SWNOVELS Chapter 1 Same Dress
A myriad of luxurious cars weaved in through the hotel gates as seamlessly as a shuffled deck of cards. A dazzling array of
celebrities, socialites and those among the most powerful and influential people of A City had gathered here today to celebrate
and honor the prestigious 30th anniversary of Soaring Group.
Soon after, a Volkswagen Phaeton, with a sleek metallic paint finish, stopped at the hotel driveway and the bellhop stepped
forward to open the door.
Melinda Mo sprang out of the car, clearly in a hurry to go somewhere. In fact, Melinda Mo was rushing to get to a banquet that
she almost missed, not because it was her own fault but because she didn't receive the invitation until much later.
"Where is Jonas?" she asked anxiously.
"Mr. Gu is already here. He is in the banquet hall right now."
Gently lifting the hemline of her red dress, Melinda Mo sped to the banquet hall. She was already very late. The banquet hall was
a grand space, to say the least. The walls were covered with a shimmering gold paper and in the middle of the ceiling above the
carved oak table was a candelabra. The polished silver cutlery was heavy to the hand and shone brightly in the early evening
light. At each place stood a tall empty wine glass and there were beautifully folded napkins to match the runner. The room was
invaded by beautiful women, showing off their spectacular jewelries and dashing young men, laughing and chatting about
business and politics.
Melinda Mo caught sight of the man in the crowd at first glance. He looked so cold, and yet there was something very appealing
about the impassiveness on his handsome face. Although he was surrounded by a crowd, he didn't seem perturbed at all.
Melinda Mo smiled faintly, not looking to attract any unnecessary attention to her presence. All she wanted to do was slide
through the crowd unnoticed and take her side next to Jonas Gu, but soon the smile on her face froze.
Wrapped around Jonas Gu' arm, was a voluptuous, dark-haired bombshell who intimately whispering words into his ears every
now and then. No one could tell what she said to him but it seemed to soften his cold, hard expression.
As if stuck underwater, everything around Melinda Mo slowed down and warbled, her heart falling silent almost immediately. In a
quick and nervous motion, she gathered herself and hid in a corner. As if things weren't bad enough, the slippery snake that was
grinding her body up against Jonas Gu was wearing the same red dress as hers.
She stomped the floor in anger, realizing that the members of the Gu family wouldn't pass on such a good opportunity to
humiliate her in public. Of all the people in the world, why did Jonas Gu have to pick Holley Huang, a woman whose greatest
achievement in life was to become one of the most famous socialite divas of A City? And most of all, why did they have to wear
the same dress today? It wouldn't surprise Melinda Mo if tomorrow she were to become the laughingstock of the entire city for
having the same taste in fashion as a slutty model.
She ran into the ladies' room at first chance and locked the door behind her. As she stared at her own reflection on the mirror,
the desperation on her face, she felt frustrating and heartbreaking at the same time. She tore off the shoulder strap of her dress
and a bit of her skirt at the bottom that mopped the floor everywhere she went. Luckily, the interior linings of the dress were so
delicate and minuscule that the changes would go unnoticed to the naked eye.
After a while, Melinda Mo walked out of the ladies' room, in a long, strapless dress and a pair of black silk gloves. Her lustrous
black hair was loosely tied up and the combination of red and black colors added to the fine elegance that oozed out of her.
"Melinda? What are you doing here? Why aren't you with Jonas?"
Melinda Mo immediately recognized the voice without even facing the speaker as it had just the right amount of upper class
timbre to belong to the one and only Yulia Gu, Jonas Gu's young sister.
Melinda Mo forced a smile on her lips as she gave Yulia Gu a gentle nod. She noticed Jonas Gu looking closely at them before
he walked away as if she was a stranger.
Yulia Gu approached Melinda Mo, raising her chin in an arrogant manner.
"Jonas, aren't you going to say hello to Melinda?"
