SWNOVELS Chapter 161 Engagement Party
At this moment, she was still a bit afraid of what he might suddenly do to her. The memory of forcing her to have a miscarriage that day was so bad that she felt scared every time she thought back on it. So whenever he approached her, she would even flinch instinctively.
"Susan, you can't go out!" Cohen suddenly tightened his arms. Hugging her, he whispered, "I promise I won't hurt you again!"
"I want to leave!" Susan said faintly, not refusing his hug, but murmuring, "Let me go! You said I'm free!"
Then she broke free of his hand, carried her handbag, and headed out.
He let go of his hand and leaned in the doorway to look at her.
"Stop!" He finally spoke up.
Her body stiffened and she stopped in her tracks. Closing her eyes to hide her nervousness, she looked back at him. "What do you want?"
He wrapped his arms around his chest and just looked at her with his eyes gleaming like flaming torches, but didn't say another word. She hesitated, not knowing what to do. If she left and he didn't let her go, everything would be in vain. But she really didn't know how to stay here any longer. Stay in what capacity, his lover? No more, she was free now!
"Go back to your room and stay there!" He urged, not allowing her to refuse.
"You can't imprison me anymore!" She hesitated for a moment, couldn't help but say.
"I'm not imprisoning you! But you are not allowed to leave!" Cohen said in a muffled voice, his tone domineering.
At this moment, Susan's phone rang. Cohen looked at her and his eyes fell on her handbag.
"Your call!" He said.
She had no choice but to go back to her room and answer the phone, only to find that it was Leon calling. She listened to the low, deep voice on the other end of the phone, "Susan, I'm getting engaged!" She was stunned, her expression stiffening even though she had known about it. "Congratulations, Leon!"
"Don't you have anything to say to me?" Leon asked.
Cohen didn't leave, instead, he stood at the door watching Susan talking on the phone. She subconsciously turned her head to look at Cohen, then said with a detached expression on her face. "Congratulations to you and Miss Jones. I wish you both always be in love, grow old together, and have your baby soon!"
"Do you really say it from the bottom of your heart?"
"Yes! These are my true words!" she said, but her eyes fell on Cohen. "You must be happy~!"
"William and Sherry have come to me!" Leon said.
She paused, not expecting them to go to him, so did he know about her current situation? Then she said, "You don't have to take it to heart!"
"Then come to my engagement party!" he added.
"If you want me to attend, I'll definitely be there!" Her tone was euphemistic, while her face was pale but still wore a faint smile. "Miss Jones is beautiful, you should marry her sooner instead of just getting engaged!"
If they had been married instead of engaged, perhaps she would be Mrs. Hickman now, instead of Cohen's lover!
"Then you come the day after tomorrow!" Leon said, "I'm hanging up!"
"Okay, bye!" It was such a simple phone call, and Cohen waited for her to finish.
"Is Leon getting engaged?" he asked in a hushed voice.
"Yes!" Susan nodded.
"Do you still love him?" He asked again.
She didn't answer his question, just said, "We'll never go back to the way we were!"
"I see!" He nodded as he turned and walked out without saying anything else.
Susan was stunned for a moment. She looked at his leaving back, wondering what he meant...
The next day.
Leon's engagement party was held at his own restaurant, which was named "Wait".
The huge flower baskets were placed on both sides of the entrance to the restaurant. Flowers, balloons, banners, all signified the grand and warm atmosphere.
Leon's parents, Payne and Sierra, were standing at the entrance to greet the guests.
Although it was just an engagement party, it was as ostentatious as a wedding ceremony since the only daughter of the Jones family was getting engaged.
Leon didn't look very happy. He was wearing a trim suit and standing in the doorway, like he was waiting for someone!
Sherry and Susan had already arrived. When they just arrived, Sherry sat in the car and watched the scene over there from afar, while Susan in the back seat looked indifferent. "Let's get off!" Susan said indifferently.
"Okay!" After giving each other a glance, Sherry and William also got out of the car.
Liam's laughter was heard in the distance, "Hey! I didn't think we'd get gathered here. Do you have time for us to have a few drinks together?"
Sherry turned her head and saw Liam behind them, Sarah standing beside him. When they stood together, they looked really perfect for each other. Sarah was smiling so brightly beside Liam. William glanced at the entrance of "Wait" in the distance, "Fuck off!"
Liam didn't care about this and said with a smile, "Will, you've been decadent for so long. If you keep this up, Mr. Rowland will crack up! When are you going back to work?" William frowned as soon as he heard he had to go back to work. "Damn you!"
It suddenly occurred to Sherry that he had been accompanying her for the past few days and didn't seem to have mentioned going to work, "Yeah, when are you going to work?" "Leon is already at the door!" William reminded them as he glanced at Susan. With that, everyone gave her a concerned look.
"Sherry, long time no see!" Liam greeted Sherry after shrugging.
"Hello, Liam, hello, Sarah!" Sherry greeted them.
Since Sarah knew that Sherry was William's girlfriend, her attitude towards Sherry immediately became much closer. "Sherry, when will you and William get married?"
