Josie was puzzled. “Me?”
It seemed that Ava had recognized Josie, too. Her finger hovered in the air for a moment before she pointed at the latter. “You are… Josie! We’ve met before!”
Josie felt a pang of regret for not wearing a mask when she left the house. It wasn’t that she was afraid of Ava, but she just wanted to avoid unnecessary trouble.
She feigned ignorance. “Have we met before?”
“Stop pretending! It was you who set me up all those years ago, causing Zach to break up with me!” Ava became even more agitated. “What’s the matter? After tarnishing your reputation and fleeing to a distant place, you’ve realized that only Wavery can accommodate you, so you want to come back to make a fortune?”
As if she had found some newfound confidence, Ava arrogantly mocked Mallory, “You call me a gold digger, but I’m afraid you can’t compare to your friend here. Everyone in Wavery knows that Josie is the biggest scheming gold digger!”
Mallory lost her composure as Josie was dragged into the conversation. “Could you repeat that?”
Mallory was too agitated. Josie held Mallory back, shaking her head to signal the latter to calm down. Then, Josie turned to Ava and said, “First of all, I need to make one thing clear. Your breakup with Zach has nothing to do with me. Given his personality, I suspect he grew tired of you, so I suggest you do some self-reflection to figure out the problem.”
A smirk played at the corner of Josie’s mouth, leaving Ava almost unable to catch her breath. Ava stuttered but ultimately couldn’t form a complete sentence in retort.
Leaning back in her chair, Josie was visibly bored. “Also, Zach has been married all this while, you know. Since you didn’t want to break up with him, did you aim to replace the position of his wife? You seem quite fixated on being the third party.”
Mallory struggled to suppress her laughter, giving Josie a thumbs up in approval.
Ava’s hands fell heavily on the back of her chair. Struggling to suppress her temper, she retorted sarcastically, “If I’m the third party, what does that make you? At least I’m better off than you. You’re unable to return home, and your status is stolen. As weak and fragile as you are, you’re hardly fit to be a daughter of the Olsen family.”
Everyone in Wavery knew about the events of that year. Even though Josie had reclaimed what was rightfully hers in the most drastic way possible, she still couldn’t garner any respect within the social circle.
The smile at the corner of Josie’s mouth slightly faded. Clearly, she had taken those remarks to heart.
Upon seeing the situation, Mallory was about to speak up, but she was still prevented from doing so.
“Josie, what difference does it make if you’ve returned? Just as you said, Zach is still married. The Olsen family’s assets are mostly under Laura’s control. You’re hardly in a position to claim a share.”
After saying all that, Ava finally vented her anger, and she once again assumed an air of superiority.
The manager surveyed the chaotic scene before him, momentarily at a loss for how to handle the situation. There seemed to be nothing he could say.
Given the circumstances, Ava was no longer in the mood to watch the competition. She took her friend by the hand, and they promptly left the venue.
Mallory looked at Josie with a face full of concern. “Why didn’t you argue back just now? The Olsen family would give you anything as long as you make the demand.”
Josie felt somewhat weary. Rubbing her temples, she replied, “I don’t want to engage in petty squabbles like this. It’s beneath me.”
However, there was some truth in what Ava had said. After a moment of contemplation, she suddenly asked, “Does Laura really control most of the Olsen family’s wealth?”
Mallory sighed. “What do you think? Zach is too naive, and Mark can hardly keep up with her. The Olsen family needs someone capable to take over.”
If Josie had returned earlier, Laura would’ve had no part to play in all that.
“No worries. I trust Laura. Her taking charge is a good thing.”
Mallory didn’t see it that way. She casually crossed her long legs and said, “After all, she’s an outsider. I’m afraid she might harbor ill intentions, and by then, it’ll be too late.”
Josie curved her lips in silence, seemingly lost in thought.
