My mother-in-law, Eleanor, and I were enjoying a getaway. After checking into our hotel, we headed straight for the pool. But a perfectly put-together woman, looking utterly disgusted, scrunched up her nose at us. “This is a high-end hotel. What kind of people do they let in? Are you just sneaking in to use the pool?” “Sharing a pool with you makes me worry about catching some infectious disease!” Eleanor and I immediately felt our vibe killed. I retorted coldly: “The hotel pool is public, open to all guests. If you can’t handle that, build your own at home.” Her eyebrows shot up in anger. She snapped: “How dare you talk to me like that? Do you even know my husband owns this hotel? The most exclusive suite here is mine year-round.” “I command you to get out! You reek of cheapness, you’re making the water filthy. It’s disgusting!” Eleanor and I exchanged a glance, a chill of recognition passing between us. This hotel was owned by Julian Hayes. When did he become *her* husband?! A chilling dread washed over me. Had Julian Hayes, the man who’d vowed eternal loyalty to me, truly cheated?
The next moment, my gaze fell on the rose tattoo on her collarbone. I’d seen an identical one on Julian’s abs. He’d told me he got it because I loved roses. How foolish I felt then, so touched by his gesture. It turned out to be a matching tattoo with another woman. If I hadn’t stumbled upon this today, I would never have known he’d found someone else so long ago. The more furious I became, the calmer I felt. I decided to expose her facade. “But as far as I know, Julian Hayes’s wife’s surname is Shaw, and she doesn’t look like you at all. You’re the third party, yet you dare to be so arrogant. You have no shame.” “Go ahead, call Julian Hayes right now. I’d love to see how he’s going to make us pay dearly!” My words, “third party,” stung her. She hissed: “There’s no ‘first-come, first-served’ in love. The one who isn’t loved, *that’s* the third party.” “My husband is coming over today anyway. I’ll have him here in a flash. You just wait!” She dialed a number, her voice shifting to a sickly sweet tone: “Julian, honey, when will you be here? I’m being bullied by two old women at the hotel pool, and I’m so scared all by myself. Please hurry and help me out.” “After this, you should make the pool exclusive for me. I’ve been practicing some new moves in the pool, just for you.” After she hung up, her eyes practically gleamed with vanity and triumph. “He’ll be here in half an hour. You two are dead. He has plenty of ways to deal with you!” The thought of Julian putting on a show of deep affection with me while cheating with another woman made me want to throw up. Eleanor caught my reaction and understood. She gnashed her teeth. “Julian Hayes, that monster! Just like his worthless father!” “What I gave him, I can just as easily take back!” Eleanor hated infidelity. Years ago, she divorced Julian’s father because he cheated with a younger model. She’d raised her son alone, balancing a demanding career. She never expected the son she raised to be just as rotten, stabbing her in the back. Eleanor Hayes owned over a hundred hotels nationwide. Although she’d handed over some operations to Julian these past few years, she was still the true power behind them. And I, Elara Shaw, wouldn’t have married Julian Hayes if I didn’t come from an equally prominent family. Julian Hayes, I’m waiting to see how you’re going to explain this to us! At that moment, I noticed Eleanor’s face had turned pale. Worried, I quickly helped her, trying to get her out of the pool to change. But Tiffany waved her hand. Mikey immediately used his arms to vault onto the deck, and as Eleanor was climbing the ladder, he kicked her. Eleanor tumbled back into the water. I quickly reached for her again. Tiffany watched from the side, laughing maniacally. “You two look like a couple of old ducks flapping around in the water! Don’t you love being in the water? Then stay there!” “Mikey, don’t let them out until my husband arrives.” Mikey, like a loyal lackey, responded: “Tiffany, don’t worry, mission accomplished. Just put in a good word for me with Mr. Hayes when he gets here.” No matter how many times Eleanor and I tried to climb out, he’d kick us back down. Our strength was quickly draining. Eleanor, clutching her chest, was gasping for air, unable to speak. I made her lean on me, shouting desperately to the shore: “Are you trying to kill someone?! My mother is having a heart attack; let us out now! “Otherwise, when Julian Hayes gets here, you’ll regret it!” Mikey’s face paled, and he nervously looked at Tiffany. She just chuckled, dismissing my threat. “You old ladies always pull these kinds of stunts. Faking a heart attack? You were swimming perfectly fine just a minute ago!” “Mikey, go turn off the pool heater. Let’s see how long she can keep up the act then!”
