Mr. CEO, You're Just A Substitute
Chapter 134 She Doesn't Love You

The Richards family did try to contact Starry for several times and Starry refused to meet any members of the family with the excuse of her leg problem. Actually, her leg had almost recovered. Just a few days ago when Izabella accompanied her to the hospital for examination, the doctor told her so.

Then half a month had passed. The New Year soon arrived.

What she said to Frances was not a pure excuse.

She hadn't got back to her old home in the countryside to celebrate The New Year for years and this year she didn't intend to spend the holidays in this city anymore.

Her leg hurt and it was hard for her to get back to the countryside alone. Izabella planned to drive her back but Starry refused.

She got a cab and got back to her home in the rural area three days before the New Year holiday.

Before she departed, she had hired someone to clean the home for her. It was an old house with two bedrooms and it was beside a busy street, the traffic of which made it hard for Starry to write anything. So, she just read a book on the balcony with a stove around.

Starry didn't tell Catherine she had got back to the countryside. Edward asked Catherine to decline an invitation of a New Year party. However, when he got to Starry's villa, he found Starry was not there. Starry hadn't answered his call since the day he expressed his love for Starry. If she had something to tell him, she would ask Catherine to tell him.

Edward was standing outside the gate of the villa with his head lowered. He looked quite depressed.

He knew what he would encounter today. Starry could be so cruel if she needed to be.

It was freezingly cold today but Edward still stood before the villa for a while before he called Catherine.

But Catherine didn't know her whereabout either, "She didn't tell me where she went."

Then she halted for a second before she continued, "Don't force her. She was not quite herself these days. You know it."

Edward refrained himself from asking another question and said, "I know. I'll get back to my apartment."

Starry was from Finas City. Her parents were both elementary school teachers in that city but they passed away in an accident when she was only ten.

Later she was adopted by her grandma in Araria City. Her grandma was not physically well and she passed away when she was twenty.

After that, seldom did Starry get back to her hometown. She didn't sell her parents' house or rent it and she hired someone to look after the house. And this year she got back to avoid meeting Edward.

She got to know Sebastian when she moved to Araria City at ten. By then Edward, a kid who kept drooling with a peanut brittle in hand, was just learning how to speak. For her, Edward was Sebastian's younger brother and also her younger brother and nobody else.

It was cloudy today.

It was two days before The New Year. Starry looked down from the balcony and found the lights and trees downstairs were all decorated to celebrate the New Year. Starry ordered some dishes online. After all, she needed something to celebrate the New Year.

On The New Year Eve, Izabella called Starry just two hours before The New Year.

The small town was even livelier than the city. Izabella could hear the sound of people celebrating the New Year and she felt quite like replaceing Starry to stay with her. "Where is your house, Starry?"

Starry knew what she intended to do instantly, "You want to come over, don't you?"

"Every year I have to suffer the same. It's boring!"

Starry smiled, "It's good for being busy."

"It's definitely not. I hate to meet my cousins I'm not familiar with. We're not even of the same age!"

"They're just kids."

"No, they're not. They're already high school students!"

Izabella went on and on and Starry just remained quiet to listen to her until she heard someone calling Izabella from the other side. Then she suggested to end the call. She hung up the phone and looked beyond her balcony to replace a bunch of fireworks raising from afar. Some kids were downstairs playing with the decorations on the trees.

It's a lovely scene. But she was the only one in this old house. The New Year's Eve Party was shown on the screen and she was sitting on the sofa with a cup of coffee in hand.

It seemed that everything had nothing to do with her.

Meanwhile, in the Pearson residence.

Florence and Lilly both came back to their own home and the servants in the old Pearson residence were all given time off. Even Aunt Martha was allowed by Frances to celebrate New Year with her families. Now Frances and Filip were the only two staying in this house.

Filip didn't love to watch TV and he certainly had no interest in any New Year party.

And Frances used to spend the New Year's Eve on playing chess with Starry. Without Starry's company, she felt quite bored at this moment.

She turned to Filip, who was peeling an apple, and hinted delicately, "It is said that fracture takes three months to recover. Maybe it's a hard time for her now."

Filip cut the peeled apple into slices and put the slices into a plate before he presented the plate to his grandma, "Don't bother. She got a lot of friends."

Frances looked at him and said, "Another year is going to pass. Let's see how long you'll remain single."

She was too old to worry about his relationships.

Filip bit his lower lip and remained silent.

Frances was too old to stay awake until the New Year's bell. Filip helped her get upstairs to sleep at eleven.

Now he looked quite lonely as he became the only one in the living room.

Then he soon got back to his room as his grandma's words made him lost in his mind.

He stayed on his sofa for a while and finally, he stood up and picked up the key for his car at half past eleven.

When he arrived at Starry's villa, it seemed to be dark inside.

She must have slept early.

His lips curved faintly upwards and he began to doubt why he came here.

But before he left, there came a car, the light of which lit up the whole street.

Filip frowned and stared at his rearview mirror and the car finally stopped beside his car.

The window was rolled down and the handsome face of Edward was shown behind it.

"What are you doing here?"

The presence of Filip made Edward look quite bad.

Filip sneered and didn't want to bother with him.

His attitude further irritated Edward. He drove his car in front of Filip's to stop him from driving away, "I remember you've got divorced with Starry, am I wrong?"

Filip could see anger on Edward's face clearly through his window.

But he was also angry at this moment.

Filip got off his car and glared at Edward, "You love Starry, don't you?"

"It's none of your business!"

Edward also got off his car. He didn't replace Starry but Filip here, which made him feel like beating Filip.

"What a pity! Starry has no interest in you, my boy."

Filip's words made Edward lose his reason and he raised his hand to punch Filip, "You're in to position to say this! She doesn't love you anymore!"