"Is that so?" Florence Fuller raised an eyebrow as she looked at Luke Gardiner, "The lipstick mark on his neck tells me otherwise."
Luke Gardiner's handsome face darkened, he raised his hand to wipe it, and a faint red stain appeared on his hand. Meeting Florence Fuller's cold and indifferent gaze, for the first time in his life, he felt utterly ashamed.
"Ha!" Luke Gardiner ground the red stain between his fingertips, "So what? You insisted on marrying me back then. You already know about my philandering outside. Yes, I didn't come here to watch the show, I'm here on vacation with my mistress, so what?"
He wanted to tear apart Florence Fuller's persistently cold facade, wanted to provoke her anger, but he forgot one key point: Florence Fuller simply didn't care about him.
"You openly talk about your affairs, yet when I sprain my ankle and need help off the plane, you can't tolerate it. Luke Gardiner, don't be such a hypocrite!"
Florence Fuller cast him a chilly glance, then turned to thank the flight attendant, refusing to engage further with Luke Gardiner.
The oppressive silence in the first class cabin lasted until landing.
As the cabin door opened, Luke Gardiner left with a cold face, taking the woman with him, while the flight attendant approached Florence Fuller, looking somewhat uneasy and embarrassed.
Florence Fuller looked at him, "Don't worry, your job won't be affected; I'll call your company's manager to commend you."
Upon hearing this, the flight attendant's expression relaxed.
Samuel Morrison was waiting at the exit, surprised to see Florence Fuller being pushed out in a wheelchair, "What happened to you?"
"I sprained my ankle when we hit turbulence and couldn't stand firm; I need to go to the hospital first."
After understanding the situation, Samuel Morrison first took her to the hospital. After a lot of hassle, they returned to the hotel—it was already quite late.
"Seeing your condition, there's no way you can attend the investment conference tomorrow; it's a wasted trip." Samuel Morrison said.
As Florence Fuller's investment advisor, her assets with SN Capital have multiplied considerably. This conference was meant to gather these capital giants for mutual encounters.
At only twenty-five years old, her net worth has soared considerably, and her perspective is keen.
Samuel Morrison was genuinely grateful to have been chosen by her back then.
"It can't be considered a waste, staying in a different place for a while can be good." Florence Fuller looked at the night view outside the floor-to-ceiling window, "What's the current situation with SN Capital?"
"It belongs to Polaris Conglomerate originally, but has been revitalized in recent years, with the newly appointed chairman now focusing on venture capital."
With this trend, it'll only get better.
Florence Fuller raised an eyebrow; she had waited so long and finally returned some benefits.
"How did you think of investing in SN back then?" He recalled their conversation in the domestic setting when she had just married, and a bunch of numbers on her card were her dowry and money from selling shares.
"I wanted to make a big play."
"You're extremely brave then," Samuel Morrison said, "What if you lost everything!"
Florence Fuller raised an eyebrow, "Then I would earn again."
Samuel Morrison quite admired her open-minded temperament.
With her foot injured like this, during her stay in France, she couldn't go out and temporarily met with two bosses who were also investing heavily in SN Capital.
One came from a family business but wasn't an heir, while the other simply loved investments, wanting to dabble in various fields.
SN Capital is now developing rapidly. She wasn't the biggest investor initially, but due to the unfavorable trends of the time, many withdrew investments, while she remained unshaken. Now that returns have come back, she can be considered one of the behind-the-scenes giants.
On her return to SJ, she could walk, albeit slowly. Adrian Morrison accompanied her to the airport and planned to escort her to the security check when Florence Fuller stopped him.
"I'll go in myself."
"Let me escort you; your foot barely walks, and the airport is full of people."
"No worries, there's plenty of time; I'll make it slowly." Florence Fuller pulled the suitcase from his hand, "I just remembered I need to ask you for assistance."
Adrian Morrison nodded as he looked at her, "Tell me."
"Help me find a lawyer, the best in the industry, who can handle international cases."
Adrian Morrison: "What kind of case?"
"Divorce case."
--
SJ, 2 AM.
Lily Lancaster knew Florence Fuller sprained her ankle on the plane to France. Now, in the dead of night, there weren't many people at the airport exit. From a distance, she saw Florence Fuller's solitary figure, slowly pulling a suitcase towards the exit.
Lily Lancaster's eyes dimmed with unease.
Luke Gardiner went to France with his lover for a vacation, got photographed by paparazzi, and the affair made headlines. Including when he returned yesterday, he was caught being intimate, laughing and joking with his lover.
And while he went to France as Florence Fuller's husband, she sprained her ankle and returned alone, while he laughed and cuddled with another woman.
How ironic!
The marriage between wealthy families benefits both sides.
While he can be carefree, she must preserve the Gardiner Family's interests.
In this marriage, it's Florence Fuller who suffered injustice.
"Thinking about something?"
Florence Fuller's voice came from a distance; Lily Lancaster snapped back to reality, "Boss."
Florence Fuller walked over, reaching for the suitcase, and noticed Florence was wearing flat shoes, "How's your ankle?"
"It's alright, much better."
"Shall I communicate with Mrs. Sussex about you not being able to go to the stables tomorrow?"
"It's fine; I don't mind not riding."
Lily Lancaster wanted to say more but knew she couldn't sway Florence Fuller's decision.
"There have been rumors flying about President Gardiner again these days, and Gardiner Clan's PR has stepped in to suppress them."
"I know." While she was in France, the elder called her, gritting his teeth about Luke Gardiner and hoping she'd tolerate him.
Lily Lancaster was silent.
During Florence Fuller's two years of marriage, Luke Gardiner's romantic rumors were plentiful, yet she rarely intervened or asked, unless it caused a stir reaching her.
"What are you thinking?" After a long absence of sound, Florence Fuller turned her head slightly to glance at Lily Lancaster.
"Boss." Almost two years of following Florence Fuller, for the first time she asked, "Will you divorce?"
"I will!"
Lily Lancaster heard her unhesitating response.
"It might be a bit challenging." Exiting the airport, the night sky was adorned with stars, which brought a sense of peace. Florence Fuller sighed deeply, "But it's okay, there's plenty of time."
Lily Lancaster pressed her lips and couldn't help but smile.
Despite being a year younger than herself, Florence Fuller's life seemed more mature and worldly, truly remarkable.
--
Wednesday, South Suburban Stables.
Perhaps it's divine intervention, just as the morning clear sky suddenly turned cloudy. Florence Fuller had just changed into her equestrian outfit when she ran into Mrs. Sussex, who had just turned back.
"Mrs. Gardiner," Mrs. Sussex called her, "Unlucky, it's pouring rain outside."
"Ah?" Florence Fuller was surprised, "Wasn't it clear and sunny?"
"Yes, who knew it would start raining in an instant, let's go to the indoor stables."
Mrs. Sussex walked beside her, bringing her son, "Michael, come over and greet."