My temples throbbed with rage. “I’m telling you, if someone dies, the police will be involved, and none of you will get away with it!” She casually took a sip from a glass of red wine, her tone arrogant. “Stop faking it. If you want out, just beg me.” “Weren’t you so tough a minute ago? What, now that you know my husband is coming, you’re scared?” Eleanor already had a heart condition. Not only had she been infuriated today, but she’d also choked on water several times and was exhausted. She was in severe distress. I bit my lip. I couldn’t let her be in danger. I had to endure it for now, ensure her safety. Just as I was about to open my mouth and beg her, Eleanor grabbed my arm. She spoke with a trembling voice: “I’ve never bowed my head to anyone in my life, much less begged a despicable thing like her.” “Elara, I can still hold on. When Julian Hayes gets here, he definitely won’t forgive her.” “Don’t worry, I’ve been hurt by men my whole life. I’ll stand by you.” Seeing that we still wouldn’t beg, Tiffany’s eyes glinted slyly. She turned and instructed Mikey: “Go grab two buckets of ice from the kitchen. Let’s cool them down even more.” Ice cubes were dumped into the water, and the temperature quickly plummeted. I was shivering uncontrollably. Eleanor’s lips were already turning blue, and her consciousness was fading. I slapped her face, but she barely reacted. Holding my breath, I quickly swam with her towards the edge, but Mikey pushed us away again and again with a pole. I was frantic, my eyes red, screaming hoarsely: “My mother is dying! Let her out now! If someone dies, your hotel won’t be able to escape responsibility!” “Julian Hayes will never let you off the hook!” Mikey, being a swimming instructor, noticed Eleanor’s pale face and realized the situation was genuinely bad. He quickly turned to Tiffany. “Tiffany, the older woman looks really bad. Maybe we should let her out? It’ll be such a hassle if she dies in the pool, and it’ll gross you out every time you use it.” “Besides, Mr. Hayes probably doesn’t want you to actually kill someone. If he gets angry, I might lose my job.” Tiffany thought for a moment, then scoffed. “Oh, so you’re worried about your job? I didn’t actually intend to kill anyone, but some people are just too stubborn for their own good.” “I said if they begged me, I’d consider letting them out. They’re still not at death’s door. I want to see how long they can last!” Mikey, emboldened by Tiffany’s presence, glared at me. “Let me tell you, Tiffany Blackwood is Mr. Hayes’s woman. This hotel exists to serve her; everything has to make way for her.” “You shouldn’t have been let in today. If you want to live, apologize to her right now, and beg her properly.” “If you’re not smart about this, no one can help you!” I bit my lip hard, seeing Eleanor in such a critical state. I couldn’t care less about my pride or dignity anymore. I struggled to speak: “I beg you, please let my mother out first. She has a heart condition; she’ll really die.” Tiffany’s lips curved into a smug smile. She deliberately sneered, her voice dripping with mock sweetness: “Didn’t you just call me a shameless third party? I want you to say it again. Say that Elara Shaw is the bitchy third party, and *I* am Julian Hayes’s wife.” Tiffany hated being called a third party, and she was fiercely jealous of the Elara Shaw she’d never met. She didn’t know *I* was Elara Shaw, and yet, she unwittingly delivered the greatest insult. My fists clenched, nails digging deep into my palms. I swallowed the humiliation, repeating each word slowly: “Elara Shaw is the bitchy third party, you are Julian Hayes’s wife!” “Is that enough? Now let my mother out!” She smiled, satisfied, a cunning glint in her eyes. “I said I’d *consider* it. Now that I’ve considered it, I’ve decided I don’t want you to come out.”
