[{"data":1,"prerenderedAt":10},["ShallowReactive",2],{"viewer-data-2603220ECDF1-588":3},{"id":4,"number":5,"name":6,"content":7,"isLocked":8,"price":9,"hasRead":8},588,30,"Chapter 30: \"He Called Her Sister-in-Law\"","\u003Cp class=\"chapter-paragraph\">Marilyn Stone had been keeping a low profile for a long time.\u003C/p>\u003Cp class=\"chapter-paragraph\">She knew she lacked connections, so every move had to be calculated. She didn't dare get too close to Violette Ellis, yet she genuinely admired the effortless grace Violette carried. There was an old saying about trying to paint a tiger and ending up with a dog—Marilyn had tried to emulate Violette’s style, but all she’d managed to pick up was her trademark sarcasm.\u003C/p>\u003Cp class=\"chapter-paragraph\">Yet, for some reason, Violette had become the one playing it safe lately, swallowing her pride and biting her tongue. Marilyn didn't like this new, muted version of Violette, and by extension, she despised Blake Pierce. She often thought to herself that if it weren’t for that immature little brother type, Violette wouldn't be living like this.\u003C/p>\u003Cp class=\"chapter-paragraph\">As for Violette’s current husband? With the professional skepticism of a true journalist, Marilyn reserved her judgment.\u003C/p>\u003Cp class=\"chapter-paragraph\">***\u003C/p>\u003Cp class=\"chapter-paragraph\">After wrapping up her audio session, Violette double-checked the new shift schedule.\u003C/p>\u003Cp class=\"chapter-paragraph\">Lately, she had been relegated to behind-the-scenes work. Even the one interview she was assigned didn't require her to appear on camera. She knew Arthur Campbell, the station manager, had gone out of his way to arrange this for her during the frantic year-end rush.\u003C/p>\u003Cp class=\"chapter-paragraph\">She was going over her notes until after 8:00 PM when Emma Fox finally returned, looking utterly defeated.\u003C/p>\u003Cp class=\"chapter-paragraph\">\"Boss...\"\u003C/p>\u003Cp class=\"chapter-paragraph\">Violette offered a faint smile. \"Don't tell me you walked off the job again?\"\u003C/p>\u003Cp class=\"chapter-paragraph\">\"Hardly,\" Emma waved her hands, then pointed miserably at her feet. \"I’ve been running around all day. I feel like my feet are going to snap.\"\u003C/p>\u003Cp class=\"chapter-paragraph\">Violette looked down to see that the sneakers Emma was wearing had rubbed a raw patch of skin off her heel. Violette pulled out a bandage and handed it to her. \"Fix it up for now.\"\u003C/p>\u003Cp class=\"chapter-paragraph\">Emma sat down, propped her foot up on her knee, and carefully applied the bandage to her tendon.\u003C/p>\u003Cp class=\"chapter-paragraph\">\"How’s work been these past few days?\"\u003C/p>\u003Cp class=\"chapter-paragraph\">Emma kept her head down. \"Buying water, carrying bags, ordering takeout, taking out the trash. I'm a pro at it now.\"\u003C/p>\u003Cp class=\"chapter-paragraph\">\"Didn't you tell me a couple of days ago that you were working on a script?\"\u003C/p>\u003Cp class=\"chapter-paragraph\">\"Well... I guess writing scripts doesn't really conflict with the errand-running part!\"\u003C/p>\u003Cp class=\"chapter-paragraph\">Violette crossed her arms and leaned back in her chair. \"So, someone else took the credit for your script, and you’ve been relegated to the errand girl?\"\u003C/p>\u003Cp class=\"chapter-paragraph\">Emma rubbed the bridge of her nose, looking sheepish. \"It’s the corporate life, isn't it?\"\u003C/p>\u003Cp class=\"chapter-paragraph\">Indeed, a fresh intern couldn't play power games with the veterans—they had the ambition, but lacked the teeth. Violette knew exactly how that felt; she had walked that same path, which was why she loathed it so much.\u003C/p>\u003Cp class=\"chapter-paragraph\">Seeing Emma finish bandaging her foot and looking up at her with puppy-dog eyes, Violette patted her shoulder. \"I’ll talk to the Station Manager. Once you wrap up The Tour, you can come back to my team.