Shane was speaking to Tiana, but his flirty gaze was fixed on Sage. He continued, "Ask her to notice more of my plus points and accept me sooner!"Sage glared at him, and Tiana burst out laughing. "Okay, I'll try my best," said Tiana."I'm taking your car. I'll pick you up tomorrow morning!" said Shane. He then sped off before Sage could refuse."Why do I feel like he's going to beat Ian with all his effort?" teased Tiana.Sage put her arm around Tiana's shoulders and said, "It seems like you're still in the mood to care about my business. Are you really feeling okay?"Tiana sighed. "Do I seem so weak to you? Wilson's just some guy who doesn't love me. I can dump him any time. I can definitely live without him!"Sage didn't know how much Tiana meant what she said, but she still felt relieved. Tiana's courage in leaving Wilson in this life was much better than her misery in the past life. "Tiana, I'm sure you'll find happiness," said Sage sincerely."Hey, stop it. No need to
Wilson's phone didn't have a pin, so Tiana just swiped it open. She deleted her number and all her social media accounts from his phone, including all their chat histories. "It's done!" She handed his phone back to him and said, "I'll delete your number too, and we'll be strangers from now on."Wilson seldom contacted her anyway, so she thought that he would be even less likely to look for her if she deleted all her contact methods."Tiana, must we really be like this?" Wilson frowned."Is something wrong? I've quit being your housekeeper, so there's no more reason for you to keep my contact. "I won't bother you with my problems anymore, and I hope you'll do the same. Don't come asking me if you can't find your belongings anymore," said Tiana."Tiana, please stop calling yourself a housekeeper. We were husband and wife over these two years." "Fine. Goodbye, ex-husband. We're strangers from now on," said Tiana.She wanted to walk away, but Wilson called out after her again. "
Giselle's cool remark came as a relief for Sage, and even more so for Shane. Shane, who was in the middle of a drinking bet with Calvin, set his glass down and went over to Giselle when he overheard her talking about calling off the engagement. "Have you finally come around?"Giselle concealed her disappointment from him and scoffed. "I never liked you that much in the first place. I was just misled by our parents. Now, I'm free from heartache, and it's your turn to experience it. I hope you get it worse than me!"As if that wasn't enough, she turned to Sage. "Sage, I'll leave him to you now!"Feeling both entertained and speechless, Sage did not reply to Giselle. Shane nonchalantly remarked, "It's good. I don't mind suffering a little heartache for Sage. A good life is made up of various new experiences, after all!"Sage and Giselle stared at him wordlessly.Calvin, unhappy to see Shane close to Sage, challenged him. "Hey, Shane, are you chickening out? Let's keep on drinking!
Ian remained close to her. He trapped her with an arm and said, "You have agreed to accept me as one of your suitors. Yet, you are still hostile to me, unlike how you treated Shane."He recalled the way Shane had unabashedly left the company in Sage's car. When Sage left the Tate family, she made Shane drive her and Tiana home. On top of that, their chemistry in the lounge pissed him off.Looking up, she glared at him. "I'm being nice by not kicking you out!"Holding his temper in, he couldn't help but hug her. "My Sage, I promise that nothing from your dream would actually happen. Don't hate me, please."She was surprised by his words. Even if the past events did not reoccur in this life, the trauma wouldn't go away. Just as she opened her mouth, she heard Giselle shouting at her. "Sage Joyner!" She turned around and met Giselle's eyes. Giselle gasped. "Oh, is this why you've been away forever? You're hanging out with Mr. Holcomb?"Sage shoved Ian away in frustration and shame.
Sage felt slightly stung when Ian brought up the abortion. Indeed, she had been resentful of him because he had forced her into an abortion. She hated the fact that he had stopped her from strangling Ivy, and for refusing to believe that she was carrying his child.However, when she calmed down and gave it more thought, she realized that it was her fault for misleading Ian in the first place by claiming that Shane was the father.Besides, given Ian's skeptical personality, his distrust did not come as a surprise.She shrugged his hand off and mumbled, "I don't resent you. It's all in the past anyway."After that, she paid no more attention to him and headed back to the lounge.…That night, Tiana successfully got herself drunk. Sage had to help her into a cab at the end of the night.In the cab, Tiana rested her head on Sage's shoulder and muttered, "Sage, I feel so relieved and exhilarated. The last two years were so frustrating.""Right? You should have let go earlier." Sage
Michael remained popular and in demand after his recent win. Sage dared not make him pick her up to avoid media attention and any subsequent scandals.She changed into a slightly formal evening dress. She didn't pay much attention to her attire, thinking that her attendance at the charity dinner was merely to fill seats. After she put on some simple makeup and styled her hair into a bun, she drove to the event venue from Donald's place.Upon arrival, she realized that Michael had understated the scale of the event. The grand charity dinner was graced by the presence of some celebrities and notable figures in Haldon City, alongside multiple media outlets.Feeling like a fish out of water, she nonetheless thought she should at least meet up with Michael and offer him some words of encouragement since she was already there.She presented her invitation card and wandered into the venue. Right when she planned to call Michael, she noticed a handsome figure approaching her. "Ms. Joyn
Abby showed up in a soft pink haute couture evening dress with a matching hime cut. Her pink-toned makeup further enhanced her lovely, demure appearance. She linked arms with a man in his 50s.The towering man was dressed in a tuxedo. Though he seemed gentle and reserved, he carried himself with an authoritative air."This is my dad." Abby introduced Dale to Sage. "I forced him to come to the charity dinner because my favorite piece of jewelry is on auction tonight!"She then introduced Sage to Dale. "Dad, this is Sage Joyner. She took care of me when we were at Southbend County!""Thank you, Ms. Joyner, for taking care of Abby," Dale said warmly.Sage replied graciously, "Mr. Sutton, don't mention it. It was no trouble at all.""Ms. Joyner, let me know if you have any piece of jewelry in mind. I'll bid it for you as a thank-you gift!" Abby offered.Sage shook her head with a smile. "It's fine. Think about it, I didn't help you much. Besides, I'm just here to visit a friend, not
Sage nodded. "Sure."Some guests approached Dale for a chat. Seeing that, Sage excused herself and made her way to the balcony.The sky had darkened, and the city's skyline was lit up brightly. Holding the railing, she enjoyed the brilliant night view.Soon, Michael found her on the balcony and joined her. He first apologized for leaving her alone, but she stopped him. Then, he brought up his bandmates, who had been talking nonstop about meeting Sage.Sage readily agreed. "Of course. Let's meet up. By the way, I was thinking of recommending you as a brand ambassador for my friend's distillery.""Mimosa Cellar?" Michael blurted out before blushing shyly. "I remember that brand because you once went viral on Twitter because of how you downed their vodka."Surprised by his memory of such a distant incident, she nodded. "Yeah. I have some stocks in Mimosa. The company is applying for an IPO, which is why it's looking for a suitable brand ambassador to promote the brand."Michael imm