The Ex-Wife They Begged To Keep - Chapter 81: Chapter 81

"No wonder she got fired. Her messy personal life was probably affecting her work," someone murmured.
Another person chimed in, "Yeah, Ms. Mosher just said she was sleeping around with men. Do you think that's actually true?"
A third voice added, "And she still had the guts to show up here? She's clearly having thick skin!"
Just then, a clear, commanding voice cut through the chattering crowd. "I've seen Ms. Gray's designs before, and they're truly distinctive. They left a deep impression on me."
Everyone turned in surprise to see an elderly man with silver hair walking over with confident steps. It was none other than the world-famous design master, Christopher Williams.
The crowd instantly erupted into excited whispers. In the design world, Christopher's opinion carried serious weight. Getting his recognition was the ultimate dream for any designer.
"Mr. Williams, do you actually know Ms. Gray?" someone couldn't help but ask.
Christopher smiled warmly, "Not personally, but I came across Ms. Gray's designs by chance once. Even back then, I could tell she had incredible potential. Her work was full of creativity and personality—truly unforgettable."
He paused and looked at Serena with genuine admiration. "It's such a shame I never got to meet this talented designer back then. But I know she would never do something like leak company secrets."
Serena had been rigid with tension, but as she listened to the old man's words, she felt her body slowly relax and warmth flood back through her. She looked at Christopher with deep gratitude shining in her eyes.
Serena walked over to him and nodded, her voice shaking just a little. "Hello, Mr. Williams. I'm Serena Gray. Thank you so much for believing in me and for recognizing my work."
Christopher smiled warmly and gave her shoulder a gentle pat, "Ms. Gray, your designs have such a unique style. It's really great to finally meet you too."
Serena's heart was racing. Christopher was the design legend she'd looked up to since college, an absolute giant in the industry. She'd dreamed so many times about getting his guidance, but she never imagined they'd meet like this, under these circumstances.
A soft blush crept across Serena's pale cheeks, and her eyes brightened. She reached into her bag and pulled out a design draft. "This is my latest work, Mr. Williams. I'd really appreciate your thoughts on it."
Christopher took the draft and started flipping through it carefully. Everyone around them held their breath, waiting anxiously to hear what he'd say.
Stacey had been convinced that firing Serena would be the end of her career. She'd planned everything perfectly to destroy Serena's reputation in the design world, making sure she'd never be able to show her face again.
But Stacey never saw this coming—Christopher actually loved Serena's designs and was willing to defend her publicly.
After studying the work for a long moment, Christopher looked up at Serena with genuine admiration shining in his eyes. "This is incredible work! Ms. Gray, you've really outdone yourself," he announced.
The room immediately burst into applause. People who had been eyeing Serena with suspicion just moments before now looked at her with respect and admiration.
"I knew it," someone said. "There's no way someone as talented as Ms. Gray would stoop to something like that."
"Exactly," another person agreed. "Mr. Williams has an eye for talent that's respected worldwide. If he's impressed, then we were completely wrong about Ms. Gray."
"Poor Stacey really screwed herself over this time," someone else added with a shake of their head. "She tried to sabotage Ms. Gray, but all she did was give her a chance to shine in front of Mr. Williams. Her plan totally backfired."
All eyes turned to Serena, who had suddenly become the star of the show.
"Thank you so much, Mr. Williams. Your praise really means everything to me," Serena said, her voice thick with emotion. "I promise I'll keep working hard to create even better designs."
The guests around them immediately turned on Stacey with open disgust and anger.
"Well, Ms. Mosher, what do you have to say for yourself now? Everyone can see what really happened here," one guest called out sharply.
"I can't believe you were willing to destroy a talented designer's career just to get ahead," another person added with contempt.
"Ms. Gray's work is absolutely incredible, and you still tried to frame her. Don't you have any conscience at all?"
"You know what? I bet that whole story about Ms. Gray sleeping around was just another one of Stacey's lies," someone muttered loudly enough for everyone to hear.
"Of course it was! Look at how beautiful and talented Ms. Gray is. Why would she ever need to do something like that?"
Stacey's face burned with humiliation as she gripped her champagne glass so tightly her knuckles turned white. Her whole body was shaking, but she forced herself to smile stiffly and walked over to Serena. "Ms. Gray, I owe you an apology. I completely misunderstood the situation, and I'm sorry."
She raised her champagne glass and held it out toward Serena. "Please, let me toast you as a way to make amends."
Serena shot Stacey a wary look. She knew there was no way Stacey was actually sorry, but with so many people watching, she couldn't just turn her down. She accepted the glass and took a careful sip.
Suddenly, Stacey's foot caught on the hem of her own dress. She lurched forward and completely lost her balance. The champagne in her hand went flying, sending golden liquid splashing all over Serena's gown.
"Oh my gosh! I'm so sorry. I swear I didn't mean to," Stacey gasped, her face the picture of guilt. "I got your dress all wet. I feel terrible. Let me help you go change."
Serena looked at Stacey. 'She totally did that on purpose,' she thought, 'but there's no way I can prove it right now.'
"It's fine. I can go change by myself," Serena said.
But Stacey didn't give her a chance to refuse. She quickly grabbed Serena's arm and started pulling her along, her tone brooking no argument. "No way! I feel awful about ruining your dress. Let me take you to change. I know exactly where they keep the spare gowns."
Stacey kept talking as she dragged Serena straight toward the dressing room.
Serena tried to pull her arm free, but Stacey's grip was like a vice. She tried using more force, but Stacey just held on tighter.
Serena looked down at her champagne-soaked dress and pulled the fabric together to cover her exposed skin. If she moved too much, the wet material would probably tear even more.
Stacey pulled her into a small lounge, her face full of apology. "I'm so sorry, Ms. Gray. I'll get you a new dress right away."
The moment Stacey left, Serena stood frozen in place, carefully scanning the room around her. The lounge was much darker than the brightly lit banquet hall she'd just left. The space was compact, and along one wall, several beautiful spare gowns hung on a clothing rack.
A faint trace of perfume hung in the air—something sweet and cloying with a cool hint of mint. Suddenly, Serena felt a sharp pain pierce the back of her neck. Her vision went black instantly, and she collapsed into darkness.