Shades of The Richest Simon Hall

Chapter 3 Unveiled Deception

He lounged back, crossing his legs still clothed in the sharp suit he hadn't even bothered to discard, making him seem out of place in the cramped space.

It was almost laughable how I never noticed before. I truly thought he was just another office drone.

Seeing me now, Simon's typical tenderness vanished, replaced by an unsettling calmness.

"You've figured it all out."

I clenched my fists, grappling with how he could maintain such composure in the wake of everything unraveling.

After all the lies came tumbling down, there wasn't a trace of embarrassment, guilt, or remorse, almost as if this was nothing more than a minor inconvenience.

Yet this was my three years.

The marriage certificate? Fabricated. The love I believed in? A sham. Even his persona was a facade.

Every interaction, every memory from the past three years, was a carefully spun web of deceit.

I bit down on my tongue, struggling to dam the tears threatening to break free, my voice strained.

"What do you want?"

Simon regarded me as if I were a mere stranger, coldly proposing a transaction.

"Michie saw you today, and I don't want you crossing paths with her again. I'll arrange for your relocation abroad and ensure you receive enough money to live comfortably."

As his words reached me, my blood seemed to chill, spreading a frost through my veins.

"What do you mean by that?"

Simon fixed his gaze on me, his eyes void of any feeling.

"What I'm trying to say is, I don't want anyone messing up my marriage."

His words were so absurdly amusing that I burst into laughter, tears trickling down my cheeks.

"A marriage? If what you have with her qualifies as a marriage, then what was ours?"

"You know, don't you? The marriage certificate was a sham."

After a short silence, he added,

"Three years ago, Michie went overseas to study. You reminded me of her, which is why I pursued you. But she's back now, and frankly, you don't matter anymore."

Matter?

Even though I'd long suspected this, hearing Simon confirm it felt like a dagger to the heart.

I was merely a stand-in for the woman he really cared about.

With anger boiling over, I retorted stubbornly,

"What if I say no?"

Simon stood, closing the distance between us, towering over me.

"If you want your mother to rest in peace, you'll comply."

My eyes widened in shock, disbelief taking over as I met his gaze.

"You'd use my mother against me? Simon, are you even capable of feeling? You fooled me for three years, and now you're using my mother's remains to push me aside?"

His response was chillingly calm.

"If you comply, it's not a threat."

Tears streamed unchecked as I raised my hand to strike him, but he caught my wrist effortlessly.

With a cold detachment, he pushed me away, and I stumbled, bashing my forehead against the table edge.

A warm trickle of blood blurred my sight with red.

Simon frowned, stepping forward instinctively, but then his phone chimed.

I watched as his features softened instantly.

"Hold on. I'll bring it to you soon."

Simon was ready to leave, but he paused, whirled around, and yanked me off the ground.

"Michie's craving seafood soup, and nobody makes it like you do. Go, prepare it for her."

Infuriated, I pulled away, my eyes burning with resentment.

"Simon, do you even know what I am to you?"

He narrowed his eyes, remaining composed.

"Remember your mother's ashes."

Every ounce of fight left me. I shut my eyes, utterly defeated.

I was taken to the villa. After I prepared the seafood soup, Simon whisked it away to Michie without sparing me a second glance.