Chapter 168
Chapter 168
Roxanne listened attentively, not wanting to miss a single word the other party said.
"Ms. Martinez, actually, there's no promotional event where you get a villa for free when you buy a
house in the third phase of our property. This is all tailored for you. The one who planned all this is
actually..."
"Sorry to interrupt." At this point, a waiter came over and served her the coffee in his hand.
"This is the coffee you ordered."
"But we didn't order any coffee."
"Really? I'm sorry. I must have made a mistake. Excuse me."
As the waiter took away the cup, it slipped from his hand.
The strong coffee spilled onto Roxanne. Her clothes and pants were all soaked.
"I'm really sorry. You can take off your clothes, and we'll clean them for you. You can wear our work
uniforms first."
Roxanne looked down at herself, covered in a mixture of coffee and milk.
Dirty and sticky.
The situation was uncomfortable and even more uncomfortable to wear.
After the waiter apologized again, she had no choice but to get up and change into their work uniforms.
When she came back, the short-haired saleswoman still had a smile on her face. She continued to chat
with Roxanne about the unfinished topic. "Ms. Martinez, have you been followed before?"
"How did you know?"
"The person who gave you the villa is actually the rich man who arranged for someone to follow you
before."
"He has liked you for a long time, but because you are already married, he didn't want to disturb your
life, so he decided to do something for you in secret. Before, you asked his bodyguard if the villa was
given by him. But how could he admit it?"
Roxanne didn't say anything, thinking carefully.
After a while, she asked, "Is what you're saying true?"
"I've already taken your money. Why would I lie to you?"
"What does this rich man have to do with the Rodriguez Group?"
"There's no connection between them. He just knew you wanted to buy our property, so he paid in
advance and arranged a fake scene for you to win a special prize."
After returning home, Roxanne went straight home. Belonging © NôvelDram/a.Org.
It was the weekend.
Harrison wasn't working.
Roxanne pushed open the door to see Harrison cleaning the floor.
The clean wooden floor was emitting a fresh scent of detergent.
Not a speck of dust was on the floor.
Tables, cabinets, and chairs, Harrison had wiped them all clean enough to reflect light.
There was also a vase of freshly arranged flowers on the table.
"Are you finished?" Harrison stopped his housework, stood up straight, and looked at her at the door.
She nodded, changed her shoes, and walked in.
Harrison asked, "I've been cleaning all morning. Are you satisfied?"
There was pride in his tone.
Roxanne looked around the spotless living room again and nodded. "Well done, even our maid service
might not be able to clean so thoroughly."
"Is there a reward?" Harrison asked.
Roxanne walked over and gave him a kiss.
After a satisfied smile, he pretended to know nothing and asked, "Anne, wasn't the outfit you were
wearing when you left this morning different? Your clothes look like a waitress's uniform, don't they?"
Roxanne was silent.
She felt very guilty.
She hugged him and said, "Harrison, I'm sorry. I didn't actually go to work this morning. I went to
investigate something."
"Investigate what?" Harrison acted as if he knew nothing and asked curiously.
Roxanne told him all her suspicions, her meeting with the short-haired saleswoman in the morning, and
what happened in the cafe.
After listening, Harrison casually stroked her nose. "If I really had that much money, wouldn't I just give
you a villa directly? Why bother with all this trouble?"
Roxanne thought about it and felt it made sense.
If Harrison really had that much money, why would he hide it from her?
And besides, Harrison has always been honest.
Even when he went bankrupt, he insisted on doing his own work, giving all the money he earned to her.
When he was resting at home, he even took care of all the housework, doing laundry, mopping the
floor, and cleaning.
He was a perfect man.
How could he possibly have anything to do with the big boss behind the Rodriguez Group?
She was overthinking it.
"Harrison, I'm sorry. I shouldn't have doubted you."
She felt very guilty.
On the surface, Harrison generously forgave her secret investigation. But in his heart, he was anxious.
He also breathed a sigh of relief.
Thankfully, he had people secretly keep track of all Roxanne's movements, knowing she had gone to
see that short-haired middle-aged saleswoman.
Otherwise, he would have been exposed.
Roxanne also told Harrison about the origins of the villa and said, "Harrison, since that villa was given
by the rich man who secretly likes me, let's give it back. I feel uneasy about getting a big villa for no
reason. And that rich man has designs on me."
"All right." Harrison held her waist, pretending to say earnestly, "We definitely can't accept a villa from
another man. We have to return it."
He made himself out to be a competitor.
It was both funny and helpless.
Harrison felt very pained inside.
