Chapter 27
Going back to their table, Paula teased Cherise, “Took you long enough. A scumbag stopping you on your way back?“,
Julian pulled back a chair for Cherise to sit before sitting down himself.
Cherise sat down, offering her brother a smile before huffing and narrowing her eyes at her best friend. “You knew and didn’t come to get me?”
“Hey, I called Julian for you,” Paula defended herself. “I won’t be able to do anything if I were there, and you know that. He is different from his stupid friend, Finley.”
Rolling her eyes, Cherise muttered, “I really doubted Hudson’s IQ now. Maybe you can win a verbal match against him with how he behaves now.”
“Really? What did he do?” Paula asked with interest.
“I really don’t know what he wants from me. I’ve divorced him as he wished, but he still keeps on bugging me. So annoying…” Cherise scowled.
“Maybe he realized his mistake and wants you back,” Paula elbowed her best friend. “Usually, that’s what happens, right?”
“Did someone smack your head while I was away, causing you to have a loose crew in your brain?” Cherise asked her. “Don’t ever think of such ridiculous ideas. The world would stop spinning before he wants me back.”
“Just saying,” Paula shrugged. “If not, why would he keep on chasing after you or stopping you whenever you guys met?”
“Because he wants to belittle and humiliate me. Because he doesn’t like seeing me happy. Because he wants to play with my feelings. Because he doesn’t like seeing me with another man as he thinks I’m not worthy of the attention. And many others because. Just pick your choice,” Cherise Paula some options as she sipped her wine.
gave
“It’s more like he can’t let you go. That’s why he doesn’t like seeing you with another man. Because he is jealous!” Paula nearly squealed at the thought. She was the type of woman who loved to gossip no matter who the subject was, and that included everything about her best friends.
“Oh, please,” Cherise rolled her eyes. “It was just his ego talking. More like when someone snatches his toy away.”
Paula looked at Cherise long and hard, making her feel uncomfortable until she shifted in her seat. “Why are you looking at me like that?”
“Nahh…” Paula shook her head. “I really don’t think Hudson is that type of person. He wouldn’t think of someone or something if they are not important to him.”
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“So what are you trying to say?” Cherise asked with a raised brow. “That he kept thinking of his mistress during our marriage because she is important to him?”
Paula rolled her eyes. “Do you know that Hudson seldom visited his so–called mistress?”
“So what?” Cherise scoffed. “She’s living with his mother and sister now. It has nothing to do with me whether he wants to visit him or not.”
Paula shook her head helplessly. Sometimes, her friend was somewhat naive, so she needed to get straight to the point. “With how he behaves now… What if he wants to remarry you? Would you take him back?”
“That should not even be a question. I will never remarry him,” Cherise replied with determination. Why did Paula keep asking such foolish questions?
“He did say he never meant to divorce you, though,” Julian, who had been silent while enjoying his wine and letting the two best friends converse, finally spoke.
“Oh my Gawd!” Paula squealed and jumped out from her seat, nearly toppling it backward and garnering attention from all the other restaurant patrons.
“Calm down, Paula,” Cherise hissed and pulled her back down. “And lower your voice.”
Once seated, Paula dragged her chair closer to Cherise, and they huddled together to gossip while. Julian could only shake his head hopelessly.
“Did Hudson really say that?” Paula whispered impatiently at Cherise.
“He did, but as I said, it was just his ego talking” Cherise became angry when she thought about it.
“But someone like Hudson would not just say things like that,” Paula replied lowered voice.
ly, still with a
“He was just toying with my emotions,” Cherise scowled. “He was the one asking me to apologize or divorce. If he didn’t want to divorce me, he wouldn’t even give me those choices.”
Paula tapped her fingertip against her chin as she thought about the meaning behind Hudson’s words. “I think he has started to miss you!
“Impossible,” Cherise snorted. “If he even had slight feelings for me, he wouldn’t have ignored me during our marriage or brought back his pregnant mistress.”
Paula rolled her eyes, thinking her best friend was so naive. “My point is he might not realize that he had fallen in love with you and just realize it now.”
“Are you on my side or his?” Cherise glared at Paula. Why did it feel like she wanted them to get back together?
“Of course, I’m on your side, babe.” Paula hooked her arm with Cherise and clung to her. “I’m just thinking of your happiness, It must be hard to forget him. You were so in love with him for three
Chapter 27
years, it kinda seems impossible for the feelings to just disappear, especially if he starts to regret and chase after you sincerely.”
“I don’t love him anymore,” Cherise said with as much confidence as she could. “If he wants me back, then it’s too late.”
