Hiding Behind Her Superficiality novel Chapter 522
“Say, where do you suppose he’s going?”
Hank usually worked from 9.00AM until 11.30AM, but today, only half an hour had passed since he went upstairs, so where was he going?
Summer picked up the name list and scanned through it. Then, she frowned. “I have no idea, either. Mr. Damazio doesn’t have any appointments today, so why did he go out?”
“I don’t know, maybe there’s an emergency, but since he went out already, should I go after him?”
Yelena suddenly came up with a bold idea.
However, she had just finished speaking when a slap landed on her head. “What are you talking about? Do you really think you’re a simp or something? Yelena, you’re a bona fide celebrity! Don’t you feel ashamed to be sneaking around?”
Summer was pissed when she imagined Yelena ingratiating herself with a man when she was so beautiful.
This woman didn’t seem to be aware of how beautiful she was, and she kept acting like a simp in front of Hank. Her beauty was wasted on her!
If it were Summer, she would’ve dumped Hank right away and gone on dates with all sorts of beautiful and handsome men.
It was like casting pearls before swine!
Sadly, Summer wasn’t born with a face like that, nor could she persuade the lovestruck Yelena to stop.
Yelena rubbed her chin. “You’re right. I should wait here patiently until he comes back. If not, he’ll be disappointed if he doesn’t see me.”
“Disappointed, my foot! Come on, he doesn’t want to see you at all!”
Yelena didn’t believe that at all. She simply felt that Hank was testing her.
Yes, it was a test. After all, she had treated him unfairly before and even dumped him, so he had a right to be a little harsh.
Every time she felt a little down, Yelena would comfort herself by telling herself that. It actually worked, and now she was getting more and more shameless.
“So, what exactly do you mean by that?”
“I’m saying, if you’re out of options, you can go the opposite way. If he treats you like that, you can treat him the same way. Play hard to get, you know?”
Summer thought that her idea was amazing, and she even felt like patting herself on the back.
“No… I don’t think I should treat him like that…”
Yelena was troubled. If she did something like that to Hank, she feared that the tiny sliver of patience Hank still had for her would be gone completely. It would be even more difficult to pursue Hank later on.
“Why not? He’s ordering you around, but you’re still trying not to hurt his feelings? How pathetic is that? No, wait, Yelena, you’re a simp through and through! No man would fall for a simp!”
Summer was fuming. She had already decided that if her own daughter behaved like this, she would chase her daughter out and disown her.
“I…”
Yelena shook her head, then nodded again. She had finally made up her mind to stop being such a simp when she glanced up and saw two figures walking toward the entrance.
She recognized one of them. It was Hank, who didn’t even spare her a glance when he walked past her in the morning. Even though he was far away, she still felt like she could smell the familiar musky scent on his body.
As for the other figure…
Yelena had never seen her before, but the girl looked charming and attractive, and her bright and cheery aura was a natural magnet.
Yelena suddenly felt a strong sense of danger.
Her thoughts were not without reason. Hank rarely smiled, but right now, there was a familiar affection in his eyes as he looked at the girl. Yelena couldn’t help but feel bitter and awful about it.
“This is my workplace. You can look around if you like.”
Hank put on a polite smile, and this smile hurt Yelena even more.
At the side, Summer clicked her tongue as she nudged Yelena’s arm. “Hey, look, Mr. Damazio actually brought a woman here. He never brings women to the law firm on his own accord.”
“I know.”
Hank had told her before that she was the first woman whom he took to his law firm.
It turned out that with every first would come a second.
There was moisture in Yelena’s eyes as she felt indescribable sorrow and injustice.
She suddenly realized how pitiful she was. She was a joke and irrelevant.
Summer took out a baseball cap and placed it on Yelena’s head. “I know you’re feeling terrible, so just cry if you want to. If crying doesn’t help, go ahead and cause a ruckus. Things have already reached this point, anyway. Hank is probably starting over…”
The words ‘start over’ induced a sense of loss and helplessness.
