After Divorce I Married a Tycoon-Chapter 99: Rushing to Suck Up to the Mistress
Claire Mercer stared at Scarlett Jewel, her gaze icy.
Scarlett felt her stare and looked over.
A flicker of surprise crossed Scarlett Jewel’s face before her red lips curved into a smirk.
She strutted toward Claire Mercer like a proud peacock, her high heels clicking.
"Claire Mercer, don’t tell me you’re planning on entering this modeling competition?"
"With a figure like yours, I doubt any designer would pick you."
"And even if some designer with no taste did pick you, I’m sure you’d just drag them down."
Claire Mercer didn’t get angry at the blatant taunts.
Instead, she stood up, a bright smile gracing her lips.
Standing before Scarlett Jewel, she looked down on her.
She was five-foot-seven, after all.
Towering over Scarlett Jewel, who was only five-foot-three, she now looked incredibly imposing.
Her smile grew wider and brighter as she addressed the other trainees in the lounge.
"I’d like to introduce everyone to the Mercer family’s true heiress, Scarlett Jewel."
Some trainees stared at Scarlett Jewel, unable to hide the envy on their faces.
"So she’s the Mercer heiress. No wonder she has such a refined air."
"Yeah, the moment she walked in, I could tell she was someone important."
"She’s a true blue-blood. Every move she makes exudes nobility."
"..."
Hearing some of the trainees sucking up to Scarlett Jewel, Claire Mercer’s smile grew even more brilliant.
Meanwhile, Scarlett Jewel lifted her chin and puffed out her chest, adopting an air of utter disdain.
’This ’Mercer heiress’ title is so much more glamorous than being some obscure commoner.’
She basked in the compliments from these lowly commoners, feeling incredibly smug.
But her smugness lasted barely two seconds before she heard Claire Mercer continue in a calm, unhurried tone.
"Not only is she the Mercer family’s heiress, but she was also Gavin Sinclair’s mistress."
As soon as these words were spoken, Scarlett Jewel’s smug smile froze on her face.
Her eyes widened in anger, and she snarled at Claire Mercer.
"Claire Mercer, you..."
Claire Mercer ignored Scarlett Jewel, who was now livid with rage.
She continued her introduction to the trainees in the lounge.
"The Sinclair and Mercer families were in the news a few days ago. I wonder if any of you saw it."
"One of the key figures involved was none other than the infamous ’mistress extraordinaire,’ Miss Jewel here."
The room erupted in gasps.
Just a moment ago, they had thought her luxurious clothes and arrogant demeanor meant she was of high status.
Now, hearing that she was the infamous mistress who had been all over the web a few days ago, their gazes shifted.
Some trainees who had read the gossip started whispering among themselves.
"Huh? She’s that mistress?"
"What’s the use of dressing so glamorously? She’s still just someone’s mistress."
"No way, she looks so different from her photos."
"If no one had pointed her out, I never would have guessed it was the same person."
"Those photos must have been heavily filtered. She looks nothing like them in person."
"..."
Claire Mercer quickly stepped in to control the situation.
"Now, now, don’t say that about her. After all, plastic surgery is nothing special these days."
"Besides, if she hadn’t invested a little in her face to make herself prettier..."
"...what right would she have to be the mistress of the heir to Rhonia’s wealthiest man?"
"What’s wrong with being a mistress to make some money?"
"A little shame is nothing compared to money, right, Miss Jewel?"
Scarlett Jewel was already trembling all over from Claire Mercer’s passive-aggressive remarks.
"Claire Mercer, you..."
’She couldn’t believe this bitch Claire Mercer would dare to expose her dirty laundry in public.’
’This was something she’d been desperately trying to hide.’
’She knew that mistresses have never been well-regarded.’
’That’s why she’d been desperately trying to cover it up, to keep anyone from finding out about her sordid past.’
’But Claire had just so casually ripped away her last shred of dignity, humiliating her in front of everyone.’
’She was so furious she could barely breathe.’
’If there weren’t so many people around, she would have started screaming curses at her.’
Seeing she was too angry to even utter a word of rebuttal, someone started to stand up for her.
"Miss Mercer, do you think it’s right to expose someone’s shortcomings like this?"
"We’re all women here. Why can’t you be a little more forgiving?"
"Why must women make things difficult for other women? Besides, even if Miss Jewel was a mistress, wasn’t the young master of the Sinclair family also at fault?"
"Why do you have to pin all the blame on one defenseless woman?"
"Don’t you think what you’re doing is really low?"
The one speaking was the girl who had been surrounded by others just a moment ago.
’She had a feeling Scarlett Jewel wouldn’t come to a modeling workshop for no reason.’
’Besides, Scarlett Jewel was still a Mercer heiress, a station far above their own.’
’On top of that, there were rumors online that the eldest young master of the Sinclair family was going to marry her.’
’Once she marries into the Sinclair family, she’ll be Mrs. Sterling.’
’The connections and resources she’d have would be beyond anything commoners like them could imagine.’
’If I could befriend her and use her to get into high society, I could meet more rich heirs.’
’Wouldn’t my own dream of marrying into a wealthy family be just around the corner?’
Sure enough, after she finished speaking, Scarlett Jewel noticed her.
"What’s your name?" she asked.
The girl replied with barely concealed excitement, "My name is Lily Dalton."
Scarlett Jewel looked Lily Dalton up and down with narrowed eyes.
"You’re not bad-looking, and you have a good figure. Are you a model in training here?"
Lily Dalton nodded. "Yes."
"Alright." Scarlett Jewel pointed a finger at her. "You’ll do."
"Huh?"
’What does she mean?’
Lily Dalton was a bit confused.
"I’m entering the competition hosted by CZ Group as a designer."
"I came today to choose my model partner."
"I like the look of you. Are you willing to be my partner and compete with me?"
How could Lily Dalton possibly refuse?
’Of course she was willing! A hundred times over.’
Suppressing her inner ecstasy, she nodded with a semblance of calm.
"As long as Miss Jewel..."
Scarlett Jewel frowned, correcting her with displeasure.
"Remember, I’m Miss Mercer."
"Yes, yes, of course." Lily Dalton immediately bowed and scraped.
"As long as you don’t find me lacking, Miss Mercer, I’m willing to be your model partner."
"Fine. Let’s exchange contact information for now. My assistant will contact you later."
Lily Dalton immediately took out her phone and asked cautiously,
"Miss Jew... uh, Miss Mercer, should I scan your code?"
Scarlett Jewel shot her an annoyed glance. "I’ll scan yours."
"Okay. Okay."
After the two exchanged contact information in front of everyone, Scarlett Jewel didn’t linger.
After all, most of the women in the lounge were hostile toward mistresses.
She didn’t want to stay here and endure everyone’s strange looks.
After Scarlett Jewel left, Roxanne Peyton couldn’t help but complain.
"Look at how smug she is. It’s like being a mistress has given her a superiority complex."
Claire Mercer originally had no intention of making an enemy of Lily Dalton.
However, Lily had chosen to become Scarlett Jewel’s partner model.
Therefore, it was impossible for the two of them to remain on friendly terms.
So she said with a scornful smile, "And this Miss Dalton, I suppose she’s the same type of person as Scarlett Jewel."
"After all, it takes a mistress to sympathize with a mistress."
"Unlike law-abiding good citizens like us, who despise mistresses."
Roxanne Peyton immediately agreed. "Well, her bootlicking certainly paid off, didn’t it?"
"Did you see how she was fawning all over her? Just rushing to suck up to a mistress."
