Everyone is an Actor

Autumn sneered, "Rules apply regardless of tenure!"

I smiled calmly, deftly sidestepping the crux of the matter. "Everyone, you're overthinking it. My relationship with my mother-in-law is just like this. She worries about my health, and today is my fault for coming here without telling her."

Aaliyah immediately responded with a cold expression, "Good to know!"

By this point, it would have been perfect to leave it at that, but my mother-in-law, with her flair for drama, couldn't resist putting on a show for everyone. "This is just how my daughter-in-law and I are! If she doesn't listen, I'll definitely call her out. Just now, I brought Miss Wu here because she repeatedly asked to come and see the world. After all, she used to work for our family and we got along well, so I brought her along."

I nearly laughed out loud. Aaliyah really had no sense of propriety. It seems she has a grudge against Elena because her words clearly demeaned Elena, suggesting she had never seen the world.

Elena had just told me she had wanted to meet me several times before but hadn't seen me. Now Aaliyah exposed her as someone eager to see the world, a clear contradiction.

Mrs. Luo's expression quickly turned disdainful as she looked at Elena. "That's not right. Didn't you say you wanted to meet me several times before? You said you brought your mother-in-law along! So, who brought whom? This circle really allows anyone in these days! Boring!"

These words were a slap in Elena's face, leaving her almost unable to stand.

The onlookers, ever so opportunistic, immediately grasped that Elena was just trying to fit in, and their expressions turned contemptuous.

Gabriella hurried to defuse the situation. "Oh, it's just a gathering of sisters! Let's not say things that harm unity. Everyone here is either wealthy or prestigious, so let's keep the peace, for our husbands' sake! Let's move on!"

Gabriella's words made everyone disperse, but the more you thought about them, the more they stung, hurting without being obvious.

Elena gave me an embarrassed smile, looking uneasy. "Chloe, I..."

I shushed her and patted her shoulder, indicating that it was no big deal. "Don't mind them, it's perfectly normal!"

Inara, however, was not so kind. Glancing at Elena, she mocked, "You've got guts, using your mother-in-law as an excuse. Which son of hers is your husband? The eldest or the youngest? Everyone knows the second son's wife is Chloe. Aren't you afraid people will think you're a mistress?"

Elena's face darkened.

"Enough, stop it!" I snapped at Inara. "We agreed to let it go."

"Mrs. Deng is really blessed. Chloe is a real lucky charm for the Deng family. No wonder Mr. Deng dotes on his wife so much."

Someone flattered me sincerely, "With a daughter-in-law like Chloe, the Deng family is doubly fortunate!"

Inara seized the opportunity, "Indeed. Our Chloe has always been outstanding. She comes from a good family, and everything she touches turns to gold. She's about to become the richest person in Red River City. Mr. Deng was wise to marry her. Do you know what he did to win her over?"

The ladies, all ears, were eager for gossip.

I noticed Elena's face turning even more unpleasant.

Inara kept them hanging. "Do you want to know?"

"Of course! Tell us!" someone urged.

"Come here!" Inara waved, leading a group to the sofa across the room for some juicy gossip.

The atmosphere turned tense. Elena didn't follow them; she wasn't interested in how Sean had pursued me.

I looked at her and gestured for her to sit. "Come, sit!"

She forced a smile and sat down, her gaze evasive. Clearly, she hadn't expected Sean to cut off my medication, giving me a chance to recover. She seemed flustered now that her boastful claims about my mother-in-law had backfired.

Suppressing my anger, I pretended to be kind and comforted her, "Don't mind them. Just keep coming, and you'll get used to it. I haven't asked yet, what does your husband do?"

My sudden question caught her off guard. She stammered, "He... he runs a business! Family business."

"Oh? What kind?" I pressed.

"Construction materials," she answered vaguely.

"No wonder, with the large-scale development in NorthSea City, the construction materials business must be booming!"

"Not bad," she replied, forcing a smile.

I smiled lightly. "You're good at seizing opportunities, which is something I admire about you!"

"Just luck. Nothing compared to you!" Elena muttered under her breath.

I chuckled. "Is that so? I actually admire people who accomplish great things quietly."

Elena didn't respond.

"It's a shame you left the company. A real pity!" I sighed. "After seeing you at the mall that day, I asked Sean why you suddenly resigned and why he didn't try to keep you. He said, 'Everyone who leaves does so for a reason. The company loses many people, it's nothing to regret.' But I thought you were so familiar with the company, it's a shame you left! I always felt there must be a reason. Was it really just because you were pregnant?"

Elena clenched her fists, forcing a smile. "Women always return to their families eventually, don't they?"

I smiled confidently. "Yes and no. I think deciding to be a full-time housewife was a mistake."