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Novel Catalog
Chapter 21: Kaitlin Looks for Trouble
Ainsley frowned as Kaitlin’s voice rang in her ears. For a brief moment, she considered ignoring her and walking away. But Kaitlin wasn’t having any of it. She quickly moved in front of Ainsley, blocking her path.
“Ainsley! Are you deaf?” Kaitlin sneered, her eyes scanning Ainsley with disdain. “What are you even doing here? Do you think you can just walk into the University of Washington like you own the place?”
Ainsley hadn’t forgotten how Kaitlin had always looked down on her, even before the divorce. But now, Ainsley wasn’t the same person she used to be. She wasn’t going to let Kaitlin walk all over her anymore.
“Move,” Ainsley said, her voice cold and firm, as she casually adjusted her bag, trying to sidestep Kaitlin.
Kaitlin’s face twisted with surprise. She hadn’t expected Ainsley to be so bold. After all, Ainsley had always been meek in the past, quick to agree to whatever Kaitlin demanded.
“What’s wrong with you?” Kaitlin’s voice grew sharp, the words dripping with scorn. “Just because you divorced my brother, you think you’re some kind of queen? The University of Washington is a prestigious school. You—uneducated, divorced—think you have any right to be here? Get out of my way before I make you regret it!”
Ainsley felt a knot tighten in her stomach. The insults weren’t new, but they were still jarring. She’d heard worse from Kaitlin and her mother, but it seemed like Kaitlin hadn’t learned her lesson after everything that had happened. She still thought Ainsley was a pushover.
Ainsley’s eyes narrowed. “Kaitlin,” she began, her voice low but icy, “University of Washington values virtue and character. A person like you is the one who truly disgraces this place.”
Kaitlin blinked in disbelief. Then her face flushed with anger, her eyes narrowing. “What did you say to me?” She stepped forward, her finger pointing accusatorily at Ainsley’s nose. “You’re a slut, how dare you lecture me? You think you belong here? You’re uneducated, and you have nothing to do with University of Washington!”
Ainsley’s patience was running thin. She reached into her bag and pulled out her work certificate, waving it in front of Kaitlin’s face. “Take a good look, Kaitlin. I work at University of Washington.”
Kaitlin’s eyes briefly skimmed the certificate, but she wasn’t interested in reading the details. Instead, her face twisted with a new, mocking sneer. “Oh, I get it now. You must be a janitor, right? That’s the only job someone like you could get. Ainsley, you’ve always been nothing without my brother. I bet if you hadn’t married him, you’d still be scrubbing floors somewhere.”
Ainsley’s expression hardened. She had no intention of wasting any more of her time with Kaitlin. It was nearly eight in the morning, and her first day at work was about to begin. She didn’t have the patience for this petty confrontation.
“Kaitlin,” Ainsley said in a more irritated tone, “You’re wasting my time. Your brother and I are divorced. You don’t need to keep flaunting your family’s name in my face. If you really want to keep busy, maybe you should focus on getting along with your new sister-in-law.”
Kaitlin’s face turned a furious shade of red. She had never been spoken to like that before, especially not by Ainsley. She was livid, stomping her foot in anger.
“You—!” she began, her fists clenching. “You wait, Ainsley! You just wait! I’ll make sure my brother fires you! You’ll regret crossing me, I promise you that!”
Ainsley barely spared her a second glance as she turned and walked away, ignoring the shrill ranting of Kaitlin behind her. It wasn’t worth her time, and she had more important things to focus on.
