Daisy Ginger called a cab and returned to the Ginger Residence.
It seemed Abigail Perry and Emily Ginger had just finished eating. The mother and daughter were arm in arm, coming out, and when they saw her, they both paused slightly.
Daisy had not been home for nearly a month.
At this sudden encounter, they seemed like strangers, with a touch of awkward detachment.
Daisy extinguished her cigarette, tossed her briefcase to the nearby servant, and walked straight upstairs without looking sideways.
Emily’s voice softly sounded from behind.
Daisy’s footsteps halted, and she turned her head; her striking features were sharp and cold.
Emily’s demeanor carried an innate gentle softness. She lifted her eyes to look at her and said to Daisy, "I’m getting engaged to Ian on the third of next month. Sister, you haven’t been home these days, and I didn’t dare disturb you. Please don’t mind."
Daisy stood in place, looking at Emily for a moment.
Looking at her slightly girlish face, her pure and innocent aura, her unclouded, candid eyes that couldn’t hide emotions.
Perhaps, for men, being with a woman like Emily would be easier.
A delicate and soft woman always arouses a man’s protective instincts.
Edward Stephens was no exception.
Being openly adored by eyes like these, it’s no surprise he’d be moved.
She sneered quietly to herself and nodded to Emily, letting out an "Oh" as a response.
She turned to go upstairs and heard Abigail Perry behind her, lowering her voice to Emily, "She barely acknowledges you, why bother greeting her? Silly girl!"
Whatever Emily said next, she couldn’t hear anymore. She only felt exhausted in hands and feet, and as soon as she entered her room, she threw herself onto the bed.
The surrounding light and shadow gradually dimmed, and Daisy lay there with her eyes open, staring into the void, feeling powerless for the first time in eight years.
Even though she had gained him, it always felt like she lost more than she gained.
Her body and heart felt empty, as though she was leaking air all over.
She drifted off to sleep, curling into a ball, alone.
In the days that followed, Daisy didn’t contact Edward again. Sometimes, when Lady Stephens called to invite her over for dinner, she used work as an excuse to decline.
In the office, whenever Lady Stephens had various snacks and soups sent over, Daisy ate them properly and then had the food containers sent back to the Stephens family.
Lately, Abigail Perry strutted around the house with her tail up, quite pleased with herself. Joy revives one’s spirits, and she seemed years younger than usual.
Though the Linton family’s heir wasn’t quite on par with the Stephens, in Banyan City, they were a prominent family too. Losing Edward and gaining Ian wasn’t much of a loss, and in Banyan City, Abigail could hold her head high among the social elite.
After all, those women obsessed with flaunting and competing might not know the Stephens, but they definitely knew the Linton family.
Sometimes when Daisy came home from work, she’d catch Abigail chatting on her phone with someone, her voice loud enough to be heard throughout the Ginger Residence.
Daisy just found it all dull.
Emily’s engagement seemed to cause no ripple in her life, except for needing to free up the evening on the third. Otherwise, she’d continue her business trips, eating meals — all meaningless routines.
In recent days, Emily hadn’t spent much time at home. Word was that Ian’s parents adored her, and even before marrying in, she had already charmed her future in-laws.
After all, she’d always been adept at social navigation.