Stand By Me Darling
Chapter 177: Bitter Feeling In Her Gut

Chapter 177: Bitter Feeling In Her Gut

The Dinner was over and everyone was led to the East Room where the entertainments were arranged.. There was a free flow of alcohol and cocktails. A well organised jazz band performing in the corner of the big ballroom.

Of course everyone was socialising and Talia was stunned by the amount of attention she got. With a smile, she tackled everyone and tried to move away from the crowd. She just wanted to be a wallflower no one notices.

Too bad she was glowing like a moon among the stars surrounding her. And her not realising it, only added to her allure.

She tried to find Arthur. It won’t be hard to find him. There weren’t many men who were seven feet tall, with ginger red hair around. As she searched, she met eyes with Samuel Russell who was only slightly shorter than Fred and had a shade of red hair. With a smile, he raised his champagne glass at her and Talia had to smile back with a nod.

When she found Arthur, some women were surrounding him. Some were the celebrities and some were the daughters of the politicians and businessmen. She couldn’t blame him for being too attractive. He is a man with good prospects many woman would dream for their spouse to have. He is handsome, rich, well-educated and influential.

He was politely refusing the women trying to get his attention. For her, he really looked like a warm winter sun who’d give hope and warmth to everyone. Except he wasn’t smiling and those women weren’t pleased.

She couldn’t get angry at him for the nasty women surrounding him. In fact Talia was feeling a little pity for the women who were witnessing his stone cold face.

He’s a handsome guy with a very handsome smile... A pity not everyone can see him smile.

Hmpf! Why should I pity them? If not for me, they wouldn’t even get to see this man up close. They all should be thanking me... Those ugly women wearing thick makeups and nauseating perfumes. If not for me, he wouldn’t have even graduated high school and would have thought he was so amazing at basketball when he was just average at best. He would have tried to pursue his career in sports and would have failed miserably!

Hmpf! Even today, I helped him wear the bow tie or else, he would have attended with a clip-on!

Looking at the amount of women surrounding him, pestering him for a dance, Talia wanted to pull him away from the crowd and lock him in a bathroom in a tower; where only she has the key to open the thick iron door.

Those women sweetly smiling around him, made her feel a bitter feeling in the pit of her stomach. Soon her anger turned towards Fred himself.

Stupid Fred! Hmpf! Who cares about that ugly ginger!

She couldn’t even cuss Arthur properly in her heart but there were already people trying to talk to her. She just wanted to run away.

"Let’s dance, Princess" a familiar voice was heard and Talia wanted to thank the heavens aloud.

"Joe, take me out of here..!" she was relieved, and let him lead her to the dance floor. There were already some couples dancing.

Joe and Talia joined the dance floor and Joe looked around with a smirk, "Looks like Ms.Whiteford is so popular tonight," he chuckled.

"Tell me about it!" Talia rolled her eyes. She knew for now, she is the most eligible spinster in this hall.

There were already many eyes on her and Joe. Both of them didn’t mind it.

"Make sure I look perfect in the picture of us together you release for PR. You arranged for it, right?" Talia asked seeing Joe blanking out. Talia knew it would greatly help Feldstein Associates if everyone knows that Joe is still friends with her.

"You didn’t?" Talia’s smile vanished.

"I’m..." Joe sighed. "I’m in no mood to take care of those stuff now... I want to bring Becky back. That’s my priority for now."

"Come on, Joe!" Talia was angered by his insincere tone.

Is this a joke?

"You fired Rachel and you already lost the Crawley family’s support, so why not use this opportunity to boost your firm’s prospects? You’re not going to bankrupt the firm, are you? ’Poor Joe... His wife left him and he, out of sorrow, lost his firm. What a cruel woman she is, to break his heart and ruin his life!’... Do you want people to blame Rebecca and pity you? Is that what you want? Want to get her back, you say... And how will you feed your wife and child if you don’t have a job? File for unemployment? " she sneered as she paused the little movements of her feet as the song ended. Her feet were killing her as she was wearing six inch pumps with a pointed tip.

" Or... You’re not planning to depend on your father like the rest of those second generation idiot, entitled - "

" What the heck, Talia! I’m not going to! " Joe got fired up. " I’m not going to bankrupt the firm. The firm is doing fine. You think I’m that stupid? I just didn’t want to use your name for PR in case you think I’m using you. You’ve already done a lot for the firm and for us and I don’t want to seem like an opportunist."

Talia relaxed seeing Joe speaking from his heart. "Use away... Use my name to further the firm. Feldstein Associates...It was my first real job. That firm is like a child to me... I would like to see it flourish. And maybe get some good PR pieces about me published in the media... " Talia gave her piece of mind, patting his back.

