Chapter 885

Jasmine's tone dripped with absolute contempt.

Listening to everyone eagerly tear Noreen down finally provided Crystal with a sliver of comfort.

"It's not like I actually cared," Crystal lied smoothly, taking a slow sip of her red wine.

Wanda immediately seized the chance to kiss up. "Exactly! You shouldn't waste your breath on trash like that. She's utterly classless."

In reality, Wanda was the true definition of classless.

But human nature was funny that way—people always loved to drag others down to artificially inflate their own worth.

Wanda was a fresh college graduate who had been a sugar baby for an older, wealthy man while still in school.

She eventually secured her position by taking fertility pills, managing to birth three sons in a single pregnancy. That was how she ousted the original wife and clawed her way to the top.

But the ex-wife was ruthless. Not only did she strip the man of half his fortune in the divorce, but she also explicitly inserted two ironclad clauses into the settlement.

Wanda was absolutely forbidden from stepping foot in any of the company's business affairs.

Wanda was strictly banned from attending any high-level corporate banquets or galas.

Because of this, Wanda had zero understanding of Rivercrest City's true elite circles, and no clue who Noreen Gilmore actually was.

She had managed to infiltrate the local socialite circle purely by sweet-talking her wealthy neighbors.

She had a true gift for flattery, which was precisely how she had ingratiated herself with Crystal.

Crystal had been coddled and spoiled by her wealthy family her entire life, completely accustomed to being worshipped and agreed with.

Once Wanda had thoroughly stroked Crystal's ego, she turned to Jasmine with feigned curiosity. "You just said Noreen slept her way to the top? How did she manage that?"

Jasmine's eyes gleamed with malice. "I've only heard rumors, so I can't guarantee it's true."

Wanda leaned in eagerly, completely hooked. "Tell us, tell us!"

"I heard... in order to hook a powerful backer, she drugged him and crawled into his bed. Then she worked as his devoted little secretary for seven years, throwing her dignity away, only to get dumped in the end. Seven years of sleeping with him, and she walked away with absolutely nothing to show for it."

Wanda clicked her tongue in disgust. "She has zero shame, huh? That is so disgusting!"

"I know, right?" Jasmine scoffed.

The moment she heard these baseless rumors, her disdain for Noreen had skyrocketed.

Yet her husband absolutely forbade her from saying a single negative word about Noreen.

If she dared to insult Noreen, Carman Holt would immediately pick a fight and give her the silent treatment.

But the more Carman defended Noreen, the more passionately Jasmine hated her.

What infuriated Jasmine the most was that her own troublesome sister-in-law idolized Noreen too, completely betraying her own family.

Wanda sniffed dismissively. "Looks like I'll have to keep a tighter leash on my husband's secretaries Who knows, maybe they'll try the same dirty tricks to climb into his bed."

Jasmine, who had been gleefully chatting just a second ago, abruptly went silent.

The smug color drained from her face.

Wanda didn't notice the sudden shift

and kept babbling. "No wonder no

one in the wives circle wants

anything to do with her. They must all think she's pathetic."

As the vicious laughter echoed through the room, the last lingering storm clouds in Crystal's chest completely evaporated.

In the private suite right next door.

Jude Wilder relayed every single filthy piece of gossip he had just overheard, word for word, to Seth.

The man, who had been dead drunk moments ago, slowly pushed himself up from the sofa.

In the dim lighting, his predatory

gaze radiated an absolutely

terrifying coldness. He looked like a

frozen winter lake, a jagged,

zero-degree blend of tee and water,

piercingly hostile and lethal.

He remembered all the furious insults Claire had hurled at him.

So this was it. She really had suffered unbearable humiliation back then.

And he had been completely oblivious to it all.

He deserved to die a thousand times over.

He deserved to die a thousand times over.

The women next door deserved to be destroyed.

And he deserved far worse!

"Find out the identity of every single person in that room. I want them ruined."

Including himself.

His voice trembled slightly in the shadowed room.

A suffocating wave of despair crashed through his eyes, tearing his heart to pieces. Crystal eventually drank herself into a stupor and was driven home by her chauffeur. She arrived at the house she used to love so deeply.

She had poured her heart into decorating it, like a devoted bird carefully building a nest for her true love.