If he wasn't so afraid of losing Roxanne, why would he tell such a big lie?
In the end, he got himself wrapped up in it.
Roxanne said again, "Also, I have to ask that bodyguard, was our Porsche also secretly given to me by
the rich man who likes me? If so, we have to return it. I can't accept things from others for no reason; it
makes me feel uneasy."
"Right." Harrison agreed, "We can't accept. When I've earned enough money, I'll buy you one."
Roxanne wrapped her arms around Harrison's neck.
Her bright eyes reflected his handsome face and also projected the most innocent soul in the world.
"Harrison, I'm sorry, I won't doubt you anymore. From now on, we need to be honest with each other
and not deceive each other, okay?"
"Okay." With a firm voice, Harrison said the most false words in the world.
Looking at Roxanne's clear and sincere eyes, he felt uneasy.
At the beginning of their marriage, she married him with honesty. But he had been lying to her.
How could he possibly be okay with that?
Nighttime.
The more he feared losing her, the stronger his desire for Roxanne became.
After a passionate make-out session, Harrison held Roxanne close, unwilling to let her go for a long
while.
Roxanne, drenched in sweat, was too exhausted to move.
She leaned into Harrison's chest and asked, "Babe, it seems like something's troubling you?"
"What are you talking about?" Harrison pinched her nose, "Let me carry you to a bath, okay?"
"Sure." She answered sweetly.
After a satisfying bath, Roxanne fell asleep quickly.
Harrison, on the other hand, was left to another sleepless night.
He walked out to the balcony alone, standing by the floor-to-ceiling windows, smoking.
The windows were sealed shut, unable to be opened.
To prevent the smoke from spreading, Harrison eventually put out his cigarette.
Unable to sleep, he took out his phone.
He asked Alexander what he was up to.
Alexander replied, "You've been keeping tabs on Hazel. You should know what I'm doing."
Alexander always replied promptly.
Harrison asked, "Did Hazel get drunk again and bother you at your doorstep today?"
Alexander said, "I just couldn't bear to see her drunk."
Harrison warned him, "Don't go soft. She's drinking to make you go soft."
Alexander replied, "She's causing a scene again; talk later."
Grandeur Meadows.
The housemaid helped Hazel into a guest room to rest.
Hazel was crying and shouting for Alexander.
Alexander put down his phone. Seeing a drunk Hazel rushing out, he scowled.
If it weren't for their once marital status, he would've kicked her out long ago.
Breaking free from the maid's support, Hazel staggered towards Alexander. She walked up and hugged
Alexander's neck.
This time, Alexander didn't push Hazel away. But his demeanor was colder than ice.
As she hugged his neck, his hands hung stiffly by his sides, motionless.
In the past, Alexander would've embraced her tightly.
Now, he was devoid of the affection and tenderness he once had.
All that remained was disgust and hatred.
Alexander said coldly, "Hazel, we're divorced. Have some self-respect."
"Babe, do you really have to be so cruel? I just made a small mistake. Are you really done with me?"
Hazel kept clinging to his neck, crying in his arms. "Who can promise never to make a mistake? I know
I was wrong. What more do you want me to do?"
A small mistake?
Alexander couldn't hold back anymore. He pushed her away harshly and said coldly, "Hazel, do you
have any shame? You slept with one man after another behind my back, you were caught and showed
no remorse, and you call that a small mistake?"
"I..."
After a moment of silence, Hazel became increasingly defiant. "If you weren't always busy with work,
neglecting me and leaving me alone at home, would I be tempted by other men?"
After saying this, she started to sob. She seemed to be greatly wronged.
As if Alexander was the one who messed up, the one who deeply owed her.
After a cold laugh, Alexander challenged, "You think I'm not tempted? Plenty of beautiful women want
to be with me. You know how I stayed faithful to you?"
This time, Hazel had nothing to say.
After a few seconds of silence, Alexander told the maid, "Please ask Ms. Dawson to leave."
She wasn't drunk at all. She was just using drunkenness as an excuse to cling to him.
The maid was about to escort Hazel out.
Hazel advanced again, trying to embrace Alexander.
Alexander denied her, pushing her away fiercely.
She cried, and while looking at him with a wronged expression, she said, "Alexander, why are you
pushing me to my breaking point? I don't want to break ties with you, don't force me."
"I'm forcing you?" Alexander was close to laughing out of frustration.
"Isn't that the case? I didn't want to do those bad things, and you forced me. If you don't let me come
back to you and don't give me a chance, nobody will end up happy. I know you care about your best
friend. If you continue to treat me coldly, don't blame me for messing up your friend's life."
