The Perfect Wife's Perfect Revenge

Chapter 601

Gwyneth couldn't quite explain why she missed someone she barely even knew so fiercely. Maybe it was because she'd gotten used to their nightly calls-she'd never talked to anyone else like that before.

Tonight, Hawthorne was gone, and by eight o'clock, still no call. She figured he was just like every other man: once he got what he wanted, he lost interest. But when she caught the live broadcast, she finally understood-he was still stuck in some business conference.

No wonder he couldn't spare a minute.

Leonie glanced at her phone again. All the news coverage had dried up, so she switched the conversation back to tomorrow's blind date. "I have no idea what kind of guy my mom's lining up for me," she said. "Here's the plan: you pretend to be me, and I'll just sit next to you, blending into the background. If you think he's decent, go ahead and introduce yourself. If not, you turn him down for me. As long as my mom thinks you did the rejecting, she won't give me a hard time."

Leonie was basically using Gwyneth as a human shield. Mrs. Everhart adored her daughter too much to scold her harshly, but she could nag for hours on end. That's what Leonie dreaded most-her mother's endless lectures, emotional appeals, and, if it came to it, a few dramatic tears.

The thought alone made Leonie's scalp tingle. But now that Gwyneth was officially her aunt, and Hawthorne's word was law in the house, no one would dare argue with her. If Gwyneth, in her new family role, rejected a suitor, Mrs. Everhart would simply assume the guy wasn't good enough.

Gwyneth hesitated. "Are you sure this will work?"

She could see right through Leonie's little scheme, but it wasn't exactly malicious.

"Of course it'll work! You've never seen my mom in action. Come on, Auntie, help me out."

Leonie pouted, putting on her best puppy-dog eyes. Gwyneth sighed, resigned. "Fine, I'll do it."

loneliness she felt when Hawthorne was gone seemed less sharp. She even drifted off to sleep to the sound of Leonie's cheerful voice,

sun streamed through the windows. Gwyneth rolled over, checked the time, and nearly tumbled out of

"Oh no, I'm late!"

employee was she, oversleeping like

"Work? Auntie,

weekend? Was it

check the

couldn't be her mother

scheduled the blind date Mrs. Everhart

today

mistakes about these things.

phone. Sure enough, it was

immediately flopped back onto bed, startling Gwyneth, who worried something Leonie started

was wrong But W

softly

laugh and shake her head before

light sleeper, the kind who couldn't fall back asleep once

past few days had

she didn't