The Paragon of Mistresses

Voices of gossip buzzed around me, talking about all sorts of things.

"Is that Mrs. Deng from Danfeng Group? Why is she so thin now?" This must have been a newcomer, as she clearly hadn't seen me before.

"Didn't you hear Sister Ke mention she was ill?"

"I even heard she was sent abroad for treatment recently."

The person lowered her voice and whispered, "I heard she almost didn't make it! But she survived!"

"Don't say such things. Isn't she here looking just fine?"

Another woman, with a hoarse voice, argued, "Her mother-in-law said she was done for! That was just a few months ago!"

"Keep your voice down. Her mother-in-law is here today!" The plump woman reminded the hoarse-voiced one, "You don't want to cross her. She's the founder of Danfeng Group and has a tight relationship with the Bureau Chief's wife."

"She looks quite low-key, her attire is pretty simple."

"Don't be fooled! Low-key? Her outfit might not have a label, but that's bespoke high fashion."

A woman in a silver-gray Chanel slip dress sidled up and asked in a low voice, "Which one is her mother-in-law?"

"There, the one in the dark green, dripping with jewels."

"The one next to her isn't her daughter-in-law? I thought I heard someone say so!" A tall, thin woman asked.

"Get your facts straight! That one isn't. Don't get it wrong!"

The tall woman stuck out her tongue, "Really? Maybe I misheard!"

Inara and I exchanged a knowing smile.

Seizing a moment while Gabriella was chatting with some other ladies, we picked a relatively quiet corner to sit down.

We had just sat when Mrs. Luo from New Age Pharmaceuticals dragged Elena over. It was clear Elena came reluctantly.

"Chloe, it's so good to see you again! It's not easy to see you back!" Mrs. Luo warmly greeted me, "I was wondering why I hadn't seen you for so long."

Mrs. Luo is Nathan's second wife, a classic example of a mistress becoming the legitimate wife. She was always eager to be seen, afraid everyone would forget she was now Mrs. Luo of New Age Pharmaceuticals.

She smiled obsequiously, pulling Elena forward, "Come, let me introduce a new friend. Elena, this is Chloe, Mrs. Deng of Danfeng Group, a real powerhouse. Chloe, this is my good friend, Elena, a full-time housewife. She's wonderful and a great cook. We live in the same neighborhood."

Elena and I exchanged a look and a smile.

I thought to myself, birds of a feather flock together. These two mistresses seemed to have a lot in common.

Elena immediately said to Mrs. Luo, "Mrs. Luo, we know each other! Chloe is my senior!"

Senior indeed. My smile grew more inscrutable.

Mrs. Luo was a bit surprised, "Oh? You know each other?"

"Yes, we've known each other for many years!" I confirmed, though I didn't elaborate on how we knew each other.

Elena, looking earnest, stood before me and said insincerely, "Chloe, I'm so glad you came! I was just thinking about inviting you out sometime!"

I smiled gently, thinking, why meet alone when we can do it here? But I said, "Same here! This is a great place to catch up!"

"Absolutely, I didn't expect to see you here! I haven't seen you the last few times I came!" She subtly hinted that she had been a regular in this circle for a while.

"Yes, it's been years. I didn't even know when you quit your job, got married, and had children. My illness made it feel like I'd been gone for ages. Seeing old friends, so much has changed!"

I looked at Elena and sighed dramatically.

"You haven't changed a bit! Just a bit thinner, still as beautiful and radiant!" Elena's smooth talk began again.

Mrs. Luo immediately jumped in, "Elena, you don't know, but even though Mrs. Deng is now a full-time housewife, she used to be a formidable businesswoman, the founder of Danfeng Group. Among all the housewives here, I admire Mrs. Deng the most."

As soon as she finished speaking, a strikingly elegant woman walked over. Despite her loose dress, it couldn't hide her slightly protruding belly. She stood directly next to me, her sharp gaze fixed on Mrs. Luo.

"Mrs. Luo, you're absolutely right. Even among full-time housewives, there are significant differences. There aren't many who can compare to Mrs. Deng. It's clear who's the legitimate wife and who's the mistress, the latter being miserably insignificant!"

Mrs. Luo's face turned black with embarrassment, as did Elena's.

The woman speaking was Nathan's former sister-in-law, Autumn.

A little background here: Nathan's first wife was Zayna, a tough and hardworking woman. When she married Nathan, they had nothing.

Zayna's family opposed the marriage, believing Nathan was unreliable.

But Zayna insisted on marrying him, and no one could stop her.

Her parents were so furious that they disowned her.