I was utterly furious, wanting to tear her apart with my eyes. I had no choice but to reveal Eleanor’s identity. “You’ve gone too far! She is Julian Hayes’s mother! If anything happens to her, Julian Hayes will never let you off the hook when he gets here!” Tiffany burst into laughter, scoffing: “You disgusting women will make up any lie! I just heard you call her ‘Mom.’ How did she suddenly become Julian Hayes’s mother?” “You’ve ruined my swimming fun today. I’m going to teach you a lesson. Next time you go out, remember to open your eyes!” Eleanor was trembling slightly in my arms, her breathing growing weaker. Her heart condition had fully flared up. If she didn’t get her emergency heart medicine soon, she would truly die. My eyes red, I screamed hoarsely: “Help! Someone, please help us! Someone’s going to die…” But the entire pool area was empty; there was no one else around. Mikey also started to panic. He said anxiously: “Tiffany, what if…” But she cut Mikey off, completely disregarding human life. She said nonchalantly: “It’s fine. Old ladies like her are stronger than young people. She’s just faking it.” “My husband will be here any minute. We can let them out after he arrives. A few more minutes won’t hurt. If something was going to happen, it would have already.” A few minutes could cost Eleanor her life if we missed the critical time for rescue. Despair flooded my heart. Just then, Mr. Davis, the hotel manager, rushed over. I yelled at him, my voice hoarse: “Help! My mom is having a heart attack! Get her out of the water immediately and call an ambulance!” The manager had seen Eleanor years ago, but he didn’t recognize her now. He saw Eleanor’s condition and his heart sank. He had heard there was trouble and had come to ingratiate himself with Tiffany. But now, with someone possibly dying, he quickly weighed upsetting Tiffany against losing his job over a death. He then smiled at Tiffany and said: “Ms. Blackwood, maybe we should let them out of the water first. If something really bad happens, you won’t be able to use this pool ever again.” Tiffany shot him a haughty look. “Fine. For your sake, I’ll let them out.” The manager quickly had Mikey pull Eleanor and me out of the water. Eleanor lay motionless on the ground. Ignoring my own gasping for breath, I sprinted to the changing room, grabbing my bag as fast as I could. I fumbled, spilling out the emergency heart medicine, and was about to put it in her mouth. But Tiffany kicked the bottle, sending both it and the pills flying into the pool. She looked at my furious face and sneered mockingly: “Alright, stop faking it. I let you out. Now get lost. Next time you see me, remember to walk the other way. I’m feeling generous today, so I’ll let you two off.” Rage propelled me forward. I slapped Tiffany hard across the face, my eyes red as I hissed: “If anything happens to my mother, I swear I’ll make you and Julian Hayes both pay the price!” She hadn’t expected me to dare hit her. She shrieked: “You lunatic! I shouldn’t have been soft-hearted. I should have let you two bitches drown!” I lunged to hit her again, but Mikey and Mr. Davis grabbed my shoulders. Tiffany, meanwhile, slapped me over and over again. The burning pain on my face cleared my head. I realized that any more delay would cost Eleanor her life. Struggling free from their grip, I quickly found my phone and called Julian Hayes: “Julian Hayes, Mom’s having a heart attack! We’re at the hotel pool in River City. Get the nearest medical team here now!” “Any later, and Mom will be gone!” But Julian replied impatiently: “If your mom has a heart condition, shouldn’t *she* be more careful? I’m in a meeting. Call an ambulance yourself.” He then abruptly hung up. I was trembling with anger. Does he even know whose mother has a heart condition? The next moment, Tiffany let out a delighted squeal, looking towards the entrance: “Julian, honey, you’re finally here!”
🌟 Continue the story here 👉🏻 📲 Download the “NovelMaster” app 🔍 search for “298998”, and watch the full series ✨! #NovelMaster #浪漫Romance #现实主义Realistic #玄幻Fantasy #重生Reborn
Leave a Reply