When the Contract Marriage Ended, He Stayed

###Chapter 60: He Won’t Believe You

Raina Lowell tossed Hazel Hawthorne’s phone back at her, crossed her arms, and said with an amused laugh, "With just this one video, you think you can prove I have a connection to that... what was his name... Shawn Bennett? Isn’t that a little ridiculous?"

"Hazel, you’re a truly malicious person. Honestly, if you’d just agree to divorce Aiden amicably, you’d get everything you’re entitled to. Aiden has always been generous with women and wouldn’t treat you unfairly. But no, you have to be so two-faced."

Raina Lowell wasn’t the least bit intimidated by Hazel Hawthorne. Even with Hazel confronting her with a video, she remained completely composed. "You’re just pretending you want to divorce Aiden to trick me and buy yourself more time. The truth is, you don’t want to divorce him at all."

"I get it. Any woman married to Aiden wouldn’t divorce him easily. Who could bear to let a man like Aiden Xavier go?" Raina circled around to stand in front of Hazel, placing a hand on her shoulder and speaking dismissively, "But none of that matters to Aiden."

Hazel knocked Raina’s hand off her shoulder. "Even with the evidence right in front of you, you won’t admit it..."

Raina laughed. "Admit what?" After a pause, she continued, "Alright, I admit I saw that person you mentioned at the bar. But I was just asking him for directions. How would I know what he did to you?"

"Hazel, I suggest you stop trying to cause trouble for me." Raina looked at her with brimming confidence, as if she were looking at a clown.

Wasn’t Hazel just a clown in her eyes? Thinking she could flaunt her position just because she was married to Aiden. Raina was utterly convinced that if she asked Aiden not to go home, Hazel would be left to sleep in an empty bed.

Instead of getting angry, Hazel smiled. She handed a file folder to Raina, her expression a smirk and her eyes full of meaning. "Perhaps you’ll find this more interesting."

Raina didn’t know what to make of it, subconsciously assuming Hazel was just trying to scare her with something else. She didn’t pay it much mind.

She took the folder with a sneer. When she opened it, its contents fell to the floor. The moment Raina saw the photos, she froze for a few seconds before quickly snatching them up and slapping them on the table, trying to compose herself.

Noticing Raina’s change in demeanor, Hazel smiled. "I was just wondering what kind of expression Aiden would make if I gave this to him."

"Heh. You think Aiden will believe you? This stuff can all be faked. If you want to frame me, you have a million ways to do it." Raina said this without batting an eye. "This is just your attempt to drive a wedge between us. You think Aiden will believe you so easily?"

"Whether your precious Aiden believes me or not... well, we’ll just have to put it to the test. I’m sure you won’t mind. It’ll be a perfect opportunity for you to confirm just how much Aiden loves you."

Hazel reached for the file folder, but Raina snatched it away first. Raina quickly and dramatically tore up the contents of the folder.

Standing to the side, Sharon Winters was stunned by Raina’s actions. She had never seen someone move so fast. Raina usually seemed like such a delicate woman; she never expected her to have such a moment of agile dexterity.

"Oh, I forgot to mention. What you just tore up were only the photocopies. I still have the originals."

Raina wasn’t afraid of Aiden seeing the video; she could come up with countless excuses to explain it away. But leaking her relationship with Aiden to the media? That was something she didn’t dare let him find out about. She knew very well that the one thing Aiden hated most was being threatened.

And by leaking their relationship, she had, in a way, threatened Aiden.

Hearing that Hazel still had the originals, Raina finally lost control. She lunged forward and grabbed Hazel’s arm. "What are you really after?"

"Raina, compared to you, nothing I’ve done is nearly as vicious."

Raina laughed maniacally. She squeezed Hazel’s arm, her nails digging into her skin, and spat through clenched teeth, "You brought this here specifically to find me. You’re just trying to threaten me, to make me leave Aiden, aren’t you? Dream on!"

"I will never give Aiden up to you. Aiden can only be mine. He will always be mine! A woman like you doesn’t deserve to defile him."

’Defile...’

Hazel was in no mood to entertain Raina’s theatrics. She exchanged a glance with Sharon Winters, and as if of one mind, Sharon stepped forward to grab Raina. The moment she did, Hazel flung Raina off, shook out her arms, and looked at her with a fading smile.

’Using a word like ’defile’ for a man like Aiden Xavier is practically sanctifying him. Aiden is a scumbag himself, he doesn’t need anyone else to defile him.’

’We should be thanking our lucky stars he doesn’t go around defiling other people.’

Hazel grabbed Raina’s chin, forcing her to look up. "I’m going to make sure Aiden knows about both of these things."

"Pah! You think Aiden will believe you? Based on this ’evidence’?"

"He’s not some love-sick fool. The news of his relationship with you being exposed has seriously damaged his public image, hurt the company’s reputation, and caused stocks to fall. Do you really think Aiden will care about your feelings when he gets his hands on this information?"

Hazel’s disgust for Raina was beyond words. "Believe it or not, by tomorrow at the latest, I will appear in public with Aiden as Mrs. Xavier, specifically to clarify his relationship with you."

Hazel spoke very slowly, but every word that left her lips grated on Raina’s ears. "Raina, tell me, do you think Aiden would disregard the bigger picture just for you?"

"Hazel!"

Hazel released Raina’s chin. "If you want to play, I’ll play with you. I’m very curious to see what other tricks you have up your sleeve. And I also want to know just how important you really are to Aiden."

"What’s that supposed to mean?" Raina lifted her head, staring daggers at Hazel as she demanded coldly.

Hazel answered without a second thought. "My meaning is simple. I’ve decided not to divorce Aiden Xavier. As long as I don’t divorce him, you’ll forever be just the other woman by his side. At every formal event, you’ll have no choice but to watch me stand next to him..."

Raina couldn’t accept it. She glared viciously at Hazel, her body trembling with rage.

But Hazel was all smiles. She called out to Sharon Winters, and the two of them swaggered out of the villa. Raina collapsed weakly to the floor, and as she watched Hazel’s departing figure, a venomous plan instantly formed in her mind.

"Hazel, are you really not going to divorce a fickle man like Aiden?"

"Why should I divorce him? Why should I make way for them? As long as I don’t divorce him, Raina can forget about ever taking my place."

"That’s one way to handle it, I guess, but you won’t find happiness stuck in the middle like this." Sharon was worried, afraid that Hazel was gambling with her own happiness.

"I know what I’m doing," Hazel said faintly. She wouldn’t gamble with her own happiness, but she would never let those who had hurt her off the hook.

*****