Yelena was at a loss, but she definitely wasn’t going to make a fuss.
Just like that, she quietly watched as Hank introduced all sorts of things about the law firm to the girl. The girl’s face was filled with curiosity and admiration, just like Yelena’s in the past.
The girl blinked mischievously and said, “Do you bring girls here often?”
Hank thought for a moment, then said, “No, rarely.”
Yelena naturally heard what he said.
At least he wasn’t denying her existence.
At that thought, Yelena felt comforted, but she also felt very pitiful at the same time.
“Hank, what do you make of it, exactly?”
The girl’s voice took on a piteous quality, and her already sweet voice turned sickly sweet.
Hank had an unfathomable look on his face, but he still found an excuse to avoid answering. “We don’t have to rush it. We can take our time.”
Yelena instantly felt like her world was crumbling.
She had reason to overthink their conversation because it sounded too much like an engagement.
Could it be that Hank had truly let go of her and was now ready to accept someone else?
“As for the blind date today… I’ll talk to my dad about it.” The girl chuckled lightly, and she seemed extra cheerful.
“Okay.” Hank nodded. He didn’t say anything more, and the expression on his face softened a little.
The words ‘blind date’ was enough to confirm Yelena’s guesses. Hank had not only let go of her, but he had also gone on a blind date.
Yelena shifted her gaze down to see that the ring on Hank’s finger was gone.
He had taken off the ring.
Seeing Yelena’s extremely piteous and desolate behavior, Summer couldn’t help but coax, “Don’t dwell on it too much. Hank isn’t all that great anyway. He’s just a little more handsome, has a slightly nicer personality, is a bit more focused, earns a slightly higher salary, is a little cleverer, comes from a slightly better background—”
“Just stop.”
By then, Yelena’s tears were already streaming down her face, but she still stubbornly refused to admit it.
“I get it. I won’t come back ever again.”
Now that things had come to this, if she still insisted on coming over, that would really make her a simp.
Even if she wanted to be a simp, she didn’t want to simp for someone she wasn’t sure she could get.
Yelena sniffled, then wiped her tears away and took off the cap on her head.
“Thanks, Summer. I think I should get going.”
Noticing Hank looking at her, Summer looked at him as well. For the first time ever, there was no admiration in her eyes. There was disappointment and disdain.
Is that disdain I notice? Hank thought he was seeing things. When he tried to take a closer look, Summer had looked away and was staring at the entrance.
“Hank? What are you staring at, Hank?” The girl waved her hand in front of Hank’s face, snapping him out of his stupor.
“Nothing. Let’s go upstairs.”
Cecelia waved her hand. “No. Someone’s waiting for me. That concludes our appointment today. See you tomorrow, Mr. Damazio.”
Hank looked away and nodded gently. “Sure. Go now. Drive safe.”
“I know, I know. Bye now.” Cecelia picked up her bag and walked off. When she reached the entrance, she asked Summer, “Who was that with you just now? She was staring at me.”
Summer thought of Yelena as her friend. The fact that Cecelia was trying to act innocent got on her nerves. She snapped, “That’s confidential. I cannot answer that, miss.”
Surprised by Summer’s snappish attitude, Cecelia smiled awkwardly at Hank. “Your employee can be quite the character.”
Hank’s face fell. “She needs more training.”
Summer didn’t care about his opinion.
Cecelia shrugged and left.
Then, Hank asked, “Why did you snap at her?”
“I have no idea what you’re talking about, Mr. Damazio.” Summer sorted out the files in her hand, refusing to answer.
Hank narrowed his eyes, frustration welling up in him. “Why did you snap at my client? Have you forgotten what I told you?”
“No. I just never took you for someone so heartless, but I thought wrong.” Summer met Hank’s gaze without fear. This was the first time she spoke to him that way, and she was ready to lose her job over this. This job was hard to get, it paid well, and she didn’t have to do much. If I lose my job, you’re going to have to support me, Yelena. I’m doing this for you.
