The Day I Kissed An Older Man

"You're much more of a gentleman compared to that night," Rita remarked with a smile.

In response, Sherman cocked an eyebrow and quipped, "And you're much more amiable now than you were then."

Their shared laughter drew Sadie's gaze and fueled her resentment.

She wanted to know when Rita started to have eyes on Sherman and felt that Rita was utterly shameless for trying to charm the man that Sadie had been eyeing first.

That being said, a public display of frustration was hardly appropriate, so Sadie forced a smile and approached Sherman.

"Where have you been, Mister Sherman? I looked everywhere for you earlier but couldn't find you," she said, disregarding Rita's presence.

Sherman saw Sadie coming over to him, he instinctively took a step back and maintained a polite distance. "And

smile stiffened in response

like him in the entire banquet. However, Sadie seemed to think too highly of herself rather than looking at herself in the mirror to see if she was fit to even approach him.

of humor you have there, Mister Sherman," she said with a strained smile. "I'm Sadie, the second daughter of the Russells. We crossed paths upstairs earlier, but I suppose you couldn't

her indifferent expression. Still, the faint smile at Rita's lips seemed to mock her. Sadie gritted her teeth and yearned to lash out, but

surprise to Rita. After all, they had only met each other once, and he had no reason to incur Karen's wrath for her sake-not that he had anything

expression soured and teetered on the brink of tears.

feel a little sorry for her. She knew that it could not have

father. Sadie later changed her surname to our family's," Rita explained to Sherman, who nodded in an enlightened

thick-skinned as Sadie could not endure any longer. She gripped her wine glass so tightly that she