Chapter 5
1270 Words
When Sarah Mitchell heard John Crawford's words, she almost thought she misheard him.
"Am I... bothering you?" she muttered under her breath.
Sarah, usually the gentle and polite type, felt her porcelain face tense up, her voice cold as ice.
"Bothering you? Me? John Crawford, take a good look in the mirror! Am I bothering you because you're older, remarried, bald, impotent, and dealing with premature ejaculation? Or am I bothering you because you have two kids and I’m going to play stepmom?"
"Sorry, I’m not that desperate!"
Each word was like a knife, slashing John from head to toe, reducing him to nothing.
Emily Carter was stunned. Was Sarah out of her mind? How dare she openly insult John, a high-ranking company executive?
Meanwhile, Daniel Crawford, standing by, caught the meaning behind Sarah's words and couldn't help but suppress a secret smile. So, the things she said to him earlier were actually quite mild.
But John, the person involved, was furious. Since his promotion to a company executive, he'd been constantly praised. Despite being remarried with kids, his status made him a highly sought-after match. Never had he imagined he'd come all the way to the countryside for a blind date only to be humiliated like this!
His breath quickened, and his face turned as red as fire. "Sarah Mitchell, you still consider yourself—"
"What? What's wrong with me?" Sarah sneered coldly, her voice sweet but laced with biting bitterness. "I’m unmarried, childless, and have a clean record. Tell me, why would I be bothering an older man with kids and a past marriage?"
John was enraged. "Don't forget, who else would even consider going on a blind date with you? Without me, do you think you can escape all those threats?"
It was clear he was referring to the troubles Sarah faced—thanks to Tom Richardson. John believed, aside from himself, no one could protect Sarah.
Hearing this, Sarah pursed her lips, then suddenly glanced around. She took Daniel Crawford's wrist in a bold move and raised her chin, smiling. "Him? This gentleman here, he’s my blind date!"
Her porcelain face flushed with emotion, her eyes like a painting—delicate and stunning, like a blooming gardenia.
Daniel’s pupils narrowed slightly as he felt her fingers cold and trembling. She was afraid, but her stubbornness was almost painful to watch.
Daniel had intended to pull away, but instead, he firmly held her hand and softly replied, "Yes."
Sarah sighed in relief and raised her voice a little. "See? I like men like Daniel—young, single, good-looking, and full of masculinity!"
As soon as she said that, Daniel’s ears turned bright red.
At the same time, the comments in the live chat exploded:
"Girls, Daniel’s ears are red! Red!"
"Holy crap! Sarah’s holding his hand! The hand of destiny!"
"This couple’s energy is off the charts, John’s face is turning green, haha!"
Sarah didn’t notice the chat frenzy. At that moment, she just wanted to crush John’s pride and make him regret his words.
She lifted her hand, still holding Daniel’s, high above her head and silently flaunted it in front of John.
John stood to the side, his face as dark as thunder. He grabbed Emily’s hand and spat out a cold remark, "Sarah Mitchell, you better hope this man can protect you!"
As he spoke, John shot a threatening glance at Daniel before yanking Emily away, heading for the door.
Sarah stood there, her expression growing complicated. She knew she’d acted impulsively, but she didn’t regret it. Compared to marrying Tom, what scared her more was becoming the woman drained of all value and ultimately abandoned.
Before leaving, Emily glanced back at Sarah, her gaze filled with a mix of sympathy and smugness. She thought Sarah had just lost her shot at wealth, while Emily herself had seized the opportunity.
Watching John and Emily leave, Sarah finally let go of Daniel’s hand and awkwardly pulled back. "Sorry, I used you just now."
Daniel flexed his fingers, not responding to her apology. Instead, he asked, "You just insulted John like that. Aren’t you worried about the consequences?"
Sarah shook her head lightly. "I only know he's not a good person." She then asked him in return, "What about you? You passed on a college graduate for a blind date. Don’t you feel regret?"
Daniel smiled softly, "I wasn’t planning on going on any blind dates."
The atmosphere went quiet for a moment, and Daniel seemed like he was going to say something else, but just then, hurried footsteps approached.
"Sarah, what are you doing? You chased John Crawford away? What about the Richardson family? Do you want them to just come drag you back and make you their bride?"
A middle-aged woman, wearing a thick scarf and looking anxious, stormed in. It was Sarah's sister-in-law, Hannah.
Hannah’s eyes were filled with disappointment and anger, but she didn’t even notice Daniel standing by the door.
Sarah pursed her lips, giving Daniel an awkward glance. She quickly tugged at Hannah’s arm and whispered, "Sis, let’s talk in the office."
Hannah, fuming, pulled Sarah along toward the office, muttering under her breath, "If I don’t smack your a*s when we get home, I’m not your sister-in-law!"
Hearing that, Sarah’s face immediately turned red. She unconsciously glanced at Daniel, only to see him with a small smile on his lips, clearly holding back laughter. Even worse, his gaze dropped downward!
Sarah was so embarrassed, she felt like she wanted to crawl into the ground. She hurriedly dragged Hannah into the office.
As soon as they were inside, Hannah slammed the door shut, cutting off any eavesdroppers, and immediately launched into a lecture. "Sarah! John may be remarried, but he’s still the best option we’ve found for you. You chased him off—what are you going to do now? What about the Richardson family?"
The worry in her eyes made Sarah’s heart ache.
She spoke softly, "Sis, John isn’t a good person."
"Where did you hear that from? What did he say?" Hannah furrowed her brow.
Sarah hesitated before she vaguely responded, "I just know."
Hannah slammed her hand on the desk. "Fine, John’s gone. But why is Emily with him? Did you get the wrong blind date?"
Sarah nodded and briefly explained the situation. "I got splashed with water earlier, then the door numbers got mixed up, and I was late by ten minutes. After that..."
"What?" Hannah’s eyes widened, "It was Emily? She actually schemed against you?"
"Sis, calm down—"
"Calm down? I’m going to deal with her!" Hannah was seething with rage, and she spun around, ready to confront Emily. Sarah quickly tried to stop her but couldn’t hold her back.
Watching Hannah storm off, Sarah’s mind was a whirlwind. Daniel was sorted, but what about the Richardson family?
Just as she opened the window for some fresh air, she saw a tall figure under the old maple tree.
The man stood in the shade, his handsome features like something out of a painting, but with a chilling smile on his face.
He parted his lips slightly and silently said, "Sarah Mitchell, you’re mine."
The chat exploded:
"Oh my God, the crazy Tom Richardson has finally appeared!"
"Creepy... Did he come here specifically to wait for Sarah?"
"The drama is about to get real, crazy guy vs. resilient female lead. Exciting!"
Sarah stared at those cold eyes outside, her face paling. She slammed the window shut with a thud and trembled uncontrollably.
Why was he here? Why was the Richardson family involved now?
- Writer
