A maid approaches from down the hall, “Miss Peters, Mrs. Peters said she wants to drink a cup of juice.”
Gabrielle turns to follow the maid. She knows that Katherine expects her to make the juice, but Leilani stops her.
“You tell Mrs. Peters that Gabrielle is busy now, and she can manage to get herself a cup of juice,” Leilani says severely.
“But Mrs. Peters said Miss Peters makes the best juice,” the maid protests, “She insists that Miss Peters makes it.”
“Sister, I should just go and make the juice,” Gabrielle whispers.
“Stop right there!” Leilani calls, “You’re not a maid here.”
Gabrielle sits down on the sofa and stares at the floor, and the maid closes the door behind her as she leaves.
Upon hearing the news from the maid, Katherine and Vanessa Peters angrily rush upstairs to plot a way to punish Gabrielle. As they go, they see Janetta sneaking out of Leilani and Waylen’s bedroom.
“Mom, you’re pregnant, why are you running around like this?” Janetta asks as her hands fly to her chest in a panic.
“How come you’re sneaking out of Leilani’s room?” Katherine asks, her eyes narrowed in suspicion.
Janetta glances nervously up and down the hall. When she sees she’s alone with her mother and sister she quickly pulls them into the bedroom and shuts the door behind them. She pulls out her phone and shows them a series of photos she’s taken.
“I found this in Leilani’s luggage,” she whispers excitedly.
Katherine’s eyes widen with surprise as she examines the photos.
“Is this a divorce agreement?” she asks, “Do you mean to tell me that they have signed a divorce agreement after all? I can’t believe this!”
“It’s true,” Janetta whispers in a low, calm voice, “As you can see, their signatures are right here.”
“Do you mean to say this whole act they’ve been putting on, pretending to be affectionate and in love is just a charade for our benefit?” Katherine asks, “Are they already legally divorced?”
“It’s no wonder Waylen made Gabrielle the star of the party over Leilani,” Vanessa hisses and stamps her feet, “I wonder if he’s interested in Gabrielle now. I should have said that other men were handsome so Waylen would get jealous and make me the star. Who knew Gabrielle was so scheming? She finally attracted Waylen’s attention.”
Janetta smiles complacently and puts her phone away, but Katherine and Vanessa protest and ask to see the photos again. With a dramatic sigh, Vanessa throws herself onto the sofa and hugs a velvet throw pillow to her chest.
“Gabrielle can’t be the star of the party,” Vanessa whines, “I should be the star. I’m the only one who deserves it!”
“Waylen personally designated Gabrielle as the star, so what can you do about it?” Katherine asks, sitting down next to her daughter, “If you intervene or make a scene, you’ll only annoy and offend Waylen and embarrass our family.”
“When did I say I’d intervene?” Vanessa snaps, “I’m not going to do anything—I just think it’s unfair.”
Katherine rolls her eyes at her sulking daughter and turns to Janetta.
“Janetta, you should give me the photos,” she says with a sly smile, “I think they’ll add some intrigue to our party, don’t you?”
“Mom, you’re always so thoughtful,” Vanessa says, her mood brightening.
Vanessa is rabidly jealous of her younger half-sisters. She’s a shallow woman, and she’s obsessed with Waylen’s good looks and enormous wealth. Though she fancies herself in love with him, she’s not as brave or bold as Janetta—on her own she wouldn’t dare to do anything as bold as snoop through Leilani’s room or reveal her divorce agreement. Instead, she always follows in her sister and mother’s footsteps.
Janetta purses her lips in thought and sends the photos to Katherine.
“Although they’ve signed a divorce agreement, Waylen still seems to indulge in Leilani,” Janetta says, “Though we can’t be sure of his motivations, I suspect he may still love her. He kissed her in public and announced that she belongs to him, and he was furious to find out she used to photograph other men. Though there are many beautiful women in this house, he seems to only have eyes for her—he looks through the rest of us as if we were made of air.”
Janetta can’t understand why they seem so close after signing a divorce agreement. When she thinks about the way Waylen held Leilani in his arms that morning, she feels a stabbing rage pierce her heart.
“If Waylen really still loved her, he wouldn’t allow the divorce,” Katherine says with a shrug, “Though there may be more at play here than we realize. Only a stupid woman would lose a man like Waylen Bamford, and while Leilani may be many things, she’s not stupid.”
“What do you think is happening then?” Vanessa asks, lazily lifting her head, “What are their reasons for the divorce?”
“I suppose we can’t know their true reasons, but it’s been rumored that there are many conflicts between them,” Katherine says with a calculating gleam in her eyes.
“Be careful,” Janetta warns.
“I’m not stupid or careless,” Katherine smiles mysteriously, “I just plan to drop some hints here and there.”
“Mom, what’s your plan?” Vanessa asks eagerly.
Before Katherine can explain her plan, the women hear a large group of servants bustling down the corridor. Vanessa jumps up and quietly pokes her head out the door. A large group of maids is carrying boxes down the corridor and piling them in one of the sitting rooms. Each box is emblazoned with the name of a famous designer, and the maids have been unable to resist opening a few. A variety of beautiful clothing, jewelry, and shoes peek out from the open boxes.
“Oh my god,” Vanessa exclaims, “It’s all gorgeous!”
Her exclamation draws Janetta and Katherine to the door.
“What are we waiting for, girls?” Katherine asks, “Let’s go down and have a look.”
Vanessa eagerly rushes downstairs. Katherine watches her go and then shares a meaningful glance with Janetta.
“I need to find Gabrielle,” Katherine says.
Janetta nods and follows Vanessa downstairs.
“Do you think Waylen sent this to us for the party?” Vanessa asks, eagerly unwrapping the boxes, “It’s all so beautiful and in all the latest styles. I’ve seen this designer in magazines before—usually, he only does pieces for the Duchess of Cambridge and other royalty.”
“The latest style? It’s just so-so,” Janetta says cooly, “Look at this box instead. These are truly luxurious evening gowns. Waylen really does live in a rich man’s world.”
Vanessa lifts one of the gowns and measures it against her body, “It’s too small!”
Janetta also holds one of the dresses against her body and frowns tartly.
“The sizes aren’t suitable for us,” Janetta complains, “Do you think all this clothing is for Leilani?”
“Leilani is a little taller than us, but she’s not so much thinner,” Vanessa snaps, offended, “We can usually wear her clothes, but these clothes are definitely too small for us.”
“Are they for Gabrielle?” Janetta asks.
New Book: Back Home to Marry Off Myself
Loredana’s father left the family for his mistress, leaving them to fend for themselves abroad. When life was at its toughest, her father showed up with “good news” after 8 years of absence: To marry off Loredana to a paralyzed son of the wealthy Mendelsohn family.
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