05
1257 Words
Lily Hart noticed Mr. Smith's hesitation and asked, "Where has he been?"
Mr. Smith hesitated again, looking like he didn't know how to answer.
After a long pause, he said, "The Master has been busy with company affairs and has not been staying at the company."
Lily Hart noticed that he was evading the question: "Since he wasn't here, how did he get my things? From the study?"
Mr. Smith didn't dare to look up: "Madam, I really don't know. I was just asked to deliver the box to you."
Lily Hart didn't continue asking. She let Mr. Smith go and retire to her room.
She tried to call Ethan Cole again, but the phone was still answered by Kevin Carter, who said Ethan Cole was busy and couldn't come to the phone.
Lily Hart said, "Tell him to call me back before he dies."
Kevin Carter was taken aback by her rudeness.
When Ethan Cole asked what had happened, Kevin Carter said, "Your wife was worried about you. She said you have been working too hard lately and wanted you to call her back."
Ethan Cole found it strange that she would be worried about him. Usually, she wouldn't even care if he died. Suspicious, he looked at Kevin Carter, who smiled innocently and shrugged his shoulders.
"You can go," Ethan Cole said.
At that moment, Lily Hart received a call from Margaret Cole. Margaret Cole's voice was stern and cold, and she sounded like she was giving orders to a subordinate: "Lily, when are you going to make a decision about the divorce? Don't tell me you haven't thought about it yet. You're not a child. You should know what to do."
Lily Hart said, "I'm not delaying it on purpose. It's just that I haven't had a chance to talk to Ethan about it."
Margaret Cole said, "You can talk to him on the phone. You don't have to wait until you see him in person. I really don't understand. You two obviously don't get along. Why are you delaying this? Is there something I don't know about?"
Lily Hart didn't know how to respond to Margaret Cole's barrage of questions.
Margaret Cole continued, "If this continues, we will have to intervene. How long do you think Ethan will wait? You should know that he can find someone better than you at any time. You're not the only woman in the world who can satisfy him."
Lily Hart's grip on the phone tightened, and her heart felt as if it had been stabbed repeatedly.
Margaret Cole continued, "Ethan's father and I have already discussed it. We can't wait any longer. We have already told Ethan that we want to proceed with the divorce as soon as possible. If it weren't for his stubbornness, we would have done it long ago. Think about it. This marriage isn't worth it. The Cole family has treated you well enough. You should be able to tell the difference between good and bad."
Lily Hart said, "Mom, I'm not delaying it on purpose. I'll talk to Ethan about it."
Margaret Cole said, "You'd better discuss it quickly. Don't waste time. You're not getting any younger. You've missed the best years of your life. If you continue to cling to this marriage, you'll regret it."
Lily Hart didn't speak.
Margaret Cole asked, "Are you still there?"
Lily Hart said, "Yes, I'm still here."
Margaret Cole softened her tone: "Lily, I know you've had a hard time these past few years. It's not easy for a young girl to be a doctor. But you have to think about your future. The Coles have mistreated you, and their son has an unhappy marriage. You'll never get anything from them. You'd better end this marriage quickly and find someone else."
Lily Hart said, "I know, Mom. I'll discuss it with Ethan tonight."
Margaret Cole said, "All right, I'll be waiting for your news."
After hanging up the phone, Lily Hart sat in the living room for a long time, feeling as if she was suffocating. It was only October, but the leaves of the dawn redwood forest were almost all fallen, and the n***d trees stood tall and lonely, swaying in the wind.
Lily Hart was on duty at the hospital the next day. Just as she was about to go to the cafeteria for lunch, she received a call from Chloe Bennett.
After learning about Margaret Cole's attitude toward Lily Hart, Chloe Bennett was furious and cursed The Cole's Family and Ethan Cole over the phone for a long time. When she had finally finished cursing, she said to Lily Hart, "Let's go to a bar tonight. I've heard that a new bar has opened in Soho, and it's very popular. There's a 50% discount for couples. What do you think?"
Lily Hart said, "But we're not a couple."
Chloe Bennett said, "Who cares? We'll just pretend to be a couple. No one will check our IDs."
Lily Hart didn't want to go, but Chloe Bennett insisted: "You have to go. You've been working too hard lately. You need to relax. I'll pick you up at your place at nine o'clock."
Chloe Bennett hung up the phone, and Lily Hart went to the cafeteria.
At nine o'clock sharp, Chloe Bennett arrived at Lily Hart's place, and the two of them set off for the bar.
Chloe Bennett was right. The bar was very popular. People were lined up outside, and the bouncer was very picky, only letting in people who were well-dressed. Some people tried to bribe the bouncer, but he remained unmoved.
When it was finally their turn, Chloe Bennett said to the bouncer, "We have a reservation." She gave him a piece of paper with the name "Hastings" on it.
The bouncer let them in without a word.
Chloe Bennett whispered to Lily Hart, "I asked Tom for a favor and got his name on the list. Let's go."
Inside the bar, the music was loud and exciting, and the people were dancing passionately. The two of them went to the bar and ordered drinks. Chloe Bennett asked, "Why did Tom's name work?"
Lily Hart replied, "He's Ethan's friend. He probably comes here often."
Chloe Bennett said, "I see. It's good to have a rich friend."
They drank their cocktails and listened to the music. Chloe Bennett liked to dance, so she pulled Lily Hart onto the dance floor. They danced until they were sweaty and tired.
After dancing for a while, Chloe Bennett said, "Let's go sit down. I'm hungry."
They went to a table and ordered food. Chloe Bennett said, "This bar offers a 50% discount for couples. We should pretend to be a couple."
Lily Hart said, "But we're not a couple."
Chloe Bennett said, "Who cares? We'll just pretend to be a couple. No one will check our IDs."
They decided to pretend to be a couple and ordered a lot of food. The food was delicious, and they ate until they were full. After eating, they continued to drink and listen to music.
Chloe Bennett said, "This is a great place to relax. We should come here more often."
Lily Hart said, "Yes, it's a nice place. But I don't like the crowd."
Chloe Bennett said, "That's because you're not used to it. You'll get used to it after a while. Let's dance some more."
They danced until midnight, and then Chloe Bennett said, "Let's go home. I'm tired."
Lily Hart said, "Okay, let's go."
- Writer
