Chapter 10 Gossip

Half a month passed in the blink of an eye. Ashley still lived a simple life of an office worker, with her regular schedule of going to the company, working, clocking out, and then going back home. During this time, the company grapevine was abuzz with gossip of Charlie and Ashley's breakup. There were speculations at first, and then the gossip was confirmed as fact when people found out that the company's premiere couple were no longer in contact with each other. Everyone had yet to recover from the news when another bomb dropped.

Charlie, the hero of the last incident, announced a few days ago that he was dating another beautiful lady, again from the marketing department. This time around, he was more high-profile than before-he and his current paramour were always showing off their new relationship in from of the employees all day long.

In the crowded senior staff restaurant, Ashley and Yasmin were seated at a corner table, chatting while having lunch. They wanted to have a quiet meal, but still several discussions made it through their personal filters.

A female employee asked, "Isn't that Mr. Synder's ex-girlfriend? They used to be a good couple. Why did they suddenly break up?"

Another female employee replied, "We don't know what's really going on with the higher-ups and their relationships. Let's just eat."

At this time, a male employee cut in, "Although the two female leads are both beautiful and attractive, men prefer Mr. Synder's current girlfriend. She's so charming." While speaking, he had a dreamy, faraway look on his face.

Silence befell the two friends.

After hearing such comments, Yasmin raised her voice and remarked, "Goodness, gossip never changes. In my opinion, you are the most beautiful woman in the world, Ashley!" After this pronouncement, she kept nodding to herself. The friend seated in front of her not only had delicate features, but also fair, smooth skin and an impressive figure. Ashley never liked make-up, but she was one of those few people who were lucky enough not to need it. Besides, her calm, understated elegance made her even more beautiful.

"We don't need to care about others' opinions. People really should mind their own business instead of nosing around in other people's lives." Employees had been gossiping about Ashley non-stop for the better part of the month. At first, she was discomfited by the attention, but she had grown used to it by now.

The news of their break-up must have leaked out because of Yasmin's outburst during dinner in that restaurant that time. Now that the break-up had happened and been confirmed, there was nothing left to say about it. Even so, Ashley didn't expect Charlie and Lina to get together so soon after the break-up, nor did she foresee how outspoken they were about their new relationship. Lina was in good spirits because of her now flourishing love life. However, Ashley's indifference in the face of their highly publicized affection rankled. Ashley had already seen Charlie's true colors, and there was no way she would ever get back together with such an untrustworthy man. It was a good thing that she was not blinded by love. On his end, Charlie never contacted her after the break-up, which made Ashley feel relieved.

"That makes sense! The break-up was Charlie's loss, not yours." Yasmin nodded to emphasize her statement.

"By the way, what happened to the blind date you mentioned before?" Ashley asked to change the topic. She suddenly remembered Yasmin's blind date.

For once, Yasmin seemed enthusiastic to talk about it. "Well, I made it this time! The man isn't so bad. Actually, we have reached an agreement to act like a couple in front of our parents so that they would stop setting us up on blind dates in the future." Yasmin felt that she had gained a lot during that last blind date.

Last week, after her mother's repeated instructions and threats, Yasmin had no choice but to go on the blind date. According to the information provided by her mother, the blind date was with the heir of the well-known Estrada Group, Zachary, a handsome and low-key young man.

The blind date was proposed by the man's parents to hers. During a business function, Juliet Estrada, Zachary's mother, found out that she and Zara Olson, Yasmin's mother, were school mates. At first sight, the two women felt like they were long-lost friends. So, from that point onwards, they kept in touch with each other. They had both lamented about their children to each other and eventually found out how both young people were still single and living in the same city. The two mothers then happily exchanged photos. The more they looked at the two of them, the more they wanted to get them together.

"No wonder we became so close so soon. We're destined to become in-laws!" Juliet gushed in excitement to Zara as she stared at the photo of the young, beautiful Yasmin.

"My daughter has been away from Olkfield for many years now, and I have been worried about her marriage. However, that silly girl has fooled us and evaded the blind dates we have arranged for her." Zara sighed heavily. "Maybe this is fate. They can take care of each other in Ariosa. Let's arrange a blind date for them. What do you think?"

Juliet's smile was full of satisfaction. "Okay, that's exactly what I want. However, my son hates blind dates too. I need to find a way to get him to listen to me." With a militant gleam in her eye, Juliet started planning how to get her son to agree to go to the blind date.

"Let's give them an ultimatum and make sure they can't escape. Otherwise, they should bear the consequences themselves!" Zara smiled. She had already told Yasmin that she would drag her back home to Olkfield and marry her off to some random man if she didn't attend the blind date. She was curious to see whether the threat worked or not.

She knew that Yasmin wanted to stay in Ariosa, where she and her good friend took care of each other. She actually had no objections to her daughter living away from home for the sake of her daughter's development. Besides, her daughter was a free spirit who hated being bound. She would never agree to marry a man she had never met. Despite Yasmin's independent soul, she was, first and foremost, a filial daughter. She never disobeyed her parents' requirements, so the threat struck Yasmin exactly where it hurt.

"Well, that's it! Let's inform them. We have to work harder to get them together." With great enthusiasm, Juliet waved a determined fist at Zara.

At first, Zachary left his family in Olkfield because of a yearning for freedom that burned inside him. He travelled around for a while and ultimately became the special assistant of Joseph, a powerful business man. Joseph had spoken to Zachary's father and reached an agreement with him where Zachary was concerned.

Zachary's father, Callum Estrada, also known as the current CEO of Estrada Group, thought that his son's temper and willfulness could be curbed by working under Joseph, who was known as a tough character. Moreover, Joseph had promised that after ten years, Zachary would be a changed man-one who could accomplish things on his own and in his own terms. After weighing the pros and cons, Callum finally decided to let Zachary stay in Ariosa.