Not knowing when Andrew would arrive, Ashley found herself a secluded seat and sat down while she waited for him.
"Do you know if Caroline still has feelings for Raymond? I just heard that she almost quarreled with Lena," said a woman who was gossiping.
"Who knows. Caroline made it known to everyone that she was chasing Raymond back then. She almost has declared it to the whole world. However, she was refused by Raymond, and you know, hell hath no fury like a woman scorned. Let alone a woman as arrogant as Caroline."
"That's right. Now that Raymond and Lena are engaged, she is probably feeling even worse. It adds jealousy to the fury when you see a love rival. Surely they are graceful enough to refrain from fighting? It's nothing just to quarrel." What the woman said sounded plausible, and it was as if she had firsthand information.
"Is it possible that she just hates Lena? After all, it's no secret that Lena is at odds with Caroline."
"I think that's probably the reason."
"I can't say for sure. It's probably a combination of both."
It was said that "Three women are enough for a drama." Yet here, several women were gossiping, and one could only imagine how many dramas they could make.
Ashley hadn't expected to overhear the piece of gossip since she chose a reclusive spot on purpose. Evidently, the women thought they had chosen a private place to tittle-tattle as well.
She knew the Caroline they spoke about. When Ashley was with Raymond, Caroline had taken a fancy to him way back then and would always hang around him.
Ashley and Raymond were very discreet with their relationship, so Caroline had no idea that they were a couple. Eventually, Raymond must have said something to Caroline because after that she never hung around him anymore.
Now that Ashley found out what Raymond was like, she felt grateful that she had broken up with him. Otherwise, she didn't know what she would have done with Raymond being such a womanizer.
Ironically, little did Ashley know that Andrew would attract even more women than Raymond in the future.
"Ladies and gentlemen, may I have your attention, please? I want to welcome you all to my birthday party. I trust that you will enjoy the entertainment provided. If not, please forgive us."
Everyone's attention was to the front of the stage
where a forty-something-year-old man dressed in a suit spoke with a microphone in his hand. Raymond did have a resemblance to him in some ways. It was, of course, his father Clyde, the CEO of the Luo Group. He held the microphone to his mouth and said, "I have something to declare. It's about the Luo family and the Mu family. I believe everyone present knows that Lena of the Mu Group and my son are engaged. Now Lena is going to be my daughter-in-law and a member of our Luo family.
This birthday party was planned and arranged in my honor, all by Lena."
Clyde's rich and mellow voice echoed through the hall.
Ashley raised her head slightly and noticed members from the two families all standing together on the stage now. Lena and Raymond stood closely, and Lena clung to Raymond's arm, smiling sweetly.
Raymond's father and mother, who stood beside them, watched the sweet couple with a satisfied smile.
"Okay, Lena, I will hand the microphone over to you." Clyde passed the microphone to Lena.
Lena gracefully held the microphone in her hand and spoke in a pleasant soft tone while she wore a gentle smile on her face.
"Please accept my sincere thanks for adding to the joyfulness of this special day with your attendance to Mr. Luo's birthday party. I am so honored that Mrs. Luo gave such an important task to me.
I am grateful for her trust and appreciate everyone's support. If there is anything you don't like or feel unsatisfied with the party, or our entertaining needs to be improved, please do let me know so that I can improve next time."
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