Mr. CEO, You Look Strangely Familiar

Mrs. Ellsworth’s head was spinning. She said through gritted teeth, ”I’m going to ask him right now.”

She hung up, barely able to stay on her feet as she immediately dialed Ethan Ellsworth’s number.

When the call wouldn’t go through, she had no choice but to try Chloe Marshall’s cell.

Chloe Marshall was at home making lunch. Seeing the call was from Mrs. Ellsworth, she answered without hesitation.

”Hello, Mom.” The word slipped out unconsciously, and it was too late to take it back.

Hearing her say ”Mom,” Mrs. Ellsworth felt a little relieved. ”Chloe, dear,” she said, ”have you and Ellsworth been doing well lately?”

Chloe Marshall didn’t know how to answer, but she didn’t want to keep lying to her.

”Boss Ellsworth and I... we just have a boss-employee relationship. Actually, this whole time, it’s all been fake. The person Boss Ellsworth really likes isn’t me.”

Mrs. Ellsworth felt the world spin. The daughter-in-law she had grown so fond of was about to be hers, and she imagined holding a grandchild in the near future. In the blink of an eye, it was all gone.

”Tell me, where are you right now?”

Chloe Marshall could hear the panic in her voice. ”Mrs. Ellsworth, please calm down.”

”Just tell me! Where are you?!”

”In the building across from Young Master Grant’s place.” As soon as Chloe Marshall finished speaking, the line went dead.

She turned off the stove, yanked off her apron, and immediately tried to call Ethan Ellsworth, but she couldn’t get through.

A bad feeling washed over Chloe Marshall. She quickly shut the door and prepared to go find Ethan Ellsworth.

Just as she got downstairs, she saw Ethan Ellsworth walking toward her from a short distance away within the complex.

She immediately shouted, ”Boss Ellsworth!”

Then she jogged over to him.

Seeing it was her, Ethan Ellsworth’s expression involuntarily softened. ”Running like a maniac. What’s got you in such a panic?”

”Our mom—no, I mean, your mom is coming.”

Ethan Ellsworth shot back, ”What’s my mom coming here for?”

Chloe Marshall immediately explained, ”It’s all my fault. Your mother called to ask if things were still good between us, and I told her the truth.”

Ethan Ellsworth pressed, ”What exactly did you tell her?”

”I said that we just have a boss-employee relationship, that it’s all been fake this whole time, and that you like someone else, not me,” Chloe Marshall quietly recounted.

Ethan Ellsworth looked up at the sky. ”Do you have the brain of a pig?”

Chloe Marshall lowered her head. ”I think so, too.”

”Well, I imagine she’ll be here any second now. Forget it. We’ll just wait here for the arrival of the Empress Dowager.”

As soon as he finished speaking, a black car sped toward them from around the corner.

”She’s here, Boss Ellsworth.”

Ethan Ellsworth turned his head. ”Well, what do you know. My mom’s speed is truly something else.”

The words were barely out of his mouth when the car pulled to a stop in front of them.

Mrs. Ellsworth wore dark sunglasses, her hair done up in a bun. Dressed in a fashionable winter coat and carrying a designer bag, she had the perfect air of a wealthy socialite.

She stepped out of the car and strode toward them.

Snatching off her sunglasses, she stared at Ethan Ellsworth. ”Tell me you don’t want me to commit suicide.”

Ethan Ellsworth broke into a smile and said in a placating, boyish tone, ”Mom, listen to yourself. Of course I don’t want you to commit suicide.”

Mrs. Ellsworth crossed her arms and nodded. ”Good. You two, get in the car. We’re going home. You’re getting married tomorrow. I’ll have the butler send out invitations tonight.”

Ethan Ellsworth touched the bridge of his nose. ”Mom, there’s no rush.”

