Skyler clenched his phone and looked at Shirley, who was standing not far away. He clenched the phone hard, causing his knuckles to crack.
He knew his mother too well. If she came to Pinewoods Villa personally and saw Shirley, she would definitely embarrass her and even humiliate her.
Even as a man, he found her words to be harsh on him, let alone Shirley, who was already in a state of inferiority due to her disfigurement.
‘I’ll go back right now.’ After hesitating for a while, Skyler replied with a message. Once he hit the send button, he walked up to Shirley and held her hand.
Shirley, who was looking into the distance, turned around and smiled at him. “Are you going back to work now?” She turned to face Skyler, raised her hand to tuck the strands of hair blown by the wind behind her ear, and said, “Ky, you’ve accompanied me for a long time now. It’s time for you to get back to work. Otherwise… how are you going to support both of us in the future?”
Shirley had a smile on her face, but upon closer inspection, her smile didn’t reach her eyes and seemed somewhat forced.
She didn’t intentionally eavesdrop on the phone call just now, but she happened to be standing close enough to hear him.
Although she didn’t hear the entire conversation clearly, she vaguely heard the words “arranged marriage” and “interfere with my marriage.” Shirley could imagine the whole situation by putting the puzzle pieces together.
“Hahaha…” Skyler raised his head and laughed out loud. “You’re right. I’ll listen to you, Shir. I’ll get back to work right now so that I can earn enough to support both of us. I’ll also save some money so that we can also support our children in the future, and we’ll live happily ever after. How does that sound?”
He envisioned a beautiful future with Shirley, and just by fantasizing, he could see a picture of a warm and harmonious big family in his mind. Shirley nodded fervently. “Sounds perfect!”
The two exchanged sweet smiles with each other.
“Let’s go.” Shirley held Skyler’s hand and returned to the living room. Then, she told Skyler to grab the car keys before they went to the garage together. She watched as Skyler got into the car and drove away from the villa.
Feeling bored, Shirley followed the sedan that drove out of the villa and walked to the front gate. Wearing a mask, she walked out of the entrance of the villa, wanting to get some fresh air outside and feel the taste of freedom.
At this moment, however, a car drove out from behind the villa and stopped in front of Shirley. A slightly plump woman got out of the black luxury car. She was adorned with jewelry and exuded an aura of elegance and luxury. Looking at her face, she bore a slight resemblance to Skyler.
Shirley immediately assumed the woman’s identity. “You must be Shirley, aren’t you?” The woman walked up to her, scrutinizing her from head to toe while questioning her.
Facing the imposing woman, Shirley couldn’t help but feel nervous, but she still mustered up the courage to nod in response. “Yes. It’s nice to meet you, Mrs. Robins.”
“You recognize me.” Keysha, who was in a black dress, gave a cold smile. “Since you know who I am, shouldn’t you have basic manners? Don’t you know that it’s impolite to talk to someone while wearing a mask?”
Shirley’s heart skipped a beat when she heard those words. She started wondering whether Keysha already knew about her disfigurement.
“I…” Shirley raised her hand and touched the mask on her face. Due to nervousness, she felt her breath getting stuck, and her gaze flickered. “I have a slight cold, so I’m wearing a mask to prevent spreading it.”
“Is it a fake cold, or are you just too ashamed to show your face?” Her words were like a sharp sword, piercing harshly at Shirley’s heart, making her heart tremble with pain. Indeed, Keysha came prepared.
Feeling the pressure given to her by the noblewoman, Shirley gradually realized that there was an insurmountable gap between her and Skyler.
