Free Web NovelChapter 94: Chapter 94: The Woman in the Photo
"Georgia, did you see this morning’s news?" Nancy Hughes asked cautiously from the other end of the line.
Georgia Thorne hummed in response. With the story blowing up this big, how could she not have seen it?
"Um, the woman in the photo... that’s not you, right?"
"It’s not."
Nancy Hughes gave an awkward "oh," understanding what that meant.
"Georgia, there are plenty of good men out there. You’re young and beautiful, you don’t have to get hung up on one guy. Ditch that scumbag! There’s a whole sea of fish out there waiting for you!" Nancy Hughes didn’t really know how to comfort Georgia Thorne.
Elliot Sheridan was her ultimate boss, so she didn’t dare speak ill of him, but she also had to comfort Georgia Thorne.
’Georgia must be devastated after seeing the news,’ she thought. ’She probably feels sad enough to cry right now!’
"Nancy, my mind’s a mess right now. Can we talk after I get home from work?"
As Georgia Thorne spoke, her voice unknowingly grew hoarse. She looked at her reflection in the glass, tears welling in her eyes.
Nancy Hughes told her not to dwell on it and to focus on her work.
After hanging up, she sighed. Just two days ago, she’d seen them being so lovey-dovey. How could things change so quickly?
Georgia Thorne sat on the bus, unable to calm down. Even now, the bold headlines from the newspaper filled her mind.
Her thoughts were in turmoil. ’Elliot Sheridan actually has a fiancée.’
He had just broken up with Amanda Thorne, and in the next moment, he was photographed entering a hotel with his fiancée, and in such an intimate way.
Georgia Thorne suddenly understood. No wonder Elliot Sheridan had broken up with Amanda Thorne.
’It wasn’t for me. It was for his fiancée who’d been abroad for years and hadn’t returned.’
She got off the bus and walked with the crowd toward her company.
Nearing the entrance, Georgia Thorne froze and looked at the man standing by the door.
Justin Sullivan stood at the entrance in a black suit. His gaze cut through the crowd and locked onto her.
They had just seen each other last night. ’Why is he here again this morning?’
Georgia Thorne sighed and walked up to him.
"Uncle!" she said cheerfully.
That single word of address completely stopped the "Georgia" that was on the tip of Justin Sullivan’s tongue.
Justin Sullivan stared at her. "I saw the news."
"Mhm. I’m guessing everyone in Portmire knows by now."
Justin Sullivan looked at the brilliant, forced smile on her face, his expression growing even darker. "But the woman in his arms wasn’t you."
"That’s right. The papers said so, didn’t they? The woman’s name is Joanne Donovan, and I’m not Joanne Donovan." Georgia Thorne smiled, but the hand in her pocket slowly clenched into a fist. "Uncle, if there’s nothing else, I’m going to head to work. Otherwise, I’ll be late!"
Georgia Thorne tried to act as if nothing had happened, but her red, swollen eyes completely betrayed her.
’She must have cried over Elliot Sheridan’s news.’
The thought that Georgia Thorne’s tears were shed for another man made his skin crawl.
"Georgia, that man doesn’t love you at all! He’s just playing you!" Justin Sullivan grabbed her shoulders, his voice an urgent roar.
"Whether he loves me or not, whether he’s playing me or not, that’s my business. It has nothing to do with you!" Georgia Thorne let out a short laugh and forcefully pushed Justin Sullivan’s hands away.
The smile on her face grew even more brilliant. "Let’s not make a scene here. It’s embarrassing!"
The smile on Georgia Thorne’s face was gradually turning to ice. Ignoring Justin Sullivan’s mortified expression, she turned and walked into the company building.
In the past three years, she had probably seen Elliot Sheridan with other women in public too many times. That was why she didn’t fly into the rage she would have imagined. Or perhaps, her feelings for him just hadn’t reached that profound a level yet.
All that was left in her heart now was disappointment.
She was disappointed in Elliot Sheridan, and she was disappointed in herself.
