Chapter 352 The Tables Were Turned
Chapter 352 The Tables Were Turned
“Bring her in,” Crystal uttered calmly.
The housekeeper went out to lead Saige in.
The young woman, despite being a top-tier actress, still felt somewhat overwhelmed standing in front of the multi-million-dollar mansion. It was only when a housekeeper approached and called out to her that she came to her senses.
As she entered the grand hall, she could not help but admire the luxurious and tasteful decorations.
The mistress of the house was gracefully playing the plano.
Saige, a student at an art school, was quite talented herself, but she was momentarily taken aback as she watched Crystal skillfully playing the piano. She had assumed that women from the upper echelons were only skilled at playing poker and socializing with their affluent peers.
The woman before her had long tea-colored hair cascading down her slender back.
Her fair complexion bore a subtle rosy hue, her nose was elegantly sculpted, and her long, thick eyelashes added to her captivating beauty.
Saige gently ran her fingers through her own tea-colored hair, which, unlike Crystal’s natural hue, was dyed to match. She had to retouch her color every two months to emulate the older woman.
Just as she was about to speak, a housekeeper arrived with a cup of tea.
Saige took her seat and gazed at the exquisite bone china with a tinge of envy.
She could not help but admire this kind of lifestyle.
“Miss Winters!” she greeted Crystal.
As the piano notes gently petered off, Crystal’s fingers lingered on the black and white keys. She smiled. softly and remarked, “Miss Carr, you don’t even want to address me as Mrs. Miller. It seems you’re quite confident that you can replace me, huh?”
Saige felt somewhat awkward.
Crystal stood up and sat opposite her, speaking gently to the housekeeper. “Make me a cup of coffee. It’s been a while since I had one.”
The housekeeper immediately went to attend to it.
When the housekeeper returned with a cup of coffee, Saige expressed her dismay. “Mrs. Miller, are you trying to intimidate me?”
Crystal took a whiff of the coffee before flashing a faint grin. “I guess so. So, how can I help you, Miss Carr?”
Being a young woman who had not yet experienced much, Saige was straightforward in her response. “I’m sure you must have heard the rumors from last night, right, Mrs. Miller? I’m here because I want to hear your thoughts.”
Crystal chuckled.
Sipping her coffee lightly, she then asked, “Miss Carr, are you saying that my husband had an affair with you?”
A dark, unfathomable look flashed past Saige’s gaze, but in the end, she decided to lie through her teeth.
“Yes!”
Still wearing the same faint smile, Crystal responded, “If that’s the case, you should go talk to him about it Why come to me? Miss Carr, if you want to replace me as Mrs. Miller, you should focus your efforts on Henry. But if you want me to concede defeat, I’ll not tolerate this kind of nonsense.”
Saige’s face flushed red in anger before paling.
She had not anticipated that Crystal, despite her seemingly gentle demeanor, could be so feisty. It’s as if she’s not the least bit worried at all.
Saige found herself at a loss for how to react.
Crystal raised her eyes and calmly observed the young woman before her.
No woman would be pleased to see someone who had undergone surgery to resemble her first seduce her husband, then proudly display the same face in numerous media and entertainment appearances. She has enjoyed her time of fame. Let’s end this nonsense.
Crystal reached into a drawer on the coffee table and retrieved a document, tossing it in front of Saige. “Take a look at this before determining how you’d like to proceed with this discussion.”
Saige’s expression stiffened slightly.
She hesitated for a moment, then extended her hand to pick up the document, which turned out to be a thick dossier detailing various aspects of her life.
The document stated that she had dated two men simultaneously during her freshman year, and one of them was even married.
When the whole scandal came to light, her legitimate boyfriend beat her up, causing her to land in the hospital. The married man gave her a condominium, but after the incident, she could no longer conceive.
This year, she signed a contract with Clementine’s company and underwent plastic surgery to resemble Crystal.
Saige’s face turned pale, and her lips quivered as she said, “Mrs, Miller!”
Crystal slowly finished her cup of coffee.
She smiled slightly and continued, “Once this information is released to the public, your career will be ruined in no time. I’m sure you don’t want all your hard work to go down the drain because of your unlawful ambitions!”
