CEO Plus-Size Ex-Wife

Chapter 17: Tricked

"Mrs. Singers, this way," the waiter said, gesturing towards the restroom area. Andrea didn't question Anne's words due to her status.

Andrea opened and closed her mouth, unable to utter a word. She felt too embarrassed to face Anne and her friends. Rising to her feet, she followed the waiter with her head bowed in shame.

Meanwhile, Anne and her friends chuckled in amusement. "Anne, she went to the toilet. How embarrassing," one of them remarked.

Another friend asked Anne, "What are you going to do to her?"

Anne's smile appeared innocent, but a fierce glint flashed in her eyes as she replied, "What do you mean? She just went to use the toilet."

Anne's friends exchanged knowing glances and smiled.

Following the waiter to the restroom area, Andrea stopped at the doorway leading to the female restroom. The waiter said, "Mrs. Singers, this way."

"Thank you," Andrea responded in a nearly whispered voice before stepping inside.

After the waiter departed, Andrea decided not to return immediately. Instead, she made her way into one of the restrooms and closed the door behind her.

Gazing at her reflection in the mirror, Andrea's eyes welled up with tears, streaming down her cheeks without warning.

She attempted to wipe them away with the back of her hands, but they continued to cascade down her face incessantly. Sniffling, she murmured to herself, "Being fat doesn't equate to being ugly. Being fat doesn't mean I am ugly."

Repeating these words in an effort to bolster her self-assurance, Andrea took a deep breath and composed herself. Her expression hardened as she turned away from the mirror, resolved to exit the restroom.

Reaching for the door handle, she twisted it, only to find it wouldn't budge. Panic surged through her as she frantically tried to force the door open, but her attempts proved futile.

Pounding her palm against the door, she cried out, "Is anyone there? Can anyone hear me? Please, open the door!"

Unbeknownst to Andrea, the door had been locked by someone dispatched by Anne immediately after she had entered the restroom, and that individual had departed without a trace.

Frantically searching herself, Andrea realized with a sinking feeling that she had left her phone and purse in the bouquet hall, a casualty of her nervousness and embarrassment.

"Please, open the door! I'm begging you," she cried out desperately, tugging at the door handle in a panic.

Despite her incessant banging and cries for help, no one came to her aid. The lights in the restroom suddenly went out, sending a wave of fear through her already terrified mind.

Shuddering in terror, Andrea curled up on the cold floor. The darkness was suffocating; she had always been haunted by a deep fear of it.

Her fear traced back to a traumatic incident from her childhood when, at the age of five, her mother had left her with a neighbour who locked her in a basement after a quarrel with her own daughter. Since that day, Andrea had harboured a crippling phobia of the dark.

Unaware of Andrea's distress, Mr. Singers remained engrossed in a serious discussion with Mr. Punk.

"Mr. Singers, I must admit I am disappointed in your decision, but that won't deter me from continuing to support your vision," Mr. Punk expressed, showing his unwavering loyalty after years of working together.

"Thank you, Mr. Punk," Mr. Singers responded with a smile, grateful for the continued support as he plotted for Andrea to take over smoothly.

With their discussion concluded, the two joined the others in the hall, where Sylvester had already made his entrance.

Raising a glass of wine towards Mr. Singers, Sylvester declared, "Let's toast to your impending downfall and the demise of Singers Group."

Surrounded by onlookers accustomed to their competitive dynamic, the tension between the two men was palpable, both openly and covertly vying for power and influence.

Mr. Singers chuckled softly as he leisurely poured himself a glass of wine, taking his time before raising it to clink with Mr. Sylvester's glass. "You should start preparing your exit from Sunshine City. My wife may not be as forgiving as I am, and she might not offer you a second chance," he remarked with a hint of amusement.

A shadow crossed Sylvester's face as he remembered his three consecutive losses against Mr. Singers.

After a thoughtful sip of wine, Mr. Singers engaged in light conversation with the guests before bidding them farewell.

His extended presence and sociable demeanour were a departure from his usual discreet approach at such events. Typically, he would quietly deliver his gift and slip away unnoticed, already gone before anyone realized he had attended.

The guests, taken aback by his openness, flocked to Mr. Singers, who graciously greeted them and introduced Andrea as his successor to the Singers Group.

Done chatting with the guests he approached the table, expecting to find Andrea waiting for him, it stood vacant, save for her phone and purse. A crease formed on his brow as he scanned the area, unable to locate her presence.

Turning to a lady nearby, he inquired, "Excuse me, have you seen my wife?"

The woman's astonishment was palpable as she gaped at him in disbelief, clearly taken aback by Mr. Singers addressing her.

Noticing her reaction, Mr. Singers' expression hardened as he redirected his attention to a man by the table, inquiring, "Have you seen the owner of this purse and phone?"

The man shook his head, replying, "No."

After receiving similar responses from several others he questioned, a chill settled over Mr. Singers.

Despite the opulence and grandeur often associated with the lives of the wealthy, he could sense that behind the facade, Andrea was currently enduring a difficult time.

He was extremely anxious and worried, striding purposefully to the microphone as he addressed the guests. "Excuse me, has anyone seen my wife, Andrea?"

Upon hearing Mr. Singers' unexpected interruption, Mr. Arnold's anger flared. He had not anticipated such audacity from Mr. Singers, who had rudely seized the microphone from the event planner in the midst of introducing his new project to the audience.

"Security team, I need access to the surveillance footage immediately," Mr. Singers demanded, further provoking Mr. Arnold to the point where steam seemed to emanate from his every pore.

"Mr. Singers, this is unacceptable," Mr. Arnold retorted, visibly irritated.