Chapter 3

A notification popped up on my phone—Suzanne was urging me to come get her. This hotel actually belonged to me, but I couldn't be bothered to explain that to them.

Queenie froze for a moment before she started to frown. "Don't you know how to seize an opportunity when it's presented to you? I can't believe you're trying to run away instead. It's been years. Did you not strive to be better after you left me?"

"Don't say that, Queenie. Maybe Mr. Lawrence needs to meet up with a business partner," Liam said softly.

Then, he turned toward me and added, "Please feel free to reach out to me whenever you need help. You took care of Queenie for me. So, it's only right that I thank you for it."

The man in gold glasses looked me up and down before scoffing in disdain. "All things aside, your clothes look extremely shabby, Mr. Lawrence. Would you like my driver to lend you his clothes for the time being? It's nothing fancy, but it's a lot better than what you're wearing right now."

Upon hearing his comments, the group started to laugh at me.

I looked down and glanced at my outfit. My clothes were modest and simple, but Suzanne had made them for me herself.

Suzanne had always lived a comfortable and pampered life. Ever since she married me, she had never experienced any hardships aside from giving birth to our child.

To give me this gift, she spent countless nights learning how to sew, and it left her utterly exhausted. In light of this, I didn't think that my clothes looked shabby at all.

"That won't be necessary," I said calmly. "I have no use for that."

Even if I were dressed like an old man, people would still approach me and ask me for partnerships and collaborations. However, Queenie assumed that I turned down the offer because of my pride and ego.

She furrowed her brow and offered me a check. "Fine. Since we used to be married, I'll help you out. I'd hate for other people to think that I used to have bad taste in men."

I stared at the check she was holding and frowned. Twenty thousand dollars? That was nothing but loose change.

I pushed the check back to her and replied coolly, "I don't need that. You should give that money to someone who actually needs it. Since we already decided to go our separate ways, I think it's best if we don't get involved with each other in any way."

Queenie froze. Feeling slightly irritated, she snapped, "Do you really have to act like we're complete strangers?"

I stared at her and felt speechless. What an odd thing to say. Wasn't that what we had both agreed on when we finalized our divorce?

After we got married in our past life, I was elated that I was finally able to call her my wife. However, on the very first day of our marriage, she claimed she wasn't feeling well and repeatedly refused to consummate our marriage.

I found her frustrated and infuriated expression amusing. She was the one who wanted to distance herself from me. Now, she was blaming me for setting clear boundaries.

I couldn't be bothered to listen to their idle gossip. I was just about to leave when my phone started to ring again. This time, Suzanne had decided to call me instead.

"Where are you, honey? Sam and I are in the garden at the back of the hotel. He said he wanted to look at the water fountain," she said over the phone.

My voice softened unconsciously as I replied, "I'll be there soon. Just wait for a little longer, okay?"

After I hung up, I found Queenie staring at me with a complicated expression.

"Is that your new girlfriend?" she suddenly asked testily.

Before I could reply, Liam chuckled and said, "It looks like Mr. Lawrence has a date. No wonder he was in such a hurry to leave."

Queenie's expression soured.

All of a sudden, someone from the crowd yelled, "Hey, someone heard that Mr. Lawrence's wife is at this hotel too. Mr. Lawrence might be here to pick up his family!"

Upon hearing this, everyone began to grow excited.

"Are you talking about Mr. Lawrence, the extremely wealthy businessman?" someone asked.

"Oh my goodness!" another person exclaimed. "He's always been incredibly secretive. Do you think we'll find out what he looks like today?"

"That man is the founder of Lawrence Group. He literally bought this entire hotel and gifted it to his wife!"

"Well, they aren't wrong," I thought to myself.

Suddenly, another person said, "Look at this! Someone managed to snap a picture of Mr. Lawrence's son. He's so cute!"

I frowned. I was about to inquire about the situation when a soft voice rang out from a small distance away.

"Daddy!"

A three-to-four-year-old boy skipped over to me and wrapped his arms around my legs. The boy had flushed cheeks. His hair was neatly combed, and he was wearing a refined kids' suit.

I bent over and picked up my son, Samuel Lawrence. Then, I pinched his cheeks and asked, "Why are you here? I thought you were waiting in the garden with your mom."

"Mommy's tired of waiting." My son pouted and said, "She told me to see what's taking you so long."

The people around me froze. They couldn't believe what they were seeing.