Mr. CEO, You Look Strangely Familiar

Zoe Ellsworth was the first to pick up her chopsticks. ”My sister-in-law made this, so it has to be delicious. The smell was driving me crazy earlier.”

The color drained from Jean Grant’s face. ”Zoe,” she said, ”your brother isn’t actually dating her. It’s just an act for your mom.”

Zoe Ellsworth shot back, ”How could that be? My brother is sleeping in the same bed with my sister-in-law. He’s a total innocent; he’s never brought a girl home before.”

Chloe Marshall said nothing. ’It should be him who speaks up about this, not me.’

But Ethan Ellsworth didn’t say a word. He glanced at his little assistant beside him, and his heart twisted with even more torment.

’Where is this torment coming from?’ he wondered, but he didn’t know.

”Sis-in-law, after dinner, you and my brother should go home together. Mom talks about you all the time, saying she hasn’t seen you in ages.”

Chloe Marshall gave a faint smile. ”I’ll definitely visit her when I have the time.”

Zoe Ellsworth laughed. ”At first, I thought you were kind of a hick, but now I realize you get prettier the more I look at you. And you’re such a good cook! My brother is lucky to have married you.”

Chloe Marshall could barely hold her chopsticks. It took her several tries just to pick up a piece of food.

Nora Ainsworth chimed in, ”Anyone who marries Chloe would be lucky. Let’s eat before the food gets cold, everyone.”

Ethan Ellsworth sat there, turning his head slightly to watch her. She kept her head down, shoveling rice into her mouth. She was almost done with her rice but had barely touched any of the other dishes. He couldn’t help but say, ”Moron. Are you really a moron? Why aren’t you eating the other food?”

Chloe Marshall held her breath, a tightness in her chest, but she managed a smile at him. ”You’ve called me a moron so many times, even if I wasn’t one to begin with, I would’ve become one by now.”

Ethan Ellsworth froze. Only then did he get a completely clear look at her expression. Her eyes were red, but she wore a smile. ’That smile—it’s so pained.’

He didn’t say anything else.

The meal was uncomfortable for everyone.

After they finished eating, Zoe Ellsworth urged, ”Sis-in-law, you and my brother should head home. It’s already eight or nine o’clock. You don’t need to come back tonight.”

Chloe Marshall opened her mouth, but in the end, she said, ”Zoe, I’ll visit your mother when I have the chance in the future. But I won’t be going tonight.”

Zoe Ellsworth looked at Ethan Ellsworth, finally sensing that something was wrong. ”Did you and my brother have a fight? Are you giving each other the silent treatment? Did he bully you?”

Chloe Marshall shook her head. ”No, Boss Ellsworth wouldn’t bully me.”

”Then what is it?” Zoe looked at Ethan. ”Brother, say something.”

Ethan Ellsworth’s lips parted. ”She’s *just* my assistant now.”

That one word, *’just,’* said everything about their relationship. Nothing more needed to be said.

Zoe Ellsworth was dumbfounded. ”You broke up?”

Then she voiced her displeasure. ”Brother, have you lost your mind, or are you just that blind? Why would you break up?”

No one answered.

From the side, Jean Grant spoke up. ”It’s because of me.”

Zoe Ellsworth’s eyes widened. She spun around to face her. ”Tell me, what kind of soap opera drama is this? Because of you? Jean, don’t tell me you made my brother the other man? You’re not divorced yet, are you? Tell me, are you divorced or not?”

Jean Grant’s expression was awkward. ”Soon.”

”What do you mean, ’soon’?” Zoe pressed. ”Jean, how could you do this to my brother? Huh? Before you got married, I would have completely supported you two getting together. But the point is, you’re married now! You’re a married woman! My brother and Chloe were doing just fine, and they broke up because of you?”

Jean Grant explained, ”I’ll be divorced in a few days. I won’t let go of your brother’s hand again.”

Zoe Ellsworth leaned back in her chair and stared at the ceiling.

Then, she shot to her feet, her face filled with righteous indignation. ”If this were anyone else, I couldn’t be bothered to say anything. But because it’s my brother, I can’t hold it in! Are you two trying to set an example? To show that a homewrecker can have her day in the sun? Jean, let me ask you: are *you* the other woman in my brother and Chloe’s relationship, or is my brother the other man in yours and your husband’s?!”

Ethan Ellsworth’s face turned cold. ”Zoe, that’s enough!”

”Why can’t I? Brother, is your love that cheap? Isn’t it enough that you’ve loved her for so long? And now she’s going to treat you like this? I’m not one to mince words; I say what I think. I just can’t stand this kind of behavior. How is this any different from some shady, back-alley affair?!”

”Have you said enough?!” Jean Grant stood up, facing her directly.

”Zoe, what good does it do you to talk about your brother and me like that? I took a wrong turn. Does one wrong step mean I have to lose everything? Zoe, I only realize now how foolish my previous path was. Can’t you just give me a chance? Your brother loves me, and I love him. We’re going to be together. I’ll have the divorce finalized within two weeks.”

Zoe Ellsworth snorted. Her opinion of Jean Grant, formed since childhood, completely shattered in that moment. ”Then wait until you’re divorced to get together with my brother.”

After speaking, her gaze shifted to Ethan Ellsworth. ”Our mom is at home looking at the almanac every day; she’s already bought all the wedding supplies for you. She’s been as happy as can be, and she likes Chloe more than she likes me, her own daughter. Brother, all these years, you’ve given her your entire heart. I just hope she doesn’t let you down again.”

She gave him one last deep look, then turned to Herman Hawthorne. ”Honey, let’s go home.”

”We’ll be leaving first,” Herman Hawthorne said to Quentin Grant.

”Be careful on the road.” Nora Ainsworth and Chloe Marshall both stood up to see them out.

The four of them walked in silence to the street corner. Herman and Zoe got into their car. Just as they were about to leave, Zoe waved Chloe over. ”Sis-in-law, come here.”

Chloe Marshall walked closer. Zoe looked at her and said in a low voice, ”If you want someone, you have to do everything you can to burrow into his heart. Nothing else matters. As long as you can occupy his heart, you’re the winner. For the sake of my mom, who likes you so much, that’s all I can say.”

Chloe Marshall was grateful. ”Thank you, Zoe. I’ll go visit your mother in the next few days.”

Zoe Ellsworth nodded. The car window slowly rolled up, and the vehicle drove away.

”Zoe is so blunt, but she sees things so clearly.”

Chloe Marshall smiled faintly. ”Sis, what Zoe said makes me feel like that’s how a woman should be.”

Nora Ainsworth nodded. ”Are you going back inside?”

Chloe Marshall shook her head. ”No, it’d be too awkward for me. I’m just going to go home and sleep.”

Nora could only say, ”Alright then. Go on home.”

*

When Nora Ainsworth returned to the living room doorway, she could feel the heavy atmosphere.

While Zoe Ellsworth was speaking earlier, Quentin Grant, as Jean Grant’s brother, hadn’t said a single word.

Seeing her come in, Quentin Grant stood up and untied the apron Nora was wearing. ”Do you want to go upstairs and rest?”

Nora Ainsworth nodded.

The two of them went upstairs together, leaving Jean Grant and Ethan Ellsworth alone in the vast living room.

It was the same situation as last night, but their states of mind had changed completely.

”Ellsworth, are you angry?”

He shook his head. ”No. Zoe has always been like this.”

Jean Grant was about to say something, but her phone started ringing nonstop.