Chapter 28
Phalicia smiled, opened her car door, and got in. “Yeah, as expected from my student. But you still call me by my name instead of Ms. Lombard, don’t you?”
“Oh, that sounds too distant between us.” Salvatore laughed, but her tone was heavy with worry. “I was in a rush last time and didn’t get to ask. How are you gonna get back at Carlene? What did she do?”
A heaviness settled in Phalicia’s chest, and the smile faded from her face, replaced by a cold glint of hatred in her eyes.
“She clung to me like a leech for ten years. Back in school, she ate my food, wore my clothes, and used everything of mine. Then she took credit for my designs once she got a job and rose to fame. Behind my back, she called my work cheap and trashy. And when my family got into trouble, she played her part in it too.”
She recounted everything calmly, both to fill Salvatore in and to practice keeping her cool.
Was it painful? Of course.
But she reminded herself to remember the pain. It’d turn into the fuel that kept her moving forward.
Salvatore was silent for a long moment before finally grinding out, “I’ll help you. Whatever you need to do from now on, I’ve got your back.”
Phalicia smiled, the hatred in her eyes fading. “Just wait. When the time is right, you’ll have to step up too.”
She hung up and scheduled the file to be sent to Carlene in three days.
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Chapter 28
Just then, an unexpected caller came through.
Seeing “Madam Phelan” on the caller ID, she stopped what she was doing.
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Caleb’s mom, Florence Phelan, didn’t like Phalicia and wouldn’t let her call her by her name.
She looked down on Phalicia for coming from a fallen family and resented Caleb getting tangled up in the Lombard family’s mess.
Even though Phalicia had shone in the Jewelry Department and worked her fingers to the bone for the Voyage Group, Florence had never shown her any kindness.
Because of this, Caleb had often defended her and argued with Florence.
Back in the day, Phalicia was so moved that she was fiercely loyal to Caleb, working even harder to prove her worth to Florence.
She not only took full charge of the Jewelry Department but also handled partners Caleb couldn’t manage, tracked down hard–to–find resources, and took responsibility for last–minute lost speeches before interviews.
Even when the Jewelry Department started to thrive, Florence still looked down on her.
Coincidentally, whenever Florence gave her a hard time, it was when Caleb needed her to run around and deal with emergencies for the Voyage Group.
One would play the tough role to make things difficult for her, while the other acted as the protector, smoothly making her the go–to person to solve company problems.
For years, she had been fooled by Florence and Caleb, caught up in their tricks and manipulations.
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Phalicia pressed her fingers to her temples and answered the call.
“Hello, Madam Phelan. Is there something you need?”
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Florence’s voice was deep and serious. “Come back here. I gotta talk to you.”
Phalicia narrowed her eyes.
It looked like Caleb was about to put on another show.
She agreed and headed straight to the Phelan’s place.
The Phelan family’s butler, Benjamin Johnson, was already waiting at the door.
As Phalicia approached, he stepped forward to meet her.
Phalicia followed him closely into the opulent and bright living room.
Florence was seated by the floor–to–ceiling window, her hand, adorned with a bracelet, fiddling with a vase on the table.
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