Chapter 310 Is This How You Manipulate Other People's Lives?
Sarah's eyes were all teary as she looked at him. She couldn't see any of the love she used to feel. He seemed like a total stranger now, and the thought of being stuck with him forever freaked her out.
It wasn't until Oliver left that she snapped out of it. The heavy door closed softly, and she was jolted awake.
She started to quickly get herself together. Changed her clothes, grabbed her phone to reach out to old friends, but then it hit her—she had no friends. Sarah had married too young and got trapped in that marriage too soon. No social life, no friends. Her life was so simple it was sad.
In the end, Sarah headed to ArtScape Academy in Vesper City, her old school.
She ran into her old professor and, out of the blue, found out where Lester was.
At 3 PM, Sarah took a cab to a fancy neighborhood in Vesper City. The houses here were worth hundreds of thousands to millions, home to the city's elite.
She spotted Lester at the entrance of a convenience store. He was helping a pregnant woman, probably his wife, and carrying a bag of baby stuff.
The moment Lester saw Sarah, he froze, and the bag slipped from his hand.
His wife looked at Sarah. She was beautiful, elegant, and young. Women are intuitive; she could tell her husband had once liked this woman.
She softly asked Lester, "Is she here to see you?"
Lester's eyes stayed on Sarah. He never thought he'd see her again. He figured Oliver had probably broken her spirit, never imagining they'd cross paths again.
She still looked fragile and beautiful, even in her elegant clothes, her vulnerability was clear.
Lester's eyes got a bit misty. He picked up the fallen items and smiled at his wife, "No, I don't know her."
He supported his wife and walked past Sarah. Deep down, Lester knew Sarah had never liked him. She was just here to see if he was okay. And yeah, he was doing fine now.
A few years back, Lester had taken Grace's check, bought a house, and fixed his hands. He got married and was about to have a kid. What right did he have to like Sarah? He couldn't even protect her.
Lester was just an ordinary guy. He took the check, and over the years, he'd dreamt of Sarah crying and screaming. He once thought about finding her, but what good would that do? He might end up with his legs broken. One crazy act of love was enough.
They walked past each other, leaving their past behind.
Sarah didn't call out to him or explain. Seeing him doing well eased her guilt a bit.
Across from her, a tall figure slowly approached—it was Oliver.
He was impeccably dressed, his white shirt crisp, and the tie she had tied for him at noon still in place.
Oliver came up to her and looked deeply into her eyes. "A few years ago, Grace probably knew you were faking it. She flew to Vesper City to handle things for you. I only found out recently. But I think now she's probably forgotten everything. In her mind, you're just a poor little thing who was imprisoned and tormented by me for years. She still calls me occasionally to vent her anger."
Sarah listened, feeling dazed. So, everything she did was under his watchful eye.
In the distance, Oliver's car gleamed, the sunlight bouncing off the golden goddess emblem.
Oliver put his arm around Sarah's shoulder and led her to the car. As he opened the door for her, he said casually, "The past isn't worth getting upset over. Besides, I arranged for his wife."
Lester's wife came from a middle-class background. Oliver had spent a lot of money to make her Lester's wife, to love him and bear his children. This secret, Lester would never know.
Lester would only know that he had a gentle wife and would be trapped in this happy marriage for the rest of his life, unable to escape. He would give up his youthful dreams and slowly forget Sarah. After all, no one would refuse a happy life.
Sarah got it. From a few simple words, she could guess what he had done—he had arranged their life with money.
She looked at him, her voice trembling, "Do you always manipulate other people's lives like this?"
Oliver's lips curled into a cold smile, and he scoffed lightly, "Maybe she was willing? $1.5 million is money she could never earn in her lifetime. Lester is not bad-looking and has a gentle personality. Why wouldn't she agree? But you, why do you care so much? Are you still hung up on Lester, feeling uncomfortable seeing him with another woman?"
Sarah didn't explain. They had an unpleasant argument, and the atmosphere in the car was tense. No one spoke again.
They arrived at the hotel for the banquet.
The car stopped, and Oliver gently squeezed her hand, his tone cold, "No matter how unhappy you are, don't show it on your face later. This project is very important to me."
Sarah's expression was calm, "Don't worry! I won't mess it up."
After all, she was Dylan's sister, someone who had seen the world and wealth. She followed Oliver, playing the role of Mrs. Windsor dutifully.
In Vesper City, no one knew they were divorced. But Oliver's reputation as a playboy was well-known. In the early days of his business, he had many women in Vesper City, all of whom were savvy businesswomen who got along well with him.
Tonight, he ran into one of them, Isabelle Young, an executive at a publicly traded company. She was beautiful and gentle on the outside but very shrewd and capable.
Oliver and Isabelle met in the hallway.
Isabelle was currently single and had heard the news of Oliver's divorce. Wearing an evening gown, she leaned seductively against the wall, her arms hooked around Oliver's neck. She whispered to him, "I have a room upstairs, Oliver. Shall we go?"
In the past, Oliver would have agreed without hesitation.
But the incident with Ellie had made Sarah very unhappy, and they had argued for a long time. Thinking it over, he removed Isabelle's arms from his neck and declined in a calm voice, "No, thanks."
Isabelle's soft body pressed against him again. She laughed lightly, tracing her fingers teasingly over his chest, "Don't worry, I won't tell her! Oliver, do you remember how well we used to get along? You loved pressing me against the floor-to-ceiling windows when we had sex. I want to experience it again. Can you really refuse me?"
Isabelle even boldly guided Oliver's hand to touch her intimate area as she said, "What are you waiting for? Come and touch me."