James and Emma had not shown up yet at the banquet hall. James' parents, Daniel and Angela, welcomed all their friends and guests. They did not sit down until Emma's parents arrived. They looked very harmonious from afar.

Wearing an elegant long dress, Vivian walked through the crowd with a smile. She asked one of the waiters where the bathroom was.

There were two bathrooms in total, one for the guests and one for the staff.

Vivian went into the guests' bathroom first, walked around, and then went into the staff's.

The staff's bathroom was a certain distance from the banquet hall. To get there, she needed to cross a small garden full of lovely, blooming roses.

In the bathroom, Vivian stood in front of the wash basin, put her handbag aside, and turned on the tap. She washed her hands and checked her makeup in the mirror.

The staff was busy at the moment, so the bathroom was empty and quiet.

Vivian listened to the sound of flowing water for nearly two minutes. Then, she heard footsteps approaching. She turned off the tap, took out a lipstick from her bag, and applied some on her lips.

"Miss Ye." A w

"Emma is a good girl. My son-in-law, Jason, is a professor at L University. Not long ago, I told him about Emma. He had nothing but good words for her. He also praised her brilliant dissertation. Maybe she can be James' tutor in the future. Let's see if he'll study well and hard this time under his wife's tutelage."

Sam spoke with a hint of disappointment in his eyes, which amused everyone.

Hearing her father mention her ex-husband's name, Jessica felt as if a big invisible hand reached for her throat and squeezed it.

"Dad, my..." Jessica wanted to address Jason as her husband, but then she realized he was not her husband anymore. "Do you often contact Jason?" she asked.

"Of course." Every time Sam mentioned Jason, he looked happy and proud. "He calls me every week and asks how I'm doing. He even plays chess with me online sometimes."

"I see." Swallowing the bitter lump in her throat and shielding her now misty eyes, Jessica stood up and excused herself. "I have to go to the bathroom. Excuse me."

Then, Jessica turned around and left.

That was Vivian's cue to leave her spot and follow Jessica.