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Novel Catalog
Chapter 11
Gale was really a natural vixen. Shawn tugged at his tie, his voice sharp as he spoke, “Get up.”
The sound of his voice made Gale stir. She opened her eyes, immediately sitting up. “You’re back…” she murmured, her gaze darting around.
Shawn looked at her, his expression unreadable. He remained silent for a moment before asking, “What’s wrong?”
Gale glanced around nervously. “I—I deliberately slept in the corner. I didn’t block the door!”
“Have you had the soup yet?” Shawn’s question was blunt, leaving no room for escape.
Gale blinked in confusion. “Huh?”
“The soup!” he repeated, his tone sharp.
She hesitated, shaking her head. “No. Do I have to drink it?”
Shawn narrowed his eyes. “What do you think?”
Gale rose from the floor, unsure of why he was so insistent on the soup. What’s his obsession with Paula’s soup? she thought. What time is it…? Maybe if I finish it, I can just go back to sleep.
In the kitchen, Gale stood by the counter, a spoon in her hand, staring at the bowl of seafood soup in front of her. Shawn stood beside her, watching her every move. She closed her eyes and forced the soup into her mouth, the strong fishy smell almost making her gag. She struggled to swallow it but couldn’t take another bite after half of it.
“Is this enough?” she asked, her stomach churning.
“What do you think?” Shawn replied coldly.
Before Gale could respond, she felt her stomach lurch. She covered her mouth and sprinted toward the bathroom, vomiting violently. The sound of her retching echoed through the house.
Shawn’s face twisted in disgust as he heard the commotion from the bathroom. This soup is only to deceive Paula, he thought, rolling his eyes. The housekeeper came over with a package in hand.
“Mr. Wood, there’s a package for you, sent from abroad.”
“Give it to me,” Shawn said curtly. He opened the package to find the medication from William—just what he needed for his treatment. He glanced back at the soup, a small smile creeping across his face as he swallowed the pill without any emotion. He had found Susan. Once his illness was cured, and the divorce was finalized in three months, everything would be in his control.
Meanwhile, Gale had just returned from the bathroom, clutching her stomach. She still felt nauseous. What was wrong with her? Even if the seafood soup had been fishy, it shouldn’t have made her vomit like that.
The housekeeper suggested, “Mr. Wood, should we call the family doctor to check on your wife?”
“She won’t die!” Shawn replied dismissively, his voice icy.
Gale looked at the housekeeper, silently grateful for the concern. She shook her head gently, not wanting to make things worse by angering Shawn.
That night, Gale leaned against the wall, hugging her knees as she drifted in and out of sleep, too exhausted to rest properly. She only fell into a deeper sleep when it was almost dawn.
Downstairs, the kitchen was busy with the servants cleaning up. Susan arrived at Temperley Hall early, her excitement keeping her wide awake. She’d spent hours perfecting her makeup, eager to meet Shawn.
“Where’s Mr. Wood?” Susan called out loudly as she entered the living room. “Why is no one here to greet me? Do you all want to lose your jobs?”
The housekeeper glanced at her with a confused expression. “You are…?”
“You don’t even know me? Are you blind?” Susan snapped. “I’m the future Mrs. Wood!”
The housekeeper raised an eyebrow. “Temperley Hall already has a mistress. Are you planning to be another one?”
Susan’s eyes widened. “What? Impossible! Mr. Wood himself said he wanted to marry me! If you don’t believe me, ask him!”
“Mr. Wood is still sleeping,” the housekeeper replied, unbothered by her theatrics.
Susan’s frustration flared. She couldn’t waste any time—she had to see Shawn. Without a second thought, she rushed upstairs, determined to seize the opportunity. Anyone who stood in her way would be eradicated.
The housekeeper ran after her, calling out, “Strangers are not allowed on the second floor!”
But Susan didn’t care. She stormed toward the master bedroom, determined to confront Shawn.
Inside the room, Gale had been asleep until the sound of footsteps woke her. She blinked in confusion and was startled to see Susan standing over her.
“It’s you?” Gale muttered, trying to make sense of the situation.
Susan looked at her with a hint of recognition. “I just thought you looked familiar.”
Gale’s expression shifted. “Susan?”
She immediately recognized her—the dean’s daughter from the mental hospital. The girl was obsessed with fashion and beauty, always trying to present herself as someone wealthy, though in reality, she wasn’t. At least Jenny Timothy had the decency to come from a wealthy family.
Susan raised an eyebrow. “Why do you sleep on the floor? I see… Mr. Wood asked you to watch the door, right? You must have suffered a lot when you were in the mental hospital.”
Before Gale could respond, the housekeeper appeared, slightly out of breath. “This is our mistress,” the housekeeper said, offering an explanation.
Susan froze, shocked. “What!? You—you—married President Wood?” Her mind raced, trying to piece together the situation. The woman in front of her was Gale Warm—the woman Shawn had slept with that night. But if Shawn had found Susan, it meant he didn’t know Gale had been the one in his bed.
Gale’s calm voice broke through her thoughts. “Are you okay? Shawn’s still sleeping. If we disturb him, we might go hungry for the day.”
Susan gritted her teeth, but her resolve didn’t falter. No matter what, she would continue pretending to be the woman Shawn was looking for. Gale had better not try to take her place.
“I’m looking for Shawn,” Susan spat. “I didn’t expect to run into his watchdog. Move out of the way—I’m going in.”
Gale raised an eyebrow, unfazed. “Well, at least I’m watching my own house. If you want to use that analogy, you’ve just broken into a private home early in the morning and started barking. That makes you, at most, a wild dog that hasn’t been vaccinated.”
Susan seethed. “You dare insult me?”
Gale smirked. “I didn’t say you must be one, but you can’t help it if you have to admit you are.”
Susan’s face flushed with anger. “Don’t get ahead of yourself just because you’re Mrs. Wood! The man Mr. Wood wants to marry now is me!”
In a fit of rage, Susan yanked Gale’s quilt off the bed, tossed it aside, and slapped her across the face. Gale’s head snapped to the side from the force, but she quickly recovered, her eyes flashing with anger.
Susan raised her hand again, ready to strike. Gale, however, wasn’t about to be bullied. She grabbed Susan’s wrist, twisting it ruthlessly, and brought her other hand up, prepared to retaliate.
But before either of them could make another move, a deep voice rang out, sharp and commanding.
“Gale, try it if you dare.”
Gale froze. Her hand was mere centimeters from Susan’s cheek, but at the sound of Shawn’s voice, she stopped.
“Mr. Wood!” Susan cried out, her voice full of feigned distress. She clung to him dramatically. “Thank goodness you’re here… Otherwise, I would’ve definitely been slapped in the face!”
Shawn’s eyes narrowed slightly, his expression darkening. “Why are you here?”
“I missed you so much I couldn’t sleep,” Susan pouted. “Who knew this woman wouldn’t let me in and called me a dog…”
Gale remained silent, expecting Shawn to see through the lie. But to her surprise, he spoke in a low, steady voice. “Ask her to apologize to you. Or… you can do whatever you want to her.”
Susan looked up at him, her eyes gleaming with triumph. “Really?”
Shawn’s gaze didn’t waver. “Why don’t you believe it?” He turned to Gale, his voice cold. “Can you be compared to her?”
Susan beamed, leaning into him. “Shawn, your taste is truly unpredictable. So, you do like this type of woman after all.”