Chapter 5: They Finally Parted Ways

Isabella suddenly found the Sophie who was standing before her so unfamiliar.

Her eyes and tone seemed to suggest that if Isabella tried to stop her, she would be committing some grave sin.

"You have a boyfriend? You never mentioned it before. What does he do? Where is he from? Did he ask you to move in with him? When a man says 'I'll take care of you,' it's often an empty promise. A woman needs a job to have security. What if you're deceived? You're so gentle; men love to take advantage of women like you..."

"Isabella, do you really think I'm that kind of person?" Sophie interrupted her.

Isabella was taken aback and explained, "No, that's not what I meant..."

Sophie interrupted again, "He won't lie to me. He's local, very wealthy, and runs his own company. Finding a good man is more important than finding a good job. If you find the right man, life won’t be so hard. Women are meant to enjoy life; making money is a man's job. I'm not as capable or as beautiful as you. I just want to find a good man to marry, and I'll be content."

Their views were completely different.

At this point, Isabella couldn't stop her and said, "If you've found a good place to settle down, I'm happy for you, Sophie. I hope you're happy. Bring your boyfriend out someday so we can meet him. He’s taking my best friend away, and I don't even know who he is."

"He's very busy. I'll introduce him when he has time. As long as you support me, I'll definitely be happy," Sophie lied casually. How could she let Isabella know her boyfriend was Sebastian Whitmore?

"As long as he's good to you, I'll support you," Isabella said. "When are you moving out? Do you need my help?"

Isabella was worried; she was sure Sophie was being deceived. In today's society, there are many fraudsters and scumbags who coax their girlfriends into living together and then control them once they get pregnant.

"No need, he'll have his assistant help move my things," Sophie said while peeling potatoes and tentatively asked, "Isabella, at Whitmore Corporation, you're just an intern; it must be hard for you to see your boss."

"It used to be hard," Isabella said helplessly. "But now I'll probably see him every day. I've been promoted to the Secretary Office; I'm now Sebastian Whitmore's secretary. Sophie, I told you earlier that I got promoted; didn't you hear?"

Hearing this, Sophie panicked and dropped the potato: "You're Sebastian Whitmore's secretary?"

"Yes," Isabella said worriedly. "I'm quite surprised too. I don't know why Sebastian Whitmore chose me as his secretary. His another secretary Mr. Reed said it might be because I'm plain-looking and I lied and mentioned that I have a fiancé. Maybe Sebastian Whitmore thinks I'm safe since I have a fiancé and won't have any designs on him."

Sophie pressed on, "Isabella, do you like Sebastian Whitmore? Would you ever like him?"

Isabella was puzzled by Sophie's reaction and laughed: "Sophie, what's wrong with you? Do you think I'm tired of living? Sebastian Whitmore? He's someone at the top of the pyramid; we're not even in the same world."

"That's good," Sophie breathed a sigh of relief but accidentally let slip.

Isabella didn't understand: "Sophie, what do you mean by 'that's good'?"

Sophie avoided her gaze and picked up the potato to continue peeling it, hiding her panic: "Sebastian Whitmore is handsome and rich; many girls must like him. I worry that you'll fall for him too. The Whitmore family wouldn't accept someone from our background; I'm afraid you'll get hurt."

"Don't worry; I know my place," Isabella smiled lightly: "I've heard that women who get involved with Sebastian Whitmore eventually disappear without a trace. It's best to keep a respectful distance from such a diamond-level man."

Isabella spoke without malice, but Sophie took it to heart.

Feeling guilty, Sophie's words seemed like sarcasm to herself, mocking her lack of self-awareness.

She felt ashamed of her hypocrisy—advising Isabella not to fall for Sebastian Whitmore while she herself sought wealth.

Sophie dared not ask Isabella about last night; she couldn't break that fragile layer of understanding.

Heaven had given her a dream of wealth and a handsome, wealthy man; she had to seize this opportunity.

If Isabella didn't care for Sebastian Whitmore, she couldn't be blamed for taking advantage of the situation.