Chapter 4 Infidelity in Marriage

Samuel placed her on the sofa and turned to fetch ointment and alcohol pads. He first cleaned the wound and then carefully applied the ointment.

In reality, her small injury had already stopped bleeding on the way there. Applying the ointment now, she felt a cooling sensation on her wound.

Evelyn observed Samuel as he lowered his head and concentrated on applying ointment to her wound. He appeared at ease as if this were a routine task.

However, Liam had never performed such a simple act in all their years together. It wasn't that Liam was careless; rather, he simply didn't care about her.

After applying the ointment, Samuel looked up and saw her absent-minded look. "What's wrong?"

"It's nothing," she shook her head and quickly put her foot down. "Thank you."

"You're my wife, no need to be reserved. But there's one thing, I hope you will remember," he said calmly as he closed the ointment lid.

Evelyn nodded. "What is it?"

"I don't care about your past, but since you married me, you can no longer be involved with anyone else—"

"I won't!" Evelyn quickly interrupted him. "Don't worry, at least during this marriage, I will ensure my fidelity. And I hope you will too."

Evelyn didn't expect to have the audacity to make demands of him, and Samuel raised an eyebrow.

"I know our marriage is a transaction, even though I don't know what it is that you want. Nevertheless, there are fundamental principles I believe we should honor. If one day you have someone else in your heart, we can get a divorce, but I won't accept infidelity within the marriage."

She had already experienced betrayal once and had no intention of going through it again.

Samuel smirked. "Funny, I feel the same way."

For a moment, Evelyn was lost in his smile.

This man was truly a masterpiece. Not only did he possess exceptional business acumen, but he was also physically flawless.

Initially, she had merely wanted to test the waters and collaborate with him, never expecting to marry him. Could this finally be her stroke of luck after all those years of misfortune?

…

At 7:00 pm., Evelyn sat in Samuel's car and arrived at the venue with him.

She hadn't expected him to personally attend the event. After all, the competition seemed insignificant for the Seraphian Group, whose beauty products regularly competed on the international stage.

As they arrived, Evelyn noticed Liam's car parked at the venue's entrance. He emerged wearing a dark blue suit, his styled hair adding to his handsome and charming appearance. Immediately, he took Vivian's hand, displaying attentiveness and care.

Evelyn's lips curved into a sarcastic smile as she chuckled at her past foolishness.

"Should we get out of the car now?" Samuel asked, looking to the side and gripping her hand.

Evelyn shook her head.

Certainly, it would make quite the splash if she emerged from the car hand-in-hand with Samuel and strolled over to Liam. Such a scene would undoubtedly fluster them both, but for Evelyn, that outcome fell far short of her desires.

She wanted to reclaim all the effort and emotion she had put into these years.

Although this competition was not large in scale, it was still meticulous in its process.

To ensure fairness, judges were meticulously selected from diverse regions, each recognized as an industry expert. Representatives from every company personally submitted their perfumes three hours prior to the competition.

During this window, experts meticulously assessed the perfumes, considering factors such as appearance, initial scent, and subsequent fragrance.

In essence, the results were predetermined, though yet to be formally announced.

Evelyn remained outside the venue, opting instead to linger in the exclusive VIP room alongside Samuel. From there, they observed the unfolding events via a sizable projection screen.

Liam and Vivian exuded confidence, their demeanor suggesting a certainty of victory.

Evelyn quietly watched and thought, 'Go ahead, smile to your heart's content. The days where you can laugh so recklessly won't last much longer.'

The lights in the venue dimmed slightly, indicating that the results were about to be announced. The guests who were still socializing turned their attention towards the stage.

Following tradition, the awards ceremony began with the presentation of the smallest awards.

It was clear that Liam didn't care much about these small awards. He wouldn't be worried even if Liavian Perfumes' name wasn't called. He confidently held onto Vivian's hand and looked towards the stage.

"The next awards to be announced are the first, second, and third place prizes of this competition," the host cleared his throat. "Before presenting this award, I want to emphasize something. This competition follows the principles of fairness, openness, and equality, without any restrictions on company size. As long as the requirements are met, anyone can participate.

"However, we also want to warn everyone that besides the quality of the product itself, the character of the perfumer is even more important. We strongly condemn and discourage any behavior involving plagiarism or theft!"

In the VIP room, Evelyn tightened her grip on her wine glass, pursed her lips, and watched Liam and Vivian on the screen.

Clearly, they were not aware that these words had any relevance to them. They even led the applause.

"That's absolutely right! Although Liavian Perfumes is not a large company, we have always been committed to originality and R&D. Plagiarism and theft are truly a disgrace in the industry. Even if the finished product is not perfect, we still disdain such behavior," Liam said firmly.

Vivian added, "Yes. While I am only a junior perfumer and cannot compare to the industry experts, I have always reminded myself to be diligent and strive to create a brand that our company can be proud of."

Applause filled the room, and journalists took the opportunity to take pictures. The scene appeared harmonious.

However, the host on stage had a serious expression. He asked, "So, does Liavian Perfumes guarantee the originality and authenticity of your competition entries?"

"Of course!" Liam said confidently.

After speaking, he vaguely felt that something was wrong.

He had participated in many exhibitions and competitions before, and the host had never asked these questions or singled him out.

But all the perfumes in the competition were personally concocted by Evelyn, guaranteeing their originality. He still had confidence in that.

With this thought, Liam's expression became proud.

"Eh..." Evelyn let out a light scoff. Liam really had confidence.

The host glanced deeply at Liam and then turned to the audience, speaking sternly, "A unique situation has arisen in this competition. Two different companies have submitted the same product, and even the names of their works are the same."

Although the host didn't directly mention any names, he had specifically asked Liam earlier. Everyone knew who he was referring to, but as for the other company, it was unclear.

Liam's face changed.

This situation was far more embarrassing than simply not winning. Accusations of plagiarism and theft, laid bare before numerous industry bigshots and the media, threatened to tarnish Liavian Perfumes' reputation as soon as the news broke tomorrow.