Chapter 87 Jealousy
"He doesn't think this bonsai is impressive enough. He wants something more grand."
Lance told Aria what his friend wanted.
Aria was taken aback. She looked at the bonsai plants he mentioned and frowned slightly. "We already provided a landscape design plan. The size of these bonsai plants is the best match for these flowers. If we switch to larger ones, we'd have to change everything, otherwise it would look too out of place."
Lance understood what Aria meant and nodded slightly. "Yeah, I know. I told him that too, but he insists on changing it. Don't worry about the cost - you won't be working for nothing."
Seeing Lance's insistence, Aria could only nod. "If your friend insists on changing it, then we'll have to change it. He's the client, so we'll do what he wants."
After all, if the customer wanted to pay, they had no reason to turn down the money.
"Okay, this is the effect my friend wants. I've sent you a few photos. Take a look and make the changes, then put together a proposal for him to review."
Lance sent Aria several photos. Aria looked at them carefully and nodded. "Alright, I'll study them carefully when I get back and let you know how it looks."
"Great, thanks for your help."
"No problem."
After discussing some related matters, Lance drove Aria back to the studio.
After thanking Lance, Aria got out of the car and walked toward the studio. Suddenly, she felt a force pulling at her. Her whole body fell uncontrollably to the side. Instinctively, she protected her belly and cried out in alarm.
"Ah!"
After her cry, the force that had pulled her now supported her. Only then did she have a chance to look - it was Arthur.
Arthur was staring at her with a dark expression. Aria's face changed instantly. She shook off his hand and stepped back two paces. "Arthur, what do you think you're doing?"
"That's what I should be asking you. What exactly are you trying to do? Meeting men behind my back? Do you think I'm dead?"
Arthur had just seen Aria chatting and laughing with Lance, and it made him so angry he wanted to kill someone.
He couldn't hold back. As soon as she got out of the car, he couldn't wait to pull her aside.
And now this woman, the moment she saw it was him, her pleasant expression disappeared. What? Was this obvious different treatment because she thought he was blind?
"Arthur, don't assume everyone is the same kind of person you are. Don't think everyone is as dirty-minded as you!"
After the shock she'd just experienced, Aria had no patience for Arthur.
Especially hearing him casually smear her and Lance like this made Aria even more angry.
He didn't come home all night yesterday, and now he showed up at her studio acting like he was catching her cheating. How could she not be angry!
Arthur's face turned very ugly at her words. He grabbed Aria's hand again, his tone cold. "Dirty? You think I'm dirty?"
Aria laughed coldly. "Aren't you?"
Arthur met Aria's cold eyes and choked. He tightened his grip on her hand and gritted his teeth slightly. "Aria, you're really something!"
"Not as much as you."
Arthur felt his blood pressure rising. Just as he was about to say something more, his phone rang in his pocket.
It was Sophie.
Arthur's grip on Aria's hand loosened. Aria also saw the caller ID on his phone. A mocking look flashed in her eyes. She took this opportunity to pull her hand from his and reminded him with a cold laugh, "Better answer it. She's waiting for your call."
Arthur saw the mockery in Aria's eyes. His throat tightened. Hearing her somewhat sarcastic words, then looking at his constantly ringing phone, he took a deep breath and walked aside to answer the call.
"What's wrong?"
Aria heard Arthur's voice become noticeably gentler and felt nothing but self-mockery. What did she have to look forward to?
At least she'd prepared herself early on, hadn't she?
She didn't wait at the door for him to finish his call. Instead, she took advantage of his phone conversation to go straight into the studio.
Arthur caught a glimpse of Aria going upstairs and wanted to stop her, but Sophie on the other end of the line gave him no chance.
"Arthur, I didn't mean to bother you, it's just that this wound really hurts so much, I can't take it anymore..."
Sophie's words were full of grievance, and Arthur's guilt was immediately triggered.
"It's okay, you're not bothering me. Did the doctor give you anti-inflammatory medication? I'll come to the hospital now."
After consideration, Arthur decided to go to the hospital first. Little did he know, Aria was standing by the floor-to-ceiling window in her office, watching him leave...
Although she had long known what Arthur would choose, watching him abandon her time and again without hesitation to go to Sophie always stirred up some bitterness in her heart.
It was as if, in countless multiple-choice questions, she was always the answer that got discarded.
Heh...
So Arthur was just jealous seeing her with another man. That's all it was.
What was there to look forward to? Stop fooling yourself.
Suddenly, a message popped up.
[You okay?] It was Lance.
Aria was startled and replied, somewhat confused, [Hm?]
[Mr. Grant seemed jealous just now, right? I didn't think it was good to get out of the car and say anything, afraid of making him misunderstand, so I left first. Are you alright?]
Lance's message showed he had also seen Arthur pull Aria earlier.
Aria felt warmth in her heart. Lance, though still sharp-tongued, was much more reliable than when they were kids.
She replied, [I'm fine, don't worry.]
Aria didn't want to say much about things between her and Arthur, so she just glossed over it lightly.
Lance understood Aria didn't want to say more, so he didn't ask further. He sent another message, "Okay, as long as you're fine. Then please help look into my friend's project."
"Sure, no problem."
Aria ended the conversation and called Lucy over. She told Lucy about Lance's requirements and had her organize the studio staff to find suitable bonsai plants. She threw herself into work, and the unpleasantness with Arthur was pushed to the back of her mind as she got busy.
Compared to Aria's peace of mind, Sophie at the hospital was far from at ease.
After Sophie called Arthur, her heart settled down a bit.
She hadn't expected Aria to be so capable, able to make Arthur revolve around her in just a few moves.
Why should she?
Didn't she want to divorce Arthur? Was this the method she came up with?
Sophie thought Aria was just playing hard to get.
She didn't want a divorce at all!
Who wants a divorce but still stays so entangled with the man?
She wouldn't fall for it so easily. Since Arthur didn't want to make a choice, she would force him to choose!