\"\u003C/p>\u003Cp class=\"chapter-paragraph\">What tour? Who cared about being a fan of some rumored romance? Emma just wanted the tournament to end so Blake Pierce would vanish from whence he came. Anything to stop him from messing up her life with her boss.\u003C/p>\u003Cp class=\"chapter-paragraph\">After spending a few days with Violette, Emma had successfully evolved from a \"shipping fan\" into a ruthless defender of Violette’s reputation. She finally understood why everyone wanted to be associated with Violette: because she was Violette.\u003C/p>\u003Cp class=\"chapter-paragraph\">Who wouldn’t love a goddess who was as beautiful as she was kind?\u003C/p>\u003Cp class=\"chapter-paragraph\">The moment Violette walked away, Emma opened Twitter and entered full combat mode.\u003C/p>\u003Cp class=\"chapter-paragraph\">*“I don't get it. She’s married, why does Blake Pierce still keep acting like he’s protecting her?”*\u003C/p>\u003Cp class=\"chapter-paragraph\">*“I don't get it. You’re an adult now, why hasn't your brain finished developing yet?”*\u003C/p>\u003Cp class=\"chapter-paragraph\">*“A total pick-me news anchor.”*\u003C/p>\u003Cp class=\"chapter-paragraph\">*“A sewer-mouth full of garbage.”*\u003C/p>\u003Cp class=\"chapter-paragraph\">*“I don't see what the big deal is with her looks. It’s insane how much people talk about her face.”*\u003C/p>\u003Cp class=\"chapter-paragraph\">*“If everyone says she’s pretty and you think she’s plain, maybe God put a curtain over your eyes?”*\u003C/p>\u003Cp class=\"chapter-paragraph\">*“Stop talking about her. She’s probably at home right now, laughing at how high her engagement numbers are. We’re just giving her free publicity.”*\u003C/p>\u003Cp class=\"chapter-paragraph\">*“The only part of that sentence that sounds human is the first four words. Is there a crematorium furnace behind your ribs instead of a heart?”*\u003C/p>\u003Cp class=\"chapter-paragraph\">When it came to internet warfare, Emma patted her chest. She was a professional.\u003C/p>\u003Cp class=\"chapter-paragraph\">***\u003C/p>\u003Cp class=\"chapter-paragraph\">Once The Tour concluded, Emma was officially moved back under Violette’s wing.\u003C/p>\u003Cp class=\"chapter-paragraph\">She had spent her days either running errands or fighting trolls online, and she found it difficult to settle back into actual work. Violette handed her the finalized interview draft to review.\u003C/p>\u003Cp class=\"chapter-paragraph\">Emma read it and felt a jolt of pure satisfaction.\u003C/p>\u003Cp class=\"chapter-paragraph\">Violette waved a hand in front of her face. \"What are you daydreaming about?\"\u003C/p>\u003Cp class=\"chapter-paragraph\">\"Oh! Sorry!\" Emma snapped back to reality. \"Boss, the script is great! It’s perfect!\"\u003C/p>\u003Cp class=\"chapter-paragraph\">Violette nodded. \"Glad you approve.\"\u003C/p>\u003Cp class=\"chapter-paragraph\">Emma turned crimson. That wasn't what she meant—Violette had given her the draft to study, not for a review.\u003C/p>\u003Cp class=\"chapter-paragraph\">\"Gather your thoughts and write a new one,\" Violette said, resting her chin on her hand. \"The interview opportunity is yours.\"\u003C/p>\u003Cp class=\"chapter-paragraph\">\"Really?!\"\u003C/p>\u003Cp class=\"chapter-paragraph\">Since this interview wouldn't be on camera or live-streamed, Emma wasn't nearly as nervous. To her, this was a massive break. After her last slip-up, she hadn't had a single chance to prove herself. She couldn't very well list \"Ordered eight boxes of lunch, six trips to the convenience store\" on her internship evaluation. She was starting to fear she’d be unemployed as soon as the internship ended.\u003C/p>\u003Cp class=\"chapter-paragraph\">She bowed theatrically. \"Boss, you’re basically my surrogate mother!