Mrs. Ellsworth snorted. ”No rush? Ellsworth, how many years have I been nagging you?! I started when you were eighteen! You’re already twenty-five, and you’ll be twenty-six after the New Year. It’s been forever! Even Zoe is married now. I really thought you finally understood how I felt, that you were going to marry Chloe. So tell me, what on earth are you trying to pull?!”

”Mom, can I get married when I’m thirty?”

Mrs. Ellsworth nearly choked. ”Thirty? Then why don’t you just wait until I’m dead to get married, huh?”

Ethan Ellsworth chuckled. ”I was just teasing you. Look how worked up you are. Don’t get so agitated. You’ll get wrinkles, and then you won’t be as pretty.”

”A moment ago, Jean’s Mom called me. She said you and Jean are dating. She also said Jean got a divorce and even had an abortion. Was it because of you?”

’Ethan Ellsworth had the distinct feeling that if he dared to answer ’yes,’ he wouldn’t be leaving here alive today.’

”Of course not!” ’It really wasn’t because of him. He didn’t think Jean Grant and Marlon Marshall’s divorce had anything to do with him. If Marlon hadn’t cheated on her, if he had kept treating her as well as he did when they first married, she wouldn’t have left him, would she?’

With this sudden realization, a chill went straight to Ethan Ellsworth’s heart.

’He had to know if his suspicion was correct. If it was, then she never loved him at all—’

Hearing his answer, Mrs. Ellsworth smiled. ”Since it wasn’t because of you, then I can rest easy.”

As she finished speaking, a shout in the distance made her look over.

”Ellsworth’s Mom!”

Mrs. Ellsworth murmured coolly, ”Has Jean’s Mom been worrying too much lately? Even from this far away, her face is as wrinkled as a steamed bun.” She then waved a hand. ”What a coincidence.”

With that, she grabbed Chloe Marshall’s hand. ”Come on, walk over with me and let’s see what’s going on.”

Flattered and surprised, Chloe Marshall nodded. Ethan Ellsworth had a very bad feeling about this, but there was nothing he could do.

Jean Grant, Mrs. Grant, and Quentin Grant were standing by the entrance. Mrs. Ellsworth led Chloe Marshall by the hand, with Ethan Ellsworth following close behind.

The whole arrangement was bizarre.

”Jean’s Mom, you called me earlier, so I came right over to ask my Ellsworth what was going on. Honestly, a woman my age can’t handle such a shock! I mean, Ellsworth and Chloe are about to get married, so how could they possibly break up? Even if they wanted to, I wouldn’t approve! I just asked Ellsworth, and he said there’s absolutely no truth to it.”

Mrs. Grant’s expression turned foul. She looked at Jean. ”Ellsworth is here too. Tell me clearly whether you’re dating or not. Don’t let this turn into some embarrassing mix-up.”

Jean Grant immediately looked at Ethan Ellsworth. ”You tell your mother. Are we or are we not dating?”

Mrs. Ellsworth shot Ethan Ellsworth a fierce glare, her eyes screaming, ’Just you dare!’

It wasn’t that Ethan Ellsworth lacked the courage to admit it. But with his earlier question still on his mind, he said, ”Jean, I want to ask you something.”

Jean Grant grew impatient. ”What question? Just spit it out.”

”If Marlon Marshall still treated you as well as he did in the beginning, would you still have chosen to divorce him?” Asking this question so bluntly caught Jean Grant completely off guard.

”But that’s not the situation, is it? What’s the point of thinking about all these hypotheticals?”

’He already had his answer.’

’Even so, after more than ten years of feelings for her, he couldn’t just let go.’

”Mom, Jean and I are indeed dating.”

His words brought joy to some and sorrow to others.

Mrs. Grant’s face immediately broke into a wide smile. ”Ellsworth’s Mom, see? I told you my Jean doesn’t lie. This is just perfect. Our families have always been a good match, and I couldn’t be happier about us becoming in-laws. And besides, you and I are like sisters. If my Jean really marries your Ellsworth, I’ll be smiling in my sleep.”