Lost Me, Gained Regret (Jane and Bryant Ferguson)

"Oh, come on. You're just being jealous. Word on the street is that some big players teamed up to pressure the platform into cooling off the buzz... Even the ex-husband threw his hat in the ring, and from what I've heard, she's not just any girl; she comes from a family with some serious clout."

"Come off it. Just being remotely connected to Gregory is like hitting the jackpot. How impressive can her ex or her family possibly be?"

"If she's got a powerful family or ex, I'll eat my hat."

I skimmed through the online chatter without much interest.

Ever since the Margaret Ferguson scandal, I've learned not to take such gossip to heart.

Seeing that I wasn't upset, Christine relaxed. "I wasn't sure if I should tell you, but now that I see you're not bothered, I feel better." "Don't worry about it."

I flashed a smile. "I've got a pretty thick skin now."

Let them talk. It's not worth my energy getting worked up over gossip.

Just then, Gregory walked in, catching my smile. "Seems like your bestie is the only one who can cheer you up."

Christine raised an eyebrow, boasting, "Of course. The power of a best friend is unmatched, something a boyfriend wouldn't understand."

Gregory corrected her with a serious tone, "Fiancé."

Christine retorted, "You're not a fiancé until you've proposed."

Their banter left me shaking my head, amused. I pulled Gregory to sit down for breakfast, changing the subject, "I heard Mr. Ford passed out. How is he?"

Gregory, focusing on his oatmeal, replied without looking up, "He'll live."

"That's good, then."

Knowing the bad blood between Gregory and Mr. Ford, I was relieved to hear it wasn't serious and decided to let it go.

Christine, with her mouth wide open, looked back and forth between us. "That's it? Maybe you should at least pretend to visit him in the hospital, to avoid giving people something to gossip about." Gregory, tossing a pancake onto his plate, seemed unbothered. "Let them write essays about it for all I care."

Christine was speechless, but before she could respond, Gregory turned to her, "How are things going with Dailey?"

Caught off guard, Christine sputtered, "Don't bring up sore subjects. Since when did you become such a gossip?"

"It's not gossip."

Gregory put his arm around me, "Dailey and I have a bet."

"A bet on what?"

"Who gets married first."

I spent several days in the hospital, with my mom visiting whenever she could. During this time, Mr. Abdul, accompanied by Herbert, came to administer some treatments to my grandmother, which helped stabilize

her condition and slow the progression of her illness.

After sending off Herbert and Mr. Abdul, Christine and I were about to head to the subsidiary office.

I had arranged for HR to recruit in advance, so setting up the

subsidiary went smoothly. As net

boss, I had to attend the first

the

executive meeting in the afternoon.

While walking out of the hospital, Christine noticed me rubbing my stomach. "What's wrong? Feeling okay?"

I frowned. "Yeah, just a bit of pain. I think my period is on its way."

"That doesn't sound right," Christine

observed, glancing at my abdomen. "Isn't your cycle usually like clockwork? It's been delayed for a few days now. Any other

discomfort?"

I thought for a moment, "No, just the usual anxiety. Probably hormonal imbalance. It should start in a couple of days..."

Before I could finish, a familiar hand patted my shoulder from behind. "Jane, Christine."

I turned around, smiling, "Hey, Mark, what brings you to the hospital?"

"Just getting a dressing changed."

He chuckled, gesturing to his arm, then asked with concern, "I overheard you guys. Are you not feeling well?"