Second Chance: Marrying into Wealth Chapter 152

I couldn't quite put my finger on it, but something about his words seemed to have a hidden meaning.

A thought flashed through my mind, but it was too quick to grasp.

Soon, we arrived at the villa. After confirming the dog-walking time with Christopher, we each went our separate ways.

Once home, I quickly freshened up and changed into some comfortable, loose-fitting clothes. After a short rest, I took Sunny out.

Sunny was immediately excited and happy to see Biscuit. The lawn was spacious, and the two dogs played joyfully.

Standing next to Christopher, my five-foot frame felt petite. We stood side by side, watching the dogs frolic, looking like a family enjoying time with their pets.

The thought startled me, and I quickly dismissed it.

I stole a glance at Christopher, my ears turning slightly red. Thankfully, his attention was on the dogs. He looked relaxed, a slight smile playing on his lips. His relaxed demeanor and aristocratic air seemed perfectly natural on him.

Suddenly, his phone rang. Christopher picked it up, giving me a look before stepping aside to take the call.

I understood his unspoken request to keep an eye on Biscuit. But I had forgotten my phone at home, so my attention was fully on Sunny and Biscuit.

I couldn't help but recall Paula's words. She said Christopher's type might be someone like Biscuit—smart, occasionally cute, and gentle.

They said people who liked certain types of dogs often liked similar types of people. If that was true, Paula might have a point.

Christopher was indeed very busy. Even during our short dog walk, he had work calls. So, we didn't walk for long before heading home.

Back home, I saw a missed call from Paula. I called her back immediately. Just as I had been thinking about her during the walk, she had called.

"Melinda, why didn't you tell me you were being harassed? That scumbag Alan dared to bother you?" Paula's voice was filled with indignation. She was standing up for me.

I had mentioned some things to her before, praising Christopher as a good boss, but I hadn't gone into detail. So, Paula didn't know that Alan had tried to grope me.

But how did she find out? Only Vincent, Christopher, Alan, and I knew about it.

"I didn't just stand there and let him. And didn't I tell you later? Christopher is a good boss," I reminded her.

Paula seemed to remember and calmed down a bit. But she still sounded upset. "Bad men are always bad. We should have made him suffer more during the divorce."

Alan probably had more dirt to dig up.

"Don't be mad. Christopher stood up for me. How did you find out about this?" I asked, curious.

I hadn't mentioned it, and Christopher wasn't the type to gossip. Vincent wouldn't either, and Alan wouldn't admit to his own wrongdoing.

"I overheard it at a dinner. They said a woman at Summit Innovations Group tried to seduce Alan and then accused him. Summit Innovations Group didn't support his investment, so he claimed he chose Vertex Innovations Ltd to avoid misunderstandings with Ophelia. Alan twisted the truth." Paula was getting angrier.

I frowned. I hadn't known Alan would spread such lies. "But how did you know it was me?"

"They hinted at everything. They mentioned a newcomer at Summit Innovations Group, a live stream, and a young ex-husband who went to jail. It was obviously about you. That scumbag dared to slander you."

If she hadn't been worried about making things worse for me, Paula would have confronted them right then.

"No wonder Ophelia has been following me around. I thought Alan must really love her to divorce his ex-wife for her. But he dared to lie about me, making Ophelia think I was after him." I was both angry and frustrated.

I had thought the matter was settled when Christopher punished Alan. It wasn't a proud moment for either of us, so I assumed everyone would let it go. But Alan was shameless.

"At least you have a boss like Mr. Collins! You're lucky! Alan is trash and doesn't deserve someone as amazing as you. And Ophelia knows how she got her position. She should know what kind of person Alan is, yet she still bothers you. It's disgusting." Paula was always passionate about my issues.

That was a true friend. She shared my sorrows and joys. Unlike Una, who only took and complained, regardless of my struggles.

Thinking of Una, I told Paula about our recent meeting.

Paula was both sympathetic and angry. Una was ungrateful, and I had tried to help her. She was ambitious but lacked the ability.

"Una is ungrateful. She had the nerve to come to you. I only helped her because of you. You don't know, but I had to call in a favor with Horizon Ventures Inc.'s boss. They respected me, but I still had to do PR for them for a while. I knew Horizon Ventures Inc. had potential and advised Una. She made excuses and then disappeared. I was furious."

I hadn't known about this and felt guilty and sorry for Paula. "I'm sorry, Paula. I didn't know. You didn't have to go through that."

"We don't need to apologize to each other. I wanted to help her too. But Ophelia knows what Alan is like." Paula's tone shifted, signaling gossip time.