Chapter 189 Got Into Trouble Through Clever Means


    When Mandy came out of the coffee shop, she acted surprised and said, "Essie, I just came across


    Hanson. Did you see him?"


    Essie nodded and said, "Yes, I''ve greeted him already." It seemed as though she didn''t want to talk


    about it.


    An indescribable darkness appeared in Mandy''s deep eyes and said, "Since you have Zac now, you


    could finally let go of Hanson."


    "Hanson and I are just friends now," said Essie, while she shrugged and waved her hand. She decided


    to drag Mandy to go shopping to finally end the conversation. There was a deep rooted resentment that


    was instilled in Mandy''s heart. She wouldn''t let Essie go so easily and vowed to take revenge for


    robbing her of the man she truly loved.


    By the time she arrived back at the Rong Mansion, Essie noticed that Ivy and Valery had already


    arrived back home.


    When Ivy saw Essie walking towards the living room, her face immediately darkened with gloom. She


    stood up from the couch and left to go upstairs,pletely ignoring Essie''s presence. Valery watched


    with an insidious and sinister smile on her face. She was d that her n had worked and


    sessfully turned Essie into Ivy''s rival for love. As long as she pushed even harder, she was sure that


    Ivy would eventually cooperate with getting rid of Essie.


    When Essie saw this, she decided to follow her upstairs and visit Ivy''s bedroom. The door was wide


    opened, so she knocked and asked, "May Ie in, Ivy?"


    "No, I don''t want to associate myself with hypocritical people," said Ivy bluntly without reluctance. It


    seemed as though Essie had been cklisted.


    However, Essie proceeded to walk directly inside and closed the door in case someone might hear


    them.


    "Would you like to hear the story about Hanson and me?" she asked with a soft voice.


    Ivy didn''t respond and instead pouted in displeasure. With a subtle sigh, Essie decided to continue and


    said, "Hanson was my first love. I fell in love with him when I met him in college. At that time, I was just


    like you and had admired him so much. I figured that as long as I had a man like him, I already got


    everything that I needed from this world. I have done a lot of unusual and crazy things so I could win


    his love. Now, when I think about it, it''s actually quite remarkable that I got myself to do those things for


    him. Despite my drive, it felt tragic because I could never understand his intentions. I never knew if he


    loved me as much as I loved him. One day, I finally summoned up the courage to admit and express


    my feelings to him, but in return, I found out that he had just been engaged and was bound to get


    married with Sunny. It was so sudden and at that time, that I was leftpletely devastated. I felt my


    whole world crashing down, and thought that I could never get back up. That same day was when I met


    Zac. We had a confusing rtionship at the start, as it felt like we were rivals who always just quarreled


    with each other. However, thanks to him, I was able to forget Hansonpletely and was able to turn


    over a new leaf."


    Ivy looked up to her, with a tinge of doubt in her eyes. Her story sounded different from what she heard


    from Mint Coffee House. She asked, "Wasn''t it you who dumped Hanson?"


    "It was over before it even began." A mncholic smile appeared on Essie''s face and she continued,


    "By the time I found out that Hanson also loved me back, I had already been married to Zac. Since it


    seemed that fate was against us, I figured that we were simply not meant to be together. I would rather


    have him think of me as a materialistic and vain woman, so that he would be able to move on and find


    new love," she exined lightly. It was unnecessary for Ivy to know all the nitty gritty details of the


    entanglement between the three of them.


    "So, today you said that on purpose to drive him away?" When Ivy heard this, her eyes widened with a


    stupefied expression. Essie gave a subtle nod and said, "Since there was no future between us, I just


    wanted us both to forget itpletely."


    "Do you still love him?" Ivy asked. She didn''t expect that their story would be soplicated and


    heartbreaking.


    "It''s not right to be too greedy. I already have Zac, so there is no reason for me to think about anyone


    else," said Essie with a soft sigh. She thought that her worries would only do more harm to him.


    "Does my cousin know about what happened between the two of you?" Ivy asked with raised


    eyebrows.


