Chapter 445: You’re Obviously Just Bullying Me
Fairness had no place in the world of the wealthy.
Power and money were the ones that spoke loudest.
Wendy chewed on her lip fearfully with her head slightly lowered. Standing in front of Clement, she asked softly, "Please take off your shirt. I will try my best to clean it up for you in the washroom."
"There’re so many people watching me. It will be very awkward for me to take off my shirt here," Clement replied, "How about I follow you to the washroom, and you can clean it while it’s still on me?"
"That..." Wendy was a little hesitant.
Clement continued, "You can’t possibly let me be half-dressed in front of all these people!"
"You’re not allowed to go!" Todd got up from the ground. He looked a little worse for wear but his voice was as stubborn as ever. "If you go with him now, I will break it off with you!"
"Break off? That sounds good." Clement guffawed at Todd’s words. "I wasn’t really planning on making her clean me up, but now it seems like I definitely have to make her do it."
"I..." Wendy bit on her lower lip and aggrieved tears welled in her eyes.
Clement couldn’t bear to watch her misery.
"Beautiful, don’t cry..." Clement consoled her. "Dump him. I promise you I will be a hundred times better to you."
"You’re not allowed to go!" Todd repeated.
The only thing Todd managed to do with his insistence was aggravate Clement.
He raised his arm and sent his fist hurtling toward Todd. Todd raised his arms to protect his head.
"I’ll go, I’ll go..." Wendy cried out. "I will help you get the juice off your clothing."
Clement immediately withdrew his arm. He was very happy that Wendy had agreed.
"I was the one who dirtied your shirt. I should be the one to clean it up." Wendy looked at the crowd gathered around them. "May I know where the washroom is?"
A server who had been watching the proceedings bowed respectfully and replied, "Please come with me." He then turned to lead the way.
Clement, who was standing next to Wendy, put out his hand in an invitation to go first.
Wendy took another worried glance at Todd before following the server.
As he watched Wendy walk away, Todd yelled at her departing back, "Corrine, why are you so cheap? I didn’t believe it when other people said you were colluding with your ex-husband. However, you are leaving with another man in full view of so many people! Corrine, I was wrong about you all along!"
"Didn’t Todd speak up for Corrine earlier when we were talking about her? Why is he scolding her now?"
"Seems like we weren’t wrong when we said Corrine was an ungrateful person earlier. Todd only spoke up for her to protect himself."
"Humph, I thought Corrine Swift and Todd Lewis were deeply in love. Didn’t the rumours say Todd stayed by Corrine’s side for five years, silently supporting everything she did? From the looks of things now, it’s just an exaggeration."
"It’s just hearsay. It’s always a mix of truths and half-truths."
"Corrine only agreed because she realised Todd couldn’t possibly win Clement in a fight. Why is Todd screaming at her instead?"
"Todd can be considered a genius in the design industry. However he’s just a designer. HG has gone down, so has Timothy Woods. Todd Lewis is nothing now. If Clement so chooses, he can crush Todd easily."
...
Wendy did not look back. She simply let Todd shout at her back.
With the server leading the way, she soon arrived at the washroom.
There were people walking in and out of the washroom every now and then.
Wendy observed the traffic quietly and felt slightly reassured.
Although it was unlikely Clement would try to do anything to her in the washroom, she felt safer knowing that there were other people around.
...
"I will help you remove the stain with the stain remover before blow drying the shirt, is that ok?" Wendy asked after she surveyed the bottles on the vanity counter in the washroom.
This was a top-end hotel, and they had made provisions for a wide range of needs.
The vanity counter and sinks were common use for men and women, so no one would find it strange that the two of them were at the counter together.
Clement, whose gaze had been fixed on Wendy all this time, made a sound in assent.
Wendy picked up the stain remover and worked on the juice stain on Clement’s clothing according to the instructions printed on the bottle.
The stain remover was quite effective. The juice stain on Clement’s shirt was soon gone.
With a minimal amount of water, Wendy cleaned off the remnants of the remover before blow drying the shirt with a hairdryer.
After a while, Wendy felt the shirt. It was already dry.
