Chapter 69 The Appearance of a Love Rival
Lauren sadly discovered that for the past two years, she had been living a parasitic life with the Smith Family. Leaving the Smith Family, she found herself with nothing.
No, at least she still had her child. Technically, the child was also part of the Smith Family, so let her be domineering for once, let her snatch something for once.
Without a place to stay after leaving the Smith Family, Lauren had no choice but to go to a hotel with her luggage.
Lauren planned to stay overnight tonight and look for a house tomorrow.
As she passed through the revolving door, a man appeared on the other side of the door. The man's face lit up with surprise when he saw Lauren.
"Lauren!" the man exclaimed.
Stepping out of the revolving door, Lauren looked in the direction of the voice, feeling a bit incredulous.
"Ethan?"
"It's me! Long time no see!" Ethan suppressed his excitement, restraining himself from rushing over to hug Lauren.
Lauren smiled and said, "Yes, it's been a while. When you suddenly went abroad to study years ago, you didn't attend my wedding. You have no idea how sad I was. Since then, you haven't contacted me, and we haven't seen each other again."
Scratching his head, Ethan sheepishly said, "Ah, I'm really sorry... We've been friends since childhood, and I should have attended your wedding no matter what. It's just that my parents insisted on me going abroad due to the rare opportunity for education, so I missed your wedding."
Ethan's eyes wandered, and the silly girl, Lauren, still didn't realize his feelings. When he found out that Lauren had fallen in love with the domineering CEO Quentin and was about to marry him, his heart almost died, and he didn't have the courage to attend the wedding of his beloved.
So, he chose to escape. He fled abroad, intending to use time to diminish his love for her. However, Ethan discovered that the longer he stayed abroad, the deeper his longing for Lauren grew. So, taking advantage of this trip back home, he wanted to visit Lauren.
Unexpectedly, Lauren, who had chosen love over everything, was not living a happy life. Her husband didn't love her, and he was a womanizer. Since Quentin couldn't protect Lauren, then let Ethan be her knight.
Looking at Ethan's apologetic expression, Lauren playfully patted his arm.
"Look at you, I'm just teasing you. Of course, I knew you were going abroad for studies. This was a good and important thing. How could I be angry with you for that? It's just that you should have contacted me in these two years. I thought you were out there having a blast and forgot all about me!"
"How could I?" Ethan smiled. She was the one he could never forget in his life!
They had a special bond, having grown up together, and their feelings ran deep. It's just that fate turned, and he couldn't make Lauren fall in love with him, but he couldn't let go either.
Ethan had just returned to the country when he met Lauren. It was then that he saw Lauren with her luggage.
"Why are you carrying luggage...?"
Lauren felt a bit embarrassed, "I got divorced! Since I'm divorced, I can't keep living in someone else's mansion. I can't face going home, so I'll stay in a hotel for now and look for a house tomorrow."
Lauren casually mentioned her plight, but the more nonchalant she appeared, the more pain Ethan felt.
This silly woman was truly clueless. She thought not shedding tears meant not being sad, she thought wearing a smile on her face would make others think she was happy.
What kind of life had Lauren been living these past two years? Where did the carefree and cheerful Lauren from before go? Why did sadness show in her eyes?
Ethan felt even more heartache. He never expected that one day Lauren would also disguise her true emotions. It seemed she had indeed grown up, or rather, Quentin had inflicted too much pain on her, forcing her to mature.
"Well, what a coincidence, I happen to be at this hotel too. It's been a while since we've caught up. Let's go, I'll help you get a room, and we can find a place to eat and chat," Ethan said to Lauren in a relaxed tone.
"Okay," Lauren smiled happily. Seeing Ethan today was the happiest thing for her in a while.
Quentin waited in the study with a dark expression, waiting for a call. After a while, the call finally came.
"How is it?" Quentin asked coldly.
"Today she went for her regular check-up, but it seems she ran into Wendy," the subordinate reported nervously.
"What did they say?"
"We couldn't hear the exact conversation on the monitor, but later Madam left with an unpleasant expression, without even getting the check-up done."
"Understood, now immediately find out where Lauren is," Quentin clenched the pen in his hand, a hint of fierceness flashing in his eyes.
Wendy? Very well, so it was her doing. Quentin wasn't a soft-hearted person, he only had a soft spot for two women, one being his first love, and the other being Lauren.
And Wendy happened to resemble his first love a bit, so he tolerated her time and time again. But now, Quentin felt it was time to give Wendy a warning. If Wendy continued to be so willful, he feared he might lose control and take action against her.
Quentin had figured out that the most important thing at the moment was to find Lauren, uncover the truth of the matter, and then bring her back to his side.
Soon, the subordinate called again, informing Quentin of the hotel where Lauren was currently staying. Quentin hung up the phone and prepared to set off.
Meanwhile, Lauren and Ethan were immersed in the joy of their long-awaited reunion. They were dining on the ground floor of the hotel, chatting and enjoying each other's company. Ethan shared his experiences and observations from abroad with Lauren, who listened quietly, interjecting a few comments here and there. The two of them chatted happily.
Quentin parked his car in front of the hotel, feeling a bit hesitant. How should he approach things once he goes in? How would Lauren react? The deeply loving Lauren should be in great pain right now, right? Would she burst into tears upon seeing him? Damn it, he hated it when women cried; he disliked feeling helpless. Quentin imagined the scene of their meeting in his mind.
Opening the mirror on the car's roof, Quentin looked at his appearance and outfit in the reflection. Hmm, not bad, he should present himself decently in front of Lauren.
Quentin was somewhat impatient; he wanted to take the initiative to reconcile with Lauren for the first time. That woman was always easy to coax, so he should be able to handle her easily.
With proud steps, he entered the hotel, but his gaze lingered on the other side of the hotel. Lauren was chatting and laughing with a handsome man, showing no signs of being a woman in distress after her divorce.
Ha! Good! Very good! She's already flirting with another man so quickly! Lauren, you truly are impressive!
