After I Stopped Loving Him novel Chapter 145

“Okay.” Ethan let go of her hand, his voice gentle. “Don’t go too far, and try not to drink too much. It’s bad for you, and you get tipsy easily.”

“I know. You too. Don’t drink too much,” Isabella replied, thinking about how he still hadn’t completely shaken off that cold.

With Ethan’s gaze following her, Isabella made her way across the room. She headed straight for Samantha, Harold’s mom, and his sister Barbara. In her last life, both Samantha and Barbara had treated her with real kindness. The Carter family had shown up at her wedding, and now, seeing Samantha here, it only felt right to say hello.

She was especially interested in getting to know Barbara. They were the same age, and even though Barbara was a Carter heiress, she’d started at the bottom in her family’s company right after graduating. Isabella knew that in a couple of years, Barbara would be running a Carter Group subsidiary that would make a name for itself in the business world. She was a real boss, and she had the talent to back it up.

Isabella wanted to make friends with women like that. If she could get Barbara and others like her to invest in her studio, she could finally start her own film company. She wanted to make TV shows, movies, and keep working on short dramas. The market would get crowded eventually, but as long as she made something truly good, there was still money to be made.

She always said she’d be happy running a bookstore and a café, just earning a bit for daily life and some pocket money. Truthfully though, Isabella wanted more. She wanted to be successful, make real money, and become someone as impressive as Linda or Barbara.

Even if she couldn’t get their investment, just being friends with women like Barbara and Linda would help her a lot. Jesse’s cousin Melissa seemed amazing too, but she was so cold and distant that Isabella honestly felt a little scared to approach her.

“Samantha, Barbara.” Isabella smiled as she walked up to them.

Barbara’s eyes sparkled in surprise. “You know about that?” Isabella wasn’t exactly part of their inner circle yet, and the new line hadn’t been announced. Plus, everyone said Mrs. Adams hardly wore any makeup, so it was strange that she’d care about skincare.

“Natalie mentioned it to me,” Isabella said, keeping her tone light. She definitely wasn’t going to admit that she’d lived through all this before, and knew that the new line would be a huge hit. The products were genuinely good, targeted at the mid to high-end market, and women loved them.

“It’s still being tested,” Barbara replied. “But when we have the finished product, I’ll send a couple of sets your way.” She looked at Isabella’s face, sincere. “You’ve got great skin, Isabella. If you keep taking care of it, you’ll still look thirty when you’re fifty.”