Wendy heaved a sigh of relief as if she had accomplished a great feat. Looking up, her eyes happened to catch Clement’s amused gaze.
Quickly lowering her head demurely, she said shyly, "There... there. It’s clean now."
Clement checked his shirt and praised her, "You’re not only beautiful, you’re good at cleaning stains off shirts as well!"
"If there’s nothing else, may I take my leave?" asked Wendy in a tentative voice.
"What’s the hurry?" replied Clement, "Didn’t your boyfriend say he was going to break off with you? Why are you still in a hurry to go back to him?"
"He did say that." Wendy replied softly, "My boyfriend is very particular and a little petty. It’s natural that he would get angry over me going to the washroom with you, even if it’s just to clean your shirt. Things should be fine once I go back and apologize to him."
"Apologize? Why do you have to apologize to him/ You did nothing wrong." Clement said, "Anyone with half a brain can see that you only agreed to my demand to protect him. As a man, he should come at me if he is angry and wants revenge. He shouldn’t be lashing out at you. Beautiful, this man of yours is useless. Consider dumping him!"
"That..." Wendy chewed her lower lip anxiously. "That won’t be right. He... He’s usually quite good to me. This time, it’s probably because... Sigh, why am I telling you this?"
Wendy sighed and continued, "I’m very sorry about what I did to your shirt, but I’ve cleaned it up. I know you are not a petty man, so if there is nothing else, I will take my leave. Goodbye."
Then, Wendy turned to leave.
Moving quickly, Clement moved to stand between Wendy and the exit. He took out a business card and offered it to Wendy. "To be honest, I like you very much.
However, I’m not in the habit of forcing others to do what they do not want to. This is my business card. If you change your mind, or if he mistreats you again, call me. I will pick you up."
"Thank you, but I don’t think I will need it." Wendy rejected Clement’s offer with a smile.
Clement’s interest in her had indeed been piqued that night. However, Wendy could not accept his business card.
The moment she accepted it, he would feel that she was but an ordinary woman, one that he could get easily.
What Wendy needed was not Clement’s momentary interest.
She had to resist his advances and wait for the next "coincidental" meeting.
Clement’s interest in her increased after Wendy refused his business card.
However, he did not want to force his way with such a beautiful woman.
As he watched Wendy’s retreating back, Clement looked down at the business card in his hand and threw it into the bin by the vanity counter.
...
Wendy returned to the main ballroom after she left the washroom.
Everyone turned to look at her.
"She really followed Clement to the washroom. Do you think anything happened between them in the washroom?"
"That’s hard to say. However, Corrine is in a really bad place now. HG closed down and she no longer has a backer. Todd was all she had left and they seem to have fallen out over this. Clement is not a bad choice if she’s looking for another person to depend on."
"Just because she wants Clement doesn’t mean he will want her as well. Don’t forget she is a mother of two. Although she is attractive, she’s probably just a passing fancy. It’s unlikely he will be serious about her."
"Don’t make Corrine out to be so useless. The amount of money she earned for HG in the past few years is not something easily achievable by just anyone. She definitely has the ability to support herself."
"Why is she acting so timid then? Isn’t it because she’s afraid that Todd will leave her?"
...
Wendy heard all the comments but she had to pretend she was unaware of what people were saying.
She still had a part to play.
Chewing on her lip, she cast her gaze into the crowd. She took a few tentative steps forward and asked anxiously, "Has anyone seen Todd? Do you know where he went?"
"Mr. Lewis? He just left." Someone pointed toward the exit. "It would be awkward for him to remain here after disgracing himself so badly."
"Thank you." Wendy lowered her head and said her thanks. She then looked toward the exit and hurried out after Todd.
Clement had exited the washroom just after Wendy.
The banquet host was a good friend of Clement’s. He came up to Clement and slung his arm over Clement’s shoulder. Looking at Wendy’s departing back in amusement, he commented "I see your taste in women still has not changed. She’s leaving, aren’t you going after her?"
"She might be my type but I don’t like forcing women to do what they don’t want to," replied Clement as he swirled the red wine in his glass.
"Stop pretending to be a gentleman. I know you too well!" said the man. "I’ll give you a hand."
