The Perfect Wife's Perfect Revenge

When Hawthorne stepped inside, Yvette's grandfather was sipping his tea. The moment he saw Hawthorne, he stood up with a broad, genuine smile lighting up his face.

"Hawthorne, you're here-please, have a seat!"

Hans stepped forward, presenting the gift he'd brought. Yvette's grandfather quickly waved for a servant to take it. As the servant retreated toward the door, Yvette quietly called her over.

"Let me see that."

She was curious about what Hawthorne had chosen for her grandfather; it would show how much he valued her.

But when she unwrapped the fancy packaging, all she found was a box of old- fashioned health supplements-something like dried ginseng. Disappointment washed over her.

The servant looked uncertain, caught between staying and leaving. "Is there a problem, Miss?"

Yvette waved her off, clearly annoyed. "No, take it away."

Instead of heading to the sitting room, she slipped aside, hiding just out of sight to eavesdrop on the conversation between her grandfather and Hawthorne.

"You look well, sir," Hawthorne said, opening with a polite, if predictable, remark. Yvette's grandfather chuckled warmly. "I'm holding up. Might just make it to a hundred at this rate. You're a busy man-it's not easy getting you to visit."

He wasn't just being polite. In truth, it had been ages since he'd last seen Hawthorne. This was a chance to catch up, but he was old enough to know that topics in common with young people were getting scarce.

Yvette had asked him to speak to Hawthorne about marriage. The prospect secretly pleased him, but he was far from confident. A man as accomplished as Hawthorne was the target of every eligible woman in Greenvale's upper crust. Yvette's grandfather had cashed in an old friendship with the senior Everhart, asking Hawthorne to arrange a job for Yvette-a favor he didn't take lightly.

There was a time when Yvette's family and the Everharts were equals. Now, they lagged far behind. After a lifetime of pride, with one foot in the grave, he couldn't ignore his granddaughter's pleas, even if it meant swallowing his pride and asking for this meeting.

He was a proud man, though, and would only test the waters. If Hawthorne showed no interest, he'd let the matter drop.

"Not at all," Hawthorne replied,

settling into his chair and accepting a cup of tea. The aroma of food drifted in from the kitchen-an

unspoken invitation to stay f net

dinner. But he had no intention of getting further tangled with Yvette's family. Whatever obligations he owed the older generation, he'd

already repaid them through Yvette.

The old man was nearing the end, and as a member of the younger generation,

Hawthorne supposed he'd visit now and then-nothing more.

"I had dinner at home with my wife before coming. Your tea's excellent; I might have to ask for another cup."

Yvette's grandfather stared at him in shock, his eyes searching Hawthorne's face as if he'd misheard.

Even Yvette, listening from the hallway, froze.

Wife? What did he mean by that?

The old man tried to clarify, hesitantly, "You mean you're here with your-?"

Hawthorne didn't shy away. "My wife. I recently married."

With that, even the most oblivious listener would realize Hawthorne was already married.noveldrama

Yvette couldn't hold back any longer. She burst into the room.

"Hawthorne, what's that supposed

all

you

trouble to invite you here, and

My grandfather's gone et

stand there and lie?"

Her usual composure shattered-she was convinced Hawthorne had come just to make trouble.

She snatched up his gift and tossed it to the floor, glaring at him with hurt and fury. "Yvette, that's enough!"

Her grandfather's voice rose in panic. This behavior was beyond the pale; her outburst left him shaken.

He'd seen enough of life not to misread the situation. Hawthorne hadn't even let him broach the

subject he'd come in, sipped himn et

tea, and made it clear he already knew exactly what the old man wanted to discuss.