No More Mrs. Nice Wife (Eleanor) novel Chapter 980

"Would you mind if I tagged along?" Selma asked him instead.

Henry stood frozen for a few seconds. Selma's reaction wasn't one of anger. Instead, she was offering to help him take Vanessa home. It was completely unexpected.

"Selma, are you really… not angry?" Henry asked again, needing to be sure, especially after the scene in the bar.

Selma's expression was calm, her eyes clear. "Why would I be angry? You and Miss Shannon are friends. She was drunk, and it's only right for you to help her." She paused, then added, "Isn't she Mr. Goodwin's girlfriend?"

Henry blinked. "How did you know?" A thrill of excitement shot through him. Had Selma been looking into Vanessa? Was it for his sake?

Henry's intense gaze seemed to see right through her. Selma felt a blush creep up her cheeks and quickly looked away. "Are you going to get her or not?"

"Right. Wait for me by my car. I'll bring her out," Henry said. He took a few steps, then turned back to make sure she was still there, as if afraid she might vanish.

Selma waited by Henry's SUV. She had, for his sake, meticulously studied Vanessa's social media presence. She had scrolled through practically every post, confirming that Vanessa was a high-level social climber who had forced her way into the upper echelons of society. She had interfered in Ian's marriage, constantly provoking Eleanor with thinly veiled posts and flirtations. At the same time, she hadn't forgotten to keep a high-quality heir like Henry on the hook, playing him like a fiddle and keeping him as her backup.

That night, he had come home drunk. She had been there to return his coat, and in his stupor, he had mistaken her for Vanessa. Faced with an embrace from the man she had secretly desired for years, Selma hadn't pushed him away. She didn't regret it afterward and went on with her life. But something seemed to have changed in Henry. He would text her out of the blue. He liked every one of her social media posts. The day of the car accident, he had been frantic with worry, and his concern for her had become a regular thing…

Back at the booth, Vanessa sat huddled in the corner, her head down, her long hair obscuring her face. Just then, the glass was snatched from her hand.

She looked up, a flash of delighted surprise on her face. But when she saw it was Henry, half of her excitement faded. It was clear he wasn't the one she had been hoping for.

But she quickly recovered, a smile touching her red lips as tears welled in her eyes. In the dim light, she looked utterly pitiful and heart-wrenching.