The man then grabbed hold of a wireless microphone an attendant brought up and announced, "It’s time to have fun! Everyone, please grab your dance partner and get on the dance floor! Let the party begin!"
Then he shot his bodyguards a look and ordered, "Stop her."
As he watched his guards depart to carry out his instruction, he told Clement, "The rest is up to you." Clement merely chuckled in response.
Wendy had only just reached the exit when she found two burly bodyguards blocking her way. Standing in the exit, they took up all of the space in the doorway.
"Good evening, it’s time for the dance to begin. Madam, please have a dance before you leave," one of the bodyguards said.
"I’m sorry, I need to leave," replied Wendy. "Please excuse me."
"Just one dance will not take up too much of your time." The bodyguards had no intention of letting her leave.
Wendy looked outside anxiously. She saw Todd a distance away and called out for him, "Todd, Todd, I’m here. Wait for me..."
Todd heard Wendy calling for him and turned to glance at her. He stopped walking away but did not walk back to her. He simply stood where he was, looking at Wendy.
It seemed he was waiting for Wendy to go to him.
...
"Please let me pass. I really have something to attend to and I do not wish to dance." Wendy tried her best to get past the burly guards and away from the ballroom.
However, the bodyguards did not budge at all.
"How can you force me to dance if I don’t want to? Besides, my dance partner is outside." Wendy’s tone was becoming firmer. "Let me through!"
"So the beauty has a temper," said Clement from behind Wendy. He glanced at Wendy’s angered face and commented, "Who angered my little beauty? Do they not value their lives?"
"We only wanted this lady to stay for the dance, that’s all," explained one of the bodyguards. "This gentleman is here without a partner too. How about asking the lady for a dance?"
The bodyguard was obviously setting them up.
"That’s true..." Clement smiled at Wendy and asked, "Beautiful, would you do me the honor of accepting this dance?"
"I’m sorry. My boyfriend is still waiting for me outside. You should find another dance partner." Wendy glanced anxiously at Todd’s direction.
Clement would not like a woman who threw herself at him. The more Wendy rejected him, the more his interest would be stroked.
Her previous rejection had increased his interest in her, hadn’t it?
"Madam, it’s the dance next. We can’t let you leave if you refuse to dance," said the bodyguard.
Are you trying to keep me here by force? Do you know this is wrong?" demanded Wendy.
"I’m sorry. You have to abide by the banquet’s rules once you are here." The bodyguard did not sound as if he had any intention of giving in.
"In that case I will dance with my boyfriend. Will that do?" Wendy took a deep breath and gave in. "I will invite him to dance with me. That should be okay, right?"
"Your boyfriend has left the ballroom. According to our rules, he’s not allowed back in," insisted the bodyguard.
"Let me leave as well then!" Wendy huffed angrily.
"Sorry, you can only leave after you’ve danced," repeated the bodyguard stubbornly.
"You..." Wendy pointed her finger at the guards. "You’re obviously just bullying me!"
Chewing her bottom lip nervously, tears of indignation welled up in her eyes.
She knew that the Clement was attracted to her. That they were trying to stop her and make her dance with him was proof of that.
The first step in Wendy’s plan was going smoothly.
"Madam, please respect the rules of our banquet." The bodyguard put out his hand in an invitation for Wendy to return to the ballroom.
Wendy remained where she was. Her face was flushed red from anger.
Clement looked at Wendy’s angry face and felt sorry for her.
"What are the two of you doing?" Clement asked, "Beautiful here does not want to stay, why are you forcing her to dance?"
"This is a rule of the banquet. We only hope this lady can abide by it..."
Before the bodyguard finished talking, Clement lashed out, "I said, let her leave. Do you need me to repeat myself?"
"We..." The bodyguards lowered their heads and their voices faded out.
Clement had spoken and they dared not go against him.
Besides, their boss had only ordered them to stop Wendy because of him.
Since he was now allowing her to leave, the two guards stepped aside and put out their hands. In unison, they said, "Please."
Wendy gave Clement a grateful look. She nodded at him and said her thanks, "Thank you very much."
Clement merely smiled.