\"\u003C/p>\u003Cp class=\"chapter-paragraph\">The interviewee today was Martin Ruiz, a standout young entrepreneur in Deepwater and the Executive Deputy Secretary of the local Chamber of Commerce. Violette had interviewed countless people like him and remained unshakeable, but Emma was trembling from head to toe.\u003C/p>\u003Cp class=\"chapter-paragraph\">Violette glanced at her. \"Blow this chance, and you're really done for.\"\u003C/p>\u003Cp class=\"chapter-paragraph\">Emma gritted her teeth. \"I'm just excited, not nervous, Boss.\"\u003C/p>\u003Cp class=\"chapter-paragraph\">She spent the whole car ride rehearsing the script, and just before getting out, she chugged a massive bottle of water. After a loud, involuntary burp, she finally calmed down.\u003C/p>\u003Cp class=\"chapter-paragraph\">Thanks to that ice-cold water, Emma didn't break a sweat for the entire interview.\u003C/p>\u003Cp class=\"chapter-paragraph\">It was a bit stiff, though. She relied too heavily on the pre-written questions. For instance, when Mr. Ruiz drifted into a loose, open conversation about product data management, creative industries, and his time studying abroad, Emma panicked. She ignored the flow and dragged the conversation back to the technical innovation points listed on her paper.\u003C/p>\u003Cp class=\"chapter-paragraph\">Violette didn't say a word, giving Emma all the space she needed to sink or swim.\u003C/p>\u003Cp class=\"chapter-paragraph\">During the post-interview review, Emma realized exactly how much hand-holding she’d gotten.\u003C/p>\u003Cp class=\"chapter-paragraph\">While the secretary went to fetch tea and Mr. Ruiz headed to the lounge, Emma leaned in close and whispered, \"Boss, was I terrible?\"\u003C/p>\u003Cp class=\"chapter-paragraph\">\"It was alright,\" Violette said. \"You didn't go off-script.\"\u003C/p>\u003Cp class=\"chapter-paragraph\">\"But when Mr. Ruiz mentioned his time studying abroad, my mind went totally blank. I’ve only ever been as far as Thailand and Malaysia, and I’ve never been to California or anything—I didn't know how to bridge the gap, so I just kept trying to steer him back to the talking points... it was a disaster!\"\u003C/p>\u003Cp class=\"chapter-paragraph\">Violette offered a hint: \"Adding emotional value to what the other person is saying is a technique, too. Try it next time.\"\u003C/p>\u003Cp class=\"chapter-paragraph\">\"Wait... since I didn't provide any emotional value, is Mr. Ruiz going to be angry? Will he think some green intern was a waste of his time? Oh no, am I going to get a formal complaint?\"\u003C/p>\u003Cp class=\"chapter-paragraph\">The more she thought about it, the more terrified she became.\u003C/p>\u003Cp class=\"chapter-paragraph\">\"He won't,\" Violette said, cutting off her spiraling thoughts with cool composure.\u003C/p>\u003Cp class=\"chapter-paragraph\">Emma didn't know why, but she believed her implicitly.\u003C/p>\u003Cp class=\"chapter-paragraph\">A moment later, Mr. Ruiz emerged from the lounge. He had swapped his suit for a casual polo shirt and a brown cardigan. He looked years younger, much more approachable.\u003C/p>\u003Cp class=\"chapter-paragraph\">Emma was about to stand up to greet him, but Martin Ruiz walked right past her, heading straight for Violette. The cold, distant air he had held during the interview had completely vanished.\u003C/p>\u003Cp class=\"chapter-paragraph\">\"I was about to burst out of that suit; it’s so much more comfortable like this.\"\u003C/p>\u003Cp class=\"chapter-paragraph\">He sat down right next to Violette, looking at her with genuine warmth. \"Sister-in-law, why don't you stay for lunch?\"\u003C/p>\u003Cp class=\"chapter-paragraph\">Emma froze.\u003C/p>\u003Cp class=\"chapter-paragraph\">They were close?\u003C/p>\u003Cp class=\"chapter-paragraph\">So that was it.\u003C/p>",false,0,1774272917984]