My dad’s expression was extrely grim; he rarely smoked, but at this mont, he couldn’t be without a cigarette.
He didn’t answer , just looked at my mom.
My mom wiped her tears, her tone resentful, "He’s having an affair with that flirtatious secretary of his!"
Flirtatious secretary? I picked up a photo and examined it closely. The woman looked very familiar, then I rembered seeing her once before. It was when I went to a teahouse with Crystal Dawson for a al and coincidentally ran into my dad and his secretary was there.
At that ti, I wondered, wasn’t my dad’s previous secretary a man? How did it suddenly change to a woman?
But I really trusted my dad and knew he wasn’t soone who would ss around, so I didn’t say anything to my mom.
"Mom, don’t be upset yet. You know what kind of person dad is. It’s been almost thirty years, surely soone’s tried to set him up with a woman before, but he’s never let himself stray. This might be a misunderstanding." I sat beside my mom, patting her back to help her calm down.
"Yes, I’ve been set up!" My dad finally spoke, sowhat agitated, "I was blackout drunk, how could I possibly have done anything with her?"
My dad’s position wasn’t an easy one to hold. He’s been cautious all his life, afraid of screwing up, so it’s impossible that he would let everything fall apart just before his retirent.
My mom leaned against and began to cry. My heart felt heavy, my brow was furrowed and never relaxed.
"Dad, send soone to investigate this woman, find out what she’s about." I spoke again, addressing my dad.
"It’s already been done. I have all her personnel files. Her na is Susan Adler, from City C, married with one child who isn’t living with her." My dad took another drag from his cigarette, looking as if he’d aged several years, "There’s no useful information."
Susan Adler... I committed this na to mory.
Even though my dad’s in trouble, the issue hasn’t been exposed by Susan Adler yet, so he must continue to work as usual, leaving just and my mom at ho shortly.
I thought I should et Susan Adler to see what she wanted. If it’s just money, then we could pay her off temporarily and buy ti to resolve the issue thoroughly.
Suddenly, a few mories from my previous life exploded in my mind, freezing in place.
In my previous life around this ti, I should have been circling around Henry Preston, not paying much attention to what was happening in my family. I only rembered my parents having a cold war for a while, and eventually, when Henry brought down my family, he had gained so incriminating evidence against my dad, like photos of illicit relationships, and leaked them to the dia.
At that ti, I was sowhat obsessed, solely wanting to break up Henry and Azure, so I didn’t pay much attention to those news. Those photos seed... sowhat similar to these?
It turns out that in the grand sche, many things are reshuffled.
I grabbed all those photos and stuffed them into my bag. Susan Adler must have the negatives; I must find a way to get them all, to resolve this completely, or else leaving evidence in others’ hands is a potential threat to my family.
Even if it wasn’t Henry Preston, there would be others watching my dad.
"Mom, do you have Susan Adler’s contact information? Give it to , I’ll go see her." I spoke calmly to my mom.
"I do, I’ll go with you!" My mom wiped away her tears, her face deeply etched with grief and anger.
"You need to rest at ho. It’s better if I go alone." I didn’t want my mom to go; a woman like that is bound to be shaless, and my mom would likely get even angrier if she confronted her.
But my mom insisted on coming along. This involved her thirty-year marriage; she wouldn’t be satisfied without confronting that vixen.
It seems... I’ve inherited this trait from my mom? In my last life, I tried everything to look for Azure, but unfortunately, Henry’s thods were too many, and I couldn’t outplay him.
I nodded, "Okay, let’s go together then."
My mom gave a number. If she called and Susan Adler deliberately didn’t answer, we’d use my number to call.
The phone rang a few tis, and soone picked up. A woman’s voice sounded, "Hello, who is this?"
"I’m Gordon Hathaway’s daughter. Let’s et and talk." I straightforwardly got to the point.
"...Alright." To my surprise, Susan accepted.
After agreeing on a ti and place, I hung up and said to my mom, "Mom, just take it easy today and rest well. We’ll see her tomorrow. She might just be looking to extort so money, trying to blackmail dad."
My mom’s face was shrouded with a layer of gloom as she nodded heavily.
I didn’t go anywhere that day, just stayed ho keeping my mom company, trying to make her a bit happier. When dad returned in the evening, the family quietly ate dinner together and then each went to rest.
My mom didn’t want to sleep in the sa bed with my dad, so she ca to my room to sleep with .
The two of us talked through most of the night until I finally fell asleep. In my dreamy state, I heard my mom’s sighs, once, twice, three, or four tis. I knew she hadn’t slept at all past midnight.
The next morning, my mom and I went to the agreed place, a Hong Kong-style tea restaurant.
Susan Adler’s deanor was actually quite decent, with a good figure, younger than my mom, and quite alluring. When she saw us arrive, she didn’t speak but just showed a slightly triumphant smile.
"Let’s not beat around the bush. I know those photos are fake. What do you really want?" I was very repelled by this woman, coldly getting straight to the point.
"Miss Hathaway, if you believe those photos are fake, you can have them examined, see if they’re doctored." Susan Adler replied leisurely.
My mom was holding back; she’s a refined lady who values her image and quality. But it’s hard to stay calm when the husband you’ve loved for thirty years has beco entangled with this seductress. Her temper, however good, couldn’t be restrained. Suddenly, she stood up and slapped across the not-so-wide table.
Susan Adler’s head tilted from the slap, and she imdiately covered her face, glaring at my mom with eyes filled with a malicious and vicious glint.
"What’s your intention in getting my husband drunk and taking those photos?!" My mom pointed at Susan Adler, with an equally strong aura.
Deep down, she knew my dad didn’t do those chaotic things. Otherwise, she wouldn’t have said Susan Adler got him drunk to take the pictures; she just couldn’t accept the man she had trusted for thirty years giving another woman an opportunity to drive a wedge between them.
Susan Adler let go of her hand, the five-finger mark visible on her face, her eyes filled with ambition, which I could see clearly.
She stood up, holding her bag, completely indifferent to her swollen cheek, her deanor full of pride, "What do I want? I want you two to divorce. After all, I’m carrying your husband’s baby."
Then she took a dical report from her bag, threw it on the table, and walked away without a second glance.
I could visibly see my mom freeze, staring intently at the piece of paper on the table, without any reaction.
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