Hank looked at her in disbelief. Summer had always been a smart, quiet girl. This wasn’t the kind of attitude he expected from her. However, he realized Yelena had been chatting with her lately. It was normal if they became friends. She made an ally out of Summer in just a few days. That’s surprising. “What do you mean I’m heartless?” He pursed his lips.
“You know what I mean.”
“Did Yelena say something?” If she’s already calling me heartless, there’s no telling how much worse the critique is behind my back.
Hank heaved a sigh. He was about to keep asking, but Summer got agitated. “It hasn’t been days since I knew her, but she’s a timid girl. She gets flustered and will apologize profusely just because she bumps into someone, yet she won’t give up on you. She follows you around all day, but you won’t even give her an answer or even a moment of your time. That’s cruel.”
Hank looked at her silently.
“And as if that’s not enough, you bring another girl around just to spite her. Words aren’t enough to express how I feel.” Summer was fuming as if she was the one being bullied.
Hank laughed. “You’re going to call me a jerk, aren’t you?”
No. You’re a f*ckboy, Summer thought. She could lose her job, but she didn’t want to get sued over this. “No, but I think you should consider your options very carefully from now on, Mr. Damazio.” If I were Yelena, I would’ve raised hell long ago. She’s been nothing but patient. I’d have killed everyone.
Hank looked at the unfinished waffle. He was reminded of how Yelena kept telling him not to waste food, and something stirred within him. She must have been really sad to not finish her favorite food.
Summer took her tag off and resolutely said, “If you think I’ve offended you and your client, then fire me. I won’t complain, but please don’t leave her hanging.”
“Very well.” Hank nodded.
Despite her brave front, Summer still winced from the termination. Damn it. I’m unemployed now. “I’ll pack my stuff up and go.” She turned around to pack her things up.
“You don’t have to. The firm needs someone with a sense of justice like you.”
Summer froze and turned around in disbelief. “Really? You think I have a sense of justice?”
“I’m not terminating you.”
Hank left it at that. Before he left, Summer said, “Mr. Damazio, I have another message for you. Yelena saw that woman and it broke her heart. She said she won’t ever come to the firm again.”
She won’t ever come again? She must’ve been really heartbroken. Something stirred in Hank’s heart, but he couldn’t put a finger on it. Yet, he nodded. “I see.”
Summer heaved a sigh. I did my best. It’s all in fate’s hands now.
…
Yelena came to a bar for the first time. She picked Luna. It was Elspeth’s turf after all. Nobody would try to pull anything funny.
Yet some people just had to disturb her. Noticing Yelena trying to get wicked drunk as if to forget her worries, someone came holding a couple of glasses of wine. “Alone, cutie?” The man leered and shoved a glass of wine over to Yelena, then he sat down beside her.
Yelena looked at him groggily. She drawled, “Get away from me. I’m a simp.”
The man’s smile froze, and his lips twitched. That’s a… refreshing way to refuse pick-up artists.
“My God, fate does not smile at me. The guy I like went on a blind date with another girl. I can’t understand him. She’s not better than me, but he still brought her over to his place just to disgust me.”
The man patted her shoulder. His face fell, and he shouted, “Men are pigs, miss. Don’t fall for his tricks.”
“I think so too. Bottoms up.”
“We should really stand up for ourselves, sis. There’s a whole sea of fish out there. Don’t hang on to a single one.”
The two of them got tipsy and became close friends. In the end, Yelena collapsed on the table. She wasn’t a good drinker.
The guy stared at the drunken Yelena, and then he snapped out of it. What the hell am I doing? Why did I listen to her story? The man rolled his eyes and had an intense debate with himself. In the end, he couldn’t take advantage of her. Before he left, he even draped his coat over Yelena.
