That night, Veronica spent about an hour getting ready. Believing her appearance was absolutely perfect, she grabbed the black clutch she had prepared earlier. Walking out of her room, she approached Darwin, who was waiting in the living room.
Seeing his wife suddenly standing in front of him, Darwin was momentarily surprised. Especially when he saw Veronica’s appearance, which was stunning and extraordinarily beautiful compared to usual.
For a moment, Darwin was transfixed. For heaven’s sake, he cursed inwardly wondering why Veronica looked so different tonight. He remained silent for a few moments until he finally snapped to attention when Veronica deliberately cleared her throat.
“Why? Just realized you have a beautiful wife?”
The admiration that had briefly shown on Darwin’s face instantly vanished. He rolled his eyes irritably, choosing not to respond. Instead, he dragged his feet and quickly entered the car that had been waiting for him.
Darwin and Veronica then set off. Fortunately, the roads weren’t too congested tonight, so they managed to arrive on time.
Upon entering the Pullman Hotel, many guests had already arrived. There were numerous business partners, company executives, foreign investors, relatives, and a few key staff members who had been invited to liven up the party.
Darwin himself met a lot of familiar colleagues. Veronica was also kept busy responding to greetings from people who knew her as the daughter of Damian Ashborne.
“Veronica!”
From a distance, a woman’s voice called out. Darwin, who was standing beside Veronica, reflexively turned to the source of the sound to see who was calling his wife.
“Deasy!” Veronica exclaimed with a wide smile. She was overjoyed to see her friend had managed to make it to the event.
“Have you been here for a while?” Deasy asked as she positioned herself in front of Veronica.
“I just got here. Maybe about 10 minutes ago,” Veronica explained.
Deasy nodded. Then her gaze shifted to Darwin, who stood beside Veronica. She offered a friendly smile, though deep down, Deasy didn’t like the man who had become her friend’s husband at all.
Believing that all the invited guests had arrived, Damian promptly began the event. He gave a speech, expressing gratitude and introduced Darwin to the wide audience as his prospective successor in the future.
Once the networking event concluded, the invited guests were invited to partake in the meal. Darwin and Deasy themselves appeared quite busy conversing and mingling with some of the attendees who happened to be their business associates.
Meanwhile, Veronica chose to move around and greet the invited guests. She joined her father’s guests a few times, until she decided to take a break in one corner of the room as her feet had started to ache from all the walking.
“Ve, are you okay?”
While seated and attempting to stretch her leg muscles, Veronica noticed Sean suddenly approaching. He inquired about her well-being, concerned about his former partner’s state.
Veronica looked up, gazing at Sean and then offering a slight smile.
“I’m fine, just a little tired because the heels I’m wearing tonight are too high. So, they’re a bit uncomfortable.”
“Are you sure you’re okay?”
Before Veronica could respond, Sean bent down and then squatted. He reached for Veronica’s ankle, checking the condition of her leg directly to ensure there were no injuries or scrapes.
Meanwhile, Deasy, observing Veronica and Sean from a distance, smiled. Glancing at Darwin, who was still engaged in conversation by her side, she considered stirring up some emotions in Veronica’s husband. From Veronica, Deasy knew that Darwin often acted recklessly and even openly cheated in front of his friend.
Frustration and irritation welled up within her. This was why, at this opportune moment, Deasy wanted to provoke Darwin’s anger. She wondered if he would react explosively or remain indifferent and unconcerned.
“Mr. Darwin,” Deasy called out.
Hearing his name, Darwin turned. Putting on a friendly demeanor, he threw a smile and responded.
“Yes? Is there something I can help you with?”
“Not really, Sir. It’s just that, aren’t you bothered or jealous seeing your wife with another man?”
After uttering these words, Deasy looked straight ahead. A moment later, she intentionally pointed towards Veronica, who was currently sitting with Sean across the room.
“Take a look,” Deasy continued. “Your wife is with another man.”
Darwin’s eyes followed where Deasy’s finger was pointing. Upon spotting the individuals in question, he responded nonchalantly.
“Why should I be bothered? Isn’t the man with my wife just a colleague?”
Deasy smiled. Her facial expression clearly conveyed a sense of mockery. She had anticipated that Darwin had no idea who was with his wife.
“Just so you know, Mr. Darwin, the man with Veronica right now is not just any colleague.”
Darwin furrowed his brow. Honestly, he didn’t understand what Deasy had just said.
“What do you mean?”
Deasy continued to smile. Taking a step forward, she spoke again.
“Mr. Darwin, you might not know this, but the handsome man with Veronica is Sean Galael. Veronica’s ex-boyfriend before she married you.”
Darwin was taken aback by this revelation. He hadn’t expected that Veronica had a partner before their marriage. No wonder when they had accidentally crossed paths outside, Veronica seemed so familiar with this Sean person.
“An ex-boyfriend?” Darwin repeated while glancing at Veronica across the room.
“Yes,” Deasy nodded. “Sean is Veronica’s first love. It’s a pity they broke up because Veronica’s parents forced her to marry you, Mr. Darwin. Sean had plans to finish his Master’s degree and wanted to marry Veronica.”
Deasy intentionally fueled Darwin’s emotions. She hoped the bait she had thrown would be swallowed up by Veronica’s husband.
“If I were in your shoes, Mr. Darwin, I wouldn’t allow my wife to get too close to an ex-boyfriend or any other man, especially if the ex is as good-looking as he is now. It’s risky; it could lead to old flames rekindling.”
Satisfied with her attempts to provoke, Deasy smirked wider as Darwin fell for her words. Without further ado, he decided to approach his wife. Even more so when he saw with his own eyes that Sean, the man with Veronica, was intentionally squatting and even reaching for her ankle as if checking something.
“Ve, what’s going on?”
Now, it was Veronica who was startled. She was a bit surprised to find Darwin suddenly standing in front of her.
“I’m fine, just a little scraped on my leg,” Veronica replied shortly.
Seeing Darwin’s arrival, Sean quickly stood up, giving a slightly awkward smile. He might have felt uncomfortable as Darwin was now staring at him sharply.
“Perhaps Veronica stood for too long in those high heels. She got tired, and her feet got scraped,” Sean explained.
Darwin glanced briefly. The next moment, he turned his gaze towards Veronica. Without hesitation, he reached for his wife’s wrist, inviting her to stand up.
“Let’s go home now.”
“Home?” Veronica repeated, incredulous. After all, the party event had not concluded yet.
“Yes, let’s go home now. Your feet hurt, don’t they? Rather than making it worse, it’s better we leave. Can you walk on your own, or do you need me to carry you?” Darwin asked with a hint of sarcasm. Of course, he wasn’t serious with that offer.
Veronica sighed, then repeatedly shook her head.
“I can walk on my own.” Afterward, she shifted her gaze towards Sean. “Sean, thank you for your help. Excuse me, I’ll head home first.”