Chapter 6

A few hours later, Andrew and Ethan were already at the Park Luncheon, a formal social elite event where bigwigs from companies were looking for new business partners or advertising their new projects to potential investors.

People were looking at him with astonished looks, and some were looking at him with questioning looks. Maybe it was because the guests were surprised that he came not with his wife as usual but with Ethan.

Andrew chose to ignore the guests' stares. In his heart, he finally realized how little effort he made to get closer to Sandra. He was too busy dealing with his own affairs, as was Patricia.

His smartphone vibrated, distracting him from his thoughts of Sandra. He let out a long sigh when he read a message from someone he didn't want to read.

Patricia: [Why didn't you reply to my message?]

[Tasya and I are going to the mall to buy some new clothes.]

[I don't want to be alone.]

[Will you accompany me?]

[You are not busy, right?]

I am the CEO. Of course, I am fucking busy, moron, Andrew grumbled in his mind, feeling pissed. How could he be together with this stupid woman?

Out of a sudden, his love for this woman vanished, just like ashes blown by the wind.

Andrew sighed once more, then turned his body to face Ethan, who was apparently busy talking to one of the guests.

"I'm going out for a while."

"Where to?"

"To get some fresh air."

"Oh. Okay. Don't be long."

Andrew only replied with a faint mumble. He walked out to the back garden area and then called Patricia.

"Hello?"

"Andrew! You finally picked up my call!" exclaimed Patricia, sounding pleased. "I--"

"Before you speak, I have something to say to you," Andrew interrupted. "Let's end this relationship."

"A-Andrew? What are you talking about? Why--"

"There's nothing between us anymore," Andrew continued, ignoring Patricia's confused and panicked tone. "Simply put, I don't love you anymore."

"You can't do that!" shrieked Patricia. "Breaking off our relationship through a call, are you crazy!?"

"Go ahead and say whatever you want to say to me; I don't care," Andrew said after putting his smartphone away for a few seconds because he couldn't stand Patricia's screaming. "I don't care. After all, you didn't love me sincerely in the first place either, did you? So, this is the end for both of us. Thank you for your time so far. I hope you can find someone better than me, Patricia Margareth."

After saying that, Andrew immediately disconnected the call. He looked at his smartphone screen, which was still showing the history of his conversation with Patricia while smiling softly. He then deleted Patricia's contact from the contact list.

If only doing this could get him to meet Sandra again...

Andrew stuffed his smartphone into his coat pocket, then went back into the room. In the past, attending parties and banquets like this was what he enjoyed the most. He loved the luxury lifestyle.

Now? He couldn't feel anything. Only the emptiness became more and more pervasive until he began to lose the meaning of his life.

"Mr. Flynn? I didn't expect you to come here."

He turned his body towards the source of the voice as he was about to approach Ethan. He aborted his intention to approach Ethan once he saw the figure of a woman in her mid-thirties who walked towards him with a warm smile.

Risa Lancelot. She was the wife of Gerald Lancelot, a prominent businessman who was among the most successful businessmen in the city. Lancelot's position was on par with the Flynn family as well as four other high-profile business families.

"Hello, Mrs. Lancelot," Andrew flashed a polite smile at Risa Lancelot. "You look healthy and young, as always."

"Your words are too much," Risa Lancelot blushed at Andrew's compliment. The woman's eyes glanced left and right, then she put on a puzzled expression. "Oh, Sandra's not with you? That's a shame. Her presence would have made the atmosphere more energized."

"Huh?" Andrew raised one eyebrow, feeling curious. "What does that mean?"

Risa seemed to notice the change in his tone because she stepped back, avoiding his gaze.

"N-nothing..."

Risa's response further piqued Andrew's curiosity. Not giving Risa a chance, Andrew immediately approached Risa.

"Tell me. Do you know anything about Sandra?"

"Andrew! Get away from my wife right now!"

The stern voice of command stopped Andrew from asking Risa any more questions. He snorted in annoyance, stepping away from Risa when he saw Gerald Lancelot standing in the way of Risa.

"You really don't know yourself. How dare you approach my wife in such a manner?"

"I didn't do anything..."

"What? Everyone here already knows that you never cared about your wife at all. Where's that secretary you always bring to every party?" Gerald laughed mockingly as his eyes caught sight of the ring still on Andrew's ring finger. "Even you're still wearing that wedding ring like a moron. You're shameless."

"So, what are you talking about--"

"I don't want to deal with you. Why don't you just leave here and take care of your mistress?" Gerald snorted. "I sympathize with Miss Campbell being able to put up with someone like you. Let's go, Risa. Just ignore this imbecile."

Garfield then led Risa gently away from Andrew, who was still standing where he was and did not know how to respond to Garfield's words.

"Andrew."

He turned around to find Ethan standing behind him. Without saying anything, his best friend immediately dragged him out of the party. He let his best friend drag him out of the building to their car.

"Get in," Ethan said in a serious tone. "We'll talk in the car."

Andrew nodded, getting into the car, followed by Ethan.

"To the villa, now," Ethan said to Andrew's personal driver, who immediately understood Ethan's words.

"Now, do you know where you went wrong?"

Andrew said nothing, making Ethan even more agitated. His best friend then pulled out his smartphone and showed Andrew article after article of news.

"Do you know what all the news articles I'm showing you have in common?"

Andrew read the articles one by one. His eyes blinked in disbelief at the titles of the articles he read.

[The successor of Flynn Corp. came with another woman! Where is his legal wife?]

[Andrew Flynn, the sole heir of Flynn Corp., attended a XXX dinner party with an unknown woman?!]

[Caught staying at a hotel with another woman; a sign of the end of Andrew's marriage with Sandra!]

[This is the womanizer who ruined Andrew and Sandra's marriage; will Sandra keep her marriage with the sole heir of Flynn Corp?]

"When Sandra still lived here, Lana rarely saw her leave the house. No invitations from any parties or social elite events."

Was this all of the reason why Sandra never received invitations to parties or social elite events? All because of the rumor?

Sandra didn't protest or complain to him every time he asked her to attend any parties. Was this true? 

Did it mean Sandra really loved him all this time, and he was too blinded by others who only cared about his social status?

He was really stupid...

Andrew's face paled, realizing how late he had realized all of Sandra's kindness to him so far.

***