like a belligerent rooster.

"Ava Sterling, drop the act. You're the joke of the entire circle now. Can you even stand it? You must be fuming inside, so why pretend to be above it all here?" Iris Hart wore a smug expression, clearly pleased with herself.

She couldn't fathom why Nathan Ford wouldn't divorce Ava Sterling. If Ava were out of the picture, the title of Mrs. Ford would rightfully belong to Iris Hart.

"I'm the joke? What about you?" Ava Sterling said disdainfully. She genuinely found Iris Hart foolish and laughable. Had she grown so impatient in just a year to confront her in such a hurry?

"Me? What about me? I am Nathan Ford's girlfriend, loved by him, as everyone knows. And you... you're just a title holder, soon to be thrown out. By then, you'll lose all your dignity... no, you've already lost it. I bet your deceased mother would turn in her grave if she knew what you've become."

Hearing Iris Hart's sharp and biting words, Ava Sterling initially didn't want to stoop to her level. 

However, the mention of her late mother crossed a line.

A crisp slap echoed before Iris Hart could even react, leaving five bright red marks on her face.

"Ah—Ava Sterling—you lowlife, how dare you hit me..." Iris Hart realized she had been slapped and reached out to retaliate, but Ava Sterling was prepared and caught her hand easily.

"Listen, Iris Hart, if I'm the joke, what does that make you? You're also a joke. At least I'm Nathan Ford's wife by law, wedded in broad daylight. You, Iris Hart, are nothing but a mistress scorned by everyone. Every wealthy man may stray, but a hotel is just a hotel, and home is home. There can be many dishes, but there's only one bowl of rice."

"Ava Sterling... you... Nathan Ford doesn't love you at all." Iris Hart initially intended to assert herself confidently, but the commanding presence of Ava Sterling instantly deflated her bravado.

"Whether he love me or not is none of your concern. Your only job is to get fucked hard by Nathan. What's the matter, did he not pay you enough?" Ava Sterling turned and pulled a bank card from the drawer, slamming it onto the table.

"My man pays for whoring outside, and if he hasn't compensated you adequately, making you unhappy, then let me settle his bill. There's not much on this card, only fifty thousand, but it should suffice for your worth." Ava Sterling looked down with disdain at Iris Hart, who was trembling with anger.

"Heh..." Iris Hart was so furious she almost burst into a tirade, but she held back, touching her slightly swollen face instead.

That damned Ava Sterling, daring to compare her to a streetwalker.

"Ava Sterling, you're just jealous of me. So what if you're Nathan Ford's wife by law? Spending your nights alone while he's out with me. Yes, you're jealous." Iris Hart seemed to have found her point of attack, momentarily forgetting the pain on her face as she spoke with triumph.

Iris Hart, such a foolish woman. Ava Sterling thought calling her "foolish" was an insult to the word itself.

"You..." Ava's words halted on her lips. Why waste words on such a trivial person?

Seeing Ava Sterling hold back, Iris grew even more smug, "Don't be jealous, Ava Sterling. It's pointless. I advise you to leave Nathan. Clinging to a man who isn't yours, have you no shame? If I were you, I'd have died of embarrassment instead of flaunting it."

"What did you say?" Ava caught onto a particularly amusing term, 'clinging.' When had she ever clung to Nathan Ford? She was the one eager to be rid of him.

"I said you're making a fool of yourself. If I were you, I'd have divorced Nathan and stayed far away." Iris Hart stood tall, staring directly at Ava Sterling.

"Pfft..." Ava Sterling couldn't help but laugh at Iris Hart's absurdity.

"Ava Sterling, it must be really hurting inside, don't try to hide it..."

"Has anyone ever told you about your wild imagination, Iris Hart?" Ava Sterling interrupted Iris before she could finish, "No, I should ask if Nathan Ford ever complimented you on being adorable."

That goes without saying.

"Cute because you're foolish, and just a bubble away from being too foolish," Ava Sterling cut in just as Iris Hart was about to smugly respond.

"Ava Sterling, you..."

"We're in the 21st century. Have you heard of any marriage enforced by coercion? If a couple isn't harmonious and one wants a divorce, the other can't refuse it; it can be settled legally, understand? So... do you get it?" Ava Sterling explained.

...

Listening to Ava Sterling, Iris Hart suddenly felt there might be some truth to it, but how could she admit that? She believed Nathan Ford must have his reasons.

"Ava Sterling, stop twisting facts..."

