The Day I Kissed An Older Man

Chapter 2698

"Miss Rita," Sherman acknowledged with a slight nod. "I hadn't expected the host to be so uncomfortable with all the socializing."

Rita dropped all pretenses after running into him. She smoothed the hem of her skirt with one hand while the other clutched a handful of little titbits she had swiped from the kitchen. She had avoided eating any of the main meals so as not to leave a bad impression on the guests, but her hunger was becoming too much to bear.

"You can't gatekeep feelings. Am I not allowed to feel that way?" she retorted. "You're acting like you're so high and mighty."NôvelDrama.Org © content.

"Those who act high and mighty tend to think others are too," Sherman confessed with a wry smile. "Tell me, do you still think I've taken your seat? I presumed you'd grasp the situation once you knew who I was."

Rita rolled her eyes and continued to nibble on her titbits. "Just because you're a company president doesn't mean you wouldn't have taken that seat. We both have the money to afford the ticket. Why do you insist Miss Claire reserved that seat for you? Hasn't it crossed your mind that it could just be a simple error? I hate it when people are so condescending."

Sherman could not help but notice Rita's agitation as she vented her frustration by biting furiously into a cream puff. It was as if she was projecting him onto the helpless pastry.

"I can understand where you're coming from if you were just a different reporter," Sherman remarked, "But aren't you the same as us? Your status is among the elite too."

Rita's chewing slowed. As much as she was angry at Sherman, she could not but acknowledge that she belonged among their ranks. After all, she would never have been able to get a ticket to Claire's performance without the help of her friends.

That, in addition to everything that happened that evening, put a damper on Rita's spirits. Despite her efforts, her background seemed to be the deciding factor in many instances. Worse still, her father was desperately attempting to find a partner for her. He was eagerly introducing all those rich young men to her, listing off their qualities as if they were from a catalog of men she could choose as a suitor. He would be even more delighted if their family could rise to bigger heights with the marriage.

Sherman had attended the banquet fully aware of its nature. Hearing her voice out her innocent musings seemed to be the height of irony. "I guess you're right. I am that sort of person," Rita conceded in resignation.

That remark elicited a somewhat surprised glance from Sherman. He turned and saw her looking dejected, almost like a wilting flower.

What surprised him most was that she retained an all-too-rare innocence despite her affluent upbringing and her rather complicated family situation. It was unlike other people whose scheming tendencies were written all over their faces.

"You don't seem too happy. Is it because I've exposed your true nature?" Sherman asked, his tone tinged with a hint of sarcasm.

Rita let out a bitter laugh and shook her head. "It's because I can't refute what you said. As much as I've tried to secure a position at New Capital Times through my own merit, my background still overshadows everything else. It will continue to do so for as long as I bear this name. No amount of effort I put in will ever be acknowledged for what it is-my effort."