Chapter 274
Go up with him?
Susan was scared.
What did it mean for a woman and a man to go to a hotel together late at night? She knew very well.
She felt humiliated. Her face was burning. She forcefully bit her lip. "Caleb, you have a family."
"So what?"
Susan didn't know what to say.
"So what?" He sounded so self-righteous.
"Maybe cheating is normal for you. Maybe you flirt with other women. But I absolutely won't be your mistress."
That was her bottom line.
Susan's hand was clenched tightly, causing pain, yet her expression remained resolute.
"Susan, you sound very righteous, but dare you say that you've never thought that I would propose such a deal?"
Susan felt guilty upon hearing his question.
Caleb could tell her distress.
She was also a hypocritical woman. Many women might act righteous, but deep down, they didn't think that way.
"Don't worry. I don't intend for you to be my long-term mistress. Honestly, after sleeping together so many times, I don't actually want you that much. I'm just a little excited after drinking. What do you think? Two million dollars for one time. Not every man can afford that price."
Two million dollars to buy her? Did he really think that?
Caleb couldn't figure out what he truly wanted.
Did he want to humiliate her, or did he really want to get close to her?
He couldn't tell, and he didn't want to tell.
He did want her; his physical response was genuine.
He thought he himself was also a hypocritical person. Clearly, only her body was attractive to him.
Susan lowered her gaze and remained silent for a while. After a moment, she looked up at him and smiled. "I know many young and beautiful girls in clubs, Mr. Eilish. What kind of girl do you like? I can help you make a connection."
She smiled like a brothel madam.
Caleb lost interest immediately.
He had never been interested in those kinds of women, let alone bringing them home for the night.
Did she really take him for a client?
Damn.
"Even if I needed a woman, I wouldn't need your help," he said, shaking off her hand and slamming the car door behind him.
Susan felt all her strength drain away in an instant. A bitter smile slowly crept onto her face.
She just couldn't do it.
The next day, in the Melody Piano Room, a two-story piano room located in the downtown prime area, the walls were adorned with various musical instruments.
The wind chimes on the door tinkled.
"Welcome." A young receptionist stood up. "How may I assist you?"
Susan looked around the piano room. The environment hadn't changed much, but none of the old staff were there. All the employees were new, including this receptionist. She didn't recognize the receptionist, and the receptionist didn't recognize her.
"Ma'am?"
"Is May here?" Susan asked.
"The boss is having a meeting upstairs. Are you looking for her?"
"Yes, please let her know Susan is looking for her."
"Alright."
A young man poured her a glass of water, and Susan said, "Thank you."
This piano room was opened by her mother, a pianist, thirty years ago. There were several branch stores in other cities as well. She used to come to this store often to practice with her mother when she was young.
She hadn't played the piano in a long time, but her body remembered. Susan's fingers fell on the piano keys, unconsciously playing Moonlight Sonata. The notes flowed smoothly and were pleasant to the ears.
The young man glanced at her.
"Ma'am, our boss says she doesn't know anyone named Susan." The receptionist returned.
"She doesn't know? That's impossible."
They were cousins who were as close as sisters.
Susan wanted to go up, but the receptionist stopped her. "The boss is in a meeting. She can't see you at this moment. Please leave."
The receptionist intentionally tried to rush her away.
Susan hesitated for two seconds and walked out of the piano room wordlessly. However, she didn't leave. Instead, she sat in her car, working on her tasks while waiting. Two hours later, May walked out of the piano room. She was tall, elegant, and dignified.
"May." Susan quickly got out of her car.
"Susan?" May's eyes showed a hint of nervousness when she saw her, but Susan didn't notice.
"Why are you still here?"
"What?"
"I mean, why did you come?" May tried to hide her uneasiness.
"I just had the receptionist inform you. She said you didn't know me."
"Really? Oh, she just came up, but maybe she got the name wrong. I didn't expect you to come find me. Why didn't you call ahead?"
"I called you three times yesterday. You didn't answer," she said.
"My phone was broken."
"I needed to talk to you urgently. Let's go upstairs and talk," she suggested.
"There are people practicing the piano upstairs. It's not convenient. Let's go somewhere else," May said, pulling her to a cafe.
"May, long time no see," she greeted.
May was her cousin who was one year older than her. After her uncle and aunt had a car accident, her parents brought ten-year-old May back home and treated her as their own daughter. The two sisters grew up together.
May's fingers awkwardly twirled her coffee cup. "Yes, it's been four years since you left home. Have you been doing well these years?"
Susan forced a bitter smile.
This smile held too much hidden pain.
The once carefree little princess had been driven out of her home. How could her life be good? She missed her parents very much.
"Did my parents ever mention me?" she asked.
May shook her head.
Susan's heart sank to the bottom. Her parents no longer recognized her as their daughter. They now only had May as their daughter.
"Do you need something from me?" May asked.
"I want to borrow a hundred thousand dollars from you," Susan said.
May was taken aback. "That much?"
"Yes. My son has leukemia and needs the surgery fee. I had no other choice but to come to you. Please lend it to me, I will pay you back," Susan pleaded, grabbing May's hand.
But May pulled her hand back, secretly hiding her Hermes bag behind her. She awkwardly said, "I don't have that much money."
"How is that possible? The piano shop has branches all over the country...".
"They don't belong to me. I'm just a figurehead boss. I receive a salary. My salary is not much per month. I don't have much money. I only have four thousand dollars. How about I give it all to you?" May explained.
"But it's not enough. May, Oliver can't wait. Why don't you call our parents and ask them to lend it to me?" Susan suggested.
Her father was a university professor, and her mother had her own career. A hundred thousand dollars was not a large sum for them.
"I don't think they'll lend it," May said.
"You won't know until you try, right? After all, Oliver is their own grandson," Susan couldn't believe they would be so heartless.
"Susan, for our parents, there has only been one daughter since four years ago." May sighed.
"Just make one call for me, please? May, he's your nephew too, you can't just stand by," Susan pleaded.
May was hesitant. After a while, she nodded. "Okay, I'll make the call for you, wait here."
May took her phone and went outside. She stood with her back facing Susan. Susan couldn't see May's expression, and she was feeling particularly anxious.
Family was her last lifeline. They surely wouldn't just stand by and do nothing.
A few minutes later, May came back with a regretful expression. "Just as I suspected, Mom and Dad said they won't lend it to you."
Susan's mind went blank. She exclaimed urgently, "Impossible! My parents are good people. They wouldn't be so cruel and disregard the life and death of their own grandchild. They wouldn't do that..."