Alexander looked at the crazy woman in front of him with extreme disappointment, "You think Harrison
would let you get close to Roxanne?"
"Just wait and see!" Hazel responded like a mad dog, "I've got nothing left to lose. I don't mind taking
someone down with me."
"Hazel, I feel like I've never known you." Alexander sneered.
He wasn't sure if he was mocking Hazel's madness or his own foolishness for being defeated by such a
crazy woman.
He burst out laughing, his laughter becoming more and more mocking.
Hazel watched him, sobbing, "What did I do wrong? I just loved you."
To avoid giving her another chance to disgust him, Alexander pulled her hand and pushed her out.
"Hazel, you're not worthy of the word 'love'."
He immediately shut the door tightly.
No matter how much Hazel knocked on the door, Alexander didn't open it.
The maid nearby said, "Mr. Alexander, she's barely dressed. It's freezing out; she might catch a cold."
Alexander replied coldly, "She's no longer the lady of this house."
Back in his room, Alexander called Harrison.
Harrison, unable to sleep, was still on the balcony. But he wasn't smoking anymore.
He was on the balcony, looking at the peaceful night outside.
Alexander asked, "Can you talk?"
Harrison replied, "I'm alone on the balcony."
Alexander said, "Recently, send more people to keep an eye on Hazel, and she might go to Roxanne.
I'll also be on the lookout."
Harrison asked, "Did she threaten you with this again?"
Alexander was like, "Man, I must've been blind to fall for a woman with no boundaries."
Hearing some noise in the bedroom, Harrison whispered, "Gotta zip it. Seems like Roxanne's awake."
Just as he hung up the call, Roxanne, in her slippers and robe, happened to walk to the living room
balcony.
The dim light cast a glow on Harrison's wide-awake eyes. Clearly, he hadn't hit the sack.
She asked, "Harrison, what's got you standing here all bright-eyed and bushy-tailed? Been up all
night?"
Harrison headed towards her, took her hand, and walked her back to the bedroom, "Right after you
dozed off, Alex called me up. He's been down in the dumps since his divorce. He said sleeping alone
got him feeling chilly, so he wanted to shoot the breeze."
They returned to the bedroom.
Roxanne settled in, "Harrison, see, your good buddy Alex is flying solo after his split, living the lonely
life. My good friend is also divorced. How about we play matchmaker and introduce them? Just not
sure if Alex would be cool about Chloe having two kids."
Harrison was momentarily at a loss for words and lay down beside her.
The truth was, Alex wouldn't mind the fact that Chloe Mitchell has two kids.
But the social standing of these two seemed to be worlds apart.
But then again, weren't he and Roxanne from different worlds too, and they still ended up together?
Harrison thought he wouldn't see Chloe as being beneath Alex just because she's a divorced mom.
They were all divorcees; no one had any room to turn up their nose at the other.
After all, both the Rodriguez family and Alex's folks wouldn't discriminate against anyone; they'd show
them the respect they deserved.
"Now that you mention it, we could actually introduce Alex to Chloe." Harrison thought it might work.
"Right?" Roxanne snuggled into his arms, "Then you'll have to talk to Alex first; I'll feel Chloe out.
Maybe we can arrange for them to meet up and see how it goes?"
"Let's give it some time. Alex just got divorced."
And besides, Roxanne still didn't know that he was the top dog of Seraphim Haven.
Once she got wind of that, then they could reintroduce Alex as his friend and try to hook him up with
Chloe.
No rush.
A couple of days later.
The first winter rain of the season suddenly fell on Seraphim Haven.
Caught in the chilly coastal winds, Roxanne, umbrella in hand, was about to drive home.
Her car was parked on a small street in Urban Sun Village.
That red Porsche and the luxury mansion of 500 square meters, she'd returned them to the so-called
"rich guy" who had a thing for her.
Harrison was totally onboard with her decision on this.
He said he couldn't accept gifts from others, especially his "rival," who was giving them to his wife.
Harrison also vowed to work twice as hard to make more dough and give her the best life.
And with that, the matter was put to rest for the time being.
After giving back the Porsche, Roxanne started driving a regular company car.
As she opened the car door, a pair of high heels came into view.
Looking up, she saw Hazel, umbrella also in hand.
"Ms. Martinez, we meet again. I came especially to see you today." Hazel had nothing to do with her.
She came specially to see her?
Why?
Roxanne was puzzled.
Seeing the confusion in her eyes, Hazel smiled and said, "Ms. Martinez, actually, I should call you Mrs.
Rodriguez."