Chapter 223
Tucked away in a secluded corner of the bar, shrouded by lush greenery and largely unnoticed by the patrons, Caleb found a quiet spot to sit. His profile, chiseled and enigmatic, was illuminated by the dim light. "What would you like to drink?" he asked, his voice echoing in the silence.
"I don't drink," came Susan's curt reply.
"Hmm." A cool smile played on Caleb's lips, lingering for a moment before he turned his gaze towards Susan. His long eyelashes and deep-set eyes gave his stare an intense depth, a gaze that seemed to pierce through the darkness. "You didn't seem like a teetotaler the last time. Were you just pretending?" he probed.
"I wasn't pretending. I simply didn't want to drink with you," Susan retorted, her words sharp and unyielding.
Caleb's lips tightened into a thin line as he ordered a whiskey and two glasses. He retrieved a cigarette case from his pocket, lighting one and holding it between his lips. The spark from the lighter cast an ethereal glow on his striking features.
Susan felt her heart flutter.
While women often feared the ravages of time, men, particularly those of power and influence, seemed to harbor no such concerns. Time didn't age them; instead, it brought out a mature allure, an irresistible charm that women found hard to resist.
The scent of tobacco smoke wafted towards Susan.
"Could you stop smoking?" she asked, her brows furrowing in distaste.
She remembered him quitting once, partly due to her persuasion. So why had he taken up the habit again?
Caleb's response was a lazy smile, the cigarette remaining firmly in place. He exhaled a ring of smoke towards Susan, a hint of arrogance in his demeanor. "What's the matter? Afraid your man will smell it on you?"
"Well..." Her fear was indeed of being discovered, but not by a man. It was the child at home she was worried about.
Young Olivia didn't know what alcohol and cigarettes smelled like, but she didn't like it. Whenever there was a social gathering, Susan made a point to avoid those who smoked.
Caleb's smile faltered momentarily. So, Susan had a man in her life now.
Men had always been drawn to her, often more than one at a time.
His slender fingers flicked the ash from his cigarette.
"Does your man know how hard you work? Or are you toiling away to support him? Have you returned to your old habits? Supporting a playboy?" Caleb's mind wandered back to when he first met Susan. She was from a well-to-do family and had been sent to study in Paris.
At their first meeting, Susan was a twenty-four-year-old design student. Her bright, innocent face made her look no older than eighteen. She was pure, kind-hearted, and bore the signs of a life well-sheltered by her family.
Now, she was a working-class woman, struggling to make ends meet. She had matured, become worldly-wise, and was no different from most people. Life had taken its toll on her.
Caleb felt a surge of annoyance and couldn't help but sneer. "If you had chosen to be with me back then, you wouldn't be in this situation now."
Follow him? The thought was laughable.
Susan could only respond with a cold, bitter laugh.
Had she chosen to follow Caleb, she would have been nothing more than a mistress hidden in the shadows. Perhaps he would have grown tired of her and discarded her. She might have even taken her own life.
The Susan of the past was fragile and naive. A breakup would have been a devastating blow.
It was only after she began working tirelessly to support her child that she shed her former fragility and evolved into the woman she was today.
Caleb misinterpreted Susan's smile as one of disdain.
He must be mad to still be pursuing a woman who had betrayed him.
As soon as the whiskey arrived, Caleb downed a glass in one swift gulp.
Susan found his smoking and drinking repulsive. But whether she could tolerate it or not was irrelevant. What mattered was whether his wife could.
Susan was constantly contemplating how to extricate herself from him.
"Mr. Eilish, there are pressing matters that require your attention," the woman said, her voice steady and calm. "The villa renovation can be left to the project manager. I'll coordinate with him on your behalf."
Caleb Eilish, a man of considerable wealth and influence, replied with a dismissive wave of his hand. "One should personally oversee the care of their own villa."
Susan, the woman across from him, offered a faint smile. "Your properties are scattered across the globe, Mr. Eilish. It would be an impossible task for you to manage them all personally."
He shrugged, a smug grin on his face. "It's a free country."
Susan fell silent, conceding that it was not her place to argue.
Caleb snuffed out his cigarette in the nearby ashtray. "I've spotted a friend. I'll be back shortly." He pushed himself off the couch with both hands and left.
Susan closed her eyes, releasing a weary sigh.
Caleb Eilish was a man of formidable presence. Four years ago, he had made her heart flutter with anticipation, but now, he made her feel suffocated. The thought of continuing to deal with him was unbearable.
Her phone buzzed, disrupting her thoughts.
The caller ID displayed "Victoria Thompson," accompanied by a photo of a sweet little girl, barely two or three years old, with large eyes that mirrored Victoria's.
So, Caleb had indeed married Victoria and they had a child together.
A sharp pang of pain pierced Susan's heart, mingled with a bitter sense of irony. She hadn't expected her heart to still ache for him after all these years. She stared at the darkening screen in a daze.
Caleb returned, settling back into his seat across from her. "What were you looking at?"
"Your wife and child are waiting for you," Susan replied, forcing a smile. She didn't wait for his response, quickly gathering her belongings and standing.
Caleb glanced at his phone, noting the missed call.
Susan walked briskly, not even noticing when she crossed the road, until Caleb pulled her back. "Watch where you're going," he warned.
"Don't touch me!" Susan's outburst shattered the quiet of the night, startling Caleb.
Had she grown to despise him that much?
Caleb frowned, displeased by her reaction. "You used to enjoy our intimacy. Now you can't stand my touch?"
"Caleb, do you kiss your daughter with that mouth?" Susan retorted.
Caleb was taken aback, taking a moment to respond. "I'm not trying to sleep with you right now."
"Then keep your distance!" Susan pushed his hand away, her eyes filled with a desperate need to escape. "It's inappropriate for us to continue this... entanglement."
With that, she hailed a taxi, seemingly afraid he might follow.
Caleb watched as the car disappeared into the night.
His heart, once as still as a calm pond, shattered at the sight of Susan. She still had a hold on his emotions, even though she didn't deserve it.
In a cozy children's bedroom, a small lamp cast a warm orange glow.
Beneath a fluffy white comforter, a round little face peeked out. The chubby little girl was fast asleep. Caleb sat by his daughter's bedside for half an hour, unable to tear his gaze away. He could have watched her like this forever.
His gentleness, once reserved for Susan, was now poured onto his daughter. For a man known for his strict and decisive demeanor, his daughter was his soft spot, the tenderest part of his heart.
"Dad, Daddy?" The little girl woke up, rubbing her sleepy eyes.
"Daddy, you're back..."
"Yes, sweetheart. I'm back."
"Daddy, I want to go to the amusement park."
"Okay, we'll go tomorrow."
A bright smile bloomed on the little girl's face. "Daddy, I love you..."
"I love you too, sweetheart." Caleb stayed in the children's room until eleven o'clock before reluctantly leaving for the master bedroom next door.
Victoria frowned as she held Caleb's suit. There was a scent of perfume on it.
For a man of his status, dalliances were expected, and Victoria had always turned a blind eye. But tonight's scent was different, not the cheap perfume of the women he usually kept company with, but something more refined.
Could it be that he was seeing a different kind of woman?
Was Caleb keeping a mistress?
Doubt began to creep into Victoria's heart.