The female partner of Jonas Gu who was a married man was a small model, so outsiders knew it clearly that Melinda Mo had no
status at all. Looking at Melinda Mo's face, they were full of sympathy.
Nevertheless, Melinda Mo didn't allow any of it to sadden her. Even the sight of her husband and his lover together did not
manage to bring her down. However, no one could tell what she was plotting behind that unwavering smile on her face.
"Never mind. Besides, it's better for someone like him to be seen with someone like Miss Huang on these occasions." With just a
few words Melinda Mo reduced Holley Huang's entire character and personality into something that befitted trash.
Yulia Gu snickered bitterly, but just as she noticed Melinda Mo's dress she abruptly burst into laughter, pointing at the lose thread
on her waist.
"Oh sweet Melinda, where did you buy this dress? Did my family not give you enough money to shop at a decent place? You're
such a simpleton!"
Yulia Gu said sarcastically. Most people knew that Melinda Mo had come from humble beginnings and that her family wasn't very
well off, which led people to think that she had married into the Gu family by foul means. The only people who found Yulia Gu's
hateful words were unsurprisingly a group of rich people who covered their mouths to stifle their snide laughter.
Melinda Mo turned her eyes away without saying a word, and remained indifferent. She had suffered more humiliation than this
from the Gu family over the years. Compared to that, this was going to be a walk in the park.
"Enough!" screamed Jonas Gu. Perhaps he was afraid that Yulia Gu would say something shameful so he stopped her
immediately. "Don't cross the line."
With a displeased look on Yulia Gu's face, she cast a disdainful glance at Melinda Mo and pushed her aside.
Melinda would have been utterly devastated, if not for her unyielding mental strength and fortitude. When she noticed the loose
thread dangling from her dress, she felt so embarrassed that she couldn't even speak.
At first, Melinda thought that perhaps Jonas wasn't aware of Yulia's behavior, but now the arrogance in Yulia's voice was
suggesting that she wouldn't have the guts to do anything if it weren't for Jonas' acquiescence.
Melinda slowly raised her head and smiled faintly at Jonas.
"I'm going to get some rest," she said, turning around to leave and not waiting for Jonas' response. Besides, she didn't want to
shed another tear for this man, at least, not in front of him.
She tried to spit out the sadness inside her chest, but it was like a fishbone stuck inside her throat. Looking back at the days she
had spent with the Gu family over the years, Melinda smiled bitterly.
Indeed, without Jonas' approval, who would have the courage to humiliate the daughter-in-law of the Gu family?
Melinda found herself a corner seat in the lounge where she avoided making eye contact. As such, in her attempt to hide from
others, Melinda failed to notice that Holley Huang was sitting beside her.
"Miss Mo, it's nice to see you here." Holley Huang smiled and raised her glass at her.
Melinda didn't seem troubled by the way Holley Huang addressed her. Instead, curtly lifting the corners of her lips into a smile,
she said, "Your reputation precedes you, Miss Huang."
Holley raised an eyebrow at Melinda's comment. She didn't expect to find such eloquence from a woman she had just insulted.
"No matter how famous I am, I can never compare myself to the fabulous Miss Mo. If people notice how indifferent you are to
seeing your husband with other women, they might think that you are only interested in the Gu family's wealth."
"And what of you, Miss Huang? Dangling around a married man, dancing to his every word. Are you willing to be his mistress
because you love him, or because you love the Gu family's money?" Melinda sneered and thought, 'Did she think that I was
going to let her talk down to me just because I let Yulia off so easily?'
Holley's face darkened almost instantly.
"Miss Mo, that's quite low, even for someone like you. Then again, such crass behavior is to be expected from someone who
does not understand what dignity means."
"I would advise you to choose your next words very wisely. Don't forget that I am still legally married to Jonas. Besides, even if
we do split up one day, what makes you think you have the chance to be his wife?" A wry smile emerged on the corners of
Melinda's mouth. She had shared the same bed with Jonas for several years, which was why she knew that there was someone
else in his heart. However, that person was neither her, nor Holley.