Yelena was a petite woman, and the coat almost covered her whole body. Hank almost missed her. Someone told him Yelena went to Luna alone and hadn’t come out for an hour. He was going to let Yelena do whatever she wanted, but then he remembered that Yelena was a bad drinker. She might not even last thirty minutes.
What if something were to happen to her? Hence, Hank went to Luna and found Yelena sleeping on the table. Not even the blaring music could wake her. He took the coat off and pushed Yelena, waking her up. He stared at her and asked, “Whose coat is this?” It’s a man’s coat. I can smell the cologne. Hank’s face fell.
“No idea. Probably belongs to a female friend of mine.” Yelena’s face was red, and she wouldn’t stop burping. Hank couldn’t get any answers like this.
He picked her up and left the bar. Then, he placed her on the edge of the flowerbed.
“My butt’s freezing!” Yelena pushed him.
However, Hank didn’t care. He put his hands on both sides of Yelena and refused to let her stand. “Tell me, whose coat is this?”
Yelena placed her hands on his shoulders, trying to stay upright. “I can’t remember, but it must belong to someone in the bar.”
“Why did you come to the bar?” Hank sounded furious. It was a little scary.
Yelena sobered up a little. She stared at his face and muttered, “Hey, you’re getting a new girl, aren’t you? Stay out of my business. You said you never want to see me again.” As Yelena spoke, the sadder she became, and she turned her face away. She refused to let Hank see her cry. You’re useless, Yelena. You can’t cry just like that, she thought.
Thinking that Yelena was in no condition to answer any question, Hank stopped asking. Gently, he said, “Don’t ever come to places like this again.”
Sounds familiar. He said that before. No, if he’s gentler, then it’d be just like the old him. Why is he so nice all of a sudden? Something stirred in Yelena’s heart. It felt like they had gone back to the good old days for a moment, back when Hank still liked her. “Mind your own business.” She shoved him away and leaped off the flowerbed, but her legs wobbled and she almost fell.
Hank held her up.
“Don’t touch me. We’re not a couple anymore. I don’t need your help. I hate you!” Then, she crouched down and cried like a child.
Her cry was almost deafening. Hank’s heart went out to her, but he also felt a bit awkward. In the end, he patted her head. “All right, don’t cry.”
“Do you have any idea how unfair you’ve been? You’re making me look like a simp! No lady worth her salt would do that. I would’ve left if I weren’t in love with you!”
Yelena was slurring a little, but Hank got the gist of it. Still, he shrugged. “Not the first time you’re being a simp. You did it for two years when you courted Max.”
Hank looked into her past behind her back and knew everything. The thought that the girl he liked was a simp for someone else for two years bothered him.
“So, you’re doing this because you want me to simp for you too?” For once, Yelena got what he was trying to say, and she wanted to thump him.
Hank knew that was what she would think, but he actually did have that idea. Awkward. I can’t explain this to her. He stood petrified and stared at Yelena, who was still crouching. He heaved a sigh. “Fine, I’m sorry.”
“Apology not accepted.” Yelena struggled to stand up. She held the decor beside her, holding down her urge to puke. Her eyes were red and glistening with tears. “I will never forgive you. I hate you.” He’s so annoying. I’m already getting over him, and now he’s nice to me all of a sudden.
Hank was about to say something, but he saw someone coming closer, and he frowned. “Suit yourself.”
Yelena was surprised about the sudden change in attitude. “Am I that unimportant to you?”
There was pain in Yelena’s eyes. If it were anyone else, the constant back-and-forth in this relationship would have driven them away, but she didn’t want to leave. She liked Hank, and she didn’t even take off their couple’s ring. Yet when she saw how cold he was, the lingering affection she had for him vanished. She thought something was wrong with his head.
Yelena touched her hand. The ring’s cold sensation woke her up. She looked at Hank again, but there was no ring on his finger. He had taken it off. Irritated by that, Yelena took her ring off and shoved it into his hands. “Fine. Then I’m cutting ties with you. I hope you’ll never disturb me again as you promised.”
