"Leon, what do you usually look for when you’re renting a place?" Hazel couldn’t make up her mind and turned to ask the man beside her.
’Now that she had money, she didn’t have to live so frugally anymore. It was time to treat herself better.’
Besides, the rent in Rivenhall was an absolute steal compared to here.
A two-bedroom apartment was only 1,200 a month.
"Renting a place depends on your personal needs. If you like it lively and convenient, rent downtown or near a mall. If you prefer peace and quiet, then stay away from shopping centers."
"The layout, the direction it faces... those also depend on what you like," Leon Sterling said, looking at her seriously.
Then he asked, "Do you not like this place?"
"No, that’s not it." Hazel shook her head. The apartment was wonderful—spacious, beautiful, and in a great location. Of course she liked it.
"Then why are you asking about this?"
Hazel lied. "A colleague from work is stressing out about finding a place to rent, so I thought I’d help her look."
"Oh. In that case, it’ll depend on her budget and commute time," Leon Sterling said casually, his eyes returning to his computer screen.
"What about someone who doesn’t plan on working?" Hazel asked, stroking her chin.
"Then it’s all about personal preference. But if it’s a woman living alone, I’d suggest renting in a livelier part of the city center. It’s safer."
Hazel immediately understood. "Got it. I’ll tell her tomorrow."
’Now that I have money, why am I still trying to pinch pennies?’
’I should be renting in the best residential complex. I can’t make myself suffer anymore.’
Over the next few days, Hazel went to and from work as usual, stopping by the bank from time to time to withdraw some money.
As she withdrew the money, Hazel thought to herself, ’It’s a good thing this world doesn’t limit how much you can take out. That’s a huge plus.’
On the sixth day, Liam Lancaster sent her a message.
[Liam Lancaster: I have a new evening gown for you. Want to come try it on?]
[Liam Lancaster: Image]
The evening gown in the picture was a black dress studded with tiny diamonds that sparkled beautifully under the light.
But this time, Hazel wasn’t interested in the dress. She wanted to know who the culprit was.
[Hazel Sinclair: What did you find out? Who’s cyberbullying me?]
[Liam Lancaster: Felix Zane’s wife, Ruby Zane.]
[Liam Lancaster: Ruby Zane has powerful people behind her. How did you manage to provoke her?]
Seeing the name Ruby Zane, Hazel cursed herself for being an idiot. The pieces fit so perfectly; how had she not thought of it?
’I’m so stupid.’
Hazel stroked her chin, thinking. Everyone in their social circle said that Mrs. Zane was paranoid and possessive to an extreme degree. Her possessiveness over her husband was off the charts—any woman who even got near him would get torn to shreds.
And she would do it viciously.
The fact that she was being cyberbullied like this could only mean that Mrs. Zane thought she was trying to seduce her husband.
But she had never even met Felix Zane, so there was no possibility of seduction. This meant someone had orchestrated things behind the scenes to cause a misunderstanding.
[Hazel Sinclair: A scoundrel set me up, that’s how I ended up in this mess.]
[Liam Lancaster: Who’s the scoundrel? I’ll go teach them a lesson. [Fist emoji]]
’That scoundrel could only be Vincent Hawthorne.’
[Hazel Sinclair: Vincent Hawthorne. Go teach him a lesson for me.]
[Liam Lancaster: OK.jpg]
"Hazel, who gave you this salon card?" Leon Sterling asked. He was cleaning out her handbags and was surprised to find a salon card inside a black one.
He had never seen this card before. He had just checked it, and it had a balance of one million.
Hazel glanced at the salon’s VIP card in his hand. Liam Lancaster had loaded it with funds for her at the studio before the last banquet she attended.
She hadn’t used it once since getting it and had completely forgotten it existed. She never expected Leon Sterling would find it.
"Someone gave it to me," Hazel replied.
"A man or a woman?" Leon Sterling stared at his phone screen, his expression growing darker.
Because he saw the name of the person who’d paid for the top-up: a "Mr. Lancaster." Liam’s last name was Lancaster.
And the date of the transaction was the same day they moved house.
’So that day, Hazel had lied to him.’
Hazel replied without thinking, "A woman."
Hearing her answer, Leon Sterling sneered and demanded, "Are you sure it was a woman?!"
"I’m sure." Hazel didn’t want to argue with him. She just wanted to brush him off and move on.
But Leon Sterling shoved his phone in her face, pointed at the name "Mr. Lancaster," and continued to press, "’Mr. Lancaster’ is a woman?"
"Liam Lancaster gave this to you, didn’t he? The transaction was on the same day we moved."
"You promised me a candlelight dinner that day, but you stood me up for this man."
"And not only that, you lied to me," Leon Sterling said, his face dark, enunciating every word.
Every word he said made Hazel’s heart clench. Her lie had been exposed.
"Hazel Sinclair, have you been wanting to divorce me for a while now?" Leon Sterling demanded, staring at her.
"You want to be with Liam Lancaster, don’t you?"
Hazel looked at him and hurriedly explained, "I did go to a banquet with him that day, but I ran into Evelyn Kendrick right after I went in. If you don’t believe me, you can call Evelyn and ask."
"Besides, haven’t I told you before? I have no intention of getting a divorce. Why won’t you just believe me?" Hazel ran her hands through her hair in frustration.
"Lying to you was for your own good! See, now you know, and you’re getting angry," Hazel said self-righteously.
But the veins on the back of the hand Leon Sterling used to grip his phone bulged. ’What does she mean, lying to him was for his own good?’
’His own wife was at a banquet with another man, and he, her husband, was the last to find out.’
’That white, custom-made evening gown was probably bought by Liam Lancaster too, right? His wife, wearing a dress bought by another man, using another man’s money—how could he possibly accept that?’
’For a man with so much masculine pride, this was a complete slap in the face.’
’People would think Hazel’s husband was a failure, that he couldn’t provide for her, forcing her to shamelessly rely on another man.’
"Hazel Sinclair!" Leon Sterling roared at her. "Is it fun to lie to me?"
"What do you mean, ’for my own good’? Not telling me something like this is for my own good?"
"Liam Lancaster knows your secrets, but I don’t. You go to him for help without even telling me."
Leon Sterling looked at her, his dark eyes filled with coldness and sorrow.
"I’m your husband, but I don’t even have the right to know what’s going on." Leon Sterling let out a cold, self-deprecating laugh. "You think I’m just some peasant, don’t you? That I’ll never be someone like Liam Lancaster?"
Hazel reached out and grabbed his hand, saying with utmost seriousness, "I’ve never thought that."
"It was thoughtless of me to lie to you before. I’m sorry." Seeing him like this, Hazel’s heart clenched for some reason, and the bridge of her nose began to sting.
But after hearing her, Leon Sterling just silently pulled his hand back and then said, "Hazel Sinclair, I need to cool down."