Bride To Be Not Me (Janice and Simon)

For the next two minutes, the office remained utterly silent.

Calvin looked between Edward and Matilda, his expression incredulous. "Aren't you two even a little surprised?"

"I've known for a while that Ms. Smith is Shirley," Matilda said casually.

Calvin turned to Edward. "You knew too?"noveldrama

"Yeah."

Calvin's jaw dropped, and he was stunned by the revelation. Even with his experience navigating political circles, he was completely caught off guard.

"So, you both just let Heidi blatantly lie about being Shirley and didn't bat an eye? Mom and Aunt Myra thought she was Shirley and were even trying to help you win her over! Even Heidi herself was ambiguous with me, claiming she was Shirley," Calvin muttered, his expression darkening as he processed the deception.

"So, Ms. Smith..." Matilda began, pausing for a moment. "Actually, I suppose I should be calling you my sister- in-law now, shouldn't I?"

She had been busy traveling for business on Edward's behalf and had barely set foot in the office. By the time she finally pieced everything together, Edward and Janice were already a done deal.

Upon learning about Janice's past, Matilda couldn't help but feel both sympathy and admiration. Given everything Janice had endured, she wholeheartedly supported her relationship with Edward.

When the word "sister-in-law" slipped from Matilda's lips, Janice instinctively wanted to refute it but quickly composed herself. "Just call me Janice."

"Alright then, Janice! Would you like to take a closer look at the trophy and certificate?"

Janice gave them a brief glance before walking over to a corner of the office. Bending down, she began rummaging through a storage box-the place she kept personal belongings at work.

After some searching, she retrieved several certificates from the bottom of a locked box, their surfaces coated in dust.

She blew gently to clear the layer before placing them down.

"These carry a little more weight."

Each of the four certificates was adorned with an international gold seal.

Matilda flipped through the certificates one by one, reading the titles aloud, "Eighth Best New Crochet Award... Ninth Creative Crochet Gold Award... Tenth Best Seamstress Award... Tenth Best Crochet Piece Award? You..." She was left speechless.

Each of these awards held far more prestige than the one she had just won.

"Where are your trophies? You should display them in your office!" Matilda suggested.

Janice nonchalantly pulled out a face mask. "I didn't bother taking them. Anyway, I'm heading out for a bit. You guys can keep talking."

With that, she adjusted her mask and fixed her hair.

She had business at another crochet company. There was someone she needed to find. Given the recent media buzz, keeping a low profile was the smartest move.

"Where are you headed? I can have the driver take you."

"It's okay. How about dinner tonight?" Janice suggested, inviting the three of them. "My treat!"

Matilda spoke up for her brothers. "Sounds perfect!"

As soon as Janice left, Calvin pulled out his phone and stared at the screen in silence. After a long moment, he finally said, "Edward, take a look at this."

Edward glanced over, his brows lifting slightly.

"Doesn't this look like your girlfriend... right after she puts on her mask?"

Edward's expression darkened slightly.

"Some time ago, Mom asked me to find a woman with the last name 'Smith' who had worked on restoring artifacts. The more I think about it, the more I'm certain it's Janice. Coincidentally, her last name is Smith as well," Calvin said, convinced he had solved the mystery.

No wonder he had never been able to find this elusive woman. She had been right under their noses the entire time.

Even Edward was caught off guard. This was something he genuinely hadn't known. He never anticipated Janice would have so many hidden identities.

But when he realized she had been keeping such a low profile to shield Simon's fragile ego, all that remained in his heart was a profound sympathy for her.

As soon as Janice arrived at the back entrance of the company, she received a WhatsAp Edward.

"Do you want me to pick you up when you're finished?"

After a brief pause, Janice replied. "Sure, I'll text you later."

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Hearing of her arrival, the company's CEO personally came to greet her. "Ms. Smith, why didn't you come through the front entrance? Please, allow me to escort you inside!"

"It's fine. I'm just here to ask one of your employees for something." "What is it?"

Fifteen minutes later, Janice had what she needed—a crystal-clear video of Simon anxiously asking someone about Heidi's whereabouts during the competition.

Since both Heidi and Simon had caused her enough trouble, she thought it was only fair to return the favor with a little New Year's gift of her own.

After carefully reviewing the two video clips, she sent them to Jacob.

His roommate was a pro at video editing, and with the right cuts and transitions, these clips could easily be turned into a whole new story.

For example, it could subtly suggest a questionable connection between Heidi and Harry. With Janice's frequent communication with Simon after her return, perhaps she incurred Heidi's wrath.

Lately, Janice had been fascinated by how effortlessly netizens could create wild conspiracy theories. She had no doubt this kind of content would be exactly what they'd love.

Edward's car was waiting for her at the main gate. Janice walked over and got in.