Chapter 43 Their Relationship Exposed
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The birthday dinner happened to fall on a weekend. Calista got up early to finish Lily’s painting She merely.ested for two days before accepting another task.
She had no choice. She would never be able to pay off the three million if she didn’t work her fingers to the bone.
The Northwood family always kept their birthday banquets low–profile. They only invited the relatives of the Jenkin and Northwood families.
In previous years, Calista would always arrive at the Stansend Manor early in the morning to attend to the guests. But she decided against it this year since she and Lucian would get a divorce.
She wanted to distance herself from her life as Mrs Northwood. It was also to give Selena some time to accept the situation. After all, she couldn’t spend her whole life putting up an act with
Lucian. Selena would eventually find out.
Calista looked at the time and buried herself in work. She was tasked with restoring a Georgian
vase this time. The damage was not severe.
Deeply engrossed in her work, she lost track of time. It was already two in the afternoon when she
received a phone call. She was starting to feel hungry too.
It was Lucian. Calista stretched her limbs and answered the call. Before she could say a word,
Lucian ordered, “Come now.”
They hadn’t been in contact for almost a month. Today was a special occasion. He came to fetch
er to the Stansend Manor.
alista replied, “Give me a moment to freshen up.”
Ithough she didn’t need to wear formal dress for this family dinner, she could not dress too
asually either. Luckily, she had grabbed a few designer outfits from the Everglade Manor.
ician answered angrily, “There’s no need. Come down in five minutes.”
e seemed to be in a bad mood. His impatience could be heard over the phone. After all, he was a
ell–respected president. He never had to wait for others.
lista gave herself a quick look in the mirror. Her hair was gathered in a casual bun, and she
dn’t put on any makeup. She was dressed in a basic T–shirt and sweatpants that she had
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Since Liam didn’t mind her disheveled appearance, she did not need to try to impress him either. So, Calista put on her shoes and headed downstairs, grabbing two pieces of bread to appease her
hunger.
Lucian’s car was parked outside the building. He was leaning against the car, quietly smoking.
Lucian had a black shirt on, looking like an outcast.
He wore a designer outfit from a luxury brand worth thousands of dollars. An extravagant watch complemented his outfit. Amidst this typical residential area, his expensive attire seemed oddly
out of place.
It was apparent how disdainful Lucian thought she looked. His eyebrows were deeply furrowed as
if to mock her cheap lifestyle after leaving him.
Calista was about to open the car door when Lucian glared at her.
“Get in the car after eating and clean off the crumbs.”
Calista was rendered speechless by his demands.
She wondered if he would treat Lily rudely in the same situation. But she might come off as
jealous by asking such a question. So, she took a deep breath to gather herself.
She gulped the bread down and brushed off the crumbs from her shirt exaggeratedly.
“Can I get in the car now? Mr. Clean Freak?”
Lucian’s expression darkened. “You might be below those elegant ladies, but you’re still a wife
from a wealthy family. Cut back on the internet slang, so you don’t sound ridiculous to others.”
Calista snorted, “What? Am I not allowed to use the internet?”
Lucian fell silent. It seemed like she had lived an interesting life as Mrs. Northwood for the past
three years.
The car departed from the residential area and merged into the congested traffic. Half an hour
later, Calista furrowed her brows. “This isn’t the way to the Stansend Manor.”
Lucian glared at her in disgust. “You plan to wear that to dinner? If you’re not embarrassed, I am.”
Calista rolled her eyes. He was the one who asked her not to dress up. He was such a hypocrite!
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Lucian took her to a makeup studio where she had her makeup done and changed into a formal
gown. She looked at herself in the mirror and frowned. “Isn’t this too much for a family dinner?”
Dressing formally for a simple dinner between two families wasn’t customary. She thought others
would stare at her if she wore this outfit later. The thought of it made her shudder.
Lucian sat on the couch with his legs crossed. He raised his head at her comment and retorted,
Who told you it’s merely a family dinner?”
“Huh? What do you mean? Mom had always just invited close relatives for her birthday.” Calista’s
heart skipped a beat as uneasiness set in
“She wants to celebrate big this year, saying it’s to ward off bad luck.”
Selena had always been superstitious. She was also very religious,
Calista didn’t mind her going all out for the celebration as long as she was happy. However, she
and Lucian were secretly married. A large celebration would definitely draw the media’s attention.
“Am I supposed to greet the guests as your wife?”
Lucian couldn’t pretend nothing was between them around Selena. Moreover, the Jenkin and
Northwood families were well aware of her identity. The truth would be exposed with so many
people around.
However, Lucian didn’t see it as a problem. “You greet them as who you are.”
“Are you kidding me? We’re about to get a divorce!” Calista almost lost her temper.
They never intended to publicize their marriage even while they were married. But now, their
relationship was about to be exposed when they were on the brink of divorce. Was Lucian out of
his mind?
“I’m not going to the birthday dinner. You figure out an excuse for Mom. Say that I’m sick,
hospitalized, or on a business trip. Anything will do. I’ll make it up to her later with a birthday
celebration.”
That was the only way.
Lucian glared at her coldly and said, “Then I’ll have to publicly explain Mrs. Northwood’s absence
at the dinner and hope everyone can understand.”
That meant their relationship would be exposed regardless of whether she was there. She might
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Calista gritted her teeth at how ruthless Lucian was.
Lucian closed the magazine and stood up as she remained silent. “Let’s go. You are the host. It would leave a bad impression if you arrived later than the guests.”
Calista couldn’t help herself and commented scornfully, “Will Lily be there as well?”
She recalled how Lily wanted to buy the same dress she had bought for Selena. Calista was certain she would present it tonight.
Lucian answered softly, “No.”
He hadn’t given her an invitation, although Lily had asked him for one.
Calista sneered, “No wonder you’re so lax. Without Lily around, you don’t have to worry about your beloved’s feelings.”
In response, Lucian turned and walked away. Calista clenched her fists and had no choice but to
follow.
The birthday dinner was held at the Stansend Manor. The number of cars parked at the compound showed how grand the dinner was.
As soon as the car pulled over, Calista alighted before Lucian could open the door for her.
Lucian furrowed his brows in annoyance but didn’t say anything. He quickly caught up to her and
waited for her to wrap her hands around his arms.
Calista was taken aback, and her mind went blank. She had never attended an event with Lucian.
This was the first time he had linked her arm to his.
Lucian glanced at the time and reminded her impatiently, “Do you want everyone to think we’re in
a fight?” (1
Only then did Calista return to her senses. She thought they were already at odds, but still, she
linked her arm around his.
But as soon as they entered the living room, she saw the very person Lucian had assured her