She wanted to storm off like a brave woman, but when she turned around, she saw Cecelia happily waving at Hank. Tears fell down her cheeks. Fine. So, you found another girl, but it’s none of my business.
Elspeth couldn’t get used to that, but she liked how Callum was taking care of her. If that’s what he wants, then I’ll go with it. She also noticed that Callum was staring at her belly a lot, as if a child would pop out at any moment.
Callum took the seat beside Elspeth and caressed her belly gently, as if there was a baby inside. “Are you pregnant yet?”
Elspeth smacked his hand away and frowned. “What are you talking about? Pregnancy doesn’t happen that fast.”
Callum chuckled, and he drawled, “Are you saying I’m not doing good enough?”
Elspeth shut up and stole a glance through the corner of her eye. “I think we should take it slow.”
Ignoring that, Callum leaned down and stopped above her belly. “So, would you like a boy or a girl?”
“That’s not up to me,” Elspeth said. That’s up to the father. All I provide is an ovum and an incubator for the baby.
Callum knew that. He did some research about baby-related stuff so they could have a healthy baby. Elspeth wasn’t interested in the matter. They couldn’t rush it, and there was a bit of luck involved. The most important matter at hand was Jethro.
“I can’t believe he’d let himself get corrupted. He actually conspired with Arthur.”
Callum held up a lock of her hair and fiddled with it. “Corrupted?” He scoffed. “What he did was just child’s play. Not that it matters.”
“So are you…”
Elspeth didn’t finish her sentence, but Callum knew what she was getting at.
Jethro caused a big problem and almost sent Callum to jail. Callum would’ve given Jethro a taste of his own medicine, but in the end, Jethro was just a young lad who got with the wrong crowd. Callum shook his head. “He’s not exactly involved in this matter. Just make up an excuse to fire him. If Old Mr. Wilstone knew of Jethro’s behavior, he would teach him a lesson too.”
“He’s young, but honestly, he’s scheming.” Elspeth massaged her forehead. “I don’t understand. Why does he keep coming after me? I’m a lot older than he is. He can just get someone his age.”
Oh, that reminds me of Aldea. After Elspeth came back, she hadn’t had time for her company and had forgotten about Aldea. “So, what’s Aldea doing? Jethro’s first love, I mean.”
Callum didn’t know much about this matter, but there was one thing he knew. “She quit her job.”
“What?” Elspeth perked up. “Why? That’s so sudden.”
This wasn’t a good time to quit, at least for Aldea. She stepped into fame abroad as an influencer and was well-regarded in the nation. If she worked harder, she might be able to debut in the entertainment industry. That would open the doors to a brighter future. So why did she quit all of a sudden?
Oh, wait. I think I know why. “Did Jethro say something? He must’ve said something to her to make her quit.”
Callum’s face fell. “Why do you care about them so much? Just let them do what they want. Not like their affairs are your business.” As long as Jethro stayed away from Elspeth, Callum didn’t mind letting him live.
“Alright, fine. Just curious, that’s all.” He’s jealous again. I should look into this myself. I should probably cheer him up. Softly, she said, “Fine, I won’t ask. Honestly, all I wanted was some tea.”
“You could’ve used that time to find out something more useful like how to keep your man loyal.” Callum cheered up a little.
“Oh, I don’t need tricks.” Elspeth smiled, wrapping her arms around his neck and leaning closer to him. “I know my husband is the most loyal man of them all. I have a good eye for that.”
Callum realized that Elspeth would refer to him as ‘my husband’. A bit formal, but it was nice. Moreover, she would always speak softly whenever she said that. It turned him on a little.
At the same time, Elspeth was also praising herself. She has a glib tongue. Callum wasn’t annoyed and actually loved it. He looked at her beautiful, slender neck, and that lit up the flames of desire in him. “Then reward me with something.”