“Mrs. Miller, I promise I won’t appear in front of Mr. Miller in the future. Last night was all wishful thinking on my part. Mr. Miller didn’t even let me into the room.” Saige, biting her lip, finally relented.
Crystal remained unfazed.
Saige gazed at her delicate face, unable to decipher her thoughts.
Hence, she had no choice but to adopt a more submissive tone. “Mrs. Miller, if you have any further requests, feel free to bring it up, but please spare me!”
Crystal calmly stated, “I have two demands! First, revert your face to its original state. Second, terminate your contract with Clementine and sign with my company.”
The color drained out of Saige’s face.
If she were to terminate her contract with Clementine, she would have to pay out fifty million, which would almost deplete her entire savings.
Restoring her face also meant that she could no longer maintain her top-tier status as an actress, but she had no choice because she was now at Crystal’s mercy.
The only thing Saige could not understand was why Crystal did not just put an end to her career once and for all.
She trembled as she posed that question.
Crystal fiddled with her coffee cup, lost in thought for a moment.
After a while, she spoke softly. “Because you’re not the first and certainly won’t be the last to try to get close to Henry. It would be too exhausting if I were to eliminate everyone.”
Furthermore, Saige was under Clementine, whom Crystal marked as her ultimate target.
Clementine spent so much promoting Saige, so having the former gain nothing in the end would be the most devastating blow to her.
Saige then left the mansion.
As she was about to step out of the building, she bumped into Henry in the foyer.
He appeared somewhat disheveled, but in his hands, he held two rather large toys that girls would adore.
Henry did not bother to look at her. He walked straight into the hall, placed the items down, and then leaned over to kiss the corner of Crystal’s mouth. In a hushed tone, he asked, “We had a guest?”
Crystal looked up and murmured, “She’s your guest. Do you want to see her out yourself?”
Henry nipped at the corner of her mouth in displeasure.
Crystal smiled softly and wrapped her arms around his neck, accepting his kiss.
Saige stood there, frozen in place.
She could not find the words to express the mixed emotions welling up inside her. The first time she saw Henry, he was socializing in a private room. Although he had not interacted with the women then, he still appeared sociable, but now, what she was witnessing was a devoted family man.
When he traveled for work, he bought toys for his daughter.
When he returned home, his eyes were only for his wife.
At that moment, a housekeeper approached, carrying a handsome young boy. Once the child was placed on the ground, he went over to hug his father’s leg. “It seems like Remi has put on a bit of weight.” Henry gently lifted his son and planted a kiss on his check.
Crystal stayed seated on the sofa, looking up at them as her expression radiated gentleness.
Suddenly, Saige could not bear to look at her own face as a wave of shame washed over her.
For a long time, she took pride in her altered appearance.
She even believed that having that face was like having a trump card.
However, now she realized that no matter how much she resembled Crystal, it was meaningless to Henry, as he had the real Crystal by his side and a complete family.
There was no way to break the family apart.
Saige got into her car, her hands trembling, and immediately contacted her assistant to book a flight back to Koandria on the same day.
Inside the mansion, the atmosphere was warm and cozy.
Henry spent some time with his son before Jamie brought his luggage over.
After Jamie left, Crystal asked softly, “Did you come back early because of the scandal?”
Henry smiled gently and took his time before responding. “No. I came back because you were frightened last night.”
Crystal had chosen not to inquire further about the lingering fragrance of Saige on Henry’s body the other time.
She remained composed regarding certain matters because she understood Henry well and knew that she did not need to concern herself with certain individuals when it came to him.
Crystal cherished the loving atmosphere.
Later that evening, when they were finally alone, she shared her intention to sign on Saige.
Henry was momentarily flabbergasted.
He removed his watch and began unbuttoning his shirt as he entered the bathroom, closing the door. behind him. His voice resonated from within. “Crystal, don’t you think you’re a little too forgiving?”
Their relationship had shown signs of improvement lately, and Crystal did not want to get into another argument with him.
She approached the bathroom door, leaning against the transparent glass, and whispered, “Maybe it’s because we’re growing older and can’t afford to go through such a roller-coaster anymore. And I don’t want to drive another person crazy, Henry.”
