Chapter 293: Chapter 293

After speaking, he immediately turned around to prevent anyone from seeing the loneliness in his eyes, deftly flipped over the railing, went through the rose bushes, and vaulted over the wall to leave.

Susan Wilde stood on the balcony, took a deep breath, looked down at the cake box in her hand, turned around and returned to the room, closing the balcony’s glass door.

She placed the box on the table, gently untied the bow on the box, opened the paper box, and upon seeing the cake inside, she knew this was definitely not a casually purchased cake.

Because she could tell, the little figure on the cake was crafted to resemble her.

The cake was not large, but small and exquisite; an ordinary baker probably couldn’t make such a cake.

She stared at the cake a bit absent-mindedly. If it had nothing to do with affection, who would put so much effort into making such a cake? If it were unrelated to liking, who would climb over the wall just to say "Happy birthday"?

Thinking back now, when he called her in the evening to invite her to dinner, perhaps he was planning to celebrate her birthday...

She didn’t understand when he started having such feelings for her, but she knew that there was no follow-up to all this.

Now she was Shawn Rhodes’ wife, and she knew the rules she should abide by.

At around three in the morning that night, Shawn Rhodes and Rowan Alder returned.

Susan Wilde vaguely heard the commotion, but was too sleepy to care.

After five, when Rowan Alder fell asleep, Shawn Rhodes took a cup downstairs to fill it with water, stood in the living room, stared at the room Susan Wilde occupied for a few seconds, placed the teacup on the coffee table, and gently walked toward the room.

He tried to push the door but couldn’t open it, so from the keyring on his body, he found the key to her room and unlocked the door.

The bedside lamp in the room emitted a dim yellowish light; she slept very soundly, her appearance seemed rather docile.

She initially wasn’t as he’d imagined; he thought after marrying her, she’d at least cause trouble due to the matter with Rowan Alder, but she never asked about his affairs.

Even when he moved to the marital home with Rowan Alder and drove her from the master bedroom to the guest room, she never complained.

If he didn’t come home for days, she wouldn’t call to inquire, not even sending a text message, seemingly indifferent to who he was with doing what.

After marriage, he never saw her family visiting or inquiring about her, making it seem she was merely a sacrifice for family interests.

Perhaps she had a man she liked, yet had to helplessly accept a life arranged by others; in this regard, he could somewhat empathize with her because he felt the same.

As he turned to leave, he suddenly noticed the half-eaten cake on the desk.

Shawn Rhodes frowned, walked over, and thought to himself, was it her birthday?

His eyes landed on a card beside the cake, he reached out and picked it up, his brows immediately furrowing more tightly. Fresh chapters posted on novel(ꜰ)ire.net

The contents of the card weren’t special, just a simple birthday wish, but he could tell it was written by a man’s hand.

Seems like her life is pretty fulfilling without him around.

Shawn Rhodes crumpled the card into a ball and tossed it into the trash can by the desk, and as he left, he deliberately slammed the door with a bit more force.

Susan Wilde frowned, turned over, and continued to sleep.

In the morning, she realized the door wasn’t locked, deducing those two people might have returned.

Thus, she gave up the idea of going to the kitchen to make breakfast, saw the half cake left on the table, and thought it would be a waste to throw it away, so she ate it for breakfast.

When she went out, those two were in the kitchen, and while passing the hallway, she glanced over; Shawn Rhodes seemed to be chopping vegetables, and Rowan Alder was hugging him from behind, almost like they were conjoined twins.

As Susan Wilde finished changing her shoes to leave, Rowan Alder suddenly walked out of the kitchen, looked at her, and asked, "Where did you buy that dress? I think it looks pretty good."

Susan Wilde smiled and casually said, "Bought it at a night market stall, thirty bucks a piece. Do you want one? If you do, I’ll bring one for you when I come back from work tonight."

Upon hearing this, Rowan Alder disdainfully pursed her lips, then tugged on her nightgown and said, "Even one of my nightgowns costs over three thousand, aren’t you a boss yourself? How come you’re still buying stall goods?"

"I’m not like you, you have someone else’s husband to support you, I don’t."

Rowan Alder frowned in displeasure, but before she could speak, Shawn Rhodes couldn’t help stepping up for her, saying from behind her, "Just leave if you want to leave already!"

Susan Wilde didn’t get angry but smiled instead: "I won’t disturb the two of you any longer, farewell."

For some reason, seeing the smile on her face particularly annoyed Shawn Rhodes.

After Susan Wilde shut the door and left, Shawn Rhodes again said to Rowan Alder, "Why are you provoking her?"

"Am I the one provoking her? You heard how she humiliated me. I have no name or status, I couldn’t even win an argument!"

"Why argue over nothing? Besides, what’s the point of fighting with her, just pretend she doesn’t exist."

Rowan Alder pouted without saying a word, but in her heart, she’d already clashed with Susan Wilde.

During breakfast, Shawn Rhodes said, "I have a dinner tonight, probably won’t be back anytime soon, if you’re tired just rest early."

"My uncle’s there tonight, it’s not convenient to bring you."

Rowan Alder pouted, muttered, "I’m just someone who can’t be shown then."

"Laura, enough with that talk, you mustn’t say such things again, do you hear me?"

Rowan Alder ate a couple of bites of her egg and said, "Try to come back early, I’ll wait for you."

Laura, who played the piano, had been home resting due to an injury, delaying her practice.

After having fun for a while, when Shawn Rhodes went out, she had him drop her at the piano room to practice.

The sky darkened with heavy rain, Susan Wilde glanced out the window at skies as dark at four as if it were six or seven in the evening.

The summer thunderstorms were fierce and accompanied by frightening lightning and thunder.

Susan Wilde didn’t have an umbrella, so when it was time to leave work, she didn’t leave immediately but stayed to work, hoping the rain would lessen before she went back.

It wasn’t until past nine in the evening when the rain eased up a bit that Susan Wilde hurriedly packed up, caught a car by the roadside, and went home.

When she got out of the car, the rain intensified again; the distance from the iron gate to the entrance left her clothes a bit damp from the rain.

Pushing the door open, she saw the living room lights on, but the house was very quiet.

Standing at the entryway, she peeked into the living room only to see Rowan Alder sitting on the sofa, likewise looking at her.

Susan Wilde didn’t say anything, lowered her head, swapped for slippers, and Rowan Alder walked over to question her, "Is he with you?"

"Are you talking about my husband?" Susan Wilde intentionally used the word "husband."

Rowan Alder frowned and yelled at her, "Don’t call him husband!"