In the past three years, Hayden had never smiled at her like that, but today his smile was gentle and even doting.
He must have seen some woman.
A flicker of unrest surged through Susan’s heart. She had thought that even if he didn’t love her now, he wouldn’t fall for another woman.
She believed that after they were married and had children, he would gradually come to love her.
But now, the smile on his lips was clearly meant for another woman.
Susan panicked. Who was this hidden woman?
“Who is she? I will never let her go!” Susan demanded like a madwoman.
Three years ago, Aurora had already been hurt once, and Hayden knew Susan’s temperament.
If Susan found out Aurora was back, he couldn’t imagine what she might do to her.
He had already experienced Susan’s tactics once. This time, he had to protect Aurora and ensure Susan didn’t discover Aurora’s return.
Susan glared furiously, but it was clear Hayden was accustomed to her temper, as she had always behaved this way over the last three years.
“If you’re not picking the house now, I have a meeting soon and will have to leave,” Hayden said slowly, standing up and smoothing his wrinkled clothes.
“Hayden, you stop right there!” Susan was on the verge of exploding.
Did he not even care to explain? Was that seductress really that captivating?
Though she hated to admit it, the truth was that Hayden still loved Aurora over these three years, hence he hadn’t been involved with other women.
But lately, Hayden had changed somewhat, first with the photo incident he didn’t explain, and today, a lipstick mark he still hadn’t addressed.
For any woman, this was a huge insult. Susan’s brow furrowed deeply, especially since there were others present, and Hayden hadn’t given her any respect.
“Susan, if you want to buy the house, let’s sit down and discuss it properly. If not, I have other matters to attend to.”
Hayden paused, then added these words.
He watched Susan’s lips quiver, clearly struggling to control her urge to pull the house down. Hayden waited three seconds and, hearing no response, he turned and left without a backward glance, giving no face to Susan, who clenched her fists tightly.
She had to find out who that wench was!
“Miss Simmons, about today…” Since Hayden had already left, Susan was in no state to think about buying a house.
“We’ll talk about the house some other time. I’m not in the mood today.” Susan hated the sea the most. She had been allergic to seawater since she was a child.
The final solution to the last photo incident had been to move up the engagement ceremony, even advancing the wedding date by several months.
Initially, Hayden was opposed, but without a better explanation, he had to agree to their terms.
Their engagement was scheduled for this month, and the wedding the next, so they had to hurry and prepare the wedding house.
Originally, Susan had many dreams for their married home. Both had grown up in luxury and never lacked anything.
Susan wanted to live in a hillside villa, planting the yard full of her favorite flowers and trees, an idea immediately rejected by Hayden.
She could buy a house for their marriage, but it had to be by the sea, and even without him saying, Susan knew why.
Because Aurora loved the sea, he planned to buy a house by the seaside. Even though knowing this, what choice did she have now? She could do nothing to change the situation. She loved Hayden so much that compromise was her only option. Yet, she had never anticipated that even her compromise would be ineffective. He left her anyway. He offered no explanations, no comfort, not even a pretense.
Susan sadly realized that over the years, it had been only her displaying their happiness in front of the media. She knew it was all a facade, wanting everyone to witness her “happiness.” “Miss Simmons, I understand. Men are like that. Those vixens out there are too cunning, and Mr. Alvarez, being such a catch, could easily be misled. Let’s talk about the house when you’re feeling better. I’ll hold your spot,” the manager said, sympathetically observing her sorrow.
However, Susan sharply turned, her lips curling into a cold smile. “Hayden would never fall for those vixens. Save your sympathy. We love each other so much.” The manager, frightened, broke into a sweat and quickly nodded. “Sorry, I spoke out of turn.”
Susan snorted coldly, grabbed her bag, and left proudly. Even if she was to be mocked, it was not for these people to witness. Watching her leave, the manager quickly wiped the sweat from her forehead, thinking how difficult these wealthy young ladies were to serve.
“I don’t want any rumors spreading about today,” Susan called out without looking back.
“I understand.”
“Thank you then.”
After opening the door, Susan suddenly burst into a radiant smile, sounding so sweet that anyone would think she was an angel. Only the manager, who had seen her furious just moments before, could appreciate her acting skills. No wonder she was an actress.
Susan walked away elegantly, seemingly unaffected by the earlier events, and only the manager was privy to what had transpired in the VIP lounge. However, just as she stepped out the door and rounded a corner, she overheard some gossip.
“My goodness, is it that crazy? In the restroom, they just…”
A woman’s voice chimed in, “Exactly, I saw Mr. Alvarez enter that restroom. He grabbed that woman and then shut the door.”
“Wow, that’s bold. I heard he was here with his fiancee to buy a house today. Are you sure?” Another voice said incredulously.
“How could I not be sure? My daughter adores Miss Simmons, and everyone has been buzzing about her engagement to Mr. Alvarez lately. Miss Simmons is quite attractive. How could Mr. Alvarez bear to treat her like this?”
“Don’t you know the grass is always greener on the other side, especially for those rich folks?” another custodian added.
“What are you talking about?” Susan’s icy voice cut through.
The two custodians panicked, hastily explaining, “Miss Simmons, we were just discussing a friend’s situation.”
“Stop lying. I heard everything. Tell me clearly what you just saw. Who was that woman? What did she look like?” Susan’s tone was full of chill.