Hiding Behind Her Superficiality

Chapter 189

“Nothing is going on between Emma and me, Elspeth,” Callum calmly explained. Since he had not done anything wrong, he would not cower. He then turned to bark at Emma, “You should be going. Do not make me repeat myself.” The difference in attitude was clear to all.

“Come now,” Elspeth said. “Don’t be so quick to kick her out. She traveled far to get back here. We should still treat her like the guest she is. After all, it is Emma, right? I know her.”

Elspeth might not be screaming and shouting, but he knew this was just the calm before the storm. As for who the storm’s target would be, he knew it full well.

At that moment, Emma stood up and directed a sweet and innocent smile at Elspeth. “Hello. My name is Emma Walker.” Then, she held out her hand in an elegant and refined manner.

Elspeth did not shake her hand, though. “You’re so polite, Miss Walker,” she commented with a scoff. “How come you would go around seducing taken men?”

Emma did not visibly respond to that aside from showing a slight hint of sorrow on her face. “Miss Lynwood, I know you are Callum’s girlfriend, but we are good friends. Are you jealous of his friends as well?”

Friends? No friend would coyly flirt around while holding the other person’s hand.

Elspeth had not intended to expose Emma’s lies, but her deceitful behavior pushed Elspeth to immediately mock her, “Friends today, sisters tomorrow, and dearest the day after; that’s what happens in all the shows. You sure know how to play around, Miss Walker.”

As for Emma, the angrier Elspeth was, the happier she felt. Emma had only been away for a few years, and another woman was already by Callum’s side. What was she meant to think of that? However, she

would not be as forceful as Elspeth. She had to be demure and gentle so that he knew she was the kindest, most considerate woman in the room.

“I know you’re upset, Miss Lynwood, but if you can’t even accept our friendship now, how can you be his wife?”

“Callum, I want to hear from you, not her,” Elspeth said. Following that, she turned to look at him with a pleading gaze.

“I can’t even be considered friends with her,” Callum replied, not even glancing at Emma.

Emma clenched her jaw and stared at him with tearful eyes. “Am I that intolerable, Callum?”

He kept quiet, an implicit agreement.

Soon, tears streamed down Emma’s cheeks. “I could take all the words she can throw at me, Callum, but I cannot leave you with misunderstandings about me. The two of us had been together for so long. You know me—”

“You are someone who will abandon love for a better future,” he interrupted. The air around him was colder than ice as he slowly walked over to Elspeth. Then, his lips spread wide in a doting smile without hinting at his previously icy demeanor. “Are you tired?” After all, she had rushed back.

Emma was dissatisfied with how little care Callum showed for her. Nevertheless, there was nothing she could do. Her only option was to grit her teeth and swallow down all the agony she felt. That was her only way to win him back.

“I wasn’t, but after talking to that lying witch, I’m exhausted.” Elspeth stuck out her tongue. She looked so cute and playful, a much better behavior in his eyes than Emma’s sly manner.

“Come, let’s get some food.”

Not once did he glance at Emma’s face.

“Where are you going?” Emma asked with eyes full of hope. “Arthur had said he wanted to meet up one day. Why don’t we—” She did not want to give them even a second to be alone together.

Elspeth turned to look at her and laughed. “Callum, the witch wants to dine with us. Should we bring her along?”

“I don’t like the taste of a witch’s brew,” Callum calmly replied as he draped her shoulders with his suit jacket. He then wrapped his arm around her waist before leading her out of the room.

When Emma saw how close the two were, she wished she could tear into Elspeth’s pretty little face so that she could never seduce him again. At that moment, her phone started ringing. When she saw the caller ID flashing on her screen, the hatred in her eyes receded as she smirked.

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Meanwhile, at the restaurant.

Elspeth let her smile fade away. “Callum, Emma mentioned Arthur wanting to meet up with her. Since when did he pay so much attention to a woman? Say… does he like her?”

“Before I got together with Emma, Arthur would frequently look for excuses to invite Emma out. One time, Arthur returned from their outing with a dark expression. Since then, he never invited her out when it was merely the two of them.”

Callum silently thought about it. It was undeniable. Based on what he remembered, Arthur likely loved Emma. Perhaps Arthur was reticent about his emotions or lacked the courage to be forthright about them.

“Come to think of it, Arthur’s grievances and resentment all appeared overnight,” he said.

Elspeth was about to ask more questions about the past when a familiar laugh rang behind her. “Well, if it isn’t, dear Callum and Elspeth.”

Arthur had sharp eyes. When he saw Elspeth, he immediately walked over with Emma in tow.

When Elspeth saw the two of them chatter side by side, she thought they were perfect for each other if one ignored Emma’s love for Callum.

“It has been a long time since we last met. Why don’t we sit together?” Arthur’s words were polite, but he immediately sat down without waiting for a response.

Emma was also going to sit down when Elspeth questioned, “Did we say yes? Why are you sitting already?” She did not think Arthur was here to play nice with them. However, she stole his ginkgo the last they met, so he might be plotting to get back at her.

To her surprise, he completely ignored her and smiled at someone behind Emma. “You’re here too? Come sit with us!”

She followed his gaze to find the other three sons of the Winthrops standing there. What is going on? Why are they all here?

The awkward air lingering around Emma vanished as she grinned and said, “The Winthrops were so nice to me when I was still with Callum. I wanted to meet up with everyone now that I’ve returned. At least I want to share a meal or something.”

Max was an impulsive man. The sight of Arthur’s fake smile had him instantly blurting out in a mocking tone, “Why is Arthur, that traitor, here too?”

Edmund was only present because Emma was friendly to him before. Seeing Arthur, he plastered on a smile as he harshly spat out, “Not everyone here is a Winthrop, though.”

Emma knew what had happened before, so she explained, “Arthur is not as bad as you thought. I didn’t invite everyone so we could catch up, but I also wanted to ease the tension between you guys—”

Her act of being the saintly mediator disgusted Elspeth, though. She could not resist snapping, “How would an outsider know about the Winthrops’ Family business?”

Emma’s mouth gaped and closed before sadly lowering her head. “I’m only trying to be nice. Anyway, you’re an outsider too, Elspeth.”

Callum’s face darkened when he heard that. “She is my fiancée,” he retorted. “You cannot be compared to her.”