When the Contract Marriage Ended, He Stayed

### Chapter 20: What Responsibility Could I Have?

The day after Raina Lowell was hospitalized, Hazel Hawthorne went to see her around noon and ran right into a travel-worn Aiden Xavier, who had hurried back.

They bumped right into each other at the elevators. Hazel Hawthorne stared in disbelief at Aiden Xavier, who shouldn’t have been there. He had dropped his business and rushed back just because Raina Lowell was in the hospital.

’What profound love, to inspire such devotion.’

When Aiden Xavier saw Hazel Hawthorne, his face was expressionless. His cold gaze quickly swept over her shocked expression.

His voice was cold and laced with sarcasm. "Here to see if Raina Lowell is dead yet?"

Aiden Xavier’s words snapped Hazel Hawthorne out of her daze. Instead of getting angry, she laughed. "That’s right. And if I see she isn’t dead, I’ll have to finish the job myself."

Every word out of Hazel Hawthorne’s mouth took Aiden Xavier by surprise.

’If she dares to be this brazen to my face—talking about finishing the job, about killing Raina Lowell—I can only imagine how much worse she is to Raina when I’m not around.’

Catching Aiden Xavier’s look, as if she knew exactly what he was thinking, Hazel Hawthorne abruptly continued, "And why wouldn’t I be? You were gone for one day, and I abandoned Raina Lowell at home, went out to wine and dine, and then kicked her out on a night of pouring rain."

Then, as if struck by a new thought, Hazel Hawthorne suddenly leaned in closer to Aiden Xavier, her expression enigmatic. "Do you know why I’m at the hospital?"

Without waiting for Aiden Xavier to answer, she continued, "To tell you the truth, I’m here to finish off Raina Lowell. I’m going to wait until no one’s around and stab her to death. You know what’s in my bag? A very sharp knife."

Hazel Hawthorne looked at Aiden Xavier’s utterly baffled expression and couldn’t help but burst out laughing. The other people in the elevator, who had heard everything, turned to stare. Their faces a mixture of shock and bewilderment, they looked at Hazel Hawthorne as if she were a dangerous criminal, silently shuffling away to put some distance between them.

Seeing this, Hazel Hawthorne’s smile bloomed.

Just then, the elevator stopped. Hazel Hawthorne stepped out first, and Aiden Xavier followed close behind. He found himself staring, lost in thought as he watched her graceful stride.

Everyone said Hazel Hawthorne was beautiful, with a great figure and a model’s proportions. If she hadn’t married him, the men pursuing her would have been countless.

Even now, married to him, whenever she walked down the street alone, men would approach to ask for her number. She’d attract a crowd of men trying to hit on her even at a bar.

Aiden Xavier pictured Hazel Hawthorne in his mind and pursed his lips. ’Have I just seen too many beautiful women, or has everyone else put her on a pedestal?’

’She’s completely unremarkable. You could pull any random woman off the street who’s just as good.’

Perhaps this was a classic case of a husband being blind to his own wife’s beauty, seeing her only as ordinary.

As Hazel Hawthorne reached the door to the hospital room, before her hand could even touch the knob, Aiden Xavier strode forward, shoved her aside, and opened the door himself.

Raina Lowell looked up just in time to see Aiden Xavier. Her eyes immediately welled with tears as she looked ready to throw herself into his arms.

Hazel Hawthorne, who had ambled in slowly, caught Raina Lowell’s expression just before it changed. ’If I had been the one to walk in first,’ she thought, ’Raina’s little act would have fallen apart.’

Hazel Hawthorne stared at the couple’s passionate embrace, suddenly feeling like a complete third wheel.

She just didn’t get it. They had been apart for one night, and Raina Lowell was only in the hospital for a cold, not some terminal illness. ’For a cold, you just take some medicine. Why the big fuss of being hospitalized?’

And yet, the way Aiden Xavier looked at Raina Lowell, you’d think she was about to draw her last breath.

