Chapter 7 Disappearing from Arthur's World
Aria turned her face away, not wanting to look or listen anymore.
Her heart had gone so numb she couldn't even feel the pain—only endless exhaustion and coldness remained.
She knew that whenever Sophie spoke to him like that, he would drop everything and rush over. Sophie was his choice, always had been.
But unexpectedly, this time Arthur didn't respond.
Sophie called out softly again. "Arthur? What are you doing? Is this a bad time?"
"Sophie." He finally spoke, his voice heavier than before. "I've got something urgent here that I can't leave. Don't worry about the data issue—I'll have my assistant help you with it."
There was a moment of silence on the other end, as if she hadn't expected to be turned down.
"...Oh, I see. Alright then, but remember to call me back when you're done, okay? I'll be waiting."
Her voice was gentle, dripping with affection.
Arthur just gave a brief acknowledgment and hung up.
Aria was genuinely surprised.
"Well, that's rare. How come Mr. Grant isn't rushing off to care for the woman he keeps in his heart this time?"
Arthur ignored her sarcasm and grabbed her wrist. "Come with me to the hospital."
"I already told you, I..."
Aria frowned as that nauseating feeling surged up again.
Unable to make it to the bathroom, she bent over and threw up.
Having just vomited earlier, there was nothing left in her stomach.
She only retched up some acidic water. Her stomach cramped from the vomiting, the pain so severe she couldn't straighten up for a while.
"You're throwing up stomach acid and you still say you don't need to go to the hospital?"
Arthur took a sharp breath and backed down a step.
"Fine, if you don't want me to go with you, have Lucy go with you."
Aria knew there was no getting out of going to the hospital today.
Right in front of Arthur, she called Lucy, asking her to get the car from the garage first and wait downstairs at the studio.
After hanging up, she didn't even look at Arthur. "Happy now? Can I go?"
Arthur stepped aside to let her pass.
When Aria left, Arthur didn't follow. Instead, he looked around Aria's studio.
Come to think of it, in all their time married, he could count on one hand the number of times he'd been here.
He walked over to Aria's desk, wanting to see how the party planning was coming along.
If it wasn't finished yet, he could help share some of the workload.
As soon as he opened it, he saw another document.
[Summary of Malicious Complaints and Appeal Materials]
Arthur's eyes narrowed as he quickly scanned the contents.
It listed in detail numerous recent negative review screenshots, several companies that had canceled contracts along with dates, plus original design drawings and venue photos.
Below were some appeal statements.
Arthur's frown deepened.
He took out his phone and called his assistant.
"Mr. Grant?"
"Director Smith said there's a problem with the data. Go check it out and coordinate with the marketing department."
"Okay."
"Also..." Arthur looked at the computer screen, his fingers tightening.
"Look into this—Aria's studio seems to be getting targeted lately. I need to know who specifically and why."
The assistant paused but quickly responded. "Understood, I'll get to the bottom of it as soon as possible."At Grant Corporation, Sophie slowly put down her phone, her expression cold as ice.Arthur didn't come.
What urgent matter could he possibly have? What could be more important than her?
When Arthur's assistant came over, after some probing she found out he'd actually gone to see Aria!
When she got the news, Sophie almost couldn't hold back her rage!
After the assistant left, she walked to the floor-to-ceiling window, looking down at the scene below Grant Corporation, fists clenched tight.
Did she come back from abroad just for this office?
No, now that she was back, everything should return to how it was supposed to be!
The position of Mrs. Grant, the position of the woman closest to Arthur—they should all be hers!
But Aria was like a stubborn nail driven between her and Arthur.
Clearly it had loosened, yet it still stuck there stubbornly, an eyesore.
Especially Arthur's tone on the phone just now—though she couldn't detect much emotion, she could still sense something different.
A hint of guilt, and some helplessness at being interrupted while doing something.
It seemed Arthur cared about Aria more than she'd imagined.
She couldn't wait any longer. She had to make Aria completely disappear from Arthur's world, and soon!
---
Aria unexpectedly landed a big contract.
The client was planning to open a new super five-star garden-style hotel and needed landscape design and floral arrangements.
If she could land this deal, the profit would be around $50,000—enough to get the studio through this rough patch.
To win this contract, she'd put everything else on hold.
She'd pulled several all-nighters, creating seven or eight proposals, and the client seemed fairly satisfied.
The client had asked to meet with her today to have a proper discussion.
Despite still being tormented by morning sickness, Aria came.
She'd dressed carefully—light makeup, a white dress paired with a blazer.
Her curly hair hung loose, pinned with a jasmine flower clip, dignified and elegant, perfectly showcasing her aesthetic and taste.
After all, she was a florist—first impressions were especially important.
If she couldn't even dress herself well, who would believe her floral work could be beautiful?
That familiar tightening sensation came from her stomach again.
She quickly fished a preserved plum from her purse and put it in her mouth, suppressing the rising nausea.
Arriving at the location, Aria checked the time.
Twenty minutes until the meeting, so she decided to wait in the hotel lobby.
It faced the entrance where natural breeze came in, making her a bit more comfortable.
But just as she sat down on the sofa, someone tapped her shoulder.
Turning around, it was someone she knew.
Sophie.
She was dressed very elegantly, but today seemed more casual than usual, and she was holding a glass of red wine.
"Ms. Hall? What a coincidence!"
Her tone was very familiar. "How come you have time to come here today?"
Seeing Sophie made Aria uncomfortable, but since they were in public, she maintained basic courtesy.
"I'm meeting a client. Are you... on vacation today?"
"Sounds exhausting." Sophie didn't answer directly, her face full of smiles.
Her tone carried a hint of superiority.
"Come to think of it, starting a business isn't easy—you have to do everything yourself. Better watch your health though, you don't look so good."
She naturally reached out her hand, wanting to touch Aria's arm in a show of concern.
Aria instinctively tried to avoid it.
Suddenly, Sophie's four-inch stilettos twisted, and she cried out as she fell forward!
"Oh no!"
Aria reflexively reached out to catch her.
However, Sophie's wine splashed all over her.
Normally, even though Aria reached out to help, she was standing to the side.
In other words, even if the wine spilled, it should have spilled forward—there was absolutely no way it could have splashed onto Aria!