Chapter 89

Chapter 89

The beef steak was tasteless. In the end, Joy had to toss it back into the pan for another sizzle with seasonings.

The roasted lamb chop was so tough, and Joy’s cheeks ached from the effort of chewing. The clam chowder was off, too, tasting oddly like a stewed dishrag.

The crab, however, was a luxury item bought with Austin’s credit card at a whopping $75 a pop. It was naturally succulent and just needed a simple steaming, which left little room for Leanne to mess things up, so it turned out decently.

Leanne’s confidence was shattered, and she couldn’t see what went wrong. “I followed the recipe to the letter.”

“Maybe you’re just not cut out for the kitchen. Embrace being a lady of leisure,” Joy tried to soothe her, patting her shoulder. “Just let it go.

Leanne was at a loss for words.

“Speaking of which, didn’t you have many designer handbags in your old place? You didn’t take any with you?” Joy had rummaged through her closet earlier while searching for things.

Casually peeling the crab, Leanne replied, “I never used those bags. Besides, I’ve got no space for them here.”

“You could’ve given them to me. I have space!” Joy nearly jumped up. “I could spread them. all over my bed and sleep in a sea of handbags!”

The outburst jolted off Leanne’s freshly peeled crab. Hesitating, she picked it up from the table and fed it to Joy..

“Curtis gave me that villa. You can take whatever you want from there.”

“At least he has a bit of decency!” Joy said, feeling gratified as she munched on the crab meat. “So, how much is that villa worth?”

Leanne wasn’t sure of the specifics and casually estimated, “A few hundred million, I guess.”

Joy slid off her chair with a silky-smooth motion, knelt on one knee before her, took her hand, and kissed it passionately. “My dear, will you be my sugar mama for life?”

“Not interested,” Leanne replied coldly, “unless you do the dishes.”

“Deal!” Joy bounced off to the kitchen..

Leanne took a day off to move and returned to work on time the next morning. She

1/2

11-50

Chapter 89

sensed something was off as she handed over her duties to a colleague.

People were glancing at her, and when she looked back, they’d quickly turn away.

After her rounds, she ran into Amy. “You’re not wearing your usual necklace today,” Amy remarked.

“I stopped wearing it,” Leanne replied, asking, “Did something happen yesterday while I was away? Everyone’s been giving me strange looks.”

“Nothing, but…” Amy hesitated, “You didn’t pass the promotion assessment for the intermediate professional title.”

“Why not?” Leanne was surprised.

She had submitted her application on time, met the service requirement, and had no issues with her research paper or performance records.

With her qualifications and expertise, she would probably pass.

“They said the quota was tight this year and that our department only had one spot,” Amy hinted with a nod. “Sandra got it.”

Sandra caught on to their conversation and wore a smug expression.

Amy deadpanned. “Your face is twisted.”

Sandra frantically checked her reflection, found no such thing, and realized Amy was pulling her leg. Her face flushed with a mix of anger and pride.

“I got

ot promoted because I’m better than you, and your jealousy won’t change that. Considering you two must be feeling down, I’ll be the bigger person and let it slide.”

Leanne ignored her, and once Sandra left, two older colleagues came over to comfort her. “We all know you should have got promoted. But we can do nothing when Sandra’s uncle is the hospital director.”

“It’s okay. Next year it should be your turn.”

Leanne pondered, “Amy and Dr. Chase will be up for the attending doctor title next year. Who do you think should go first?”

Though Dr. Chase didn’t have a hospital director uncle, his father-in-law, Theo, was head of the medical department, which managed promotions. When the time came, Theo would inevitably prioritize his son-in-law.

Chapter 90