Chapter 39 An Unexpected Encounter
Susanna headed to the studio the next day, business as usual. She thought she could relax a bit after wrapping up Aaron's project, but then the receptionist called her. "There's someone here to see you."
Puzzled, Susanna went to the meeting room and found Erica sitting there. She sighed, "You just can't let me have a moment of peace, can you?"
Erica spoke softly, "You've got it wrong. I'm not here about the renovation."
"Then why are you here?" Susanna asked.
"You know Maria's been unwell, waiting for surgery to relieve her heart condition. Only Austin can do it, and he's the only one who can ensure Maria's safety," Erica said.
Susanna's expression turned cold. "What are you getting at?"
"I'm not threatening you. I've been trying to convince Austin to do the surgery, but he's hesitant because of my current situation. You and Aaron aren't divorced yet, and he doesn't want people gossiping. If you initiate the divorce, Austin will agree to the surgery sooner, and Maria will suffer less," Erica explained.
"Erica, are you using Maria to threaten me? You've got the wrong person." Susanna couldn't believe Erica would say something like that. If Erica liked Aaron, she should understand how important Maria was to Aaron.
Erica remained calm. "I'm not threatening you, and I haven't got the wrong person. You know how much Maria means to Aaron. He won't go against her wishes. I'm doing this for everyone's sake. She's suffering because of you. Can you live with that?"
Susanna frowned. "Like I said, you've got the wrong person. I'm cooperating with Aaron. You know his stance is firm. How about I call him, and you two can discuss it?"
"No!" Erica immediately rejected Susanna's suggestion. "I mean, if you could convince Aaron, I'll arrange for Austin to do the surgery as soon as possible."
Susanna thought for a moment. "So, if I get the divorce, Austin will do the surgery?"
"Of course. He's my brother; he'd do anything for me," Erica assured.
Susanna nodded. "Fine, I'll do it. I'll get the divorce papers sorted out."
'It's just a divorce, no big deal. The papers were already signed anyway,' Susanna thought.
After leaving the studio, Erica pulled out her phone to call Austin, but it went straight to voicemail.
'What the hell?' She had tried calling Austin last night with no answer, and he hadn't responded to her Facebook messages. Now his phone was off.
Erica quickly called her assistant. "Check Austin's recent schedule. Did he go abroad again?"
She needed to convince Austin to come back for the surgery, or Susanna would keep using Maria's health as an excuse to stay close to Aaron.
Meanwhile, Susanna sat at her desk, regretting not recording the conversation. She should've shown Aaron Erica's true colors. Too bad she was too naive at the time.
Susanna held her head, feeling frustrated. Erica really knew how to push her buttons. She didn't want Maria to suffer. Besides, Aaron wanted her to keep up the act of a loving wife. If she asked for a divorce, Aaron might misunderstand. Erica was really good at making her life difficult.
Susanna spent the whole day thinking before finally sending Aaron a message on Facebook: [Are you free next Monday?]
She waited for a while with no response and was about to give up when her phone suddenly rang. It was Austin calling.
She picked up. "Austin, what's up? Why are you calling me?"
Without hesitation, Austin replied, "I miss you. You always hang out with Edward and Justin and never have time for me."
Susanna playfully pouted. "I know you're busy, Austin. I didn't want to bother you."
"You're such a smooth talker!" Austin laughed. "Susanna, are you free today? I'm in Lindwell for a business trip. How about dinner tonight?"
"Sure!" Susanna agreed immediately. "Justin's in Lindwell too. Let's all go together."
They quickly made plans, and Susanna decided to leave work early to meet them. On the way, Justin also got a call from Austin, who said he was on his way but stuck in traffic. He told Susanna to grab a bite if she got hungry. She agreed but ended up waiting at the restaurant entrance for Austin and Justin.
However, she saw the last two people she wanted to see.
"Susanna? Here for dinner too?" Erica's voice came from behind. Susanna turned to see Erica holding Aaron's arm.
"Small world," Susanna replied calmly.
Erica feigned friendliness. "Susanna, this place is great for couples. Are you here alone?"
"Of course not," Susanna replied.
"Really? If you don't mind, we could join you. The more, the merrier, right, Aaron?"
"Sure!" Aaron agreed before Susanna could refuse, leaving her stunned.
'What is going on? Aaron, who hates crowds and loves his peace, agrees to eat together? Why are they acting weird today? Should I avoid them?' Susanna wondered.
As Susanna pondered their strange behavior, Erica probed, "Susanna, it's no big deal. We all know each other. If you feel uncomfortable or don't want us to see something, we can eat apart."
Susanna sensed the challenge but didn't want to get involved. Just as she was about to refuse, she saw Justin approaching.
"Susanna, sorry I'm late." Justin jogged over, giving her a gentle hug and apologizing softly. He held a small, beautifully decorated cake that smelled delicious.
Susanna smiled as she stood up. "It's okay. It’s rush hour. I understand."
"Here, I wasn't sure what flavor you liked, but I heard this one's popular," Justin said.
Susanna's eyes lit up at the sight of the cute little cake. "How did you know I've been craving this?"
Probably because of her pregnancy, her tastes had changed, and she had been into sweet treats lately.
"I saw your posts," Justin answered.
She took the cake, smiling. "Thanks."