"Good PR? What’s there so good to write about you?" Joe asked jokingly. His eyes were filled with gratefulness hearing what Talia said. She really is a good friend.

"I’m the smartest, kindest, loveliest-"

"It would be a lie though. You’re one of the smartest people I know. But you are not kind to everyone and you’re not someone who shows love to everyone either," Joe spoke honestly.

Talia looked at Joe and shook her head. He was not lying,she knew. But must he stab her with truth like this?

" I wrote a letter and gave it to one of your staff. Please hand it to her for me," Joe said and Talia nodded. She could pass a letter. Also sending letters might be an archaic means of communication, but it is intimate and would be much more effective than a text or email. It might move Rebecca’s heart.

"Did you talk to her? " Joe held her once again as another song started and it was like a jingle and many of the old people were singing along the song making the atmosphere light and lively.

Talia looked Joe in the eye and could see the deep sorrow. "I face-timed her and she didn’t say much..." she sighed.

There were times when Talia had wished for Rebecca’s silence, but her silence this time was a bit scary and made her feel very lonely. Some people are created in a jovial and bubbly way just to brighten up the world. Rebecca is such a person.

" She didn’t use the money from the card I gave her. We had a joint account where we saved our salary and she withdrew her money, without even touching an extra cent... I’m scared, Talia. I’m scared she’d give my ring back... I really cannot live without her."

Talia could feel Joe’s hands holding her shiver. Talia didn’t know Rebecca got this serious. She didn’t want to tell him the truth first, but now she decided to.

" She had asked if she could immigrate to Rosandale..."

"She can’t!" Joe shouted and Talia watched his eyes redden and feeling everyone’s eyes on them he composed himself.

Talia did feel sorry to see Joe like that. "She had asked Cordelia and Cordelia was the one who told me... Rebecca...She doesn’t trust me with your issue. She thinks I’m biased towards you. Apparently Cordelia told her it might take a month. She also thinks Rebecca might be a bit impulsive. But Rebecca is stubborn once she decided and so Cordelia gave her a month to think it through... "

Talia spoke in a low voice and smiled excitedly at the Senator and his wife smiling widely at her. They were in the middle of the dance floor dancing for a peppy song, but their mood was not great. But she cannot show it since it would create many whimsical stories involving her and Joe.

"It can’t happen,Talia. A month...?" Joe was entirely perplexed. He didn’t think Rebecca was this sure to leave him.

"Listen Joe," Talia gripped his shoulder hard to make him look at her, "She asked for my apartment and I agreed to lend it to her but she insisted on paying rent and all. I had to accept her conditions and my guess is she will stay in the city for the month. Now... You... You can stay in the penthouse apartment in the top floor of the building. Meet her daily. Cook for her, take her out, speak nice words to her, buy her flowers; woo her... It will work out. She cannot throw you from her heart that easily. You got her pretty easy because she fell for you first. Now show her how much you are wiling to do for her," Talia spoke in a way that made Joe’s confidence rise.

"Mmm... I’ll talk to the owner then... And... I fell for her first. I didn’t confess because I thought I’d be rejected..." Joe’s voice became assertive." I’m not willing to let her go. "

" Good! "Talia was happy. " Then for today... Just go to that guy Samuel Russell and get a short video for her and maybe an autograph. I’ll pass it on to her, " Talia said and watched Joe’s smile vanish.

As she spoke about him, her eyes naturally wandered at Samuel and their eyes met once again. Talia gave an awkward nod and turned her head.

That’s weird! Was that guy staring at me all this time?

" That guy is useless! How could she like him? I don’t want her to have a video of him," he furrowed his brows.

He really didn’t want to. He knew then his wife would treat that video as a treasure and build a shrine for that Russell with the autograph and the hundred photographs she has of him. How could he let that happen?

Talia could only sigh. Is he jealous?

" Then forget about wooing her " Talia let of of Joe’s hand and took a step back. "You are not willing to do even this little thing for her?" Her tone was accusatory.

"Fine!" Joe could only roll his eyes and with a grunt, he walked towards Samuel.

Talia picked up a glass of wine and slowly retreated to the wall. She wanted to search for Arthur. That guy wanted to dance with her and now spending time chatting with other women.

What a pervert! He probably is trying to peek through their dress at their boobs... Idiot Fred! I’m not going to dance with him ever!

Talia stared at Arthur for some seconds and took big gulps of wine. Arthur still wasn’t noticing her and angrily, she turned and walked to the side.

At that time, she felt a shadow by her side and for a moment her heart fluttered thinking it was Fred. With a smile she turned to her side, but her smile froze seeing the guy.

No way!

Search the lightnovelworld.cc website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality.