Even after hearing the malicious remarks from the people around, Genevieve only pursed her pink lips and took a glass of champagne from the pedestal round table.
She knew that it was Cooper who had designed the whole ordeal at the hotel. Given how the news had spread like wildfire online, she assumed Cooper had also assisted and fueled the flames in the background.
Perhaps the entire Jadeborough had heard of her glorious incident.
However, no matter how much she explained, nobody would believe the words that came from her mouth alone. It would be best if she pretended not to hear them.
Genevieve took two sips of the champagne. Her eyes scanned around the venue. She realized that it was a grand dinner banquet. Almost all the influential people in the business industry were there.
She was thankful that the man needed her. It implied that she was useful, which would lead to opportunities to negotiate with him.
However, she was not sure what Armand needed her help with.
Genevieve stood in a corner when she entered the ballroom. She intended to stay invisible. Despite that, many men came over with an unscrupulous gaze. Somebody even said he was willing to pay her to be his mistress.
That caused the women around to look at her and feel even more disgusted.
There was a woman who could not stand it any longer. She took a glass of red wine and splashed it on Genevieve’s face. \”You’re so disgusting! Get out of this place!\”
Genevieve closed her eyes as the cold wine was poured into them.
Since she was young, Genevieve had always been pampered and complimented as the precious daughter of the Rachford family. That was the first time she had been publicly splashed with red wine when attending a banquet.
Now, she had no more family. She was no longer the well-respected Ms. Rachford and had nobody to protect her.
Genevieve only stared at the woman. Without finding any fault with the woman, she turned to take some napkins from the table, and it was then she saw Cooper holding Erica as they walked in her direction.
Cooper had a straight posture and was wearing a black suit. There was a polite smile on his face, and he looked like a gentle fellow.
\”Mrs. Jones!\” Erica had attended plenty of banquets as such, so she could easily recognize Mrs. Jones. As she went over to greet her, she complimented, \”Your pearl earrings look really good on you!\”
Seeing that the woman was in a bad mood, Erica asked, \”What’s wrong, Mrs. Jones?\”
\”I’ve met somebody with a bad omen!\” Mrs. Jones glared at Genevieve, who had been splashed with red wine. \”She has thoroughly embarrassed the Rachford family. I don’t even know how she can make her way to the banquet!\”
Erica followed her gaze and saw the woman with a head full of wet hair. The woman was Genevieve!
When Erica thought of how Genevieve had slapped her in the shopping mall, she could feel the pain in her cheeks. She secretly glared at Genevieve with bitterness.
Not long after, Erica noticed that the gown Genevieve was wearing seemed to be an extraordinary one.
Enviously, she walked in front of Genevieve and glanced at her from head to toe. \”If I’m not mistaken, this gown is a limited edition from the fashion show by Haymes. Even celebrities couldn’t purchase this. Genevieve, how did you get this?\”
After pausing for a moment, she deliberately increased her volume and said, \”Although your boyfriend, the driver, drives a luxurious car for somebody, he can’t afford this gown, right?\”
Hearing Erica’s words, the women around looked at Genevieve disdainfully.
Mrs. Jones mocked, \”She most likely got it by deceiving another man! It seems that she has put in a lot of effort just to come to this banquet.\”
\”And she calls herself the daughter of the Rachford family? She’s such a disgrace to Mr. Rachford!\”
\”Gosh, I feel so sorry for Mr. Sutton. He thought he had married a good wife. Who would’ve expected his wife to be that kind of person?\”
Genevieve ignored the gossip. She wiped her face and the stains on her gown with a napkin. When she was about to leave, a tall figure blocked her way.
Cooper asked flatly, \”This is an exclusive banquet. How did you get in here?\”
\”It’s none of your business.\” Genevieve’s tone was a cold one.
Her pathetic look fell within Cooper’s observation. With her half-wet hair falling on her slender shoulders, she looked weak. No longer was she bright and glamourous as before.
Cooper felt delighted, but he felt a tinge of emotions in his heart at the same time.
Genevieve felt that her wrist was about to break. She glared at Cooper and said with resentment, \”Cooper, this is a banquet. There’s nothing between us anymore. Are you going to hurt me?\”
\”I don’t want anybody who isn’t supposed to be here to sneak in.\” Cooper then shouted for a waiter. He was about to ask Genevieve to leave.
Beside him, Erica could not help but utter, \”Coop…\”
Noticing the aggrieved look on her face, Cooper understood what was on her mind. He held Genevieve’s wrist tightly and said, \”Errie told me she met you in the shopping mall this morning, and you slapped her! You should apologize to her for how many times you’ve slapped her! If you don’t, I’ll ask her to slap you back.\”
Genevieve could feel the eyes of the busybodies on her. Her body trembled as the light shone on her pale face.
A year ago, she had married Cooper in the same ballroom.
Now, a year later, in the same ballroom, she was humiliated by the same man and his mistress under the eyes of many.
\”She insulted my late parents first. Why do I need to apologize?\” Genevieve bit her tongue and remained calm. After a while, she chuckled coldly. \”A b*tch and a son of a b*tch… Both of you are indeed a match made in heaven.\”
Cooper’s eyes darkened. He gave her a slap across the face.
Genevieve did not manage to lift her hands to block him in time. She staggered a few steps back after the slap and was about to fall over when a hand stretched out and held her waist.
\”Mr. Sutton, what are you doing to my date?\” The man’s monotonous voice sounded from above her head.