Susan felt she might have stumbled upon a clue, her eyes filled with urgency.
“Mrs. Hill, you saw it. Now you tell her,” urged the custodian, pushing her forward.
“Miss Simmons, I was just mopping the floor when I noticed a girl in a red dress enter the restroom. She was spraying perfume and applying lipstick.” Mrs. Hill said immediately.
She was initially afraid that Susan would recognize her, but Susan, always self-centered and disdainful towards servants, wouldn’t notice someone like Mrs. Hill, who had been working for the Montgomery family for years.
“At first, I didn’t pay it any mind, as young girls are like that, but a few minutes later, I saw Mr. Alvarez enter. I was about to remind Mr. Alvarez that it was the ladies’ room, but as soon as he entered, he embraced the girl, and she affectionately wrapped her arms around his neck,” Mrs. Hill continued.
Another custodian chimed in, “Oh my, that girl really has no shame!”
“Exactly! The door wasn’t even closed when I saw her start kissing Mr. Alvarez. Mr. Alvarez lifted her skirt with one hand and closed the door with the other, and then I heard from inside…” Mrs. Hill recounted the story vividly, as if she had been there herself, adding plenty of details, practically spinning a tale.
If Aurora knew how salaciously Mrs. Hill could spin a tale, she would have been shocked. She had no idea Mrs. Hill was such a storyteller.
What she didn’t know was that years ago, when Mrs. Hill found out Susan had stolen Aurora’s boyfriend, she was furious.
At the time, she thought Aurora had left because she was heartbroken.
She had always thought Hayden and Aurora were perfect for each other, yet they were split by Susan’s schemes.
She loathed such infidelity deeply, and now she spoke to provoke Susan, adding many details and a hint of eroticism.
Indeed, her words infuriated Susan, who grimly asked, “Who is that woman?”
“You’re putting me in a tough spot, Miss Simmons. I don’t know her,” Mrs. Hill responded.
“What did she look like?”
“Short hair, blonde, with heavy makeup, wearing a red dress and high heels, not exactly a proper lady. But you’re out of luck. I just saw that woman leave, and less than three minutes later, Mr. Alvarez followed her in the same direction…”
Before Mrs. Hill could finish, Susan rushed out in a panic.
No wonder Hayden had left in such a hurry. He was chasing that woman!
At that moment, Susan was seething with rage as she stormed off, while Mrs. Hill smirked triumphantly.
“What nonsense are you spouting? If you keep this up, don’t you think about working here,” the manager intervened upon hearing their conversation.
Susan was a major client, and naturally, the manager wanted to maintain her good graces, whose motto was “Never antagonize money.”
Another woman quickly apologized, but Mrs. Hill dropped her mop. “Good. I’ve been wanting to quit anyway.”
She left assertively, having already worried about how to resign.
This frightened another woman who exclaimed, “Has she lost her mind?”
After completing her resignation, Mrs. Hill called Aurora.
“Miss, it’s all taken care of. I saw her face turn pale with anger. She won’t make it easy for Mr. Alvarez when she gets back.”
“Well done. I’ll call you in a few days,” Aurora replied, a slight smile playing on her lips.
If Mrs. Hill couldn’t handle even this, she wouldn’t have lasted so many years with the Montgomery family.
Susan’s greatest weakness was her suspicion and sensitivity. The slightest rustle would set her on edge. She was likely to spend a long time plagued by doubts, continuously troubling Hayden. Which man could endure such behavior? Though she had not been in Clothville for the past three years, she had keenly followed the news about the couple. On the surface, they seemed affectionate, but only she could discern that in their photos together, it was mostly Susan who looked at Hayden with love. While Hayden smiled, his eyes did not hold love. One could always tell whether someone loved another by their eyes. Yet, even if he did not love Susan, he still exploited the power of the Simmons family. Over these three years, not only had she grown, but everyone had.
Closing her eyes, she felt the cool sea breeze. She could always remember Hayden’s pure laughter from their younger days. Perhaps only then was her love at its most genuine, and those days could never return.
“Miss Montgomery, what do you think of this one? It’s the smallest, just over two thousand square feet. The lighting is excellent, and it’s closest to the sea. Just open the window, and you can see the ocean, and the nighttime view is beautiful too,” Gemma raised her pitch, clearly in full persuasion mode. Aurora looked around and liked what she saw.
“Alright, this one it is.” Aurora’s decisiveness caught Gemma off guard. Her heart was torn. On one hand, she wanted to close the sale, but on the other, she was reluctant to see Aurora so resolute. Gemma hadn’t even asked about the price. Only the poor were obsessed over prices, constantly asking for discounts or promotions. The wealthy, however, tend to disregard prices, which is exactly what Gemma did not want to see. Aurora was genuinely affluent.
“Shall we sign the contract now?” Gemma asked tentatively.
“Yes,” Aurora responded without a hint of hesitation.
“The price is $1. 86 million.” Gemma felt uneasy, for to her, this was an astronomical figure. She had hoped to see a hint of concern over the cost on Aurora’s face, but to her disappointment, there was none.
“I’d like to move in as soon as possible. Let’s get the contract and paperwork done today,” Aurora said, glancing at her watch, seemingly indifferent.
“Good, then let’s head back to the sales office to sign the contract.” Gemma suppressed her jealousy.
She was sure Aurora was just a sugar baby!
The man with her yesterday was so wealthy. “It must be the case”, Gemma reassured herself inwardly.
“Alright.” Aurora and Gemma then took the shuttle back to the sales office. Susan was likely gone by now, so she had no more worries.
Gemma hadn’t expected things to go this smoothly. Deep down, she had hoped Aurora couldn’t afford the property, then she could have humiliated her. However, Aurora had agreed so easily, not even bargaining over the price, which irritated Gemma.
“Miss Montgomery, please wait here while I prepare the contract,” Gemma said with a heavy heart.
“Alright.” Aurora casually flipped through a magazine on the table, while a waiter prepared orange juice and pastries for her. From a distance, Gemma glanced at her sitting in front of the large floor-to-ceiling window, legs casually crossed. Her black high heels rested elegantly on a stool, and her ring and earrings sparkled in the sunlight. Even her casual demeanor was filled with an air of grace, as if she were born to be a wealthy heiress.