Lost Me, Gained Regret (Jane and Bryant Ferguson)

"Fine." I pursed my lips, ultimately deciding to leave a shred of dignity for him before Margaret. Or perhaps it was for my own sake.

For the moment, I couldn't quite pin down Margaret's purpose for her visit. Was she genuinely feeling she shouldn't accept the necklace? Or was she there to declare something?-

A flicker of emotion passed across Margaret's face too swiftly to be caught. She smiled. "I was worried this necklace might cause some misunderstanding between you two. Seems like it hasn't, so I'll be heading back now."

Emma escorted her out.

As soon as the front door closed, I stepped away from Bryant's embrace, "You said it was for Steven, right? And Margaret's married, isn't she? Since when did she become one of Steven's flings? Hmm..." Bryant silenced me with a kiss, fierce and urgent, almost as if venting some frustration.

Only when I found it hard to breathe did he slightly loosen his hold, caressing my head as he admitted his fault. "I lied to you."

He pulled me close. "Margaret's divorced. I was worried about her, so I gave her the gift."

I was startled. Then I got what Bryant meant by "Congrats on your fresh start" in the video.

I bit my lip, half-doubting, "Is that all?"

"That's all." His voice was firm and soothing as he explained, "You know Margaret's mother saved my life at the cost of her own. I couldn't just ignore her."

I had heard about that from Emma. Bryant's biological mother died during childbirth, and when he was five, his father remarried Margaret's mother.

Despite being a stepmother, she was kind to Bryant, treating him as her child. She even went so far as to risk her life to save Bryant, ending up in a vegetative state for many years.

If it was for that reason, it made sense.

I felt a weight lift off my shoulders, yet I couldn't help but gently remind him, "Bryant, I believe you just wanted to repay a debt of gratitude, and you only see her as a sister."

That necklace eventually ended up in storage.

Perhaps, my suspicions hadn't completely vanished. They were just temporarily suppressed and would resurface after being accumulated over time. And it happened much sooner than I expected.

I studied fashion design in college and did an internship at the Design Department of the Ferguson Group.

Marrying Bryant didn't affect my career plans. Four years in, I was the assistant director of the Design Department.

One day, as I was having lunch in the company cafeteria, my college roommate Christine Jackson came over with her tray, sitting opposite me with a flirty swing of her hips. "Director Webster, you're having lunch without me?"

"I've got to hurry back to finish some designs after this." Seeing her giving me winks and nods, I resignedly asked, "What's up?"

"I heard from HR this morning that the new director for the Design Department has been decided!" Her face lit up with excitement. "I bet it's you! I'm here to congratulate you on your promotion in advance. May we both flourish."

"Let's not count our chickens before they're hatched. Keep it down, will you?" I said.

The department's director had left mid-month, and everyone said the position was practically mine. I had some confidence, too, but feared the unexpected.

"Why doubt it? Not to mention you're the CEO's wife," She whispered the latter part since my marriage to Bryant wasn't public knowledge. The outside world only knew of Bryant's devotion to his wife, not that I was her.

Then Christine continued to praise my achievements since joining the company. "With the results you've achieved since you joined, brand design, custom orders, you've got it all. So many companies are eyeing you! Why wouldn't the Ferguson Group promote you?"

As Christine finished speaking, our phones buzzed simultaneously.

It was an appointment notice.

Her eyes sparkled at the sight of those words on the screen, but her brows furrowed in confusion and annoyance as she read on. "Margaret Ferguson? Who's that?"