"Forget it. In matters of love, women always end up losing. Being with Nathan Ford costs him nothing more than money, no different than keeping a pet. When he gets bored and kicks you to the curb, what could you possibly say? Nothing, right? Even if you did, with his vast empire, what could you possibly do to him? Pretty faces are a dime a dozen, and don't tell me you think you have a fascinating soul," Ava Sterling said with a tone full of pity.

She bore no grudge against Iris Hart; they wouldn't even know of each other's existence if not for Nathan Ford. Besides, why should women make things harder for each other?

"Ava Sterling... "Let's just wait and see!""

Everything Ava Sterling said felt like nonsense to Iris Hart, yet she found no words to counter. Fuming, she stomped her foot and stormed off.

Watching Iris Hart's angry departure, Ava Sterling frowned and massaged her temples. These days were becoming increasingly headache-inducing.

"Wow, Ava Sterling, you really held your ground, didn't she just storm off? Wasn't she here to challenge you? It was like watching a classic showdown between the mistress and the wife. Tell me, wasn't it spectacular?" Zoe Dawson burst into the office the moment Iris Hart left, clearly expecting a victory story.

Without a doubt, Ava Sterling had triumphed, and even without seeing Iris Hart's expression, Zoe knew Ava's strength.

"This..." Ava Sterling looked at Zoe Dawson, who was all eagerness and curiosity, and suddenly felt like teasing her a bit.

"Come on, tell me, dear Ava, please share with me." Zoe Dawson, ever so curious and especially keen on gossip about Ava Sterling, couldn't stand Ava holding back and immediately became impatient, resorting to pleading and cajoling.

"Ugh…" Ava Sterling couldn't help but cringe, feeling goosebumps all over, thanks to Zoe Dawson's persistence.

"Just tell me..." Zoe Dawson was practically clinging to Ava at this point.

"Alright, alright, I'll tell you. But could you please get off me first?" Ava Sterling looked fondly at Zoe Dawson, finding herself at a loss against such relentless tactics.

"She came to boast about how well Nathan Ford treats her, taking her everywhere, implying that Nathan doesn't love me and that I should harbor no hopes," Ava shared, finding the entire conversation absurd. 

It was ludicrous to spend such valuable time on verbal spats, and with a shake of her head, she glanced at the files on her desk, eager to get back to work.

"Ha! Iris Hart, the mistress, got it all wrong, didn't she? You're Nathan Ford's legitimate wife. Nathan is such a scoundrel, not ashamed of his own behavior, and even lets Iris Hart bully you. Has he lost his mind?" Zoe Dawson didn't know whether to laugh or be furious, clapping and laughing before spewing out curses.

"You…" Ava Sterling massaged her temples, about to suggest Zoe leave so she could work in peace.

Women like Iris Hart, who see rivals everywhere, were not uncommon, and Ava couldn't be bothered to compete. Besides, she found such women rather pitiful!

"Excuse me, you can't go in there..."

"Who are you calling a mistress?" Iris Hart burst in aggressively.

The assistant, trying to block Iris Hart while looking helplessly towards Ava, was clearly out of his depth.

"Just leave, please," Ava Sterling dismissed the assistant with a wave of her hand, knowing well that the assistant couldn't be blamed for this intrusion. 

Handling one Iris Hart was one thing, but behind her was Ava's husband Nathan Ford.

Relieved by Ava's directive, the assistant quickly made his escape. 

Everyone in the office knew about Ava's loveless marriage with Nathan Ford, and how Nathan's affections were directed towards Iris Hart. 

Now, with the husband and the other woman showing up, they couldn't help but feel sympathy for their boss.

"Look who's back... the mistress," Zoe Dawson, always ready for a fight, had been deliberately kept away by Ava Sterling and was not pleased about it. She hadn't expected Iris to make a return so soon. 

"Well done, bringing the stud along this time. What, you both plan to gang up on our Ava Sterling? Let me tell you, that's not happening," Zoe Dawson said, rolling up her sleeves and standing her ground.

"Who are you calling a mistress? Say that again, and I'll tear your mouth apart," Iris Hart, already furious from her encounter with Ava, reacted vehemently to Zoe Dawson's accusation, completely forgetting Nathan Ford's presence and losing all sense of decorum.

"It's you I'm talking about. What, you think because you're the mistress, we can't talk about it? Even if I stay quiet, do you think you can silence everyone else?" Zoe Dawson countered, more fiercely than before.