Reborn As Mr. Coldwell's Wife
Chapter 24: Sunday

Chapter 24: Sunday

It was Sunday morning, and Ellen had plans to go shopping. She headed to Mason’s room, knocking softly on the door. When there was no answer, she suspected he was in his home office. She walked to the office and knocked again.

"Come in," Mason’s voice called from inside.

Ellen opened the door and stepped in, closing it gently behind her. It was her first time seeing Mason at work. He sat at his large wooden desk, papers spread out before him, a serious expression on his face. His brow was slightly furrowed, and his fingers moved skimmed over the papers, making notes and corrections. He was so absorbed in what he was doing, Ellen could almost see the concentration in the air.

Mason glanced up briefly, noticing her standing there. "You can’t possibly have come just to stand there like one of the statues in the garden," he said, his eyes returning to his papers.

Ellen cleared her throat, feeling slightly embarrassed. "I want to go to the mall," she said.

"Fine," Mason replied, not looking up.

Ellen shifted from one foot to the other, her fingers fidgeting with the hem of her dress. Mason’s eyes remained fixed on the stack of papers before him.

"Is there something else?" Mason finally asked, his tone a touch impatient but not unkind.

Ellen took a deep breath, struggling to find the right words. "Well, um," she began, her voice barely above a whisper, "Can you go with me?"

Ellen stood there, her heart pounding in her chest as she waited for Mason’s response. For a moment, the only sound was the rustle of papers and the ticking of the clock on the wall.

She had no real need for company to go shopping; she could handle that part on her own. It was more about taking a step toward building a friendship between them.

Mason sighed, still focused on his work. "I can’t. I’m busy."

"It’s Sunday," Ellen pointed out. "You shouldn’t even be working."

Mason seemed totally unfazed. "There’s always work to be done."

Ellen sighed dramatically, taking a few steps closer to his desk. "Well, fine. If you really insist on being a workaholic, I guess I’ll just go to the mall by myself."

Mason remained focused on his paperwork, barely acknowledging her words.

Ellen paused, a mischievous smile creeping onto her face as she considered her next move. "Actually, I was just thinking about what might happen if I run into a reporter there," she said, her voice taking on a playful tone.

Mason glanced up briefly, an eyebrow raised as if to say, Really? but he didn’t comment.

Ellen continued, not letting his lack of reaction stop her. "I can just imagine them approaching me, asking why I’m at the mall alone on such a lovely Sunday without my husband by my side. I’d probably tell them that my husband chose work over spending time with me. I mean, it’s kind of the truth, isn’t it?"

He looked at her with a hint of curiosity, though he tried to maintain his neutral expression. "What do you want to do at the mall anyway?"

Ellen straightened up, meeting his eyes. "I want to buy a birthday present for Gerald."

Mason leaned back in his chair, considering her words. "You don’t need to bother. He never asks for gifts."

Ellen felt a twinge of frustration. "It’s not about whether he asks for it or not. It’s about showing appreciation and maintaining good relationships."

Mason stared at Ellen for a moment before sighing and standing up. "Fine."

Ellen’s face lit up with excitement. "Yeah!" she exclaimed, quickly becoming shy and smiling at Mason.

In the car on the way to the mall, Ellen asked, "What do you think Gerald would like?"

"Anything," Mason replied nonchalantly.

"Can’t you be more specific?" Ellen gave it a little nudge.

Mason glanced at her, a hint of irritation in his eyes. "If you don’t know what to buy, then why bother?"

Ellen thought to herself that buying a gift for her "enemy" wasn’t her idea of fun, but she couldn’t afford to be openly hostile toward Gerald. She wanted to maintain the illusion that everything was fine. "Hey, you can help me find a gift for him," she said, forcing a smile. "Oh, what have you got for Gerald?"

"I haven’t gotten anything yet," Mason admitted.

"Good. We can find it together," Ellen said, feeling a bit more relieved.

When they arrived at the mall, they visited one shop after another. Ellen finally settled on a sleek, elegant watch. Mason, however, was still empty-handed. After Ellen paid for the watch, Mason said, "You already got what you wanted, so we can go home now."

"No," Ellen insisted. "You haven’t got your gift yet. We won’t go home until we find it."

Mason opened his mouth to argue, but a familiar voice called out, "Mason!"

They both turned to see Aubrey approaching them. Ellen’s heart sank. Why do I have to meet her so often? But she remembered that in the story, the main characters often bumped into each other.

Aubrey walked up to Mason, her smile bright and genuine. "It’s nice to see you here, Maze."

Mason gave a quick nod. "Aubrey."

Ellen frowned when she noticed that Aubrey seemed to ignore her presence entirely. Oh, this woman...

Ellen cleared her throat loudly, causing Aubrey to finally acknowledge her. "Oh, Ellen, you’re here too."

Ellen pushed aside her anger and forced a polite smile. "Good to see you, Aubrey."

Aubrey turned back to Mason, her smile returning. "Are you shopping here?"

Mason nodded again. "Yes."

Ellen knew she couldn’t let her husband chit-chat with his ex, who still wanted him. She knew all too well about Aubrey’s lingering feelings, and she had to destroy any chance of them reconnecting.

Spontaneously, Ellen hugged Mason’s arm and said, "We’re done shopping here and want to go now. Goodbye, Aubrey."

Aubrey’s smile faltered slightly, but she quickly recovered. "Alright, have a good day," she said, her voice strained.

As they walked away, Ellen kept her hold on Mason’s arm, unaware of the intense, hate-filled glare that Aubrey was directing at her.

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