Samuel Ford wanted to laugh, but he didn’t dare, almost hurting himself trying to hold it in.

Leon Rhys, however, laughed out loud.

Stanley Shaw’s expression grew even uglier.

Noticing that his colleagues from the Publicity Department were also snickering, his face darkened. "As a woman, how can you say something so vulgar?"

"Vulgar?" Grace Winslow’s smile grew even brighter. "Wasn’t what she said vulgar? Section Chief Shaw, you’re quite the hypocrite. So it’s fine for you all to spread nonsense behind my back, but I’m not allowed to fight back?"

"Ivy White, you’d better keep your head down and behave. Don’t come looking for trouble with me, or I won’t go easy on you."

As Grace Winslow spoke, she even raised her hand.

Ivy White felt her face sting even more.

Oscar Osborne shot Ivy White a glare, then said, "Since I’ve run into you, I might as well tell you a few things."

"After you were sent for re-education, your son came looking for you in Prospera Town. We all know what you did."

"Also, your husband isn’t dead at all. However, your marriage to him is no longer valid. Someone like you... heheh... you’re not worthy."

"You’re her current husband, right? I’d advise you to be careful. This woman is bad news."

After Oscar Osborne finished speaking, he turned to Grace Winslow with a gentle smile. "Your father has been so busy. I’ve tried to get dinner with him several times with no luck. To think, at his age, he’s gone back to his old profession."

"I’ll find him for a drink some other day. Ask him when he’s free and give me a call."

"Okay, Mr. Osborne." Grace Winslow nodded.

Only then did Leon Rhys stand up. "It seems everything is crystal clear now. Ivy White falsified her identity and slandered a colleague. I don’t think someone like her is fit to remain in the Publicity Department. Section Chief Shaw, will you handle this personally, or shall I handle it for you?"

Stanley Shaw’s expression was grim. But given what Ivy White had done, he really couldn’t keep her in the Publicity Department without it affecting his own career.

He took a deep breath before speaking slowly, "Ivy White, just resign from your position in the Publicity Department."

Ivy White was unwilling to accept it, but she knew this was the best possible outcome. If she made a bigger scene and upset Stanley Shaw, she was afraid she wouldn’t even be able to protect her status as Mrs. Shaw, which would be even worse.

"I understand."

The matter was finally settled.

On his way back, Leon Rhys had Samuel Ford post a notice on the downstairs bulletin board to publicize the incident.

Samuel Ford agreed without hesitation.

Grace Winslow walked Oscar Osborne to the entrance. Only after he got in his car did she return to work.

Some of her colleagues from the Ministry of Diplomacy came over to apologize to Grace Winslow, while others still couldn’t stand her, treating her with disdain and prejudice.

Grace Winslow didn’t care.

She had no intention of compromising or trying to please anyone. She’d done enough of that in her last life; in this one, she refused to wrong herself in the slightest.

When it was time to get off work, Grace Winslow packed her things and went straight home, taking two reference books with her.

She had just reached the entrance when she saw Ivy White waiting there with a dark expression. "I’ve been fired. You must be very happy now, aren’t you?"

Grace Winslow thought for a moment, then nodded. "Yes, I’m quite happy."

"You!" Ivy White stomped her foot in anger. "Don’t celebrate too soon! I won’t let you get away with this!"

"Grace Winslow, you couldn’t beat me back then, you couldn’t take Caleb Forrest from me, and you’re still the same now! We’ll see about that!"

"I have no interest in fighting you over an impotent old man now." Grace Winslow shook her head, dropped the line, and walked away.

Ivy White was absolutely livid.

When she got home, Stanley Shaw was waiting with a dark expression. "I didn’t want to argue with you at the office today. Tell me honestly, is what they said true? Did you really do those things?"

"Ivy White, you know you can’t fool me. If I want to investigate your past, I can find out everything at any time."

Ivy White’s heart skipped a beat. Then, she fell to her knees before Stanley Shaw, crying. "You don’t believe me either? I can accept what other people say about me. They don’t know me, but you should be the one who knows me best."

"I almost lost my life trying to save you back then. Is this how you see me now?"

"If that’s the case, then maybe we should just get a divorce. We can pretend we never met, and you won’t have to care whether I live or die..."

"I even had some good news I was going to tell you, but... but you suspect me like this. I’m so..."

Seeing Ivy White crying so pitifully, Stanley Shaw’s heart softened.

He was a man in his forties, yet he’d managed to marry a young wife in her twenties. He knew how much others envied him.

Besides, Ivy White was beautiful, and she knew a lot of tricks in bed. He was feeling a man’s pleasure that he hadn’t felt in a long time, so of course he didn’t want a divorce.

"Alright, stop crying. I just wanted to ask. If you don’t want to talk about it, then forget it. I won’t investigate," Stanley Shaw sighed, reaching out to pull her to her feet.

Ivy White took the opportunity to lean into his embrace, wrapping her arms around his waist. "Honey, I really love you. My feelings for you are genuine. I know I may have made mistakes in the past, but who doesn’t make mistakes when they’re young? Can you really blame me for that?"

"Now, I’m completely devoted to you. I hope you won’t doubt me. Please, trust me, okay?"

"I’ve resigned from my job. From now on, I’ll just wait for you at home every day." 𝓯𝓻𝒆𝙚𝒘𝓮𝙗𝓷𝒐𝓿𝙚𝒍.𝙘𝓸𝙢

Stanley Shaw pinched her cheek. "Mm. I won’t doubt you."

"Honey..." Ivy White cooed, then stood on her tiptoes and kissed him.

Clothes scattered to the floor. All of Stanley Shaw’s doubts and suspicions vanished in the face of Ivy White’s initiative.

When Grace Winslow got home, Irene Lynch hadn’t returned yet.

She went inside, put her things down, and then headed to the shop.

She soon realized that business at the shop seemed to be bad today; there was a bleak and gloomy atmosphere.

Grace Winslow pushed the door open and went in, only to find that the tables and chairs inside had been smashed. Someone had clearly come to the shop to cause trouble.

The two apprentices had red-rimmed eyes. They were busy cleaning up with their heads down, not even noticing when Grace Winslow came in.

Irene Lynch was sitting behind the counter, sighing deeply.

"Mom?" Grace Winslow called out.

Irene Lynch snapped out of it and wiped the corner of her eye. "Grace, what are you doing here?"

"Oh, right. It’s getting late. You two can stop cleaning up and go home. Get some rest. We’ll take tomorrow off; the shop will be closed."

"Teacher, we..." The two of them were young women, and they stood there with their heads bowed, clearly frightened.

Irene Lynch sighed. "If you’re scared and don’t want to come in tomorrow, then don’t."

"But I’ll need to settle your wages."

"What happened?" Grace Winslow frowned, cutting Irene Lynch off.

Irene Lynch didn’t say anything.

The younger apprentice, Carter Sawyer, choked out, "Grace, a few men came today and smashed up the shop. They said we have to pay two thousand yuan a month in protection fees. If not, they’ll come back every day, and next time they won’t just smash things—they’ll beat people up..."