    Essie nodded and said, "Zac is an overbearing man, I''m not even allowed to bring Hanson up or talk


    about him to anyone, not even you." This was her way of exining why she had concealed her


    rtionship with Hanson. Since Zac had forbidden her to talk about it, so she couldn''t.


    Ivy finally understood why her cousin had always looked so vicious whenever she mentioned Hanson''s


    name. She noticed a resentful look on his eyes every time.


    "Hanson must be really sad right now," she said while she looked down with a sad face. It seemed as


    though she was so affected with his pain that it hurt her as well.


    Essie ced her hands on Ivy''s shoulder and said, "When people are unhappy, that is when their


    psychological defense is at the most vulnerable. If there would be someone who canfort, care and


    heal his internal wounds, it would be very easy to capture his heart."


    A starlight flew into Ivy''s eyes, turning on a light bulb. Essie was right, how could she not have realized


    earlier. She could easily use this information to her advantage so that she could win Hanson''s heart.


    This way, no one would be able to take him away from her.


    When Essie noticed the change in her expression, she seized her opportunity and said, "Ivy, you''re a


    beautiful, kind and noble woman. I think you would be a perfect match for Hanson. I genuinely hope


    that you can be together."


    "Really?" Two red clouds appeared on Ivy''s cheeks, and she felt like her heart was about to float away.


    Hanson was also his first love, so she really wanted to be with him and was devoted to do so.


    Essie appreciated Ivy''s simplicity and frankness, and above all, she could see that Ivy loved Hanson


    just as much as she did in the past. She genuinely hoped that fate would bring them together and that


    things wouldn''t turn out like it did for her. Hanson and Essie always seemed to be identally missing


    each other, which made everything seem like it was just a dream.


    "I know all about Hanson''s likes and dislikes when I was trying to win his love. I can now leave you all


    those secrets. I''m sure we could do this. Don''t let Christina steal him away from you."


    Ivy waspletely glowing with cheerfulness as she held Essie in her arms. After giving her a hug, she


    said, "Sister-inw, you''re so kind and supportive towards me. Ipletely misunderstood you earlier


    on, but I hope you don''t take it against me."


    "Of course not. We are good sisters, so no small thing should get in between us," Essie gently


    Belonging to N?velDrama.Org.


    answered with a genuine and kind smile on her face. She continued, "By the way, how did you end up


    in the same coffee shop as me, Ivy? It seemed like too much of a coincidence..."


    "I was studying my lessons at home but Valery managed to force me to go shopping with her. When we


    arrived at the Times Mall, she said she had to take a bracelet from the shop and asked me to wait for


    her in Mint Coffee House. As soon as I got inside, I saw both you and Hanson sitting there," Ivy


    exined.


    "Well isn''t that such a coincidence?" A rush of thoughts came across Essie''s mind, but she simply


    smiled slightly. There was a tinge of darkness that cast a shadow over her eyes.


    Ivy and Essie both came down the stairs together. When Valery saw that they talked andughed just


    as happily as they used to, she was shocked that they still got along together so well that her eyes


    nearly popped out with her mouth hanging open.


    There was no way that they could just make up so easily. She had already nned to visit Ivy''s


    bedroom after dinner and discuss how to deal with their rival in love.


    The sly fox, Essie must have said something to manipte her. Valery had to find a way to block her so


    that she wouldn''t seed.


    As soon as dinner ended, Valery pulled Ivy to take a walk in the garden with her.


    The two of them walked along the gravel path that led to the pavilion. When they sat down, Sage


    brought over some fruits for them.


    After swallowing a red grape, Valery said, "Ivy, I just found out something, but I''m not sure if I should tell


    you." She alluded mystery in her face.


    "What is it?" Ivy asked in a hurry as she was easily curious about gossip.


    "Hanson and Essie, they aren''t just some ordinary senior and junior ssmates. In fact, they are each


    other''s first love," said Valery slowly and clearly, word by word.


