CHAPTER 28: CHAPTER 28: LEAVING WITH NOTHING

Henry Preston has never shown me a pleasant face, let alone humility.

After the torment of my previous life, I’ve finally come to terms with the fact that I’m not his true love.

But it’s different for Joel Sutton; he hasn’t been reborn and can’t understand or accept Azure Vaughn breaking up with him so impulsively.

He keeps drinking, trying to get himself drunk.

I sit on the side, looking at him sympathetically, wanting to persuade him from an omniscient perspective to agree to the breakup, to avoid being targeted by Henry Preston and ending up worse off, but I’m a bit upset too. Why did Henry break them up so quickly?

"Miss Hathaway, I really love her. I know my family situation isn’t great, I don’t deserve her, but I’ll work hard..." Joel Sutton, a bit drunk, starts talking nonsense.

I nod, "Yes, I know."

"Lots of people are after her, but she chose me, and I’m so happy. I swear I’ll make sure she doesn’t regret it, but... but why did she have a change of heart in the end? What am I supposed to do, my heart aches so much..." Joel Sutton says with red eyes.

It’s so miserable, I quickly hold down Joel Sutton’s hand to stop him from pouring more wine, "Don’t be too upset. What if she hasn’t changed her mind? Think about it, that text message only shows that someone is pursuing her, but hasn’t succeeded, otherwise why would they plead for a chance?"

Joel Sutton shakes his head and laughs bitterly, "This time it’s different. Before, whenever something like this happened, she would be honest with me and not let me overthink."

"There must be a reason behind this that she can’t tell you. How about this, I’ll invite her for a meal one day and talk to her." I comfort Joel Sutton.

"Thank you, Miss Hathaway." Joel Sutton forces a smile.

"No need to thank me, we’re all friends!" I pat his shoulder.

After a while, Joel Sutton is drunk to the point of unconsciousness. I try to support him to leave but almost fall to the ground.

Fortunately, The Nightingale Garden offers a room service. I call a waiter to help me take Joel Sutton to a room upstairs that was prepared, and after settling him in, I’m about to leave, but then his phone rings.

It’s Azure calling. I have no choice but to answer.

"Joel, where are you?" Azure’s tone is somewhat anxious.

"Azure, it’s me, Sutton is at The Nightingale Garden now, you can come to find him." I reply.

"Miss Hathaway? How did you..." Azure’s tone is puzzled.

I relay everything about how I met Joel Sutton to her. After a moment of silence, she speaks again, "It’s all my fault, I’ve already blocked that man’s contact. I’ll get a new number tomorrow!"

Foolish kid, even changing your number or your identity is useless; Henry Preston has plenty of ways.

I cautiously ask, "Azure, who is that man? What’s his name? Can you tell me?"

Azure hesitates for a moment, "Miss Hathaway, wait for me, I’ll tell you once I arrive."

I’m not in a hurry, quietly waiting for Azure to arrive. Meanwhile, I send a message to Henry Preston, reminding him that my dad’s birthday is in two days, and as usual, he needs to accompany me back for a visit.

Soon, Azure rushes over. Upon seeing Joel Sutton drunk, she’s heartbroken. Under my comfort, she barely calms down and says, "Miss Hathaway, I can’t tell you who that man is. I can only tell you that he’s a married man, and I don’t want to get involved with him."

Azure’s eyes are somewhat swollen, likely from crying a lot these past two days.

I ask, "How do you know he’s married? Have you checked?"

All my last life, I kept wondering whether Azure knew who Henry Preston’s wife was, her name, or what she looked like. After all, with his status, it’s not hard to find out.

But Henry Preston and I barely have any photos together, and I’m very discreet with few appearances, so there are hardly any real pictures of me online.

Azure wipes her tears and shakes her head, "No way I’d be with him, so why check? And besides..."

"Besides what?" I grow a little anxious.

"I don’t dare to check. Even though I haven’t agreed to be with him, being entangled with a married man makes me feel disgusting. I know he has a wife, and once I find out who she is, I’ll feel even more guilty and unable to face it." Azure starts crying as she speaks.

This reason truly surprises me. Is it merely shame that makes her afraid to face it?

In her last life, was it because of this reason that she chose self-deception?

After a long silence, I sigh, "Well, in any case, don’t regret whatever choices you make in the future."

With that, I leave. With Azure here to take care of Joel Sutton, it’s enough.

Upon returning home, I’m surprised to find Henry Preston back, with Auntie Lawson pouring him tea.

"Auntie Lawson, why did you return?" I ask while changing shoes, "The half-day off could have extended until tomorrow morning."

Laura Lawson shakes her head, "Madam, it’s not necessary. Everything at home has been handled."

No wonder Azure called Joel Sutton on her own initiative; Laura Lawson must have played a part in it.

Laura Lawson pours me a cup of tea before leaving, and the living room is left with just Henry Preston and me sitting face to face, each sipping our tea, not speaking for a long time.

"Remember to prepare a gift, my dad’s birthday is the day after tomorrow." I remind him first.

"My mom said you gave her a pair of bracelets?" Henry Preston asks back.

"Yes, doesn’t she like collecting them? I happened to have a pair of violet ones. I don’t usually wear them, so I gave them to her." I reply calmly.

Henry Preston’s gaze is fixed on my face as if trying to discern something. He props up one leg, his body comfortably reclined on the sofa, wide arms casually draped on either side, and asks, "Trying to win my mom over?"

I look him in the eye, recalling that we’ve never had such a long eye contact before.

Giving bracelets to the mother-in-law is to win her favor, and make her more critical of Azure in the future. Repeatedly helping Joel Sutton is for psychological balance, attempting to approach Ivan Underwood is to provoke Henry Preston.

All these are my petty thoughts, it doesn’t matter if they succeed, because I never planned to stage a comeback against adversity.

"Isn’t it normal for a daughter-in-law to please her mother-in-law?" I declare with a guilt-free conscience, "Henry Preston, you don’t need to suspect I’m up to something. Just know that if you want a divorce now, I can sign the papers immediately."

"And give you 3% of the shares?" Henry Preston’s eyes are icy.

"Does it still seem not worth it?" I ask with a meaningful smile.

Henry Preston narrows his eyes, the meaning in his eyes unclear to me. After a pause, his response is as always, "Stop dreaming."

This guy, did he reconsider and find Azure not worth that much? After pursuing them for over half a month and nearly breaking up the couple, yet his own feelings are still unclear.

"What if I leave with nothing?" I gaze at Henry Preston, my voice light.