She instantly thought of Lara. NôvelDrama.Org: owner of this content.
Despite her composed demeanor, Crystal understood that they could only lead a tranquil life when. everyone got what they wanted.
The sound of water echoed from the bathroom.
She listened intently, unsure if Henry would be content with her newfound calmness, uncertain if he would continue to stand by her side. Her heart carried its scars, while his passion showed no signs of fading.
The sound of flowing water in the bathroom soon came to a stop.
Henry emerged from the bathroom in a bathrobe, his body still slightly damp.
Crystal stood still while Henry gazed down at her from above.
After a while, he gently pulled her into his arms and whispered, “I won’t upset you anymore in the future.”
He had just wanted to gauge Crystal’s response.
It was never his intention to have Saige come between them in the first place.
Meanwhile, Saige returned to the country a week later.
Clementine was waiting for her at the airport. She nearly lost her mind when she saw the bandages wrapped around Saige’s head.
She realized that Saige had damaged her face. The face that once resembled Crystal was now gone.
All the efforts she had put into crafting Saige’s image and planning for her future had gone to waste.
Countless journalists surrounded her, their cameras trained on Saige. Clementine could not control her emotions as she interrogated Saige. “What do you think you’re doing? You just destroyed your future!”
In a steady voice, Saige replied. “Miss Dynah, do I even have a future? I followed your instructions to transform myself into Miss Winters likeness to approach Mr. Miller. Besides, my rapid rise to fame might, have given you the wrong impression, but many of the opportunities I had were thanks to Miss Winters.”
Clementine did not believe her words.
“You know, Miss Winters has been watching how we made fools of ourselves,” Saige responded with a chuckle. “I’m no match for her when it comes to relationship matters, and you, too, can never outwit her in your career.”
Even that prestigious man was under Crystal’s spell.
Some might say they were only together because of the children, but there would always be people around to take care of the kids even if the adults parted ways.
They were able to sustain the marriage because Henry loved his wife, and they were even trying to conceive their third child.
Saige’s remark instantly caused an uproar, but what truly shook things up was her decision to terminate her contract with Géant Corporation, accompanied by her willingness to pay a fifty million termination fee.
She was not sure about her future popularity under Crystal’s management, but Crystal had advised her that honesty was the best approach to handle a public relations crisis.
That was why she laid everything bare,
Saige spoke openly, confessing her past wrongdoings and sharing her personal journey. This cathartic release left her feeling significantly relieved. Regardless of whether her fame continued in the future,
she was finally able to embrace her true self rather than live in Crystal’s shadow.
On the very day of her revelation, Saige made it to the trending stories.
Surprisingly, her lack of a romantic connection with the male lead garnered both positive and negative attention.
Her loyal fanbase remained intact, and some fans delved into researching Henry and Crystal’s past before starting to ship the couple. Surprisingly, some fans even shipped Saige and Crystal-the domineering female CEO and enigmatic female actress.
Despite the turn of events, Saige remained popular, and the contract she signed with Crystal was a thirty- seventy split, with Crystal taking the larger portion.
Everyone was surprised with the outcome. Even David could not help but call Henry. After hemming and hawing for a bit, he asked, “Henry, is everything okay between you and Crystal?”.
Henry was diligently working to increase his wife’s dividends in his expansive office at Seeas Corporation.
As he reviewed documents, he responded to his father’s inquiry. “What makes you think we have a problem?”
David’s relief was palpable. He let out a chuckle as he spoke. “Henry, I must say I’m impressed by your skills in managing your wife. Despite the little scandal you got caught up in, Crystal’s response has been remarkably magnanimous. The way she’s handling the situation would make any man jealous. If it were your mother, she’d probably cry every day and scold me for being unfaithful! I’m glad everything’s fine. Otherwise, I might have started to think that your wife doesn’t value you.”
Henry, who had been writing, suddenly paused and responded with a deadpan expression. “Crystal is not a crybaby!”
She rarely cries except when we’re in bed.
With that, David happily chatted with his son for a while longer.
After Henry ended the call, Jamie questioned, “Are you attending Miss Winter’s celebratory banquet?”