Chapter 1233

Austin's final remark irritated Lily. "What's a woman supposed to do?" she thought. To him, a woman's role was confined to homemaking and childcare. This, he believed, disqualified her from the research field. Initially, Lily dismissed his opposition as merely professional; now, it felt undeniably sexist. His dignified demeanor had clearly masked a misogynistic undercurrent, a fact she found shocking.

Furious, a rare emotion for her, Lily retorted, "Mr. Fike, what is a woman supposed to do? What shouldn't she do? And what is a man supposed to do? Your limited experience in this field suggests you haven't fulfilled your own gendered expectations, while simultaneously disqualifying women's contributions." She rubbed her belly for emphasis. "Without the Institute of Medicinal Herbs, what authority do you have to dictate my actions?"

Lily's anger intensified. Who does he think he is? she thought. This institute is the only reason he's even speaking to me!

Austin was taken aback by her sharp retort. His face flushed, his eyes blazing behind his glasses. "I'm doing you a favor!" he sputtered. "A pregnant woman should stay home, not meddling in the medicinal herbs industry! How shameless!"

Lily's face hardened. Without hesitation, she splashed the remainder of her drink onto his face. "Don't make assumptions!" she declared, turning and leaving.

What a waste of time! she fumed. What kind of misogynist is he? This symposium was a nightmare! Why would the institute invite such a despicable person? He's a caveman! What a rotten day!

The onlookers, having witnessed the entire exchange, swarmed Austin. "Mr. Fike, are you alright?" one exclaimed. "What happened?" cried another. "Who is that woman? She's a lunatic!" a third added. "How was she even invited?"

Maria, who had unsuccessfully attempted to engage Austin earlier, rushed forward, offering a towel. "I know that woman! She said she's from the Christian family!"

"The Christian family?" the group echoed.

"Yes," Maria confirmed. "I've traveled extensively, and I've never heard of them in our field. Have you?"

The group shook their heads. One person offered, "I did hear of a Christian family involved in medicinal herbs years ago, but they were insignificant. They couldn't possibly be invited to this symposium."

However, no one could recall the specifics.

Austin, after wiping the drink from his face and cleaning his glasses, stated calmly, "Enough speculation. I know who she is. She's not in the medicinal herbs industry; she researches extracts and essences for perfumes."

Maria gasped. "That's irrelevant to us! How did she get in here?" The others echoed her sentiments, expressing their astonishment and indignation at her presence.