    Ivy was a little disappointed as she thought she was going to hear some interesting news, but it turned


    out to be something Essie had just told her. Uninterested, she replied, "I already know. It''s all in the


    past now. Everyone has their own first love." She didn''t seem to look like she cared about it at all. After


    Essie had exined their situation, she waspletely relieved of all her worries.


    Valery pouted and said defensively, "That''s not true! Just some time ago while Essie was in Yang City,


    my paparazzi friend took photos of them. They seemed very intimate. If she still keeps in touch with


    Hanson, you will lose your opportunity to be with him."


    "The paparazzi always makes groundless usations. It''s totally usible that the paparazzi only


    wanted it to sound like there was an affair going on when they are really just friends," said Ivy as she


    waved her hand. She already heard what Essie had told Hanson in the cafe, and knew that she


    belittled herself so Hanson could believe that she was the kind of woman who wanted a man just for


    their wealth and power. It was clear to Ivy that Essie had made up her mind to break up with him for


    good.


    "I''m only saying this to you out of kindness and concern. I''m well aware that Essie is stillpletely in


    love with Hanson. Even if she is now married, she still can''t seem to let him go. Sunny and Hanson''s


    wedding was postponed again and it was said that she was the one who caused them trouble. There is


    no way that she would allow you or any woman to get close to Hanson. As long as she is there, you


    won''t have any hope with him at all." While Valery spoke, she purposely released a deep, heavy sigh


    and showed Ivy a sympathetic expression on her face.


    Ivy cast a sidelong nce at her. If she had seen what happened earlier between Hanson and Essie


    with no knowledge about the story and history between them, she would have beenpletely


    enraged at Essie by now.


    However, because Essie had talked to her already, she was nonchnt andposed.


    "Valery, there''s no need for you to overthink it. Essie is already married to my cousin, and based on


    their intimate rtionship right now, I''m sure they will have a baby together soon. It''s impossible for her


    to be with Hanson," she said with a cunning smile. She continued with a smirk, "I''ll make sure to ask


    my cousin to keep my sister-inw by his side for the rest of their lives so that Hanson wouldn''t have


    any hope to be with her. Then, of course, he will finally give up on her and fall in love with me."


    When Valery heard this, she almost fainted. She thought Ivy was going insane. She wondered how Ivy


    came up with such a ridiculous idea.


    It didn''t seem like they would be able to form an alliance against Essie because they were not thinking


    in the same wavelength whatsoever.


    She ate a few red grapes,pletely dismayed, so she decided to just stop talking.


    Around the same time, Essie was watching ''Gourmet Paradise'' in her bedroom. On today''s episode, it


    featured a world ss chef showing how he made his special Sautéed Crab in Hot Spicy Sauce.


    She waspletely enraptured with the screen and looked at it wide-eyed while she licked her lips.


    Her desire for the food made it seem like she was ready to pounce at the screen.


    Zac reached out to wrap his arms around the greedy cat and said, "Honey, I can tell that you really


    want to eat that spicy crab right now."


    Essie nodded her head at a fast pace and said, "How about I go shopping to buy some crabs and cook


    them ourselves tomorrow?"


    cing both his hands on the back of his head, he leaned against the sofa and said, "There''s no need


    for you to buy it. There are crabs in the pond behind the mansion. You can ask the kitchen to cook


    them the way you want tomorrow."


    Essie was so ecstatic that he ced her arms on his shoulder and said, "You have such a lovely home.


    It''s self-sufficient and you''re free to eat anything that you want. And they are also always spotless and


    clean!"


    A subtle smile appeared on Zac''s face while he held her chin between his fingers and said, "Honey, this


    is also your home."


    Essie didn''t say anything and shrugged. It was way too early for her to feel like this was her home. As


    there was a ferocious mistress and a proud mother-inw who had spent all their time trying to get her


    out of the house as soon as they could.


    However, most importantly, her husband didn''t even love her. She didn''t feel like she belonged in this


    home at all.