When the Contract Marriage Ended, He Stayed

###Chapter 14: This Isn’t My Mess to Clean Up

The next day.

Dylan Miller woke up in the hospital only to faint again. This happened several times until she had a complete breakdown. She never imagined that all the dirt she had tried so hard to hide would suddenly be exposed online in an instant.

The netizens who had previously supported her immediately turned on her. Her Weibo account had long been paralyzed by traffic, and her agent had dropped her after the first time she’d gone after Hazel Hawthorne. Now, she was well and truly isolated and helpless.

Dylan Miller broke down crying, but no one cared.

Hazel Hawthorne, who had heard the news, was too busy basking in the joy of passing her job interview to care how Aiden Xavier was handling his latest tabloid scandal.

When Aiden Xavier called her, she was in high spirits, shopping at a mall. Aiden gave her a generous monthly allowance, and since she was about to officially start work, she had to buy herself a few new outfits.

She couldn’t embarrass Aiden Xavier, nor could she embarrass herself, Hazel Hawthorne. More importantly, she couldn’t let her own stunning looks go to waste.

With just a little effort, she could be the most dazzling sight on the street.

After trying on some clothes, Hazel Hawthorne asked the sales associate to bag up the ones she liked. She was in the middle of paying when Aiden Xavier’s call came through.

Lately, Aiden Xavier had been calling a bit too frequently for her liking, and it was making Hazel somewhat uncomfortable.

A flash of impatience crossed her face. She handed her card to the cashier and stepped aside to answer the call.

"You haven’t seen the news?" Having dealt with the Dylan Miller situation, Aiden Xavier had waited a long time for a thank-you call from Hazel that never came.

Hazel was confused. "I don’t particularly enjoy reading your tabloid scandals. I do follow other current events, though. What is it? Do you have a new rumored girlfriend that you need me to deal with?"

Aiden Xavier was increasingly convinced that Hazel was no innocent little lamb. He was also starting to suspect he had misjudged her in the beginning, thinking she was a simple woman who couldn’t even speak up for herself.

His interactions with her had revealed a woman with a razor-sharp tongue who often left people speechless.

To call Hazel ’simple’ was the biggest misunderstanding of all.

"I’ve taken care of the Dylan Miller situation. No one will be insulting you online anymore." Aiden Xavier’s tone was detached, as if he were discussing something completely ordinary.

And in fact, since Hazel didn’t consider it important, it truly was as ordinary as could be.

"Oh, I see. While it’s true I didn’t handle the Dylan Miller thing well, she was someone you attracted in the first place. So, when you get down to it, you were just cleaning up your own mess. You didn’t really need to tell me."

"Hazel!" Aiden Xavier gritted his teeth, suppressing the anger she had provoked. "If you don’t have anything nice to say, don’t say anything at all."

"I was just telling the truth..." Before Hazel could finish, Aiden Xavier had already hung up. She stared blankly as she lowered her phone. ’Aiden Xavier is so rude.’

Putting Dylan Miller completely out of her mind, Hazel returned to the checkout counter, took the shopping bags the associate had packed, retrieved her bank card, and prepared to treat herself to a nice meal as a reward for her hard day of shopping.

’These leisurely days are numbered. Soon, I’ll only be able to shop on weekends.’

Aiden Xavier’s expression darkened. Hazel’s words still echoed in his ears. Even through the phone, he could picture her expression as she spoke: indifferent, unconcerned.

DING DING DING—

A series of text message notifications chimed. Annoyed, Aiden Xavier picked up his phone to look.

It was a notification from the bank—Dear Customer: A transaction of 100,000.00 was made on March 14 at 11:12 AM...

A moment later, another notification chimed. Aiden Xavier glanced at his phone again. It was another spending alert.

Aiden Xavier was fuming. Here he was, stewing in anger, while Hazel was out happily shopping with his card.

The difference between them was like heaven and earth.

Just as he’d thought, the Dylan Miller affair hadn’t affected Hazel in the slightest. Even his act of calling her specifically to tell her he’d handled it failed to stir any emotion in her.

Hazel was a heartless woman. Aiden Xavier was now deeply convinced of this.

He decided to just stop thinking about Hazel. After all, they were only a couple by contract. When the time was right, they would separate and go their own ways.

While Aiden Xavier kept hitting a wall with Hazel, he could always get a sense of validation from Raina Lowell.

Raina Lowell, after all, loved him to death. As Hazel would put it, every woman who appeared by his side was Raina’s enemy—and at the moment, of course, Raina’s greatest enemy was Hazel herself.

Hazel was heading home with her spoils when she suddenly got a call from Fiona Forrest. Before she could even catch her breath or have a sip of water, she answered the phone, her heart pounding.

She could ignore Aiden Xavier’s calls, but she had to answer Fiona Forrest’s.

’After all, I have no idea why she’s calling at this hour. Could she have found out that Aiden and Raina are starting up their little affair again?’

Hazel’s voice, syrupy sweet and much gentler than when she spoke to Aiden Xavier, was full of respect. "Mom, are you looking for Aiden? He’s not off work yet. I can have him call you back, okay?"

"What time is it now, and he’s still not home? Is the company so busy he doesn’t even have time to come home?" Fiona Forrest’s voice rose, then she quickly added, "Hazel, tell me honestly, is Aiden with that little bitch Raina Lowell?"

Hazel felt like she was facing a formidable enemy. ’I swear, I haven’t said a thing!’

"No, Mom. Aiden has a work dinner tonight. He told me this morning before he left."

"Forget it. Asking you is pointless. Hazel, you are a daughter-in-law of the Xavier Family, and in our family, we don’t let some mistress walk all over the legitimate wife. A man who looks like Aiden is bound to attract trouble. As his wife, you need to keep a tighter leash on him."

Fiona Forrest was exasperated by her perceived weakness. She reminded Hazel of this every time they spoke, and Hazel was sick of hearing it. Fortunately, Fiona wasn’t there in person, so Hazel just nodded obediently and placated her, "I know, Mom. I’ll definitely keep a close eye on Aiden."

As for Aiden attracting trouble wherever he went, Hazel agreed one hundred percent!

"Don’t just say it, do it." Fiona was still frustrated by Hazel’s passivity, but her earnest and obedient reply offered some small comfort. "I still need to call Aiden."

Aiden was her son, after all. Who knew his personality better than she did? If someone said Aiden had cut off contact with Raina Lowell, Fiona Forrest wouldn’t believe it for a second!

Worried that Aiden was about to get an earful—and more worried she’d get dragged into it—Hazel quickly called him to give him a heads-up. Before she could even speak, she heard Raina Lowell’s soft, cloying voice on the other end, the kind no man could resist.

"Aiden, who’s calling?"

Hazel curled her lip and complained internally, ’How f*cking disgusting. I’m about to throw up the dessert I had for lunch.’ "Aiden..."

Mimicking Raina’s voice as she called out his name was enough to make Hazel sick to her stomach.

It had the same effect on Aiden Xavier, who broke out in goosebumps. "Speak," he said grimly.

"Aiden Xavier, Mom just called and wants us to come home for dinner tonight. I told her you had a work engagement. She’s going to call you in a bit, so don’t slip up." Hazel was about to hang up without waiting for a reply when another thought occurred to her, and she added a well-intentioned reminder.

"You’d better not let Mom hear Raina’s voice. If she finds out, don’t you dare blame me. This isn’t my mess to clean up."

*****