CHAPTER 64: CHAPTER 64: SHE SAID I’M A ROTTEN CUCUMBER AND DOESN’T WANT ME ANYMORE

After Julian Lawson dropped Vera Hansen home, he wandered alone in the city.

Looking at the street scenes outside, his mood was complicated.

Dim streetlights, constant streams of traffic.

The myriad of lights in this city seemed to belong to everyone but him.

"Buzz buzz..."

His phone rang.

Julian Lawson checked his phone and found it was a call from a friend.

"What’s up?" he answered the call.

"Want to come out for a drink?" Ian Yates’s voice came through the phone, "I’m at PIH, want to come over? Or are you with a beauty?"

Ian Yates had been Julian’s long-time friend, practically since childhood.

So at this moment, he hesitated not at all, and instructed the driver to turn the car around.

"Sure," he said.

The Bentley headed towards PIH, which was the largest nightclub in Aeston.

Moving through the bustling crowd, Julian Lawson finally arrived at Ian Yates’s private room.

As soon as he entered, he frowned slightly.

Inside were quite a few men and women; Ian Yates must have gone wild today to have invited so many people over.

"Julian, you’re here!" Ian Yates stretched out to hug him when he saw him.

Julian Lawson helplessly followed him inside.

"Let me introduce him to everyone, this is my childhood buddy, now the CEO of Lawson Group, Julian Lawson! Applaud!" Ian Yates was clearly somewhat drunk.

And the room started to bustle.

Julian Lawson was indeed famous in Aeston, and those inside brightened up upon seeing him.

He only felt the noise was bothersome.

So he waved his hand, indicating for some unrelated people to leave first.

Ian Yates didn’t get mad, just smiled as he had those people leave.

The two sat down on the sofa, with Ian Yates pouring him a drink.

Under the dim lighting, Julian Lawson took a sip of the drink.

"How have you been lately?" Ian Yates asked.

Julian Lawson didn’t answer immediately; he leaned back in the shadows where Ian Yates couldn’t see his expression.

After a long time, he said, "What’s up with you?"

Ian Yates laughed, wiped the corner of his eye, and took a sip of his drink.

"It’s okay, just that there’s a lot going on at home lately, some things require handling, and Clara Huxley, that stupid woman, actually broke up with me. Said I’m like rotten cucumber she doesn’t want anymore."

Ian Yates shook his head, "I don’t even know what’s going through her mind. I’ve recently met some people, but it’s all family business needs. My dad had me accompany Chaucer Family’s daughter shopping, could I refuse?"

Julian Lawson lightly swirled the drink in his glass, half-listening.

At the end, he said, "Maybe you did too many things that made her misunderstand."

Ian Yates glared at Julian, and then refilled his glass.

"Alright, I get it, Young Master Lawson," Ian Yates teased, "I should’ve been like you, having only Serena Sterling around since childhood, and now only Vera Hansen."

A flash of annoyance suddenly rose in Julian’s heart, so he waved it off to stop Ian Yates from adding more alcohol.

Ian Yates seemed to get even more interested.

"Got upset?" Ian Yates chuckled and said, "I’m praising you, you know, genuinely."

"I’m quite envious of you." Ian Yates placed the drink aside and leaned back on the sofa.

"You’ve got enough capability to revive the family business and even elevate it."

"In relationships, Serena loves you down to her bones, willing to do anything for you, even to risk her life."

"Now, although it’s changed to Vera Hansen, from what I’ve seen online, she’s a kind person too."

"But for me..."

In the dim lighting, no one could see Ian Yates’s expression.

"Although I’ve learned the ropes of the family business, there are still many external troubles."

"A woman I’ve cared for years suddenly finds me disgusting; even explanations are ignored."

"I wish I could be like you—easy-going, enjoying life."

Ian Yates’s voice echoed in the room.

Julian Lawson slightly lowered his gaze, watching ice cubes slowly spinning in the liquor.

Playing around in life?

It seems not really.

"...So what’s up with you, Serena, and Vera Hansen?"

Beside him, Ian Yates continued talking, suddenly asking Julian a question: "I’ve been occasionally checking online news recently, never really understood what’s going on with you."

"Serena and I are going through divorce proceedings, currently in a cooling-off period." Julian responded.

"What?!" Ian Yates sat up straight, his face appearing out of the shadows, all shocked.

"For Vera Hansen?" Ian Yates looked incredulous.

Julian Lawson took a sip of his drink.

"Yes," he nodded.

"No way, I don’t get it," Ian Yates quickly put his own matters aside and said, "Weren’t you and Serena quite good before? I recall you being quite satisfied with her, and Vera Hansen was almost gone—I thought you were only taking care of her out of humanitarian concerns... And moreover, Serena really agreed?"

Julian Lawson merely rotated the ice cubes in his drink, not looking at Ian Yates.

"She agreed," Julian said, "Thus, we’re now in a cooling-off period."

"This doesn’t make sense!" Ian Yates stood up, pacing back and forth in the room.

He seemed genuinely puzzled.

"She truly wants to leave?" Ian Yates said, "I remember back then a beautiful woman from another party came knocking, you didn’t bother, yet she flaunted in front of Serena who directly dealt with her; Serena even sulked for days not letting you touch her."

Speaking of which, Julian Lawson remembered that incident.

The whole thing was a misunderstanding; he had no interest in the other party, just didn’t respond because he was tired, yet the other thought his silence was consent, flaunting before Serena.

He remembered Serena’s furious expression back then.

A stack of documents thrown at the other party, declaring if they weren’t serious about business, Lawson Corporation didn’t need that kind of partner.

That night when he tried to embrace her, she simply pushed him away.

Puffed up like a pufferfish.

It took a lot of coaxing to make things right.

Finally successful, that night she told him: "Julian, business can be negotiated, but feelings—I won’t yield."

She said, "Julian, I love you, love you very, very much."

"But I’m a selfish person; I want your heart only with me."

"If ever you fall for someone else."

Back then, determination filled her eyes; she said:

"I won’t stay."

The hand holding Julian’s cup suddenly tightened.

Then he gently loosened it.

"Exactly, back then she’d just follow behind, causing small uproars at most, after all these years, of course she wouldn’t leave," Ian Yates’s voice came.

Julian Lawson closed his eyes.

Indeed, for seven years, she’s been inseparable.

Recently, she’s even learned to be mature without causing trouble.

Thinking this, Julian finished his drink.

That night they drank a lot.

But he didn’t know why, he somehow felt scared.

Yet the next day, he put this behind and continued life as usual.

Days peacefully went by.

Until this day, a sensational notification topped hot topics—

#Serena Sterling picks up a child from school, child calls her mom#