Chapter 38 Men in Showbiz Are Unreliable
Aaron finally stopped and looked up at her. "When?"
"In the next few days. How about I set up a time for the three of us to have dinner together?" Erica suggested.
Aaron nodded. "Sure."
Erica's eyes gleamed with a hint of triumph. She deliberately brought up, "By the way, what were you and Susanna talking about earlier?"
"My grandma's coming to stay with me soon. I asked Susanna to move back home so she wouldn't blow our cover. I don't want grandma to worry before the surgery," Aaron answered.
Erica's expression stiffened. "I see. Don't worry, I'll persuade Austin to make time as soon as possible."
Aaron's eyes narrowed slightly. "Thanks."
"No problem, it's what I should do." Erica left the office with a thermos, a cold smile playing on her lips, thinking, 'Susanna, what do you have to compete with me?' She decided to convince Austin to perform the surgery on Maria soon, so she could get rid of Susanna faster!
Aaron sat alone in his office, staring at the documents for a long time, feeling restless.
Susanna had just left the Abbott Group building when she received a notification of a bank transfer. She counted the digits—exactly $800,000. Her mood lifted instantly. She sent a screenshot to Dick and told him she was leaving work early and wouldn't be back.
Dick's praise came through in the next second.
Susanna put away her phone and headed home, where she told Madison about moving back to the Abbott Villa. Madison was initially reluctant but sighed when she thought of Maria's kindness.
"Alright, go ahead. Mrs. Maria Abbott is a good person. She's been looking out for you these past three years," Madison said.
Susanna packed a few changes of clothes, knowing she'd only be staying for a couple of days. She saw the vitamin bottle containing folic acid in the drawer and put the bottle in her bag. Aaron had saw it last time. No one would suspect anything.
After having dinner with Madison, she took a cab to the Abbott Villa.
Susanna walked into the hall with her bag and saw Maria and Maud sitting on the sofa. She hadn't expected Maria to arrive early.
'What now?' Susanna thought with unease.
Standing at the door, Susanna felt a wave of panic seeing Maria and Maud on the sofa. Aaron had said Maria wouldn't be here for a few more days.
"Susanna, you're back from work! Come over here!" Maria waved her over.
Susanna forced a smile, changed her shoes, and walked in, just as Aaron came down the stairs. She calmly handed her bag to Brenda. Luckily, she hadn't brought a suitcase this time, or she would've been busted.
Susanna smiled and sat next to Maria, noticing her hand was much colder than before. Aaron was right; Maria's health had indeed worsened.
Maria held her hand and said, "I was worried about your relationship, but seeing your wedding photo in the living room, I'm relieved."
Susanna finally noticed the wedding photo of her and Aaron on the wall. She froze, her expression turning awkward.
She had designed it to annoy Aaron, thinking it was aesthetically unfit for the space. Now, the tables had turned, and she was irritated. Internally, she cursed, "That wedding photo looks awful! Aaron really is a jerk."
Susanna managed an awkward but polite smile, unsure of what to say.
Aaron suddenly spoke up, "Have you eaten?"
Susanna looked at Aaron in surprise and instinctively replied, "Yeah, I ate."
Aaron nodded and turned towards the dining room.
"You went out to eat before coming back? Aaron has been waiting for you to come back and eat together. Is this how you take care of him? Not even cooking a meal?" Maud scolded.
Maria immediately chimed in. "Since you got married, have you cooked even once? You barely go to the kitchen. Can you even tell the spices apart?"
"Mom, how can you compare her to me?" Maud said.
"Why not? You're a wife too. Always nagging. Did I ever ask you to cook?" Maria retorted.
Maud was left speechless by Maria's retort.
Susanna silently praised Maria in her mind!
But she still followed Aaron to the dining room. Seeing the untouched food on the table, Susanna took the initiative to serve Aaron a plate of spaghetti.
Glancing at Maud and Maria in the hall, Susanna breathed a sigh of relief and whispered, "Your intel was off. I almost got caught."
Aaron pulled out a chair and sat down. "Grandma's sharp. Not easy to fool."
Susanna grabbed a plate for herself too. Even though she had dinner before coming, she was hungry again. Lately, her appetite had increased a lot—pregnancy cravings, she guessed.
Aaron looked up at her. "Have you gained weight?"
Susanna choked on her food, looking flustered. "What?"
Aaron said quietly, "Your face looks rounder."
Susanna immediately put down her fork, afraid of revealing her pregnancy if she ate too much; she thought it would be better to hold back.
Seeing her stop, Aaron realized he might have said something wrong and changed his tone. "It's okay, you can eat more. If you get chubby, no one will like you."
'Aaron, if you can't say something nice, just shut up!' Susanna grumbled internally but didn't dare voice it.
After dinner, Maria yawned. "Alright, since you two are fine, I won't bother you anymore. Aaron, you need to work harder. I saw the baby crib in the guest room. I believe in you!"
Aaron stayed silent.
Susanna walked Maria out of the Abbott Villa, arm in arm.
Maud lagged behind, glancing at the wedding photo on the living room wall with disdain. "Aaron, didn't you kick her out?"
"Mom, we're just putting on a show," Aaron answered.
"I need to talk to Ms. Jones and get Austin to schedule your grandma's surgery soon. We can't keep delaying," Maud said.
Aaron stood there, looking back at the wedding photo on the wall, his eyes growing complicated.
Susanna returned to the hall and watched Maud leave. She also noticed the wedding photo.
Aaron turned to her. "Until Grandma's surgery, I need you to play your part well."
"I'll be careful. Since Grandma's gone, can I go back tonight?" Susanna asked.
Aaron frowned. "Why are you in such a hurry to leave? Who's waiting for you?"
"Someone very important." Madison was waiting for her.
Susanna glanced at Brenda. "Help me put my bag in the closet. So, I won't need to bring clothes next time." She turned to leave, but Aaron's voice stopped her. "Men in showbiz are unreliable. You better be careful."
Here we go again. He must be misunderstanding her relationship with Justin.
Susanna replied nonchalantly, "Don't worry. With a face like his, I can give up everything."
Aaron watched her leave, sinking into the couch with a heavy heart. Recent headlines weighed on his mind like a stone.
