Chapter 14
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Chapter 14
“Sorry, I really don’t recall meeting you,” Scarlet said honestly. “And given your current condition, it’s a bit hard to recognize anyone.”
“Xyla,” Lilly chided. “This is Dr. Benson. She’s the one who saved your eye. Watch your attitude.”
Xyla scoffed. “Fine. Thanks, I guess.”
Scarlet felt the tension in the room. “You seem to have a problem with me. Did I do anything to offend you?”
“Not personally. But I thought I’d made more of an impression. Do you remember Shaun’s birthday party two years ago? You showed up uninvited, looking for your husband. I asked him a question that night,” Xyla said.
Scarlet’s fingers curled when she heard this.
“I asked him why he suddenly married you when things were going so well with Nicole. Do you remember what he said? Or do you need a reminder?” Xyla looked at her with a mocking glint.
How could Scarlet possibly forget?
Back then, before William moved to Nevaia, he had suddenly turned cold toward her. He hadn’t come home for weeks. Scarlet had no idea what was wrong and couldn’t get a hold of him. She knew he would be at Shaun’s party, so even though she wasn’t invited and hated those kinds of events, she had swallowed her pride and asked Shaun for the address.
She had finished work late that night. By the time she arrived, the group was already several rounds deep. William was leaning back on a leather couch, looking bored and holding a glass of scotch as they played Truth or Dare.
The bottle had spun to him, and he chose Truth.
“Lame,” Shaun groaned. “I had a great Dare ready for you. Fine, Truth it is.” He leaned in with a wicked grin. “Out of all your girlfriends, who was your favorite?”
Scarlet had just walked through the door. She wasn’t sure if William saw her or not. He just leaned back, smiled lazily, and said two words, “My ex.”
Scarlet froze when she heard those words.
Most people thought Nicole was William’s first love, but she wasn’t. Scarlet had gone to the same high school as him.
She was a freshman when he was a senior. She had watched him date one girlfriend after another, never seeming to care much for any of them.
Women threw themselves at him constantly, but he was picky. He only dated the beautiful ones. He was charming, but
heartless at the same time.
He and Nicole had grown up together, but they didn’t start dating until they were in college. Nicole was the last person he dated before he married Scarlet.
Everyone in that room knew he meant Nicole. The place erupted in cheers, everyone teasing him about still being hung up on
her.
Scarlet watched him. He had that same casual, careless smile on his face. He didn’t deny a word of it.
In that moment, she knew he had seen her. He knew she was standing right there.
Then, a woman asked him, “William, you and Nicole were so good together. Why did you suddenly marry someone else?”
Scarlet felt like she was pinned to the floor. There was a sharp ringing in her ears, but William’s cold, indifferent voice cut through it with perfect clarity.
X CLOSE
Chapter 14
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He replied, “If I can’t marry the one I want, I might as well settle for a replacement, right?”
It was like being on a beach, enjoying the sun in a beautiful dress, only to be suddenly dropped into the middle of the freezing wilderness. Her blood ran cold at that very moment.
Her dignity was crushed in front of everyone. The mockery and pity in their eyes had stung ever since. That was the day she became the biggest joke in their social circle.
How could she ever forget?
Scarlet shoved her hands into her coat pockets, trying to look unbothered. She knew that if she didn’t keep up the act, people would see through her unfazed act.
“Why aren’t you and William divorced?” Xyla asked sarcastically. “I really don’t get you. Why cling to a man who doesn’t love you? Don’t you have any self-respect?”
“We aren’t divorced. So what?” Scarlet’s voice was flat, devoid of emotion. “Nicole isn’t in a rush, so why are you?”
Then, Scarlet turned to leave.
Losing her temper, Xyla shouted at her back, “I’m not in a rush! Your pathetic life is none of my business. I just can’t stand that you stole Nicole’s life!
“Nicole and William were childhood sweethearts! If they hadn’t broken up and you hadn’t taken advantage of the situation, you never would have had a chance to marry him!
“You may be the Coopers’ adopted daughter, but everyone knows that you’re just someone who lives with the housekeepers. You’re nothing compared to Nicole!”
Scarlet stopped in her tracks.
The scars from two years of judgmental stares and sleepless nights were suddenly ripped open again.
“Xyla!” Lilly snapped, her usually gentle face darkening. “How dare you speak to Dr. Benson like that?”
Then, she turned to Scarlet with an apologetic look. “Dr. Benson, please. She’s been spoiled since she was young. She’s got a big mouth and a bad temper. Please don’t take it to heart.”
“It’s fine,” Scarlet said softly. “She’s only telling the truth.”
She turned back to face Xyla. Inside her pockets, her hands were clenched so tight that her knuckles went white, but her face
remained calm.
“But I’ve already stolen him, haven’t I? What are you going to do about it? Besides, it’s not like William is some grand prize. He’s just a heartless scumbag who can’t keep his hands to himself. If Nicole wants him that badly, she can try and take him back.”
Xyla opened her mouth to snap back, but her gaze shifted to the doorway. Her expression instantly crumbled into a mix of shock and guilt. “William?”
Scarlet’s heart hammered against her ribs as she turned around.
William stood in the doorway, holding a shopping bag. There was no telling how long he’d been standing there.
He was dressed in a charcoal-gray suit, and the cool tones only seemed to emphasize the iciness of his expression. His gaze was completely indifferent as it landed on Scarlet. Even with the faint smirk on his lips, there wasn’t a trace of warmth.
“Am I interrupting? You really should check around before talking behind someone’s back. It’s a bit awkward to be caught, isn’t it?” he mocked lightly.
“What are you doing here?” Scarlet asked.
Chapter 14
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“I had a feeling someone would be speaking ill of me today,” William said. “I want to hear exactly how my dear wife describes me.”
Scarlet wanted to explain herself, but she realized there was nothing to explain. William was indeed a heartless scumbag.
“Was I wrong?” Scarlet challenged.
William let out a short, cynical laugh. “No, you’re exactly right. It must have been such a burden to be the wife of a scumbag
like me.”
Scarlet clenched her fists in her pockets until her fingers went numb. “I’m glad you know it.”
The two of them stood there, both appearing perfectly calm on the surface, yet the tension between them was tight. William’s presence was far too striking for a hospital, drawing constant stares from the medical staff and patients passing through the corridor.
Xyla shrank back into her hospital bed, all her previous arrogance gone. Feeling responsible for her daughter’s outburst, Lilly tried to step in apologetically. “Xyla was just talking nonsense, please don’t-”
“She certainly has a big mouth,” William interrupted coldly. “For the sake of you and your husband, I’ll let it slide this time. But if this happens again, I won’t mind stepping in to teach her some manners.”
A chill ran down Xyla’s spine, and she quietly pulled the covers up to hide her face.
William checked his watch. He gave Scarlet one last look before walking out.
At the hospital entrance, Lester saw William stride out of the building. He quickly hopped out to open the car door.
William sat in the back and tossed the shopping bag aside.
Sensing that he was upset, Lester asked carefully, “Isn’t that coat for Mrs. Cooper? The temperature is dropping fast. The weather report said a storm is coming today-”
William crossed his legs and spat coldly, “Let her freeze.”
End of the Contract,Start of His Obsession
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