Elspeth froze up, her smile disappearing. “I think…”
Callum kissed her before she could finish the sentence. A gust of wind blew into the living room, whispering moans of desire to those who would listen to it and causing the curtains to flutter.
…
Max’s funeral was a simple one. Theodore and Margot watched as their son was slowly buried under the ground. They were devastated and burst into tears. Margot eventually blacked out again, causing a scene.
Then everyone left, leaving Elspeth and Callum to deal with the loose ends.
“Elspeth.” A woman in a black dress slowly approached Elspeth. It had been a while since Elspeth saw Yelena. There was a hint of darkness as well as sorrow on Yelena’s face.
“You look listless.” Elspeth was worried about her best friend, and she held Yelena’s hand. My God, she’s lost a lot of weight.
“I’m fine.” Yelena tried to smile but she couldn’t, not when she was at Max’s funeral. “I just need a bit of rest.”
“Hank’s still ignoring you?”
The mention of Hank made Yelena pale. “Elspeth, we’re… not going to see each other anymore.”
Yelena shook her head. “He went on a blind date. Soon it’ll be the engagement, and then a wedding.”
That was a surprise for Elspeth. She thought something was wrong. Hank’s love for her wasn’t an act. If it was an act, then he’d be a terrifying man. If his love for her is true, then what caused this breakup?
Noticing Elspeth’s worried look, Yelena couldn’t hold it in anymore. She cried and threw herself into Elspeth’s embrace. “He’s dumping me. He took a woman back to his firm, and he was really nice to her. Like how he was nice to me.”
A frown furrowed Elspeth’s brow, but she could do nothing. She just patted Yelena’s back. “Don’t cry. We’ll deal with this. Calm down…”
Yelena’s incessant cries caught the attention of all the reporters. Some of the sharper ones recognized Yelena. They knew she was engaged to Max, but the engagement was eventually canceled. Now she’s here at the funeral, and she’s crying. She must still love Max. Poor lady.
The reporter quickly took a few shots of the crying Yelena. Elspeth shot him a glance, and the reporter almost tossed his camera away in fear. He quickly ran away with his photos before Elspeth chased after him.
“I’m fine, Elspeth.” Yelena finally stopped crying. She took a seat and muttered, “I think he doesn’t like me anymore. I’m not going to try and convince him anymore.” Besides, he’s close to that girl. If I continue to hound him, that’d make me a homewrecker. Being a simp is the lowest I can tolerate. I will not be a homewrecker. That’s disgusting.
“He didn’t bother with you when you sought him out, did he?”
Reminded of her stupidity, Yelena started to cry again. “Yes.”
“He brought another girl back when you were there, correct?”
“Yes.”
Elspeth mulled over it for a while, and she thought something was off. “Maybe he did it on purpose.”
“Why would he do that?” Yelena sobbed like a hurt kitten.
“So, you’d back off. You’ve been hounding him, so he wanted you to leave,” said Elspeth, but Yelena cried harder. “No, don’t cry. I’m not saying he doesn’t like you. He just wanted you to leave.”
Does that make any difference? Yelena sobbed.
Elspeth held her forehead. “What then? Did something else happen?”
“No… No, wait. I went to Luna alone that night. I met a friend there, someone who shares my values.”
“Scum, more like,” Elspeth snickered. There are no decent people in bars.
“Fine, I ran into a scum. I had a chat with him and then fell asleep. I think he draped a coat over me before he left. When I woke up, Hank was right beside me. I was surprised, then he took me away from the bar and asked me whom the coat belonged to.”
That settles it. He still likes her. Elspeth’s confusion lifted a little. “And?”
“I said nothing to him, so he got mad. Then he tried to cheer me up like he used to. And then…” Reminded of Cecelia, the light in Yelena’s eyes dimmed. “And then the woman came. Hank then started giving me a cold shoulder.”
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