Sarah Utah didn't seem to notice Lisa Smith's condescending attitude. When it was mentioned that James Brown was her boyfriend, her face turned red, and she didn't know how to respond. She glanced at James Brown and, seeing that he didn't object, she blushed and nodded gently.
James Brown didn't object, not because he agreed but because he felt that Lisa Smith, although a classmate of Sarah's, didn't seem to have a good relationship with her. This woman was likely to take any opportunity to belittle Sarah. If he were in any other role, it wouldn't be convenient for him to stand up for Sarah, but as Sarah's boyfriend, he could absolutely do so.
Seeing Sarah's embarrassment, Lisa Smith thought Sarah was too shy to talk about James's job. She smirked with satisfaction and said, "Sarah, just where does your boyfriend work? We're old classmates; there's no need to be shy about it."
Only then did Sarah respond, "He's a manager in the HR department at J Corporation."