Nathan had his arms around Crystal’s waist, but he didn’t dare to touch her breasts. If he did, he didn’t think he could control himself. He tried to think about the last thing she’d said, and then he asked her, “Don’t you have a party to attend tonight?”“I do,” Crystal replied. “But I’m not interested in going. There is a bet on whether I will show up or not, and the amount of the bet has passed the half-million mark. It seems rather silly to me.” She pushed him away and sat up. “I am definitely not worth that much money…“Not worth that much money?!?!” Nathan exclaimed. “You are worth that and more. Much more!”Crystal sighed, but before she could reply, there was a knock on the door. “What do you ne

Shawn Walker had tears in his eyes, and he was smiling, “I appreciate your apology,” he said. “You should know, though, that your rejection gave me strength. I was angry at that, and I used that anger to push myself forward. Now I have a very successful career.”There was a moment of silence, and then everyone began to cheer and chant Shawn’s name. Not only had he turned his life around, but he had hosted the party on his boat, and they all appreciated it-everyone except for Joyce, whose heart had hardened to stone by then.Joyce grabbed Crystal by the hair and yanked her backward, slamming her to the ground. Crystal shrieked in pain and outrage, and before she knew it, Joyce was standing over her with the sole of her shoe hovering over her face. “Lick my shoe!” Joyce roared. “You fucking bitch! Lick my Goddamn sh

Suddenly, Chris walked through the door, and when Judy saw him, her eyes lit up. “Talk to you later! My darling has arrived!” she exclaimed, and then she ran to greet him.Once she was gone, Eric wrapped his arms around Crystal. He laughed and said, “I knew you’d be fine. You’re tough, and you don’t put up with anyone’s bullshit. That’s my girl, you never failed my expectation,”Nathan couldn’t bear the sight of Crystal in another man’s arms, so he grabbed her arm and pulled her towards himself. Eric would not let go, and she felt like they were tearing her in two. “Stop it!” she cried. “You guys are hurting me! What are you guys doing here? I was told to come alone! You are fucking everything up! I didn’t ask any help fr

When Crystal looked through the videos on the stolen cell phone, she was disgusted to find erotic photos of Joyce and James, the middle-aged director. Then, under her breath, she muttered, “Isn’t that Cecelia’s Father?”Nathan nodded, verifying Crystal’s suspicion.“Gross,” Crystal muttered. She couldn’t stomach the photos for very long, and she quickly turned off the screen. She had initially intended to return the phone, but she hadn’t found the video with her in it, so she decided to keep it handy as insurance.Nathan had his hand on hers, and he said, “Penny for your thoughts.”Crystal: “Leslie asked me to accompany her on a blind date, and I said that I would.” 

Joyce glared at Carlos. “Without me,” she hissed, “you’re nothing! You have no abilities and no money. Your company is getting back on track, but now you’ve betrayed me. If you have any backbone at all, leave me. But don’t expect any support from me for the Foster Group in the future.”This was an idle threat. When faced with an ultimatum, Joyce assumed that Carlos would cave and get off her back. But, instead, she was about to have a very rude awakening.Carlos stared at her with his mouth open. He was at a loss for words for a moment, but he wasn’t dying, as he’d thought he was. He was as far outside of his comfort zone as a person could go. He allowed his body to collapse to the floor, and he ran his fingers through his hair in dismay. “Well,” he finally muttered. “You’ve had your