Chapter 31 Aaron Complained About Her
Allison was excited as she arrived at the Abbott Villa. Watching the workers replace all the furniture, she noticed the bright red curtains and the asymmetrical design. She wondered if the workers had delivered the wrong items.
Soon, Aaron pulled up and got out of his car. Seeing the workers outside, he smirked, thinking Susanna might be inside.
Aaron walked into the hall and immediately felt uncomfortable seeing the bright red curtains, the asymmetrical design, and the gaudy decorations.
What a mess!
He scanned the room with narrowed eyes. "Where's Susanna?"
"Sir, Susanna couldn't make it today. I'm in charge. If there's any issue, you can tell me," Allison said excitedly, recognizing the handsome CEO from the banquet, Aaron.
Aaron's face turned cold. "Take all this down. Now!" He couldn't stand to look at it for another second.
Allison hesitated. "Is there something you're not satisfied with? If you don't like it, I can—"
"Get out!"
Before Allison could finish, Aaron cut her off and Brenda inexplicably dragged her out.
Back at the studio, Allison ran into Susanna, who was just about to leave. She blocked her at the door, fuming. "Susanna! You did this on purpose, didn't you?"
Susanna, still flustered from not finding her folic acid bottle, snapped back, "What did I do?"
"Don't play dumb. You knew exactly what you were doing when you sent me to the Abbott Villa yesterday. You wanted me to get yelled at. You designed it to be a disaster on purpose."
Allison was furious, remembering how she got scolded despite her carefully done makeup.
Susanna blinked. "You volunteered to go. How is that my problem?"
Allison got even angrier. "Aren't you afraid the client will complain and ruin the studio's reputation?"
Susanna smirked confidently. "Let him complain! You were the one there today, not me." With that, she pushed past Allison and headed home.
On her way, Susanna took out her phone to admire her handiwork. She thought it looked pretty good.
Aaron preferred symmetrical, light, simple, and understated designs. This design, being the opposite of his taste, was meant to drive him away. If he thought he could mess with her, he'd find out no one was going to have an easy time.
After dinner, Susanna remembered the medical bills. She went to her room and called Edward. Edward was fuming in a meeting, with a stern face.
His assistant nervously handed him the phone. "Mr. Jones, you have a call."
Edward glared. "Can't you see I'm in a meeting? Why are you bringing me a call?"
The assistant placed the phone in front of Mr. Jones. Seeing the caller ID, Edward's expression softened immediately. He picked up the phone, his tone gentle. "What's up?"
"Edward, what are you doing? Is it a good time to talk? Am I interrupting?" Susanna asked.
"I'm just taking your call. No interruption at all," Edward said, trying to sound relaxed, coaxing Susanna on the other end. "Why'd you suddenly think to call me? Do you miss me? Why not move to Novaria so we could..."
"Edward, I wanted to ask you about Vincent's medical bills," Susanna nervously interrupted. "I checked, and someone paid for ten years' worth of expenses."
Susanna had thought it over and figured it could only be her brothers.
Edward cleared his throat, feeling oddly nervous. "Yes, it was me. Don't worry about the money; I can afford it."
"Thank you, Edward. I'll work hard to pay you back," Susanna said.
"We're family. It's my duty to help you. Got it? Chill out with the formality. If you keep this up, I'll get mad!" Edward replied.
"Okay," Susanna quickly apologized, hearing the irritation in Edward's voice. "I understand, Edward. I won't do it again."
Edward's smile came back. "That's more like it. If you need anything, just shout. And don't push yourself too hard, or stay up all night—it'll wreck your skin. I want you to be happy here. If it's not working out, just leave and come home. I've got your back."
After his last piece of advice, Edward cut the call, his demeanor swiftly shifting back to its familiar coldness. "What are you gaping at? If the reports for next month are as unattractive as these, you all can hit the road!"
The executives exchanged puzzled looks. They wondered, 'Who was Edward on the phone with just now? Could it have been Aviana? He was just so fierce, and then suddenly he's got this tender, benevolent expression.'
Meanwhile, Susanna hung up and made a mental note of the money. Grace's words had reminded her that with her $1 million bonus, she could get a loan to buy a nice apartment with an elevator, which would be better for Madison's condition.
Having made up her mind, Susanna left her room to discuss buying a house with Madison.
Madison sighed. "Susanna, I was just about to bring this up. Now that Vincent's bills are handled and you're doing well at work and with your studies, it's time to think ahead. Living this far from the city is making your commute a pain. And having your own place will really give you some self-assurance. It could be a big help down the line if you ever decide to remarry."
"Madison, I'm buying this house for us to live in. I haven't thought about remarrying," Susanna said.
"Silly girl, with your brothers' support, you can find a man with a good background. You shouldn't be afraid. Of course, you'll get married again. Don't worry; I'll keep an eye out for you," Madison replied.
Susanna felt a knot of emotions twist in her chest. She glanced down at her belly. She had decided to keep the baby, and remarriage wasn't on her mind.
The next day, Susanna arrived at work on time. Just after breakfast, a few people in uniforms entered the office. "Who's Mrs. Abbott?"
Allison stepped forward. "Mrs. Abbott isn't here. Can I help you?"
"We're from Future Frontiers. Someone has filed a complaint against your studio for alleged fraud," one man in uniforms said.
"That's impossible! Our studio has a great reputation. Who filed the complaint?" Allison asked.
"Did you take on the Abbott Villa project? The owner of the Abbott Villa filed the complaint."
Hearing the name Abbott Villa, Susanna stood up in shock. They had really been complained about
Allison sneered and turned to point at Susanna. "She handled that project. If there's a problem, talk to her."
