Substitute Wife, Genius CEO novel Chapter 124

After all, this was the capital of the country. The streets were crawling with political heirs, billionaires, and powerful locals.

They had no idea who Yates was or what kind of power he wielded, so they didn't dare cross him.

The Vance family were classic bullies—cowardly against true strength, yet bold enough to scream and bark at Summer.

"Summer!" Tiffany suddenly stepped forward, her voice dripping with artificial sweetness as she linked arms intimately with her cousin. "Who is this gentleman? Aren't you going to introduce us?"

Tiffany had always burned with jealousy over Summer's high-society marriage. She wanted nothing more than to bag a billionaire of her own, live in a mansion, and drive exotic cars.

The moment Summer greeted Yates, Tiffany had been waiting for her opening.

Beulah's cloudy eyes gleamed as she caught onto the scheme. "Summer, introduce your cousin properly."

Her aunt quickly chimed in, eyes shining with greed. "Exactly! Tiffany is going to be attending the Empire Film Academy soon. She doesn't know anyone in the city. You should introduce her to some of your well-connected friends."

Summer saw right through their transparent attempt at social climbing.

She glanced sideways at Yates.

The corner of Yates's narrow eyes curled up in a faint, mocking smirk. He didn't speak, silently giving her permission to make the introduction.

But Summer knew Yates's standards. Did they really think he would give someone like Tiffany a second glance?

Smiling coldly to herself, Summer decided that if they wanted to humiliate themselves, she was more than happy to oblige.

She calmly extracted her arm from Tiffany's grip. "This is Mr. Yates Hawthorne, CEO of the Hawthorne Corporation."

"Hello, Mr. Hawthorne. It is so wonderful to meet you. I'm Tiffany Miller, Summer's cousin. I just got accepted into the Empire Film Academy, and I'm going to be a star," Tiffany beamed, extending a hand eagerly.

Yates kept his hands buried in his pockets, completely motionless.

After a painfully long silence, just as Tiffany's smile began to violently tremble, Yates finally spoke.

"I don't make a habit of befriending ugly women who have had plastic surgery."

Tiffany looked like she was about to burst into tears. Summer had anticipated the rejection, but she still had to bite the inside of her cheek to stop herself from laughing.

However, the amusement vanished a second later when Tiffany pointed a trembling finger at her. "Well, Summer had plastic surgery too!"

Summer stared at her, utterly deadpan.

Yates looked genuinely surprised as he turned his gaze back to Summer.

She met his eyes evenly, not bothering to defend herself.

Back in high school, the most popular boy in her class had chased after her relentlessly, showering her with gifts.

Even though she rejected him every single time, his childhood female friend had gone insane with jealousy and hired thugs to slash Summer's face.

While the others eagerly flipped through the expensive menu, Beulah fixed Summer with a stern glare. "Summer, Tiffany is a gorgeous girl. You need to put in a good word for her with that Mr. Hawthorne."

Tiffany looked at Summer with wide, desperate eyes. She had literally altered her face just to become an actress.

How could anyone call her ugly?

Summer replied in a flat tone, "I have no interest in playing matchmaker. Furthermore, I hardly know Mr. Hawthorne."

"You expect me to believe you hardly know him when he went out of his way to speak to you?" Beulah's face hardened with displeasure. "Summer, Tiffany is family! You can't just hoard all your success and abandon your own blood. Don't forget, your last name is Vance. If it wasn't for my son, you wouldn't exist. You owe this family a debt you could never repay in a lifetime."

"Please, Summer," Tiffany begged, pressing her palms together. "Just help me out, okay?"

When she wanted something, they were best friends; when she didn't, Summer was dirt. Tiffany was as predictable as the sunrise.

Summer ignored the plea entirely and cut straight to the chase. "Did you go looking for Xavier before coming to the hospital?"

Hearing Xavier's name snapped Beulah back to her original mission. She slammed her hand on the table. "You are absolutely forbidden from divorcing him! A man of his stature is bound to have a few women on the side. That's just how the world works! You are his legal wife. You hold the title. You need to be generous and stop throwing these petty, narrow-minded tantrums."

Jared's mother chimed in smoothly. "Summer, your grandmother is right. Look at all the wealthy wives in society. Which one of them doesn't turn a blind eye?"

Her aunt nodded enthusiastically. "Exactly. Rich men always have mistresses. They keep the main wife at home while playing the field. If princesses from old money families can swallow their pride and endure it, why can't you? Stop being so arrogant. The more you throw these fits, the further you push him away."

Beulah delivered her final verdict. "After we eat, we are going to escort you to him. You will soften your tone, admit your mistakes, and apologize! From now on, you will live a quiet, obedient life with him. No more of this nonsense!"