Annie knew full well that the Williams family wasn’t fond of Skylar. She suspected that the primary reason for their animosity was Maisy’s interference. Annie couldn’t help but feel a sense of satisfaction at the idea of Maisy causing even more trouble for Skylar, making her a laughingstock in Jipsburg.
After all, Annie had no other outlet for the frustration and anger that had been building up due to the recent setbacks her family had faced. Her life had always been smooth sailing, but Skylar had come along and disrupted it entirely. Every time she thought of that, her blood boiled in fury.
Maisy remained lost in thought for nearly half an hour. It wasn’t until the security guard at the TV station noticed her strange behavior and came over to ask if she was okay that she snapped out of her reverie.
Her hands clenched into fists, the icy pressure digging into her palms as a wave of rage and jealousy coursed through her. Her eyes burned with a bloodshot intensity. If her suspicions were correct, Skylar was incredibly fortunate. Maisy thought back to the silhouette she had seen at the auction house. Could that have been Skylar?
Then, she recalled her encounter with Joe. Even though Paul had always been the one to speak, Joe had been there.
“Damn it, Skylar,” Maisy muttered to herself. “You can’t be that lucky, can you? Your boyfriend cheats on you and sleeps with me behind your back, and now you’re settling down with an old man. How the hell do you end up with Joe Martin? No… This isn’t true! I don’t believe it!”
Her ranting was cut short when her phone started ringing. She hastily answered. “Hello, Peter.”
“Did you meet with Annie? What did she say? Who’s behind Skylar?” Peter asked urgently, desperate for answers.
Maisy hesitated. If the Williams family learned that Joe was backing Skylar, they might try to make amends with her and beg her to return. If that happened, would Maisy still have a place in the Williams family? The answer was obvious. Maisy decided that as long as she could help it, Skylar must never be accepted back into the family.
“Annie didn’t say anything,” Maisy replied, forcing herself to sound convincing. “I think she doesn’t know much. She was just curious about Skylar and our family’s affairs, so she asked me about it. I’m sorry, Peter. I wanted to help the family and you, but I ended up being of no use.”
Peter was silent for a few moments, and then, with some irritation in his voice, he said, “I know you did your best. Don’t blame yourself. There’s a lot going on at home right now. Just take care of yourself.”
“Don’t worry,” Maisy said. “You and Dad need to take care too. I believe our company will pull through this difficult time.”
“Okay,” Peter said before hanging up.
After the call ended, Maisy pulled out her phone and started searching for a video online. She found one of Annie interviewing Joe. Then, she scrolled through the photos her friends had sent her. The images showed Annie and Joe attending John’s engagement party together.
In every video and photo, Maisy could see that Annie had eyes only for Joe. It became clear to her that Annie’s repeated inquiries about Skylar were likely fueled by the belief that Skylar might be Joe’s secret lover.
“Skylar can do it, so can I!” Maisy thought to herself, determination settling in.
She scrolled through her contacts and found a number. Without hesitation, she dialed it. “Do you know Joe’s schedule? Give me a copy. I’ll pay you for it.”
After receiving the schedule, Maisy quickly booked a plane ticket. She then called Christopher. “Are you still waiting around for Skylar to change her mind? Let me tell you something. I know who her lover is—it’s Joe Martin. I want Joe for myself, but I also know you want to win Skylar back, right?”
She paused for a moment, letting the idea sink in before continuing. “Let’s make a deal. I have some medicine that can help you get Skylar into bed. Once you’ve done that, take some compromising photos of her. We can use those photos to blackmail her and also to make Joe dislike her. We’ll kill two birds with one stone. How about it?”
Skip to content