Ch. 156: Mr. Edwards’ Unraveled Life chapter 156

Chapter 156The man’s smile didn’t waver, and his voice remained calm and gentle. “You mentioned it, so I thought I’d bring you a little something along the way.”

Gloria’s expression hardened, and she scoffed. “A ‘little something’? You mean flowers?”

“Exactly.”

He didn’t deny it.

Gloria’s tone turned icily cold. “I’m not interested. And if you keep bothering me, I won’t hesitate to call the police.”

Norah, sitting beside her, was taken aback. She hadn’t expected Gloria to be so indifferent towards this man, who, by all appearances, seemed perfectly pleasant.

Still unfazed, the man offered a hopeful smile. “I went out of my way to get these for you. Flowers and a lovely woman—they go hand in hand. Could you just accept them for my effort’s sake?”

“There’s a trash can on the left. Feel free to drop them there.” Gloria didn’t even glance his way as she spoke.

Then, she rolled up the window without a second thought.

The man stood for a moment, flowers in hand, before eventually walking away, shoulders slumped.

Norah couldn’t help but watch him go, sensing a bit of sadness in his retreating figure.

“Let’s head inside.”

After a moment’s pause, Gloria spoke up, unbuckling her seatbelt and gesturing for Norah to follow.

Gloria led Norah to the supermarket downstairs, saying, “Normally, I just grab takeout. But with you here, a pregnant woman, I wouldn’t dream of letting you eat greasy, processed food. Only problem is, my cooking’s awful, and the kitchen gets smoky. So, I’m thinking about hiring a meal-prep chef for us.”

Norah looked puzzled. “A meal-prep chef?”

“Yep. They come over two hours before each meal to cook on-site. Costs anywhere from $100 to $500 per meal, but for three meals a day, I’d have to schedule them ahead,” Gloria explained, tapping on her phone.

Norah raised an eyebrow. “Wouldn’t that get expensive? If it’s for three meals a day, why not just hire a live-in chef? Although, I won’t be here that long, so I can handle it myself.”

Gloria considered her words and nodded thoughtfully. “You’re right. If you were staying longer, a live-in chef would be more practical. But I’m not letting you in the kitchen while you’re pregnant. I’ll place the meal orders online for the next few days, at least.”

Norah looked at her in surprise. “Wait, you’re ordering a chef online?”

Gloria chuckled. “You really need to get with the times. You can get anything online these days, and some services are fantastic. Don’t you want that divorce from Kevin?”

Norah was a little startled by the mention of her marriage. Gloria’s modern approach made her realize just how much of her life was confined to legal documents and contracts.

Gloria shook her head. “Kevin probably had you wrapped up in so much paperwork and luxury, you never saw how the rest of us live. But hey, this is the digital age. If the local lawyers won’t take your case, plenty of online platforms can connect you with lawyers from out of town.”

Norah nodded slowly. “You’re right. Makes sense.”

Gloria gave her a determined look. “We’ll wait and see if your Mr. Edwards holds up his end of the deal. If not, you go online, file the papers, get that divorce, and move on. You don’t owe him a thing.”

“Agreed,” Norah said, resolved.

Meanwhile, Kevin was back at the Edwards Group offices.

“Norah, make me a coffee,” he called out as he rubbed his temples, exhausted after hours of paperwork.

But the words barely left his mouth before he remembered—Norah wasn’t there. She’d left. The quiet in the office felt sharper, emptier without her presence.

A rich aroma wafted through the air, carrying a faint hint of osmanthus. Kevin looked up to see Scarlet entering, a steaming cup in her hands.

“Mr. Edwards, here’s your coffee,” she said respectfully, approaching his desk.

Scarlet was taller than Norah, with a different complexion and more understated features. Her outfit, a fitted dress with bubble sleeves, highlighted her figure, the plunging neckline just barely showing her collarbones.

Kevin noticed and his expression immediately turned cold. “Did I ask you to make coffee?” His voice sliced through the room like a blade.

Scarlet kept her smile in place, unshaken. “Mr. Edwards, I noticed you’ve been working all morning. And Ms. White specifically instructed me to bring you coffee whenever you looked tired.”

Mentioning Norah’s name softened Kevin’s reaction, though he still watched her with a critical eye.

Scarlet stood waiting with the coffee in hand, and when he didn’t respond, she cautiously asked, “Do you still want it, Mr. Edwards?”

Kevin’s frown deepened. “Take it away. And don’t wear that kind of outfit to work again.”

“Yes, sir.”

Scarlet’s composure faltered, but she quickly recovered.

Just then, there was a sudden clattering sound as Scarlet stumbled and the coffee cup slipped from her hands, spilling across the floor.

“Oh! I’m so sorry, Mr. Edwards,” she stammered. “I didn’t mean to drop it! I’ll clean it up right away. Um… would it be okay if I borrowed your hairdryer?”

Kevin’s eyebrow lifted. “What does my hairdryer have to do with cleaning up coffee?”

Scarlet looked down, her voice low. “I spilled some on my clothes. It would look bad to take a break just to change, so I thought I’d rinse it out and use a hairdryer to dry it quickly.”

Her explanation was perfectly reasonable on the surface.

If she hadn’t brought it up herself, Kevin might have given her permission to go home and change. But something about her excuse felt off.

He stood, looking down at her with a trace of skepticism.

Scarlet scrambled to her feet, but as she did, she stumbled again, reaching out as she fell forward, straight towards Kevin.