The Man Who Waited vs. The Man Who Wasted novel Chapter 310

Jocelyn pulled yet another top out of her closet, holding it against herself in front of the mirror. She turned to Maria.

"What do you think of this one?"

Maria couldn't help but laugh.

"Miss Jocelyn, that's the fifth outfit you've tried on. Honestly, they all look stunning on you."

Jocelyn let out an exasperated sigh.

"It's been so long since I've been invited over to someone's house as a guest. I don't even know what I'm supposed to wear or what I'm supposed to say anymore."

A sharp pang of sorrow pierced Maria's heart.

Those three years at the Lowell estate, they had treated Jocelyn like a lowly maid.

There had been an endless list of exhausting, ridiculous rules dictating every single aspect of her existence.

Maria quickly offered words of comfort.

"Miss Jocelyn, just treat it like you're popping over to a relative's house. Don't stress yourself out. Besides, Mr. Vance will be there. As long as he's around, nothing can go wrong."

After much deliberation, Jocelyn finally settled on her very first outfit.

The others were just entirely too formal.

They looked like she was heading to some massive gala, not an intimate dinner.

She slipped into a pair of tailored white, wide-leg trousers and a soft, powder-blue sweater.

It was elegant yet refreshingly simple.

She pulled her jet-black hair into a relaxed bun at the nape of her neck, letting a few loose strands frame her face.

The effortless, relaxed look only amplified her naturally mesmerizing beauty.

Even Maria was completely captivated.

"Miss Jocelyn, you look absolutely gorgeous."

Jocelyn joked playfully, "Time is definitely catching up with me."

"You're only twenty-eight. You're still incredibly young," Maria insisted.

Her smile faded slightly as a sudden thought made her sigh.

"Seeing you like this reminds me of the beautiful girl who first walked into the Lowell house. It's only been three years, but they completely changed you."

She wasn't wrong.

Jocelyn knew it better than anyone.

Just three miserable years had drained the vibrant, optimistic life right out of her, leaving her a hysterical, bitter shell.

"Miss Jocelyn, forgive me for being blunt, but if you ever fall for someone again, you absolutely must take your time and see them for who they truly are. No more rushing in blindly."

Fall for someone again?

Jocelyn cut herself off.

If she said the rest out loud, she was terrified Maria would start crying again.

But Maria had already guessed exactly where she was going. Her face instantly crumpled with misery.

"I am so, so terribly sorry for what happened to your mother. These past few nights, I haven't been able to sleep. I keep having nightmares that she's coming back from the dead to take my life."

"Maria." Jocelyn pulled her into a tight, reassuring embrace. "Don't be afraid. My mother was a deeply compassionate woman. She would never try to hurt you. She would only want to thank you for treating me like your very own daughter."

Tears welled up in Maria's eyes.

"I could never be so incredibly blessed as to have a daughter like you."

"Maria."

Jocelyn pulled back, her face entirely serious.

"Believe me. I am going to get justice for my mother. I will personally make sure the people who are truly guilty pay the ultimate price."

Maria nodded firmly.

"I believe you. But you have to promise me one thing. No matter what happens, promise me you won't face it all alone. Even if you think telling an old woman like me won't do any good, you have to promise you'll talk to Mr. Vance."

"I just know he would move heaven and earth to help you."

Jocelyn merely pressed her lips into a tight line, choosing not to answer.