A blush crept up Sherry's face instantly. She hadn't thought about it!
"This thing must wait until Will proposes to Sherry first! How can you get married without a proposal?" Liam knocked Sarah on the head. "Well, let's stop joking here and go in!"
Liam then walked up to Susan, whispering to her gently, "Susan, you're finally willing to show up! This matter may still have a turnaround, and you don't look like you've held yourself aloof from the world. When I look at you, I'm really scared because it feels like you're about to float away!"
"What are you talking about!" Susan shook her head and couldn't help laughing, her hand caressing her belly. She was content to have a baby now, and the rest didn't matter anymore. "We should bless Leon and Ashley!"
After the words, she took the lead and walked straight ahead.
Everyone was stunned behind her.
"Will, do you think Susan is in a normal mental state now? Why do I think she has changed? She looks at Leon like she's watching a movie screen, and he instantly becomes as transient as fleeting clouds for her? Is there something wrong with my eyes and I'm misreading it?" Leon murmured.
William stared at him. "No, your eyes are sharp, she has changed! And became impenetrable!"
After saying that, William took Sherry's hand and walked towards the restaurant.
Susan's arrival took Mr. Hickman and Mrs. Hickman by surprise.
The arrival of Sherry, on the other hand, made Sierra's face pale.
"Mr. Hickman, Mrs. Hickman, congratulations!" Susan greeted them politely and walked towards Leon in their shock. "Leon, congratulations!" Sherry and William also walked up to Mr. Hickman and Mrs. Hickman to greet them, however, Sherry turned a blind eye to Sierra until the end. Leon's expression revealed a mixed feeling, looking at Susan's indifferent face, he suddenly regretted it! Could he not get engaged?
He glanced back at his parents' mottled faces, and wondered what the reason was that Ashley hadn't come yet!
Everyone went upstairs together, and the guests almost all arrived, just waiting for the bride.
"Susan, wait!" Leon suddenly stopped Susan, who was walking in front of him.
Susan paused for a moment, then took two more steps forward uncontrollably. After that, she stopped and turned around with a faint smile on her face. She put her hand on her belly, as if seeking strength from her baby.
She knew that she should go upstairs right away, but some things should be resolved once and for all, so that her heart died and so did his, instead of waiting in situ like a fool again!
But her feet seemed to be pinned, and she couldn't move her feet no matter what. She just looked at Liam, then smiled and asked, "What's wrong?"
The expression on Leon's face was complicated and torn. He had turned thirty, perhaps he was no longer an enthusiastic youth, and his face was no longer young. His face had made her heart pound, had made her miss him terribly in the past, but now, everything really seemed to have passed...
She stood in situ blankly, her eyes fixed on the figure walking toward her.
He finally stood in front of her. The scent she once familiar but now became unfamiliar with immediately engulfed her. She moved her lips and heard herself say, "Leon, where is your fiancée?"
"You really want me to marry her?" He approached her, then took her hand and led her to the corner of the first floor where was far away from the crowd and out of sight.
Susan froze as his scented breath brushed against her face, making her even dizzier and she felt like she was in a dream. "Leon, today is the day you get engaged!" She tried to remind him in a euphemistic tone.
Leon suddenly leaned over, imprinting passionate kisses on her forehead, on her eyes, on her nose, and finally on her lips. She didn't move, but how long had it been since she had felt such a feeling? 'How unfamiliar had it become?' She thought.
She closed her eyes and a tear slipped gently from the corner of her eye. There was only one drop, and it disappeared in a flash. Then she pushed Leon away, "I'm sorry, Leon, we can't go back anymore!" "Really?" His voice was hoarse with biting sadness.
"Really! I'm pregnant! It's been over three months!" She smiled, her face flushed slightly and she smiled especially brightly. Her smile dazzled his eyes and made him feel tingly.
He froze. Although he knew that she had been in a relationship with someone else for the past five years and that her life was not so simple, Leon was still shocked the moment he heard her talk about it herself.
"Whose?"
"Leon, I'm in love with someone else. He is the baby's father!" she said calmly.
The moment she uttered the words, pain slashed through her heart. The feeling was so real, and her trembling heart was so painful. Was it a self-delusion? She didn't know! Really!
"You're in love with someone else?" Leon murmured, repeating the words.
"Yes!" She smiled faintly and was about to walk out from the corner.
But he grabbed her by the hand. "You've been with that man all these years?"
She wanted everything to be settled once and for all, so she said, "Yes, I was with him every night, every night!"
He was completely frozen!
She forcefully shook off his hand and walked out of the corner, but she didn't expect to bump into Celia as soon as she walked out. Celia looked at Susan with a dumbfounded expression, "Is it true that you have been with another man?"
Susan saw that Celia's face had clouded over. "Yes!"
With a snap, a handprint was imprinted on Susan's face. She turned her face away and bit her lip without any surprise.
Celia glared at her. "How can you do this to Leon? Don't you know how much he loves you? I thought you two will be able to rebuild your relationship if you come today, but I never thought that you will bring someone else's child to their engagement party. You're really so cruel!"☐☐☐☐