Since the children were repulsed by Susan’s presence, they rushed through their dinner before disappearing upstairs.
Susan did not care about what they thought of her. All she cared about was how Evan was treating Nicole.
The way he looked at Nicole was different—a realization that had Susan feeling distinctly uncomfortable.
After they finished dinner, Susan told Nicole she wanted to have a look upstairs. This was the first time she had been here and she wanted to see how Imperial Garden differed from Hillside Villa.
Nicole did not even think twice before agreeing to her request.
The two women headed to the second floor. When Susan caught sight of the photo in the master bedroom, her fingers curled into fists by her sides.
She purposely let out a loud sigh before commenting, “You really do look a lot like Evan’s ex-girlfriend.”
“That’s Evan’s ex-girlfriend?”
Susan turned to look at Nicole with teary eyes, nodding. “Yeah. Unfortunately, she was involved in a car accident a few years ago and died tragically. Evan felt the kids were too young to lose their mother so he’s been trying his very best to find someone who looks a lot like her. He’s hoping to find a substitute who would be willing to look after the kids.”
So Evan has been treating me as a substitute all along. No wonder he looks at me with such affection! He’s taking me for someone else!
Nicole subconsciously clenched her fingers as an inexplicable sense of disappointment coiled in her.
Noticing how Nicole’s face had fallen, Susan grabbed one of her hands in both of her own. “Ms. Lane, maybe you could stay here and be her substitute? You could look after the children while also helping Evan deal with his regret. As long as you’re willing to do this and do it well, I’ll definitely make it worth your while.”
Stay here to be a substitute? I’m the daughter of a duke! I have my own feelings—my own path to walk. Why should I stay here and be the substitute for a dead person? I would have to be crazy to do something so humiliating to myself!
“I’m sorry. I can’t agree to that because I’ll be going back to K Nation in a few days.”
Susan’s eyes flashed and she tightened her grip on Nicole’s hand. “Evan is a man who places a lot of value in his relationships. He’s always felt regretful of his ex’s death. Please don’t take it to heart if he does anything untoward to you in the next few days!”
In other words, any affection he shows me is not specifically aimed at me. I’m just a substitute to him.
Nicole smiled blandly and replied, “I trust that he won’t cross the line. Don’t worry, I won’t think too much of his actions either.”
“That’s great.”
Susan’s words had successfully planted the idea of being a substitute in Nicole’s mind.
Now, Nicole knew that she wasn’t hallucinating when she saw the affection in Evan’s gaze. The truth was that he had been looking at someone else instead.
Just the thought of this had anger rising in her.
Damn you! How dare you think of me as a substitute for your ex? You b*****d!
She tossed and turned in the bed, her mind going a mile per minute as she planned her return to K Nation. She wanted to end her life as a substitute as soon as possible!
While she really did like the children a lot, she was entitled to living her own life. She was not obligated to be their substitute mother!
She woke up in the middle of the night feeling parched. Blinking her eyes blearily, she crawled out of bed and made her way to the small pantry. To her displeasure, there was no water in the water boiler.
She exited the pantry grumpily and made her way to the stairs. Just as she was about to head downstairs, she abruptly stopped in her tracks.
This was the first day she was living here in this house. There was no way she would be familiar enough with the layout of the second floor to know there was a pantry just around the corner. Not to mention that she clearly knew where the water boiler was.
Confusion and suspicion swirled inside her.
But no matter how hard she racked her brains, her mind came up blank on the reason why.
A long while later, it clicked. Maybe she had noted it subconsciously when she came upstairs earlier!
That sounded like a flimsy excuse and she knew it. However, she could not think of any other explanation.
Shrugging, she continued her way downstairs to get a glass of water. When she was done, she returned to her room and flopped back on her bed. She pulled the blankets up over her head and was soon deep in slumberland.
The next morning.
She was awoken by a loud knocking on her door before the voices of the kids drifted in.
“Mommy, Daddy promised to take us to Rose Garden today! You have to wake up!”
“Mommy, wake up! It’s time to eat breakfast!”
“Mommy!”
