Chapter 34: Chapter 34: The Box of Things in the Storage Room

Tessa Lawson would rather see Tristan with that mute, Noelle Sutton, than let him have anything to do with Sophie Hughes ever again!

As for that man she’d just seen, she was just saying things to blow off steam.

She still had a lot of confidence in her brother.

Noelle Sutton wasn’t an idiot. How could she possibly pass up a man as exceptional as her brother to get involved with someone else?

Besides, over the past seven years, she had seen it clearly: Noelle Sutton was deeply in love with Tristan Lawson.

Noelle Sutton lowered her beautiful eyes.

If she didn’t know that Sophie Hughes was Tristan Lawson’s aunt, Noelle Sutton might have been happy.

But now, she understood. Whether it was Tessa Lawson or Old Master Lawson, they simply didn’t want Tristan and Sophie Hughes to rekindle their old flame.

’And what about me?’

’I’m just a tool to stop that from happening.’

If such an unseemly affair were to get out, it would be a stain on Tristan Lawson’s life.

’So how could I possibly be happy about it?’

She felt nothing at all.

When Tessa Lawson finished speaking, Noelle Sutton still showed no reaction.

Her eyes narrowed as she spoke urgently, "What’s wrong with you? Don’t you understand what I’m saying? Your husband and son are about to be stolen from you!"

’This is so infuriating.’

Tessa Lawson was frustrated, feeling like she was dealing with a hopeless case.

Noelle Sutton typed out a response on her phone: "It doesn’t matter anymore."

Tessa Lawson stared at the words on the screen, a little dumbfounded.

The last time they’d spoken, Noelle had told her that Tristan was such a wonderful man, anyone who wanted him could have him.

Tessa Lawson had assumed Noelle was just saying that in a fit of pique.

She hadn’t expected Noelle to have the same attitude today.

"You really don’t care about Tristan anymore?"

Tessa Lawson refused to believe her.

"I don’t care anymore."

Tessa Lawson read the words and snorted. "Stop putting on an act. I can see you’re just feigning indifference to get Tristan’s attention. If you have time for this, you’d be better off figuring out how to win Joshua back to your side. If you can get Joshua on your side, he’ll be your trump card."

After a moment, Tessa added, "I’m only telling you this because you’ve always been good to me. If you keep this up, you’ll be the one who suffers in the end."

Noelle Sutton couldn’t speak, and the impatient Tessa found communicating with her exhausting.

Having said her piece, she left.

’Other than being mute, Noelle is a clever and obedient person.’

’As long as she understands the stakes and puts in some effort with her son’s help, it’s not impossible for her to win Tristan’s heart back.’

’After all, Noelle is a first-class beauty—gentle, lovely, and alluringly delicate.’

’She’s just the type of woman men fall for.’

Noelle Sutton walked back to the villa like a zombie.

She poured a glass of water, took her medicine, and then sat in the rocking chair on the balcony.

Tessa Lawson’s words still echoed in her ears.

’I’m so pathetic.’

’Have I shown how much I love Tristan so obviously these past seven years that even Tessa won’t believe me now that I’m actually ready to give up on him?’

Noelle Sutton took a deep breath and let it out slowly, repeating the process several times.

Her mood lifted, but only slightly.

’If the Lawsons see me as a tool to keep Tristan and Sophie Hughes apart, that’s going to be a problem. They’ll definitely come to me one after another.’

’A tool...’

’To keep Tristan and Sophie Hughes apart...’

Noelle Sutton suddenly gripped the arms of the rocking chair.

’Seven years ago, Tristan suddenly wanted to marry me, and he brought me to the Lawson Family.’

’Everyone in the family was against it at first, but after Old Master Lawson gave his approval, they all consented.’

’So, that box of things I found in the storage room... was it all from seven years ago?’

’The person Tristan really wanted to marry seven years ago was Sophie Hughes!’

’To Tristan, I was just a tool, too!’

’I was his answer to the rest of the Lawson Family.’

’When the Lawsons stopped him from being with Sophie Hughes, he deliberately married a mute woman to spite them.’

’If that wasn’t it, how could a man like Tristan—so proud, so impossibly noble—ever have married someone like me?!’

Noelle Sutton clenched her jaw.

That day, a professor had invited her back to her alma mater to be the sign language interpreter for a speech. She had been happy to do something for the university.

The guest speaker, she’d heard, was a highly successful entrepreneur.

The school had many deaf and mute students, and they wanted to provide interpretation so those students could participate.

Noelle had just arrived at the school and was communicating with her professor when Tristan Lawson approached, surrounded by an entourage.

For some reason, he walked right up to her and said, "I want to marry you. Will you?"

She was utterly stunned.

The man she’d had a secret crush on for four years had suddenly appeared before her and proposed. For her, it was the most romantic moment imaginable.

Over the years, she had imagined countless possibilities for why he’d done it.

In the end, she had settled on one that she could live with.

’Tristan must have fallen in love with me at first sight. That’s why he wanted to marry me.’

When he acted cold after their wedding, she convinced herself that was just his personality.

Now, the mystery that had puzzled her for so long was becoming painfully clear.

She had been hopelessly trapped in a love story of her own making, and in the end, she was the only one who had been moved by it.

To everyone else...

...she was a tool.

A complete and utter tool!

’And I’d almost convinced myself that the whole thing with Tristan and Sophie Hughes was just my imagination. I was even planning to make up with him.’

Noelle Sutton felt like she was suffocating.

A coppery, salty taste rose in her throat. She scrambled to her feet, ran into the bathroom, and vomited into the sink.

The white porcelain of the sink was stained red with blood.

It was a horrifying sight.

An unbearable pain seized her abdomen.

She turned on the faucet, rinsed her mouth with handfuls of water, and waited until the stream had washed all the blood down the drain before she left the bathroom. 𝓯𝓻𝒆𝙚𝒘𝓮𝙗𝓷𝒐𝓿𝙚𝒍.𝙘𝓸𝙢

She felt as if her very soul had been drained from her body.

Weakly, she climbed into bed and pulled the covers over her head.

The romantic love she had longed for was nothing but a joke.

It was Mrs. Miller who woke Noelle Sutton.

"Ma’am, it’s time for dinner."

Noelle Sutton pushed back the covers.

Mrs. Miller’s eyes instantly widened.

"Ma’am, why are your eyes so swollen?"

The moment she said it, Mrs. Miller regretted it.

’The missus must have been crying her heart out.’

’The master and the young master both followed that woman overseas...’

Noelle Sutton could feel the puffiness around her eyes as she sat up.

Mrs. Miller said quickly, "Ma’am, just a moment. I’ll get some ice for you to put on your eyes."

As Mrs. Miller hurried out, Noelle got up, walked to her vanity, and looked at her reflection.

Her eyes were indeed badly swollen.

Just then, her phone rang.

It was an unknown number, and she had no intention of answering. But after the call disconnected, it rang again immediately.

It didn’t seem like a spam call.

Noelle Sutton answered.

Tristan Lawson’s voice came through the receiver.

"Noelle Sutton, Joshua arrived safely this afternoon. I’m giving you one more chance. Book a ticket for tonight and come here, hmm?"

"Ma’am, here’s the ice. I put it in a bag for you. Your eyes are so swollen. If you hold this on them for a while, it should help."

Mrs. Miller’s voice carried over the phone line.

Tristan immediately demanded, his low voice trembling with a hint of confusion, "Were you crying?"