Chapter 8 Making Her Escape

After a deep sigh, Sara stepped out of her car and tried her best to cheer up. "Thompson, what can I do for you?" she asked.

"Get in my car and have dinner with me," Thompson said as he stared at her.

Sara looked at him and noticed that he was dressed formally in a dark green suit and a tie. With his hair meticulously combed, he looked very suave, unlike his usual shabby appearance.

"Sorry, I don't really have an appetite." His invitation had been sincere, but Sara thought it best to refuse. She was not in a pleasant mood after quarreling with her ex-husband.

Thompson shrugged his shoulders and frowned. "I came out of a blind date party for you. You'd be cruel to say no to me."

He then curled his lip and pouted like a poor puppy.

Seeing this, Sara couldn't help but think, 'How can a grown man act like this? If only it were Jacob who was showing this expression instead of his cold glare. That would be more interesting!'

But she immediately shook her head to dismiss her thoughts. She did not want to think of Jacob anymore. She wanted nothing to do with him.

"I'm sorry, but..." Sara muttered, wanting to refuse.

But just then, Thompson had opened the door and politely gestured for her to come in. "I know you're busy but I promise I can make this worth your while. I have a project in mind that I think would suit your company very well. I want to know if you'd be interested."

Interested? Of course, she was! Sara knew that if she wanted to distance herself from the Shi clan, her company must be strong and self-sufficient. She could not afford to dismiss possible projects.

Shrugging off her initial hesitation, she reached for the door and got inside the car.

Thompson smiled as she took her seat beside him.

He was supposed to attend a party that day. He thought he was going to meet some friends, but the event turned out to be a blind date set up for him. Almost all of the rich families in the city sent their daughters to make an appearance. Knowing that Thompson's family was rich and powerful, everyone dreamed of marrying into his clan.

But after hearing what had happened to Sara from his secretary, Thompson rushed out of the party to be with her, leaving his father to take care of the rest. Of course, he knew that he would be in for a scolding when he got home later.

In the restaurant, Thompson smiled as he took the seat opposite Sara's. "The owner of this restaurant is a good friend of mine, and their Chinese food is second to none. I think you will like it here."

Sara nodded and pretended to be enthused. The truth was she was not interested in the food or in anything else. All she wanted to know was the project Thompson had mentioned earlier. If she were able to land this deal for her company, she would no longer have to rely on the Shi clan. It would save her a lot of trouble.

Accepting this, she braced herself for socializing with Thompson.

Meanwhile, Jacob hadn't smiled since Sara left. A frown was fixed on his face as he went over the documents his secretary had sent him. He didn't say a word.

Alice was good at reading other people's thoughts and feelings, and seeing the stern look on Jacob's face, she decided that it was best to keep quiet and sit still. She then recalled the events that just happened.

Earlier that day, Jacob had pointed a finger at Sara and refused to listen to a word of her explanation. Did it mean that he truly hated her?

Alice rubbed the ring on her finger. Although Jacob had been telling her that he loved her, she couldn't help but notice that he still wore the ring from his previous marriage. What made her even more uneasy was the fact that he had not yet proposed to her.

With this in mind, Alice made a firm decision. She was going to make Jacob hate Sara more, and she would not rest until he had thrown his wedding ring away himself!

Her perfectly red lips curled up into a smile as she planned how she would deal with Sara.

Back in the restaurant, Sara sat quietly, unaware that Alice was devising a scheme against her.

"Eat some more. You've been looking rather thin these days." Thompson pushed a couple of plates towards her and urged her to sample more food.

Sara knew that the dishes in front of her were delicious, but they all tasted like wax in her mouth. After all, she came there to discuss business with Thompson. But he had not said anything about it and she didn't want to be the first to bring it up. "These dishes are so unique. I like them very much."

Hearing her compliments, Thompson's eyes lit up with excitement. This was validation that he took her to the right place. She liked the food!

"Don't be shy. Have some more," he said as he began spooning food into her plate.

All this time, Sara was fighting every urge to ask about the project. She was anxious, but she knew that haste made waste. Instead, she looked up at him with a smile and said, "Please enjoy the food, too. I'm not used to being watched while I eat."

She then lowered her head shyly.

Hearing her words, Thompson realized he had been rude. He had been staring at her as she ate instead of actually dining with her. He gave a soft smile and said, "Yes, of course..."

But before he touched his own plate, he took a napkin and wiped the corner of Sara's lips. "I didn't realize you have this cute side. There are rice grains on your cheeks."

Surprised, Sara's face turned red with embarrassment.

Was this man flirting with her?

She coughed and gave him an awkward smile.

His lingering stare as she ate made her so uncomfortable, she didn't even realize that there was food on her face.

"What's wrong? Are you alright? Here, have some soup." He then thoughtfully ladled soup in his own bowl and offered it to her.

Sara and Jacob got married right after their graduation. They never attended social events like this, and he never gave her permission to do so even after they were wedded.

This lack of experience made her very uncomfortable to receive Thompson's kindness. She didn't know how to politely refuse him.

She was also not used to socializing with men after being married for four years.

She would usually keep her distance from them, especially when she was with Jacob.

It was the first time a man had treated her like this.

"No, thank you..." Sara said politely. He had gone so far as to help her wipe her face. If she touched his bowl of soup, they would have already shared an indirect kiss, wouldn't they? No way! The more she considered it, the more Sara thought it was inappropriate. She wanted to run away.

Sensing Sara's discomfort, Thompson sighed and said earnestly, "You don't have to be so formal and distant with me. I just want to be nice to you. How can anyone resist showing you kindness and love? He... I..."

Thompson wanted to say that Jacob didn't know how to cherish her. But just as he was about to speak, he decided that it was a mean thing to say.

Sara felt that she didn't want to hear whatever his words were. And just as she was thinking how best to handle the situation, her phone rang to the rescue.

She let out a sigh of relief and smiled, "I'm sorry. I have to take this call."

She stood up and left the table gracefully, happy to be making her escape.

She had already gone away before Thompson could say anything.

Sara felt relieved as soon as she stepped into the bathroom. She took out her phone and answered, "Hello, Sherry! Your call came at a very good time."

She sounded like she had just survived a disaster.

From the other end of the line, Sherry spoke languidly, "I got off work early. Let's hang out! I'm so bored and I don't want to go home right away."