“Did Mr. Holcomb give you a hard time when he picked you up last night?” Michael asked.
Sage felt a little embarrassed when she remembered how Ian had swept her away in public. ” No, he didn’t.”
“That’s good to hear.” He fell silent after saying that.
She assumed that he was just nervous about the upcoming preliminaries, so she smiled and offered him a few words of encouragement.
However, Michael replied solemnly, “Ms. Joyner, I might not be able to help you out right now, but please know that I will support you in whatever you do.”
Sage felt warm when she realized that Michael was concerned about her. “Don’t worry. I’ll manage just fine. Please just focus on your competition.”
Sage made her way to the sports complex after hanging up. There, she practiced kickboxing and the self–defense moves that Michael had taught her. Her punches had become more powerful. Even her coach noticed her rapid progress.
Sage had been eating and sleeping well, and she could feel that her physique had improved. However, her weight hadn’t changed much. She told herself that this didn’t matter, so long as she felt good..
Sage took a shower and changed into a fresh set of clothes after her workout. As she was drying her hair and preparing to leave, she noticed Henry walking toward her. He wasn’t wearing sportswear, so it seemed like he had come specifically to see her rather than to train.
“Hey, are you here to train?” she asked.
“Nope. I’d like to invite you to a nearly cafe for a drink, Ms. Joyner.”
Sage smiled. “That won’t be necessary. Please just cut to the chase.”
Henry pointed to the lounge area. “Shall we go over there then?”
She nodded. “Sure.”
When they sat down, he ordered two cups of coffee. “Ms. Joyner, Layla might’ve gotten the wrong idea when you told her that you saw a similar pair of earrings on eBay. She’s been giving me the cold shoulder the last few days.”
was no misunderstanding,” she mused. After all, she found out who the seller was. “So… you think Layla’s been acting this way because I brought it up?” Sage asked.
Henry responded, “I’m not blaming you, Ms. Joyner. But I do find it strange. I’m sure you wouldn’t have to browse websites like eBay since you’re so well–off. So how did you come
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across a similar pair of earrings there?”
“Sometimes, when I don’t like certain jewelry or handbags anymore, I sell them on eBay because I feel like it’s a waste to throw them away,” she explained. “I’m sure there’s nothing wrong with me selling off my stuff for some extra cash, right?”
He didn’t press further. Instead, he asked, “Ms. Joyner, do you not want me to be with Layla?”
Sage arched her brow. Was it that obvious?
“I have a rough idea of what your marriage is like. Layla told me about it, and I’ve seen some videos about you a while back. Layla also mentioned that you’ve always liked to compete with her for things, so I’ll ask you honestly. Ms. Joyner, are you trying to use me to hurt Layla?“.
Realization dawned on Sage. He was suggesting that her marriage wasn’t going well, that she was lonely, and she liked to compete with Layla for things, so she must’ve taken a fancy to him and wanted to flirt with him.
No wonder her cousin had such thoughts. Henry must’ve hinted at them to her.
Sage sneered, “Why don’t I give my husband a call right now, and you can tell him all about how I’m thinking about cheating on him?” Then, she immediately dialed Ian’s number.