Chapter 25
Susan's eyes darted around, and instead of hanging up, she kept talking, "Babe, I can't stand the smell of greasy food. Let's go for something lighter, okay? We'll chat more at lunch. Bye, love!"
She hung up quickly, only to look up and freeze.
'Why is Seb standing there, staring at me with those intense eyes?'
Seb must've heard everything. Susan immediately looked down, avoiding his gaze.
Some employees were smirking, others stayed silent. The finance manager, Carter, standing next to Seb, tried to smooth things over. "Susan, making personal calls during work hours? Absurd!"
"I'm sorry," Susan said nervously, standing up.
She sneaked a glance at Seb. His expression hadn't changed—still cold and stern, his eyes revealing nothing.
"Mr. Anderson, you know Susan. She's a workaholic and never takes personal calls. But now that she's pregnant, her husband's probably just worried," Carter said, trying to defend her.
Carter's words only made Susan feel more awkward.
"Personal calls during work hours are unacceptable. Deduct her full attendance bonus for this month as a warning," Seb said, then turned and left the office.
"Mr. Anderson, take care!" Carter followed him out.
Isabella shook her head at Susan, feeling sorry for her.
Susan sat back at her desk, frustrated. The full attendance bonus was $500, and Seb just took it away. 'Heartless capitalist! That money was almost enough for my groceries this month,' she thought.
After seeing Seb off, Carter walked over, pounding his chest in frustration. "Susan, today was Mr. Anderson's first inspection, and you had to run into him! Now he might have a bad impression of our whole department. Reflect on this!"
"I'll be more careful next time," Susan said, bowing her head.
Carter sighed and went back to his office.
After Carter left, Isabella came over and whispered, "Acting too realistically can backfire!"
"Stop gloating. You're treating me to lunch this month. I lost my bonus," Susan glared at her.
"With a real husband and a fake one, you still need me to treat you?" Isabella said, quickly walking away.
"Money over friends!" Susan muttered, thinking about her bad luck.
As noon approached, Susan's phone buzzed with a text.
[I'll be waiting for you at Velvet Sky Bistro for lunch.]
Susan didn't need to guess; it was from Seb.
Seeing the text, Susan was in a dilemma. She had already made plans with Henry.
After much thought, Susan realized she couldn't afford to offend Seb. She had to call Henry and reschedule, using a last-minute excuse.
It was getting late, so Susan quickly dialed Henry's number. Annoyingly, his phone wouldn't connect. He must've set it to airplane mode again, like he usually did during classes or meetings.
By now, everyone had left for lunch, and Susan grabbed her bag to leave too.
Isabella walked over and smiled. "How about I treat you to lunch?"
"No, I have to go to Velvet Sky Bistro," Susan whispered in Isabella's ear.
Isabella's eyes widened in horror. "A five-star hotel? You really are the CEO's wife now. Take me with you."
Susan replied seriously, "Seb asked me to go. I don't even know what he wants. If you want to come, you can keep me company."
"Forget it. I've been scared of bosses since I was a kid. You go by yourself. I'll pass." Isabella said and ran off.
Susan shook her head and headed to Velvet Sky Bistro alone.
Velvet Sky Bistro was a five-star hotel right across from Prosperity Group. The food was excellent, but the prices were steep. Susan only went there for large gatherings because it wasn't a place she could afford regularly.
On the second floor, Susan immediately saw Leon waiting for her at the staircase. Leon was the only one at Prosperity Group who knew about her real relationship with Seb.
"Mrs. Anderson, Mr. Anderson is this way," Leon led Susan to a private room.
Susan didn't go in immediately but smiled at Leon. "Mr. Johnson, you can just call me by my name from now on."
The title "Mrs. Anderson" felt awkward to Susan. Besides, Seb might divorce her after she had the baby, making the title temporary and cumbersome to change back and forth.
Leon smiled and said, "You are Mrs. Anderson now. If I address you incorrectly, Mr. Anderson will blame me."
Hearing this, Susan felt a strange tightness in her chest. 'Was Seb instructing Leon to call me that?'
The next moment, Susan smiled at Leon and then turned to enter the private room.
The elegantly decorated private room was spacious, with a large twelve-person table already filled with various dishes, but no one was seated.
Susan looked up and saw a figure in black clothes standing by the window, looking out.
Hearing Susan's footsteps, Seb turned around, quickly extinguished his cigarette in the ashtray, and said, "Let's eat."
Seb sat at the head of the table, and Susan hesitated for a moment before choosing a seat to his left.
Seb sat upright in his chair, eating slowly and gracefully.
Susan felt a bit nervous. The atmosphere in the room was tense, and she preferred to chat while eating.
'Well, when in Rome, do as the Romans do. If Seb is like this, I have to follow suit. Is this what wecall 'husband dictates wife follows'?' Susan thought to herself mockingly.
Picking up her utensils, Susan looked at the dishes on the table and immediately frowned. All the dishes were vegetarian—salads, vegetables, and soups.
Being a meat lover, she arrived at a five-star hotel famished, only to find Seb restricting her meal choices. Was he being frugal or was he a vegetarian? If Seb followed a plant-based diet, would she be content eating vegetarian every day alongside him?
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