Even knowing what kind of man Elliot Sheridan was, she was still shamelessly drawn to him, unable to resist getting close.
Even if she were with Elliot Sheridan, marriage would never be a possibility.
Elliot Sheridan’s status was extraordinary. His marriage partner would certainly have to be someone who could benefit him.
Like Joanne Donovan from the papers—her mother was the current mayor.
By marrying Joanne Donovan, Elliot Sheridan could gain even greater benefits.
Georgia Thorne threw herself into her work all day, meeting with three clients back-to-back in one afternoon.
She didn’t give herself a chance to breathe. After work, she went to the supermarket.
Nancy Hughes specifically asked her boss for leave so she wouldn’t have to work overtime tonight. When she rushed back, she saw Georgia Thorne busy in the kitchen.
She let out a breath of relief for some reason, put down her bag, and deliberately raised her voice. "Georgia, I’m home!"
"You’re back! Perfect timing." Georgia Thorne came out carrying a dish. "Go wash your hands. I’ll just ladle out the soup, and then we can eat."
"Okay!"
After dinner, Nancy Hughes proactively took the dishes. "You go rest. I’ll take care of the rest."
Nancy Hughes pushed Georgia Thorne onto the sofa. "Just watch some TV!"
The moment she turned on the TV, a news report about Elliot Sheridan appeared. Nancy Hughes’s hand tightened on the remote in fright, and she hurriedly changed the channel. "That last one was garbage. Let’s watch something with more substance!"
Saying this, she switched to a national news channel, where the anchor was currently reporting on international affairs.
"Nancy, you don’t have to do that. I’m fine," Georgia Thorne said seriously, tilting her head back to look at her.
"Georgia, maybe Elliot Sheridan really isn’t the right guy for you. First of all, not to mention he’s thirteen years older than you, but think about it. He’s so much older, so he’s definitely experienced. He’s been with countless women. He might not be sincere with you. You’re still young, you don’t have to bet everything on him. Get out there, meet more men, compare them, and then you’ll know what kind of man is right for you."
When it came to matters of the heart, Nancy Hughes wasn’t great at comforting people. She had never been in a relationship herself, and the one person she had liked had cruelly rejected her.
But honestly, when she first saw Elliot Sheridan and Georgia Thorne together, it had scared her half to death.
Georgia Thorne was young and beautiful; she deserved a better man.
Of course, she wasn’t saying Elliot Sheridan was a bad person, just that the two of them were a mismatch in every way.
"Nancy, I’m really fine. You don’t have to try so hard to persuade me." Georgia Thorne lowered her eyes. "I don’t know if he’s sincere or not, but I’m clear about my own feelings."
"I’ve liked people before, so I know what it feels like. When I saw the news about Elliot Sheridan’s fiancée this morning, I felt uneasy, but not overly emotional. I was never confident that I could hold onto Elliot Sheridan forever. It’s also possible that I don’t really love him."
It was because she didn’t love Elliot Sheridan that she hadn’t burst into tears like Amanda Thorne after seeing the news.
But what she couldn’t tolerate was Elliot Sheridan going into a hotel with another woman while he was seeing her.
That night, Georgia Thorne took a shower and lay down in bed early.
She turned off the lights and stared at the ceiling with her eyes wide open. Suddenly, tears began to fall.
The truth was, she had lied to Nancy Hughes.
It wasn’t that she had no feelings. At the very least, the moment she saw the newspaper, she had panicked.
She couldn’t calm down at all. Otherwise, she wouldn’t have called Elliot Sheridan to try and confirm it.
She probably did have feelings for Elliot Sheridan. As for how deep they were, she wasn’t sure.
’They probably aren’t too deep. If I pull back now, there should still be time.’
After sorting out her thoughts about Elliot Sheridan, Georgia Thorne’s heart suddenly calmed.
When she had first agreed to be with him, she hadn’t considered being with Elliot Sheridan for the long term.
She couldn’t sleep at all. She turned on the light, and the harsh glare made her eyes blur for a moment.
Getting out of bed, she opened her desk drawer and took out her art supplies.
