Chapter 528 Unreasonable and Troublesome
The next day, Susan rolled into the office with a mountain of chocolates.
"Honeymoon's over, folks!" Isabella hollered when she saw Susan.
Maria and the gang swarmed around to welcome Susan back. She tossed out some small talk and handed out the chocolates and gifts she’d brought.
After a bit of chit-chat, Susan headed back to her office. Just as she plopped down, Isabella barged in.
Isabella glanced up and saw Susan slumped in her chair, looking beat. She raised an eyebrow and asked, "Why do you look so wiped? Did Seb wear you out on the honeymoon?"
"Get your mind out of the gutter," Susan shot back, rolling her eyes.
"You seriously look exhausted. Why'd you come back to work so soon? Should've taken a few more days off," Isabella said, more seriously this time.
Susan sighed and started spilling the tea about the past few days to Isabella. She needed to vent to someone other than Seb, and Isabella was her go-to.
After hearing Susan's story, Isabella was fuming. "That Carol, what's her deal? Trying to split you and Seb up? And James, with his crazy demands. Unbelievable. You've got the worst luck with these people!"
"Yeah, maybe it's just my fate," Susan said with a self-deprecating laugh and a shake of her head.
"But hey, at least Seb's got your back. Didn't he say you should steer clear of Carol? That should make things easier. That old witch will be pissed but powerless. And James? Just ignore him. Seb said he'd handle it. You really did marry a good guy. You're lucky!" Isabella reassured her.
Susan smiled, "Honestly, I just needed to vent. I feel way better now."
"By the way, why'd you suddenly come back from Averlake? You nearly gave me a heart attack," Susan asked, remembering Isabella's abrupt return.
Isabella looked caught off guard for a second, then said hesitantly, "It was boring, so I came back. I like it better here."
Susan wasn't buying it. "No way, you're hiding something. Is it about Leon?"
At the mention of Leon, Isabella quickly denied it, "What does he have to do with anything? He doesn't control my plans."
Seeing Susan's skeptical look, Isabella switched gears. "You and Seb were all lovey-dovey on your honeymoon. I would've been a third wheel. Plus, Hayden and Spring are too young to hang out with, and Leon just annoys me. Anyway, I checked out Averlake, found it boring, so I came back early."
Susan thought Isabella's reasons made sense. After a moment, she said, "Isabella, we're besties. If you ever hit a rough patch, you gotta tell me, okay? Maybe I can't fix it, but I can listen."
Seeing Susan's emotional look, Isabella got a bit shifty. "Got it. How could I be in trouble? Alright, back to work. No more chit-chat!"
Isabella smiled, turned, and left Susan's office.
In the days that followed, the newspapers stopped talking about James. It was like the whole James drama never happened, and Susan's mood started to chill out.
A month later, Susan got a call from her attorney.
"Mrs. Anderson, the court session was this morning. The case of James suing you for alimony has been decided," the attorney said.
Susan straightened up and asked, "What's the verdict?"
The attorney replied, "The court shot down James's demands for a villa, a luxury car, and a monthly allowance of over fifty grand. Given James's age, health, and living conditions, the court ruled you should pay him 500 bucks a month in alimony. This amount will go up annually with his age and inflation."
Susan let out a sigh of relief. This was totally manageable.
She smiled and said, "Thanks."
"You're welcome. It's my job. James hasn't filed an appeal yet. I doubt he will, because even if he does, the court won't back his crazy demands," the attorney said.
"Alright, goodbye." Susan hung up the phone.
She thought for a moment, then picked up the phone to call Seb.
Just then, there was a knock on the door, and Isabella walked in.
"Susan, James is causing trouble again. Stay put, I'll handle him," Isabella said, then turned and left.
Susan frowned. She knew James well. If he didn't get what he wanted, he'd definitely come after her. She just didn't expect him to show up so soon.
Thinking about their small office setup—one big office outside, a break room, a restroom, and her private office—James would find her easily. She had nowhere to hide, and besides, she had no reason to hide.
At that moment, James's shouting echoed from outside. "Susan, come out! You married rich and are living it up while I'm still struggling. I'm telling you, this isn't over. If you don't come out, I'm not leaving today!"
"James, I told you Susan isn't here today. If you keep causing trouble, I'll call security!" Isabella said.
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