The Ex-Wife He Can’t Have novel Chapter 40

Once Jillian got to know her, she realized Sylvia was all style and no substance. She only passed her exams by clinging to Jillian's notes and barely skating over the passing line.

But back then, Sylvia hadn't been nearly as obnoxious as she was now.

She expertly played the role of the polite, elegant intellectual, completely free of any snobby rich-girl attitude, which earned her a stellar reputation among the student body.

There was another wealthy heiress at the school who was incredibly flashy and arrogant, serving as Sylvia's perfect foil.

People constantly compared the two, putting Sylvia on a pedestal while dragging the other girl through the mud.

"By the way, do you have plans after work?" Daniel asked.

"Nope," Jillian replied.

"Let's grab dinner. I want to introduce you to a friend of mine. She's an St. Jude's alum too, so don't be nervous."

Jillian smiled.

For years, her entire universe had revolved solely around Killian and Connor. She rarely interacted with the outside world.

After being isolated for so long, she had undeniably lost touch with society, making even basic social interactions feel clumsy.

But since she started working, she felt like she was learning so much.

The alumni network from St. Jude's University was filled with industry elites. Daniel introducing her to them was clearly his way of helping her pave a path for her future career.

That evening, Jillian and Daniel arrived at the restaurant.

In the private room, a young woman with long hair was already waiting for them.

"Jillian, meet Mallory Vaughn, a fellow St. Jude's alum," Daniel introduced.

Jillian was slightly taken aback.

She recognized the name immediately.

It was the same Mallory Vaughn who had constantly been compared to Sylvia—the infamous, arrogant heiress.

But she looked completely different now.

Back in college, her hair had been short, dyed fiery red one week and electric blue the next.

Her wardrobe had been outrageously bold. She once drove a cherry-red Ferrari around campus wearing nothing but a black halter top, turning heads wherever she went.

The campus forums had been flooded with posts accusing her of flaunting her wealth and treating everyone like garbage.

Ultimately, Sylvia had been crowned the flawless golden child of the elite, while Mallory had been villainized as the prime example of a spoiled brat.

But right after graduation, rumor had it that Mallory abandoned her glamorous city life to volunteer as a teacher in a remote mountain village.

The campus forums had ruthlessly mocked her for it.

Still, receiving such an outright compliment felt incredibly nice.

"Thank you."

The two women sat down.

Mallory was overwhelmingly warm and friendly toward Jillian.

"I also heard you were basically a certified genius in the CS department. That's so badass!"

She gave Jillian an enthusiastic thumbs-up.

"I couldn't understand a single word of your major's coursework if my life depended on it, but you crushed it. It's crazy how differently people's brains are wired."

Mallory had been an art major; to her, computer science was essentially an alien language.

"So what have you been up to lately, Mallory?" Jillian asked. Mallory immediately handed her a business card.

"Director of the Stars Charity Foundation," Jillian read aloud.

She had heard of the Stars Charity Foundation. They spearheaded numerous major philanthropic initiatives.

The organization was highly respected by the public.