Sarah had a hard time responding. “David, haven’t you noticed anything off between you two? Like, maybe she’s disappointed you in some way?”
David wasn’t too happy about that. “Sarah, that’s impossible. You sound just like my mom-she doesn’t think Nora’s good for me either.”
Sarah, “…”
Sarah thought, “Alright, no point in trying to reason with someone so lovestruck. You’ll just end up being seen as the bad guy.”
She couldn’t help but imagine David ending up in jail, stuck sewing buttons or something, and shook her head. “Don’t propose just yet. Nowadays, girls aren’t in a rush to get married young. Focus on building up your career first, and you can think about proposing later. Merry, don’t you agree?”
Merry naturally thought whatever Sarah said made sense and nodded emphatically.
Sarah took a sip of her juice and added, “Plus, I’ve got a lot of work lined up this year. If you get married, I won’t be able to make it.”
Merry chimed in, “If Sarah doesn’t go, I’m not going either.”
Faced with these two strong-minded women, David sighed and said, “Okay, maybe I’ll wait. So, how have you been, Sarah?”
Sarah didn’t know where to begin. Elisa had given up her job at the hotel front desk and purposely booked a room right next to hers.
Now, Sarah was stuck overhearing the leads’ conversations through the wall. Everyone knew how much the original Sarah had cared for Ronald. If she was still the same person, hearing her crush was with the woman she couldn’t stand would’ve driven her mad.
Elisa was a master of psychological manipulation, subtly pushing people to the brink of doing something reckless.
While Sarah hadn’t lost her mind yet, she was definitely having those moments. Luckily, she had bought a top-notch pair of earplugs, which let her sleep peacefully through the night.
While Sarah was eating, she glanced at her phone and was surprised to see a message from Holden.
[I’m free tonight. I’ll be at your hotel.]
Sarah’s response was a simple, [Uh…]
Holden already had trouble sleeping, and staying at a hotel with poor soundproofing might push him over the edge. She half-joked to herself that he might just end up taking out both Ronald and Elisa.
But she wasn’t about to argue with Holden’s decisions. As a top-notch, highly-paid employee, what the boss said, went. No room for objections.
Sarah replied, [Okay.]
Halfway through their meal, David checked his phone and said, “It’s getting late. Nora’s about to finish work. I’m going to pick her up.”
Sarah glanced at her watch and said, “Perfect timing. I need to grab a few things from the supermarket nearby. Can you drop me off?”
David nodded, “Sure.”
After getting out of David’s car, Sarah headed to the supermarket in the mall’s basement level.
Nora, coming out of the mall, immediately spotted Sarah on the elevator. Concealing her displeasure, she walked over to David. “You brought Sarah with you?”
David nodded, “Yeah, it was on the way, so I gave her a lift.”
These days, David hadn’t been as attentive as before, and Nora was starting to lose patience. After all, she didn’t actually love David; she was just in it for the money. Nora began to suspect that David might be spending his money and energy on another woman.
“David, are you sure you two are just friends?”
David nodded again, “Of course. We’ve known each other for years. If anything else was going to happen, it would’ve by now.”
Nora bit her lip, “David, you’re too kind. You don’t realize some women are just fake friends, pretending to be close while secretly having other intentions.”
Hearing this, David’s expression darkened, clearly unhappy with Nora’s insinuation.
Nora quickly backtracked, “But of course, I don’t think Sarah is that kind of woman. She seems really nice.”
David grunted, “You should think of her like my sister. Don’t get caught up in those crazy thoughts. She’s got someone she really cares about.”
Nora nodded, “I know, you mentioned she has a husband.”
David chuckled, “Not her husband.”
Nora looked shocked, “Not her husband?”
“In our circle, a lot of marriages are just for show. She’s got a first love she’s really into,” David explained with a touch of nostalgia. “They’re the real deal. I’m sure they’ll overcome all obstacles and end up together.”
Nora glanced in the direction Sarah had gone, her expression growing dark, “I see…”
David opened the car door, “Let’s go.”
Nora hesitated for a moment, “My mom’s been sick lately. David, could you… lend me some money? I’ll pay you back.”
Without a second thought, David transferred her 400, 000 dollars.
Looking at the transfer, Nora felt a twinge of disappointment. She had expected that someone like David, upon hearing about her mom’s illness, would’ve sent at least a million.
******
Sarah went to the store and picked up some snacks and drinks. The crew’s boxed meals were getting to the point where they were making her sick.
After grabbing ten cartons of strawberry milk and ten different sandwiches, she thoughtfully got a pair of earplugs for Holden-just in case the leads decided to make a ruckus at night. With the earplugs, Holden could sleep peacefully and avoid a potential murder scene.
When she arrived outside the hotel, Sarah stepped out of a cab, carrying a large bag of stuff. At the same time, Holden, looking as dashing as ever, got out of a black Rolls-Royce. They ran into each other right there.
Sarah quickly walked over with her bags. “What a coincidence.”
Holden, always the gentleman, took the heavy bag from her. Sarah knew better than to refuse his help.
“Thanks, thanks,” she said, looking up at him. “Mr. Holden, have you had dinner yet?”
“No.”
“Well, you can eat this then,” Sarah said, her eyes lighting up. “There’s a TV in the room. We can watch something while snacking.”
Holden smirked. “You mean watch one of those shows where the boss falls for the sweet, innocent girl?”
Sarah felt a bit choked up. Okay, so she liked those cheesy dramas, sue her.
“They’re actually pretty nourishing,” Sarah tried to defend herself. “They keep you in good spirits, and stop you from getting depressed.”
Holden replied, “That’s quite the justification.”
From a distance, Ronald and Elisa were returning and spotted Sarah and Holden together.
Sarah was wearing a soft, lavender sleeveless dress that reached her knees, showing off her slender, fair legs. She had on flat shoes, and her slightly curled long hair was flowing down her back. She was looking up at Holden with a sweet smile.
Holden, with his broad shoulders and long legs, exuded a gentle elegance. He was dressed in a white shirt and black pants, with his shirt sleeves rolled up to his elbows, and the only accessory he wore was a high-end watch on his wrist. Even while holding that big bag, it didn’t detract from his overall image.
Somehow, they looked like they really fit together.
Sarah was tall for a woman, but with Holden standing at around 6’3″, she looked petite next to him, completely overshadowed by his presence.
Ronald suddenly stopped in his tracks. In all this time, Sarah had never smiled at him like that. Even before, when she was madly in love with him, she never showed him such a bright, genuine smile. To him, Sarah had always seemed proud and elegant, deeply in love with him but always maintaining an aloof, untouchable aura.
It turns out, she could smile so sweetly for another man.
Ronald felt a pang in his chest, followed by a sense of resentment-wasn’t Sarah supposed to be into him?
This woman wasn’t just vain and greedy; she was fickle too. No wonder she hadn’t been playing the doting admirer lately.
Elisa felt a mix of emotions and gave Ronald a little tug. “Ronald, Ronald.”
Ronald snapped out of it.
Elisa bit her lip. “What’s Sarah’s husband doing here?”
Ronald sneered. What else could it be? They hadn’t seen each other in a while, so he probably came by to satisfy some physical needs.
He couldn’t believe Sarah hadn’t stayed faithful to him. Anger flared up inside him, barely kept in check.