Bride To Be Not Me (Janice and Simon)

What followed was an outpour of outrage on Janice's behalf.

A woman this talented had stood by her boyfriend's side, helping him build his career, only to be heartlessly discarded.

More and more people sympathized with her. Even neutral bystanders, after looking into the full story, felt she had been deeply wronged.

But what fueled the backlash even more was that she had never spoken ill of her ex in public.

Every video and photo that surfaced showed him yelling and insulting her, being a bitter, angry mess.

Within two hours, Simon's social media exploded. And it didn't stop there. People quickly dug up Legacy Twine, the new company he had registered. This meant his business partner-the Appleton family-was dragged into the firestorm as well.

The results? Online harassment, phone calls at all hours, and hate comments flooding their websites. Customers placed orders with the Appletons only to cancel them immediately, over and over again.

By the time Elsie finally got wind of the situation, the banquet was already wrapping up.

Janice had been drinking quite a bit. Throughout the evening, she had exchanged contacts with multiple companies she had never worked with before, laying the groundwork for future partnerships. She was surrounded by people, practically adored by the crowd.

There was no trace left of the woman Simon had once belittled and suppressed. And yet, Simon dared to keep inching closer.

With shamelessness that knew no bounds, he spoke to her like they were still close. "Janice, don't drink so much. You'll aggravate your stomach problems. Have some warm water, okay? Be good."

The business executives around them watched with nothing but disgust.

Simon must've tampered with that cup of water.

He wanted her to drink it right there in front of witnesses. That way, if she fell sick later, no one would ever suspect him.

After all, she had been drinking all night. Who could say which drink had caused the problem?noveldrama

But Simon's motives ran deeper than just completing the task Louis had given him. He wanted to strike first. If he could make something happen between them, then Edward would definitely throw her away.

And when that happened, Janice would have no choice but to come back to him. There was no way she could survive the public backlash otherwise.

And once he got his condition treated, he would make sure to have a child with her.

Simon's thoughts were disgusting, but to him, they made perfect sense. That was why he was looking at Janice with such a gentle, affectionate gaze.

Then, with the self-important air of a boyfriend, he turned to the crowd and said, "Apologies, everyone. She shouldn't be drinking anymore. You all should—"

"Mr. Fitzgerald."

Janice had been drinking a lot, but she wasn't drunk. She was still effortlessly carrying conversations, casually discussing the latest international crochet trends.

Her beautiful eyes glimmered with amusement as she turned to Simon. At that moment, Simon thought he had a chance.

She had been drinking, and women were naturally emotional. Surely, she was reminiscing about their past struggles and feeling nostalgic, maybe even moved?

"It's alright. I'll take you home so that you can rest," he said smoothly. Then, he reached out, about to support her.

But Janice easily avoided his touch.

His hand hung awkwardly in the air, frozen. The laughter around them became sharper, more obvious.

Simon's face burned with humiliation. He had already lowered himself. He had swallowed his pride. He had publicly fawned over her.

What more did Janice want?

Why was she still embarrassing him like this?

"Perhaps I wasn't clear enough, or maybe you simply weren't listening. I've already said we're not close. So please, don't say anything that might make my boyfriend misunderstand. If he's unhappy, then I'm unhappy," Janice said, her voice laced with amusement.

The slap to Simon's face was deafening.

But she mentioned a boyfriend!

Was Janice really with Edward?

If that was true, then everyone needed to switch strategies and start kissing up to

her now.

One businessman was quick to

speak up. "Mr. Fitzgerald, you seem to think a little too highly of yourself. It's not very gentlemanly of you, if you ask me. She has a boyfriend, and your behavior is crossing a line. Then again, I suppose it makes sense. You do have a history of getting into love triangles, don't you?"

Immediately, another executive chimed in, "Exactly. When it's over, it's over. There's no need to linger. Regret won't change the past. Ms. Smith is an exceptional woman. She has no reason to settle for leftovers."

If Janice got back with Simon, none of them would benefit.

In that case, supporting her relationship with Edward was the only logical move.