Hazel Hawthorne was about to leave when Raina Lowell’s voice suddenly piped up. "Aiden, please don’t blame Ms. Hawthorne. It was all my fault for being so thoughtless. I knew Ms. Hawthorne had things to do, yet I still went out. I should have just waited at home for her to come back for dinner." 𝐟𝐫𝕖𝗲𝘄𝚎𝗯𝕟𝐨𝕧𝐞𝚕.𝕔𝕠𝐦

"..." Hazel Hawthorne silently gave Raina Lowell two sarcastic thumbs-up. Aiden Xavier had his back to her, so he couldn’t see her expression or her gesture.

"I already told her that nothing is more important than you," Aiden Xavier said, caressing Raina Lowell’s pale face, his eyes filled with heartache.

Hazel Hawthorne felt like she was going to throw up. ’What the hell? Am I supposed to be condemned to death? Should I just kill myself to atone?’

"Aiden, it was really my own fault. It has nothing to do with Ms. Hawthorne. It was already a huge imposition to have her look after me. I can take care of myself."

Raina Lowell didn’t need to keep emphasizing it. Any woman would understand: feigning weakness is the ultimate trump card.

Hazel Hawthorne, tired of standing, shifted her position. She crossed her arms and leaned against the wall, watching Raina Lowell with detached amusement, waiting to see what other nauseating lies would spill from her mouth.

"Hazel Hawthorne!" Aiden Xavier growled, using her full name.

Hazel Hawthorne raised her voice and slowly walked up to Aiden Xavier. "Hey," she said nonchalantly, "I’m right here. I didn’t go anywhere. Why are you shouting? Aren’t you afraid of scaring your precious darling before she’s recovered from her ’serious illness’?"

As if Raina Lowell would be scared. She was dying to see Aiden Xavier go after Hazel Hawthorne.

Raina was an expert at playing to her strengths, whereas Hazel Hawthorne didn’t even know the meaning of the word ’surrender’ when it came to Aiden Xavier.

Hazel Hawthorne and Aiden Xavier’s marriage was nothing more than a contract to begin with, always hanging by a thread. They could separate the moment either of them wanted out.

Plus, Aiden Xavier had no feelings for her. Fortunately, Hazel Hawthorne was also able to resist his charms, see the situation for what it was, and not be blindly seduced by him.

"Tell me, are you or are you not responsible for this?"

Hazel Hawthorne tilted her head. She couldn’t read the emotion in Aiden Xavier’s voice, but she did catch Raina Lowell’s microexpression—a flash of triumph that made Hazel want to laugh.

"Ms. Lowell herself said it had nothing to do with me, so how could I be responsible?" she said, her tone matter-of-fact and self-assured, causing the color to drain from Raina Lowell’s face.

Aiden Xavier knew he’d never get a straight answer out of Hazel Hawthorne. She could twist any situation to her advantage; trying to pin blame on her was a fool’s errand.

"Isn’t that right, Ms. Lowell?" Hazel Hawthorne asked, beaming at Raina Lowell. If Raina denied it now, she would be contradicting herself, proving she was malicious.

Backed into a corner by Hazel Hawthorne’s words, Raina Lowell shot her a venomous glare. Then, turning back to Aiden Xavier, she said pitifully, "Aiden, getting sick really had nothing to do with Ms. Hawthorne. Please don’t blame her. I’m just so happy you were able to rush back to see me."

With a practiced move, she threw herself into Aiden Xavier’s arms and buried her face in his chest. "I’m so touched that you rushed back for me," she murmured. "Just knowing I’m the most important person in your heart is more than enough for me."

Hazel Hawthorne watched coldly, hearing the subtext in Raina Lowell’s words. ’Aiden loves me most. So what if you, Hazel, are his wife?’

’Could she ever get Aiden Xavier to do these things for her?’

The answer was obvious.

Her relationship with Aiden Xavier could never compare to the years of history between him and Raina.

It was painful to keep watching. Even if Raina Lowell and Aiden Xavier could act like no one else existed, Hazel Hawthorne couldn’t stand to watch their lovey-dovey display.

It wasn’t that she was jealous. She just couldn’t stand the sight of Raina Lowell’s smug, triumphant expression.

*****