Bye-Bye Jerk, Hello Mr. Right

“Yeah, we’re having some issues with the lighting.” I explained as Lindey made her way over to the scaffolding where Hayden was working.

“This technician isn’t even wearing a safety harness. That’s incredibly dangerous–safety should always come first,” Lindey said, slipping effortlessly into her role as RiverwaveCorp chairman’s wife.

Actually, Hayden had been wearing a harness earlier, but he took it off when he came down. He only climbed back up for a quick fix, which was why he wasn’t strapped in.

“Noted. We’ll definitely keep that in mind,” I replied, then called out to Hayden, “What are you doing up there without a harness? Get down now.”

Surprisingly, Hayden didn’t argue. He climbed down right away. “My bad. I’ll be more careful from now on. Won’t happen again,” he admitted.

The way he said it, like a kid owning up to a mistake. It made me feel like I’d been too harsh, like I was picking on him.

Lindey turned to him and said, “Safety isn’t just a rule–it’s to protect yourself. You have a responsibility to take care of yourself. Only when you value yourself can you truly care for others, right?”

Lindey might not be running the show at the company anymore, but as the chairman’s wife, she still got plenty of wisdom and life lessons to dish out.

But for some reason, her words didn’t sit right with me.

“Yes, Mrs. Johnston,” Hayden said, his tone all polite and proper.

“You all worked hard this morning, so I brought lunch. Go ahead and eat,” Lindey’s voice softened, taking on this nurturing, almost motherly vibe.

Hayden thanked her, then headed off to grab some food.

As he walked away, Lindey watched him, then said, “He seems like a strong, capable young man.”

I caught the subtle shade in her words–she was basically dismissing Hayden as nothing more than a “blue -collar worker“. Last night, Jace had looked down on Hayden with every word, and now it was Lindey’s turn to do the same..

It hit me why Lindey showed up today. She must’ve heard something from Jace and decided to check out Hayden for herself.

“He’s the lighting engineer,” I said, trying to correct her view. “He’s in charge of the entire lighting setup for this project.”

But Lindey, who was used to mingling with people way higher up the social ladder, just gave me this faint, almost dismissive smile.

“You must be hungry. Let’s go to the office and eat while we chat,” Lindey suggested, her tone all gentle and warm

“Alright,” I replied, not wanting to turn her down.

.

By the time we got to the office, the chauffeur had already laid out the food. The dishes looked incredible, and, no surprise, they were all my favorites.

I was pretty sure this wasn’t the same food Demi and the others were eating.

“Thanks,” I said, trying to sound grateful and happy.

“If you’d just come home, I wouldn’t have had to go through all this trouble,” Lindey said, motioning for me to sit down. “Hurry and eat before it gets cold.”

I didn’t need to be told twice and dug in.

*Slow This material belongs to NôvelDrama.Org.

down,” Lindey chuckled, noticing how fast I was scarfing down the food.

“It’s just so good,” I said, matching her light tone perfectly.

I wasn’t lying–after so many years with the Johnstons, I’d gotten used to this kind of thing.

Everyone was happy when I went along with it, so why not?

“Rea, is it really over between you and Jace?” Lindey finally asked, her voice dipping into more serious territory.

I paused, mid–bite, and nodded.

Lindey sighed. “Then it’s his loss, and ours too–Matthew and I.”

“It’s really my loss,” I admitted, a wave of sadness washing over me.

Over the years, I’d come to feel their genuine care. I wasn’t particularly attached to Jace, but leaving the people who’d been so kind to me? That was a lot harder.

“Well, there’s no use forcing things. If your mind is made up, I won’t push,” Lindey said, and I let out a breath I didn’t realize I’d been holding.

I’d been afraid she’d try to pressure me into something didn’t want.

As I sipped my cream soup, Lindey added, “Even though you and Jace aren’t going to be together, I still hope you’ll find someone good.”

I tightened my grip on the spoon, Wayne’s words from last night flashing through my mind, sending a chill down my spine.

Was she about to suggest Wayne?

“I’m not looking for anyone right now,” I said quickly, cutting off whatever she was about to say.