Chapter 290: Chapter 290: "Am I a Part of Your Play?

"COUGH, COUGH, COUGH, COUGH, COUGH!"

Sherry Walsh choked on a mouthful of Coke, nearly coughing up a lung.

She rushed over and set the can of Coke down on the table.

After a glance at the caller ID confirmed it really was Noah Sterling, she snatched the phone and bolted for her bedroom.

’How strange.’

Noah Sterling hadn’t called her in ages, yet he just had to call today of all days.

And if he was going to call, it just had to be when her phone wasn’t with her, letting her dad see it!

Sherry Walsh cursed the man eight times over in her head before finally answering the call.

"Is there something you need?" Sherry’s tone wasn’t pleasant. She glanced at the door and lowered her voice. "You’re not calling to stick up for your ex-girlfriend, are you?"

They had barely spoken since Henry Lancaster’s wedding at the end of last month.

Let alone called each other.

A sudden call today? ’It has to be about Jane Jenkins,’ she thought. No other explanation made sense.

’He’s probably rekindled his old flame with her, and now that I’ve confronted Jane, he’s calling to settle the score.’

"No. Jane Jenkins just came to our firm, claiming you verbally insulted her. She wants to hire one of our lawyers to sue you."

Noah Sterling didn’t beat around the bush.

"Sue me?!" Sherry was baffled.

"Our people didn’t take the case. I was worried she’d go to someone else, so I’m calling to ask what happened."

Noah explained.

"Oh, it’s nothing, it’s nothing. I had lunch with Rory and Sean Harrison today. I didn’t leave in their car, and your ex-girlfriend saw me. She came right up and accused me of finding a new sugar daddy. Is there something wrong with her head? Or is she so used to being a mistress that she thinks everyone else is in the same business?"

Sherry was speechless just thinking about what Jane had said earlier.

"If that’s all it is, then it’s fine. She probably didn’t mean anything by it. However, if a lawyer contacts you later on, let me know right away."

Noah said.

The corner of Sherry’s mouth twitched. "Already getting protective of her? If a lawyer contacts me, why would I need to contact you? I’m a lawyer myself. If she tries to sue me, there’s no guarantee she’ll win."

"What do you mean ’protective’?" A sigh came from the other end of the line. "Lawyer Walsh, I just feel this whole thing started because of me. If she decides to file a lawsuit, I’ll handle it completely so it doesn’t cause you any trouble."

"And then you two can be in constant contact during the lawsuit and rekindle your old flame, right?" Sherry retorted sarcastically. "Am I just a pawn in your little game?"

In her eyes, Noah Sterling clearly wasn’t over Jane Jenkins.

"Sherry, can you please tell me how your mind leaped to that conclusion?"

Noah was exasperated.

He had made this call and said what he did entirely out of goodwill.

He had no idea how Sherry could possibly think they wanted to get back together.

"I’m a lawyer, my father is a famous lawyer, and our family is very well-connected in Veridia. No matter who Jane Jenkins hires to sue me, she won’t get any advantage. You were just testing me because you were afraid she’d be at a disadvantage, right?"

That was genuinely what Sherry thought.

She had never been in a relationship during her school years and had always felt that a role like the "unforgettable first love" was irreplaceable.

’Noah might not say it, but he’s probably worried Jane will get the short end of the stick.’

"Since you put it that way, I’m relieved."

After saying that, Noah Sterling hung up the phone directly.

He felt like he couldn’t quite keep up with Sherry’s racing train of thought.

Sherry hung up and went back out to continue her dinner.

She had just taken a few bites when Mr. Walsh spoke up. "You and Lawyer Sterling haven’t broken up yet?"

"Huh?" It took Sherry a second to process what was happening. "Soon."

"What do you mean, ’soon’?" Mr. Walsh frowned.

"’Soon’ means we’re breaking up soon."

Sherry lowered her head and continued eating.

No matter how fancy the food she ate outside was, she still thought her mom’s home cooking was the best.

Mrs. Walsh quickly asked, "Didn’t he just call you? Why are you suddenly breaking up when things seemed fine?"

Sherry wasn’t good at lying, so she simply tweaked the truth a bit. "He’s just not that into me. He’s still hung up on his girlfriend from his school days."

"Did he tell you that?"

Mr. Walsh’s brow furrowed even deeper, his expression turning serious.

"He didn’t say it, but I found out."

Sherry took a sip of her Coke, gathered her emotions, and then said in a dejected voice, "Back in school, he pinched pennies to support his ex-girlfriend while she studied abroad. She cheated on him, and now she’s divorced and back in the country. The two of them are in touch again."

Sherry wasn’t sure what Noah’s attitude toward Jane actually was.

’But that wasn’t important.’

’The important thing was to make her parents think Noah Sterling was a scumbag.’

Then, wounded by love, she wouldn’t want to date for a long time, and more importantly, she wouldn’t want to go on any blind dates.

The atmosphere at the dinner table grew heavy.

For a short while, no one mentioned the topic again.

As dinner was about to end, Sherry decided to press her advantage. "Actually, I ran into Noah Sterling’s ex-girlfriend at lunch today..."

Both of her parents looked at her.

Sherry briefly recounted the incident at lunch with Rory Linden, embellishing the story as she went:

"After I confronted Jane Jenkins, I thought that was the end of it. But then Noah Sterling called to interrogate me, as if *I* was the one bullying *her*. It was clearly her who said I was flighty and not good enough for him!"

Sherry’s face was full of indignation.

"I can’t believe Lawyer Sterling is that kind of person!" Mr. Walsh slammed his chopsticks on the table in anger. "My daughter is wonderful! She doesn’t need him questioning her!"

Sherry lowered her head, poking at her rice with her chopsticks. "He’s actually very good to me most of the time... It’s only when it comes to Jane Jenkins that he gets like this..."

"He can pretend to be good to you. Deep down, he probably knows exactly what he’s doing."

The more Mr. Walsh spoke, the angrier he became.

He wanted his daughter to get married soon.

But that was only because he worried that after he and his wife were gone, his daughter would have no close family left in the world.

But if his daughter’s husband wasn’t a faithful man, he would never approve!

"But I’m already this age..."

Sherry looked up, a wronged expression on her face.

"But what he’s doing is a matter of principle! I’ll go talk to him. If he can’t cut ties completely with that woman, then you two should just break up!"

Mr. Walsh’s face was stern; he clearly already despised Noah Sterling.

Sherry wondered if she had gone a little too far.

She quickly straightened her father’s chopsticks. "Um, why don’t I talk to him in a few days? We’re both adults. It’s not right for a father to get involved in his daughter’s relationship."

Mr. Walsh looked reluctant.

Mrs. Walsh also tried to persuade him. "Let the kids handle their own affairs. You know our daughter; she won’t let herself be wronged."

Mr. Walsh looked at his wife and daughter, then nodded reluctantly. "Fine. But if you can’t sort it out, you tell me. I’ll go find him!"

"Okay, okay!"

Sherry nodded her head repeatedly, her heart already blossoming with joy.

She had it all planned out. In a few days, she would just tell her father that she and Noah Sterling had broken up.

’After this incident, her parents would definitely stop pushing her to go on blind dates!’

’Perfect!’

-

Sherry’s perfect plan didn’t even last twelve hours before she received a call from Noah Sterling.

The man’s exasperated voice questioned her:

"Counselor Walsh, could you please tell me what on earth you said to your father? He saw me this morning and looked like he was going to eat me alive."