Chapter 20: The Girl

Devon remained absent over the weekend, prompting me to invite Balley to accompany me for a shopping excursion. To my surprise, as I was about to call Devon, I caught sight of him with a young woman, their shared happiness evident.

The girl possessed a youthful appearance, distinct from the women typically seen in his social circles.

Balley's reaction upon witnessing this scene exceeded my own embarrassment. It seemed as though she sought to offer an explanation, yet the undeniable truth lay before us. Rendered speechless in her attempt to console me, she inadvertently elicited laughter from me.

Amidst my amusement, I quipped, "What's the matter with you? You appear more distressed than if you were the one entangled in such affairs." His unexpected reaction to my jest prompted him to inquire tentatively, "Ms. Su, are you alright?"

I retorted, "What could possibly be amiss? Isn't this type of situation par for the course with Devon?"

Indeed, such occurrences were not uncommon, yet in the past two years, he had never flaunted them before me, save for one instance during our sophomore reunion.

Now, as I bore witness to this reality, it became a matter of transforming my prior speculations into tangible truths.

"What does this girl do? She seems quite young," I inquired, feigning ignorance.

"I believe they're both college students. I heard they recently started their freshman year and have known each other for some time." Ah, so perhaps my concerns will soon be assuaged?

Disregarding their presence, I entered the mall with Balley as usual, indulging in some retail therapy and accumulating a plethora of items to take home.

Upon returning, I discovered Devon already present, exhibiting an unusually pleasant demeanor. Presumably, he had taken note of my shopping spree, deduced our location from my spending history, and anticipated our return.

In truth, entertaining thoughts of him seemed rather ludicrous. What right did I have to harbor jealousy or anger? Hadn't he consistently reminded me to acknowledge my own standing? I understood my place perfectly well.

"Did you go shopping today? Why didn't you call me?" he inquired.

I resisted the urge to retort, "Were you not occupied elsewhere?" and instead replied with a forced smile, "I refrained from bothering you, assuming you were preoccupied. After all, you often encourage me to engage with Balley. Besides, you know you can always reach out to me when you're available."

"Yes, today was quite eventful. I ended up accompanying a client's daughter. She insisted on shopping, and I couldn't refuse. I thought perhaps you two, being of similar age, could find some common ground. But it turned out to be quite exhausting," he explained.

Devon's attempts at deception were so feeble that even if he had simply confessed, "I was with another girl," I might have still held him in high regard.

There's no point in lying to me; it's redundant.

"Sure, let's catch up next time," I remarked pointedly. His discomfort was palpable, unsure how to respond.

Observing him fabricate lies exhausted me on his behalf. "It's fine, I'm aware you're not short of female companionship," I feigned indifference.

His outburst caught me off guard, whether from irritation or because I had struck a nerve: "Aria, there's no need for such bitterness. It's not your place to dictate who I see."

His true colors were showing, but he was overreacting. I wasn't being devious; I was simply stating facts. "I couldn't care less. You're the one bringing it up, and I didn't inquire," I met his gaze earnestly, trying to convey that not only was I unconcerned, but there was no need for lies.

He held my gaze for a moment too long before replying, "Fair enough." And with that, the conversation was over.

After dinner, he allowed me into his room. It was the extent of our interaction.

What I didn't anticipate was the arrival of that girl at the office, prompting me to usher her into the break room and inquire about her intentions.

She appeared innocent as she spoke, "I was just curious how you've managed to stick around Devon for two years."

I couldn't discern her motives, but her inquiries managed to elicit nothing more than boredom from me.

Observing my silence, she probed further, "What? Are you afraid I'll snatch Devon away from you, and you won't get to share your experiences?"

Internally, I mused, "I can't wait for you to snatch him away soon."

I responded, "I'm not sure. It seems like you're not lacking in funds. What's the allure of spending time with him?"

Feigning discontent, she retorted, "You're too petty. Just spare me the details of your experiences. What's the point of pretending to be virtuous? You think poorly of him, yet you still sleep with him?"

She was even worse than Devon. Just then, Aaron entered the break room to grab some coffee, greeted me, and the girl introduced herself as my sister.

I couldn't fathom what scheme she was plotting. She questioned me again about the guy who had just greeted me, and I casually referred to him as my supervisor.

After Aaron departed, she sported a smile and inquired once more, "Is he interested in you?"

Feeling utterly helpless, I sighed, "I don't know. Please, just leave. I don't want to hear about you and Devon. I doubt Devon harbors strong feelings for me, and I'm not the only one vying for his attention, so go ahead."

She scrutinized me for a moment longer before remarking, "I'm younger than you, and I'm not any less attractive. So why is he so kind to you?"

As her words perplexed me further, I questioned, "Then why does he treat other girls differently? Tell me, what does he see in me?"

Abandoning her facade of familiarity, she discarded her smile and regarded me icily, "He only takes me to hotels, never to his home, and he refuses to spend the night with me."

I hadn't considered that aspect. Reflecting on the nights I didn't spend with her, I admitted honestly, "I haven't been to his house either."

"He doesn't conceal your existence even when he's with me. He'll mention that he's hesitant to return home, fearing it might disrupt your rest... What does he think of me?"

After hearing her, my heart felt incredibly tangled. After two years, I still couldn't comprehend Devon's true intentions. I also wanted to caution this young lady—what does she think Devon sees in her? Hasn't Devon taught her the lesson of finding her own place?

I suspect this girl may be young and naive, speaking from her heart. I felt compelled to offer her some advice: "Young lady, wake up. I advise you not to delve into feelings with him. While you're young, focus more on material possessions like cars, houses, bags—he's quite generous."

"Hmph, Aria, you don't need to boast to me. I know he gifted you a villa. I'm not like you; I appreciate him as a person."

All I could do was silently urge her to comport herself.

Finally, she inquired, "Aria, do your teachers and classmates at school know you're taken?"

I surmised she spoke in frustration and chose not to engage, "So what if they do? So what if they don't?"

She gazed at me for a moment, then rose and departed.

At that moment, I believed that this series of immature actions by the young lady was an attempt to inflict some pain upon me. I never anticipated being placed in such a predicament by her.