Chapter 152

He had no idea whether she’d be in a bad mood today and might not log on.

Curiosity gnawed at him, even though not long ago he’d sworn to himself he’d stop meddling in other people’s business—yet here he was again, contradicting himself in no time.

Whether it was Mrs. Smith or Ivy, either one could easily set his thoughts spinning.

Meanwhile, Ivy was still driving.

She could hear her phone buzzing with WhatsApp notifications and knew the group was calling for her, but she had no time to check.

By the time she got home and picked up her phone, she realized the stock market had just crashed.

Mrs. Smith: Sorry, I was driving and only just saw the messages.

Bob: Mrs. Smith is here!

Dale: Mrs. Smith, what’s your take on the market today? Will there be a rebound tomorrow? Is it time to buy the dip?

Ivy didn’t reply right away. Instead, she checked the news to get a sense of the situation.

No bad news.

Mrs. Smith: I think it’s okay to buy a little here.

She gave a brief analysis and wrapped up by reminding everyone it was just her personal opinion.

But the others in the group had full faith in her. One by one, they all rushed to increase their positions.

Jay: Haven’t seen Dr. Handsome today. If he’s busy, he might miss the opportunity.

Dale: @Dr.Handsome, isn’t today your day off?

Coach Murphy: How would you know?

Dale: Family stuff. My niece has been in touch with Dr. Handsome a lot lately.

Jamison kept his eyes glued to his phone. The moment Ivy appeared in the chat, his feelings were a tangled knot of relief and something else he couldn’t quite name.

Rationally, he tried to keep his distance, but emotionally, he couldn’t help but care.

Seeing her act as if nothing had happened, he subconsciously relaxed.

At least it meant she was okay. Not so upset that she wanted to shut everyone out.

Dr. Handsome: I kept my positions light lately, so the drop didn’t hurt much.

Jay: Look at that—Dr. Handsome is getting sharper at trading.

Dr. Handsome: Just following in Mrs. Smith’s footsteps.

Bob: Now that’s a surprise! You two used to argue about everything, and now you’re suddenly on the same page?

Ivy was still sitting in her car, so absorbed in the chat she forgot to get out.

When Dr. Handsome started complimenting her in the group, she couldn’t help but purse her lips, not sure how to respond.

Dr. Handsome: @Mrs. Smith, did you add to your position today?

Ivy frowned. He had to tag her directly?

He knew perfectly well she’d been avoiding him lately, yet here he was, brazen as ever.

Mrs. Smith: I’m not sure.

Dr. Handsome: Not sure because you haven’t decided, or because you don’t want to say?

Mrs. Smith: Interpret it however you want.

Bob: Uh… what’s going on? Did you two have a fight?

Dr. Handsome: She thinks I’m too old for her.

Jay: Wait! What does that mean? Are you guys… is there something between

Dale: Oh my god! What did I miss? Did you meet up in real life?

Ivy stared at the screen, utterly baffled and exasperated.

She didn’t answer in the group. Instead, she immediately sent Dr. Handsome a private message.

Mrs. Smith: What are you talking about? People are going to get the wrong idea!

When Jamison saw her name pop up in his private chat, a rare smile flickered across his usually stern face, and the heaviness in his chest suddenly lightened.

Dr. Handsome: What did I say? You do think I’m too old.

Mrs. Smith: I…

Mrs. Smith: I just mean, when you say things like that in the chat, they’ll misunderstand.

Dr. Handsome: Misunderstand what?

Mrs. Smith: Obviously, they’ll get the wrong idea about us.

Dr. Handsome: What about us?

Mrs. Smith: There’s nothing between us!

Ivy was fuming.

She’d already been quietly annoyed with Jamison, but had no outlet for it. Now, online, he’d walked right into her line of fire.

She paused, realizing she couldn’t let this ambiguous situation drag on. She decided to lay it all out, once and for all.

Mrs. Smith: Dr. Handsome, I really appreciate the help you’ve given me in the past, and the doctors you recommended were great, but that’s where it ends. I know a lot of people like to flirt online—say whatever they want because there are no consequences—but that’s not me. I don’t like that, and I don’t want anything to do with people who do.