“Is that so?” Julian chimed in, wanting to know his sister’s honest thoughts on that matter. Just like Paula, Julian thought if Cherise still had lingering feelings for the man, then he wouldn’t stop them. from getting back together as long as Hudson had truly repented and loved his sister deeply.
As for the Amery mother–daughter duo, once they knew of Cherise’s real identity, they wouldn’t dare to bully her so Cherise could have happiness with the man she loved.
Charise whipped her head to glare at her brother. “Are you also on his side now?”
Julian chuckled and pinched her cheek dotingly. “We just want you to be happy.”
“Have you guys forgotten that he cheated and impregnated another woman?” Cherise asked them exasperatedly.
Julian and Paula shared a fleeting look. They had a doubt that the unborn baby was Hudson’s, if according to Cherise’s story of how Emely seemed to want to get rid of it purposely.
But before Julian had concrete proof, they couldn’t say otherwise. If the baby were Hudson’s, then they for sure wouldn’t let them get back together. A leopard couldn’t change its spots, and once a cheater, always a cheater.
For now, even if Paula seemed excited by the thought of them getting back together, everyone around Cherise knew it would be best to keep them separate or at least have as little interaction as possible.
Hudson had, after all, hurt Cherise and didn’t stop his mother and sister from bullying her during their marriage. If he really wanted her back, he needed to get the approval of so many people.
“Do you hate him?” Paula asked with curiosity, trying to change the subject.
“For now, yes,” Cherise replied without hesitation.
“Careful. As they said, there’s a fine line between love and hate,” Paula warned teasingly, bumping her shoulder against Cherise’s.
Cherise rolled her eyes and stood up. “Let’s go
home.”
“Gladly,” Paula gulped down the rest of her wine and followed Cherise with Julian having his arm around Cherise’s tiny waist.
When they passed by Hudson’s table, because Cherise said she didn’t love Hudson anymore, Julian stopped and smiled at Finley and Keith. “Please tell Amery not to bother my woman anymore, or I’ll need to take drastic measures to ensure it won’t happen again. Furthermore, it won’t look good for a powerful CEO to still disturb his ex–wife while having a fiance as well.”
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Even though his tone was casual and his smile was still as gentle as ever, there was no denying the warning and threat in his words.
Without waiting for their answers, Julian pulled Cherise along with him to the lobby, with Paula. walking on the other side of Cherise.
After Cherise, Paula, and Julian got into Julian’s car, Finley snapped back to reality and asked Keith with disbelief, “Did I hear it correctly? Did Julian say Cherise is now his woman, and Hudson is pestering her?”
“You heard it right,” Keith replied as he leaned back languidly.
“But how could it be? How could Julian want a lowly gold digger? How could Hudson pester Cherise? He has Emely now,” Finley kept denying what he had heard.
Feeling tired of Finley misjudging Cherise, Keith asked him, “Finley, how can you be so sure that Cherise is a gold digger? Have you ever seen her wearing something expensive when she was with Hudson?”
Keith’s questions rendered Finley speechless. No, he never saw Cherise wearing anything. expensive, even during their gatherings.
Seeing Hudson coming back, Keith told Finley, “Why don’t we ask Hudson about it since he is the party involved?”
Keith was sure by now that Hudson had realized Cherise wasn’t the woman he thought.
Once Hudson sat on his chair, Finley asked him the question that he had been itching to ask. “Hudson, did Cherise ever ask you for anything? Did she ever spend your money?”
Hudson frowned as he listened to Finley’s questions. Why did everyone seen. the same question today?
“She spent my money,” he replied simply.
.eep asking him
Finley smiled smugly at Keith, but before he could say “I told you so“, Hudson continued his
sentence.
“She only used my money to spend on my family and the servants as bonuses,” he added. “Miles had all the receipts of her spending.”
“She never spent your money on herself?” Finley’s eyes widened in disbelief. All of his girlfriends: had always asked for gifts since they knew he was rich.
Hudson rubbed his temple. He hated feeling like he was wrong. He had always been right about everything else, and that was why he could become the Amery Group’s CEO.
“No. Miles always accompanied her whenever she went shopping, and she also never used the card I gave her.”
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“Are you absolutely sure?” Finley asked hesitantly. He still couldn’t believe such a woman existed, especially one married to the wealthiest man in the country.
“Yes.” Hudson gulped down his wine before standing up to leave. “I’m going back.” He was tired of hearing people speaking about Cherise. He needed to forget her and not be reminded of her, especially not from his two best friends.
“Wow,” Finley let out a breath. “Well, who knew? Maybe Cherise was already involved with any other men while being married to Hudson.”
Knowing it was impossible to knock some sense into Finley, Keith stood up and left, just like Hudson.
“Hey, wait for me!“Finley ran after him and started talking bad about Cherise again, which Keith ignored.
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