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For the next two weeks, Liam was in and out of the house early and late.
The news was full of coverage about his latest business acquisition, and
the hosts were analyzing his growing wealth and influence.
Meanwhile, Nina was living as me, unable to flaunt her fake identity to her
old friends. Instead, she opened the doors to the elite ladies who came to
visit.
I hated socializing, so I’d never participated in the wives‘ circles.
Liam once told me that a man’s worth didn’t need to be proven or boosted
by his wife.
It was one of the few times we actually agreed on something. But clearly,
Nina had a very different mindset.
“Mrs. Hawthorne, congratulations! Liam’s latest acquisition has made
Hawthorne Holdings unstoppable. No one in the country can compete with
him now!”
“Oh, Mrs. Chang, it’s not just the country. Hawthorne is an international group, and Mr. Hawthorne’s vision is global.”
“You’re so lucky to have married such an incredible man, Mrs. Hawthorne. At just under thirty years old, he’s already brought his company into the world’s top ten. There aren’t many like him anywhere!”
Nina gave them a polite smile, handing her chosen nail polish color to the
manicurist.
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She glanced at the wealthy women fawning over her, her posture naturally shifting into a proud, almost haughty stance.
After years of the Dawson family being crushed by Liam, Nina hadn’t
experienced this kind of attention in a long time.
Her words took on a more condescending tone.
And yet, the women’s laughter grew even more exaggerated, their faces wrinkling with forced smiles.
Nina’s true nature was beginning to show.
Once the women had left, Mrs. Jenkins anxiously approached. “Miss, that dead girl never socialized with these people.”
“She never did her nails or went for beauty treatments. If Mr. Hawthorne
sees this, he might get suspicious…”
Nina, admiring her freshly painted nails, scowled. “People change, Mrs. Jenkins. Just because I didn’t like it before doesn’t mean I can’t like it now, right?”
Mrs. Jenkins sighed but didn’t dare say more.
I leaned back against the sofa, watching Nina. Her struggle to keep up the pretense didn’t surprise me anymore.
The fact she’d lasted this long had already exceeded my expectations.
After the Dawsons‘ downfall, my marriage to Liam had only protected the family from further ruin.
