Alexander and Noah followed suit.
When they saw Ethan coming out of Samantha's bedroom, their eyes widened in surprise. Noah, being more mature than Alexander and Charlotte, instantly understood what had happened. He happily raised the corners of his mouth.
Alexander, on the other hand, instinctively shielded Charlotte behind him, glaring warily at Ethan.
"Why were you in my mommy's room? Did you bully my mommy?" When he heard the word 'bully,' Alexander's reflex was to protect Charlotte and stare at Ethan suspiciously.
Ethan responded with a meaningful smile, "You're right. But your mommy was quite happy about being 'bullied' by me!"
With that, he casually went to the living room, hands in his pockets.
Hearing that Ethan had bullied Samantha, Alexander was furious. He was about to rush over and settle the score when he saw Samantha walking out, her head lowered. Her cheeks were as red as boiled shrimp.
Upon seeing him, Alexander immediately anxiously asked, "Mommy, are you okay? Did Dad bully you last night? I'll go and avenge you."
Samantha quickly pulled him back, "I'm fine. He was just joking with you."
Alexander didn't believe her and looked at her suspiciously, "Did he really not bully you?"
Samantha nodded decisively, "Really, he didn't bully me."
Why didn't he bully her?
She wished she could peel off Ethan's skin and drink his blood.
Stinking man.
Ignoring her wishes, he forced her all night.
Now, she was sore and aching all over, feeling like her whole body was falling apart.
Alexander still didn't believe it. He checked her from head to toe, only finding some red marks from mosquito bites on her neck. He temporarily believed their words.
At the dining table, Charlotte sat between Alexander and Noah. Both of them kept offering her food, being attentive.
Samantha and Ethan sat on the side, not saying a word. However, it was clear that Ethan was in a good mood. Laughter seemed to have colored his brows and eyes.
Suddenly, the front door swung open.
Karen walked in looking exhausted, her eye sockets sunken, and dark circles surrounding her eyes. She, who usually paid great attention to her appearance, had unusually disheveled hair and wrinkled clothes.
A strong smell of alcohol permeated the small living room.
Alexander and Noah immediately covered their noses, showing their disdain.
Samantha walked up, concerned, and asked, "Karen, what happened to you?"
Karen forced a smile, shook her head, and said, "It's nothing. I had a social event last night and was forced to drink a lot by a few old guys! I'm fine, just need a good night's sleep."
After saying that, she looked at Ethan.
Smiling dreamily, she said, "Samantha, you're amazing. You managed to captivate both Justin and President Steele. I'm really envious of you..."
With that, she staggered back to her room.
Little did she know that her words caused Ethan, who was having breakfast, to suddenly darken his expression.
A chill spread wildly throughout the room.
Samantha couldn't help but shiver, giving Ethan an awkward smile, "Karen is drunk; I'll go check on her!"
Saying that, she fled as if there were a flood and a ferocious beast chasing her.
Noah, observing Ethan's extremely unpleasant expression, calmly said, "Father, don't believe her words. She's not a good person, and everything she says is calculated. If you argue with Mom because of what she said, you'll be playing right into her hands. Isn't it giving pleasure to the enemy?"
Alexander echoed, "Noah is right. She's not a good person. Please don't let her manipulate you."
Hearing this, Ethan's anger seemed to ease slightly. He lowered his head, continued to eat his breakfast silently, but the joy on his face from before was gone. An invisible coldness enveloped him, making it seem as though he was pushing everyone a thousand miles away.
After Karen went back to her room and fell into a deep sleep, seemingly unresponsive to Samantha's attempts to wake her, Samantha had no choice but to leave.
As soon as the door closed, the sleeping Karen slowly opened her eyes.
There was no sign of drunkenness or sleepiness in her eyes, only a deep-seated hatred.
After breakfast, Ethan and his two sons lingered and didn't want to leave.
Samantha, not wanting to see Ethan, forcefully kicked them out.
Then, she went to the pharmacy and took a contraceptive pill.
....
Monday.
After dropping off Charlotte at the kindergarten, Samantha headed straight to the Stanton family villa.
Today was the day for submission.
Designers in the country with a bit of reputation had all received invitations.
The chosen one would not only have their design turned into a birthday necklace for Lena Stanton but would also have their work showcased at the international jewelry exhibition, becoming a global focus. In case of winning an award at the international jewelry exhibition, they would not only gain fame but also receive numerous collaboration opportunities.
Hence, everyone cherished this opportunity.
When Samantha arrived, all the participating designers were already present.
The Stanton family steward was instructing the servants to serve them desserts and tea.
To her surprise, she spotted Suzy in the crowd.
As she noticed Suzy, Suzy also noticed her, smirking provocatively with a face full of challenge.
This time, she wanted to make Samantha completely disgraced, unable to establish herself in the jewelry industry forever.
A sense of foreboding rose in Samantha's heart.
In a moment, the head of the Stanton family arrived.
Followed by Stanton family members.
The birthday girl, Lena Stanton, walked arm in arm with the family head, smiling innocently.
All the designers in attendance rushed forward, doing their best to get close, hoping to build a good relationship with them for future development.
Suzy was also among them.
Only Samantha sat alone in her seat, calmly sipping her tea.
After the polite greetings, they got down to business.
To ensure fairness and justice, the Stanton family intentionally placed a large screen in the hall, projecting all the designs for everyone to see.
The Stanton family also specifically invited a notary and reporters from the largest newspaper in England to broadcast the live event.
Lena Stanton was one of the judges.
As the competition was about to begin, a middle-aged woman suddenly spoke, "Mr. Stanton, forgive me for being presumptuous, but I would like to ask why you invited Samantha? Everyone in the industry knows she's a plagiarist. Aren't you afraid she'll resort to her old tricks again?"
Suddenly being called out, Samantha was slightly stunned, looking at the woman who spoke.
She recognized this woman.
Her name was Leah, in the industry for over a decade, always obscure.
It wasn't until four years ago that she suddenly gained Anna's appreciation, designing a necklace for Anna's silver wedding party. Since then, she had made a name for herself in the jewelry world.
Leah's words instantly shifted everyone's attention to Samantha.
People started casting disdainful glances at her.
Some self-righteous individuals couldn't help but join in, "Rough words but a valid point. Although I'm a nobody in the jewelry industry, I consider myself morally upright. I despise shameless plagiarists the most. I hope you can disqualify her, don't tarnish the reputation of everyone present."
Others immediately followed suit.
"Exactly, putting her with us is an insult to our reputation!"
"She doesn't have real talent, relying on plagiarism to reach her current status. Who knows, maybe her design this time is also copied. Miss Stanton, taking her with plagiarized work will only make us a laughingstock."
"We hope you can disqualify her and send her away..."
In a moment, a wave of public sentiment surged.
Samantha became the target of everyone's arrows.
***