Ambition and obsession - Season 1 Episode 10

Nicole was surprised; she hadn’t expected Joseph to know her. She couldn’t help but take another look at the man. He wasn’t bad-looking, and he looked even more handsome in person than he did in his photos. With his bold eyebrows, upturned nose, and charming eyes, he looked like a pretty boy. “Do you know me?” she asked curiously. There was no way Queenie would tell him what happened five years ago. Joseph’s eyes flashed with sarcasm. “Why wouldn’t I know young Nicole from the Anderson Family?” Nicole could hear the sarcastic tone in Joseph’s voice, but she couldn’t remember if she had ever offended him. Before she could speak, however, she heard the man continue, “I heard you’re going to marry my father. So what’s the big deal, bringing a child with you? Are you trying to get me a younger brother right away?” A hint of contempt flashed in Joseph’s eyes. I heard from Queenie that this woman wants to be my father’s second wife for money. I hate these vain women more than anything else!

Hearing his words, Nicole finally realized why Joseph was so hostile towards her. However, she would not acknowledge such groundless things. “I think you are mistaken. I have never thought of marrying someone from the Mann Family.” The smile on her face disappeared. She said, “I am here today to talk to you about the collaboration.”

Joseph’s attractive eyes narrowed slightly with a hint of contempt in them. “Collaboration? Are you Lisa?” He had heard Queenie talk about Nicole this morning. According to Queenie, this sister of hers was so vain to the point of almost delusion, claiming to be Lisa. He did not believe it at first, but he did not expect that the woman before him would be so shameless as to make up lies along the way!

“Uh-huh,” Nicole replied.

However, as soon as she sat down with her son, she heard a scoff from in front of her. “Haha! Queenie was right. You’re delusional, aren’t you?”

Nicole frowned. “If I’m not Lisa, why would I know she was supposed to meet with you today?”

Joseph glared at her as his lips curled in ridicule. “Just stop pretending, Nicole. I have no idea how you received the news of my appointment with Ms. Lisa, but could you at least do some homework before coming here? Lisa is a middle-aged woman in her forties. Even if you want to impersonate her, you should try to look more like her, okay?” Lisa’s age is no secret in the industry, as it was the president of F&M Apparel himself who revealed it. And yet, this idiot before me is impersonating Lisa without even knowing it. “Queenie has been right all along; you’re a vain woman who mindlessly makes up lies to make herself look good.” He was somewhat displeased with the prospect of Nicole marrying his father in the first place.

Seeing Joseph’s attitude, Nicole said coldly, “Mr. Mann, I don’t think we need to talk about our next steps anymore. With your character, there’s no way F&M Apparel can work with the Mann Family.” The purpose of F&M Apparel collaborating with Gardner Corporation this time was to expand its market in the country, so Nicole intended to work with several well-known clothing brands in the country, and Mann Clothing Co. seems to be no longer necessary, however.

Joseph replied in disgust, “Haha! For a copycat, you look too much like the real thing. How can a vain woman like you be Lisa? Seeing as you’re Queenie’s sister, I won’t argue with you today.”

Before Nicole could defend herself, Hayden, who was standing beside her, jumped to her defense. “Mommy isn’t vain! And she really is Lisa,” he said. Then, he turned to look at Nicole, holding her two fingers in his little hand. “Let’s go home, Mom. This guy doesn’t deserve you.”

“As expected of an illegitimate daughter, even your son is an ill-mannered bastard!”

Nicole wanted to ignore Joseph at first, but stopped the moment she heard him insult her son. She would never allow him to say something like that about Hayden—not even if Hayden was her son! “Let me advise you to watch your language, Mr. Mann. Is this how you were raised, to say something so vile to a child?” she said. Looking at the man before her, she continued, “You and I are not even close, and all you know about me is what you’ve heard from others. I’ve never offended you from the beginning, yet you keep talking to us in such an arrogant manner. Is this your way of behaving?”

Her words made Joseph’s face turn livid with anger one moment and red with embarrassment the next. He pointed at the woman, asking, “If you weren’t such a vain woman,

Nicole didn’t bother to explain, however. Lifting Hayden into her arms, she said without looking back, “You’ll find out if I’m Lisa or not when you meet me.”

I’m going to be attending the F&M Apparel annual dinner.” Someone will confirm whether I’m Lisa or not at the F&M Apparel annual dinner a week later, anyway! With that, she quickly left.

Hayden obediently snuggled into Nicole’s arms. After they left the café, he looked up and comforted her, saying, “Don’t be angry, Mom. There’s no point in getting mad at this guy.” He knew Nicole was angry because Joseph called him a bastard. Because of that, he was even more certain that there was no way someone as detestable as Joseph could be his father.

Hayden had dug up a lot of information about Colton these days. As the CEO of the Gardner Corporation, Colton wielded a lot of power. More importantly, he found Colton’s appearance very much to his liking, so Colton had to be his father. I heard from Mom that the president of the Gardner Corporation will be attending the F&M Apparel annual dinner. I’ll let her know that my father is none other than Colton Gardner!