Chapter 333 - 331: Don’t You Know the Rules?

Some of these wealthy wives came from prominent families, but that wasn’t true for all of them.

But regardless of their original family status, their current identity was simply that of a wealthy socialite, a "Mrs. So-and-so," dependent on the men in their families.

The sole exception was Monica Coleman, who had tirelessly managed her own conglomerate. Her confidence always came from herself; at times, even her husband’s business relied on her support.

That was why she disliked the title "Mrs. Perry." She had her own name: Monica Coleman.

In the eyes of these wives, Monica was a truly powerful woman. They admired and envied her capabilities and everything she possessed, yet they could never become her.

Monica knew that these "sisters" would likely never escape their current "predicament." But most of them were perfectly content with their status as wealthy wives. At least they enjoyed a life of luxury, extravagance, and respectability, appearing glamorous to outsiders.

Every time they gathered, they would say a few envious words. Monica was used to hearing it. At first, she had the inclination to offer them some advice, but she later discovered that no one was truly willing to try, or they would give up immediately if their husbands disagreed. So, she stopped offering unsolicited suggestions.

"Jasmine, what business is your family in?"

Monica looked at Jasmine Sterling. Her outfit today was clearly not cheap. Just the matching set of high-end Bulgari red diamond jewelry was likely worth over a million dollars. Her family’s business couldn’t be small.

Hearing this, Jasmine Sterling subconsciously glanced at the others and saw they were all looking at her with curiosity. She smiled a little shyly and said, "I have two daughters. The elder one is in investment, and the younger one is an actress who just entered the industry last year."

Across from her, Mrs. Ashton blurted out instinctively, "What about your husband?"

Wendy Duncan’s expression faltered, and she quickly glanced at Jasmine’s face. But Jasmine showed no sign of displeasure. Instead, she admitted openly, "I’m currently single. I don’t have a husband. I live with my two daughters and one son. My son is still in high school and will be taking his college entrance exams soon."

Upon hearing Jasmine’s words, the women’s expressions varied—there was surprise, shock, and also sympathy.

Monica, however, considered Jasmine’s words and followed up with a question. "Jasmine, you said your son is still in school. Does that mean your family relies entirely on your two daughters?"

"To be precise, we’re currently relying on my elder daughter. Everything our family has now, she earned it all." When Jasmine mentioned her elder daughter, her eyes shone brightly with unconcealable pride.

Hearing this, Monica’s eyes lit up as well. "Your daughter can’t be very old, can she? You only look like you’re in your thirties."

"You’re too kind, Monica. I’m already forty-five. My elder daughter is indeed still young. She’s currently in college."

This statement made everyone present, except for Wendy Duncan, stare with wide eyes.

"College? And she can earn that much money?" Mrs. Lawson covered her mouth, her shock palpable. She clearly couldn’t believe it.

Even Monica felt the same. When she was in college, just balancing her studies had her spread too thin. She never imagined Jasmine’s daughter could be so exceptional.

She had always admired independent women who could earn their own wealth through their abilities, because she herself was one of them. Thus, she instantly developed a keen interest in Jasmine’s daughter.

Her interest piqued, she pressed on, "So what kind of industries and projects has your daughter invested in? Is it new media, or the currently popular Artificial Intelligence? Or perhaps large-scale physical economies?"

Jasmine thought for a moment, then gave a sheepish smile. "I hope you don’t laugh, Monica, but she’s told me some things about her business, though I don’t really understand it all. The Artificial Intelligence you just mentioned... I think she’s involved in that. And then there’s a high-end business club called Aetherium, which she co-owns with a friend."

"Aetherium?"

The women stared at each other in shock. Someone spoke up, "Aetherium belongs to your daughter? We’re all members there!"

When Monica came back to her senses, the smile on her face grew wider, filled mostly with admiration for Jasmine’s daughter.

She nodded and said, "Aetherium is one of the country’s top business clubs. I often choose to entertain clients there when I’m in Lorcain."

After a moment’s thought, Monica couldn’t resist extending an invitation. "Jasmine, I’m truly curious about your daughter. Could you bring her over to visit me sometime?"

"Of course."

The other women’s interest was piqued as well, and they all crowded around Jasmine excitedly. "Jasmine, let’s exchange contact information! We’ll add you to our group chat."

"Yes, yes! We can never get a reservation for the limited afternoon tea at Aetherium’s sky restaurant. With you around, we’ll be able to go whenever we want, right?"

"Oh, and the Eight Treasures Private Kitchen at Aetherium is also incredibly hard to book. Jasmine, we’ll be counting on you from now on! We won’t let you help for free. Our family is in the hotel and fitness industry, so just let us know if you need anything."

"My family owns a golf course. Jasmine, if you’re interested, we could go and relax sometime. We’re all friends now, we should help each other out."

It was as if everyone had suddenly become close with Jasmine Sterling. She responded to each of them calmly, and as she looked at the smiling faces before her, an unfamiliar, indescribable feeling welled up in her heart for the first time.

But what she did know for sure was that she was very happy.

*

At that moment, Cecilia Sterling arrived at the banquet hall with Blair.

Blair was wearing exquisite makeup and a beautiful evening gown. With her tall stature and superior looks and bearing, combined with the careful styling for the day, she looked like a completely new person.

She herself felt very out of place, but Cecilia Sterling was full of praise. Even James Lockwood couldn’t help but compliment her upon first sight, "Miss Sterling, your friend is truly beautiful."

Cecilia smiled at Blair, made a brief introduction, and then followed James Lockwood into the banquet hall.

"Miss Sterling, the event is sponsored by Mercedes-Benz. In a moment, the brand representative will give a speech to open the event. I’ve arranged your seat at the front. Your friend’s seat is on the left, at a table with some top-tier influencers. Shall I show you to your seat first?"

Cecilia glanced at Blair, worried she might not be comfortable, and said, "Maybe I should sit with my friend. This is her first time..."

"It’s fine, Cecilia. It’s just sitting and listening to a speech, right? I can handle it." Deciding to just go with the flow since she was already there, Blair relaxed and looked to her left. "It’s over there, right?"

James Lockwood nodded and quickly instructed someone nearby to escort Blair over.

It was a table near the front on the left side, occupied by top influencers who currently had tens of millions of followers online.

Blair’s seat had been placed right in the middle, a special arrangement clearly made out of respect for Cecilia.

Blair didn’t care about any of that. If they told her to sit, she sat. So, under the probing gazes of the surrounding top-tier influencers, she casually took her seat. Seeing a glass of wine in front of her, she picked it up and took a couple of sips.

’Calm my nerves!’

"Who are you? Is this your seat? How dare you just sit down?" Suddenly, an arrogant, grating voice sounded from beside her. "Do you have any manners?"

Blair turned her head in surprise and saw someone who looked like an assistant in casual clothes glaring viciously at her. Standing beside him was Cece Desire, the number one female streamer on the Tiktok platform.

Cece Desire stared at her, her face expressionless. Though she didn’t say a word, her eyes were filled with displeasure.

Blair: "?"

She was stunned for two seconds, then suddenly laughed. "I don’t know much about manners, but I know a thing or two about fighting!"