Somehow, his presence deterred Colin’s frequent visits to the house.
He had been dropping Summer off at school and picking her up at the end of the day. In addition, he also started joining me in meal preparations. He would even do the laundry!
Life went on peacefully along with other daily activities. We had a ton of fruits picked from the yard, so I brought some with me to the hotel.
Joyce was still working at the hotel. The only difference was her attitude. She no longer put up an arrogant front. In fact, she was mostly quiet when we met.
I guess that’s a good thing. Being a civilized acquaintance with no common topic is better than being a hypocrite with an ulterior motive.
During lunch, she took the initiative to ask me out, but I turned her down. “I’m going home to eat.”
She did not look offended. “You don’t have to avoid me. My father is in jail and I’m no longer a threat to you. I know I used to be very snobbish and stepped on the toes of many. That’s why everyone loathes me. However, live and let live. This is my workplace. I don’t want to strain the relationship even further and make it difficult or awkward for everybody.”
“We just need to be seen sitting down and having a meal together. I’m not asking for us to shake hands and make up. It’s just an act.”
I pursed my lips and smiled. “You’re very straightforward.”
She shrugged. “Well, there’s nothing else I can do at this point besides compromising.”
“Sure!” I agreed, thinking that it was just a simple gesture.
There were not a lot of good choices when dining out in R Province. Joyce found a restaurant with comparatively good atmosphere and placed orders for food.
She looked at me sharply. “Since you’re Louis’ daughter, why don’t you date Anthony openly?”
Her sudden question dumbfounded me. “What do you mean by that?”
“Don’t you know that the fiancée and wife of the president of Featherstone Corporation have always been the talk of the town? It’s a major focus in K City.” She looked at me in disbelief.
I sipped my drink. “Whatever is the status of our relationship, it’s got nothing to do with an outsider like you.”
She made a face. “It’s fine if you aren’t willing to tell me. I just feel that it’s such a shame to be in a secret relationship with someone and not publicly acknowledge it. It’s embarrassing. It can also hurt the reputation of a dignified lady like you.”
Wow. I didn’t like that comment.
My frown deepened. “Go ahead and read the tabloids if you like to be entertained by gossips and scandals.”
Having lost my appetite to eat, I rose to my feet and left right away.
She came running after me and snapped in an unfriendly tone, “You’re jealous of how Anthony keeps on protecting Rylee. You also hate the fact that Nancy is the one who accompanies him to all kinds of events. Just because you can’t win him over from those girls, you release your anger on me. How could you fear the strong but bully the weak? Sienna, why did you channel your grievances to me?”
Her words depicted Anthony as a womanizer and also implied that I was a worthless third wheel. I knitted my brows. This is getting interesting.
I stared at her in the eyes. “If one only knows how to pass the blame to others without reflecting on oneself, one will end up bearing the pain and shame as a total failure.”
I was reluctant to meddle in the affairs of others. All I ever wanted was to live life according to my preference.
When I got back to the house, Anthony had already picked Summer up from school. She had plucked a lot of fruits and was enjoying the watermelon scoop after scoop.
Summer was extremely excited to see me. “Mommy, you’re back!” She put her watermelon aside and dashed over to hug me.
“Mr. Featherstone said he’s making chicken wings for dinner. We’re just waiting for you.”
Having not seen Anthony around, I asked, “Where’s he?”
She pointed at the backyard. “He said that you have some clothes that can’t be washed by the machine, so he’s washing them by hand.”
Astonished, I walked to the backyard. Which of my clothes is not machine washable?
I saw him squatting beside the tub and scrubbing the clothes. He changed from his regular dark colored suit into the beige casual pajamas I bought for him from the city.
I never thought he would wear anything other than high-quality tailored clothing.
I was mortified to see him washing my undergarments from last night.
He turned and cast a gentle gaze at me. “You’re back? Just wait for a moment. You can have some watermelon prepared by Summer, just don’t eat too much of it till your stomach hurts.”
I don’t know how a blissful life looks like, but I think it’s similar to this.
I did not answer. Instead, I approached him and took over the washing. Blushing, I told him I would do it myself.
His brows furrowed. “I’m almost done. Just leave it to me.”
Then he nudged me with his elbow. Seeing Summer was just around the area, he insisted, “Bring your mommy to have some watermelon.”
This is not the Anthony I know. Come to think of it, he’s about thirty-five or thirty-six now. He’s becoming more dependable as he ages.
Knowing that he had the upper hand, I went back to the main house feeling a little uneasy.
I’ve roughly read some from the internet regarding what Joyce said today. News travel fast, especially the juicy ones revolving around the prominent figures in K City.
Nowadays, rich and handsome bachelors are more appealing than young teen idols.
With the media and paparazzi zero in on his private life, it’s inevitable that they would dig out something sensational. Rylee’s existence doesn’t matter to me.
As for Nancy, she rose to stardom two years ago and her popularity continues to soar with each drama she stars in. Featherstone Corporation invests a lot in her, so there’re no qualms for Anthony to bring her along in some social events.
As time goes by, these topics and highlights are magnified by the media. The truth doesn’t matter anymore.
I live in R Province with Summer. I won’t reject his visit and neither will I keep him when he leaves. There’re many uncertainties in life. There’s no disappointment if I don’t put any hope in it.
Soon, it was dinnertime.
Anthony cooked and plated the dishes. Suddenly, we heard someone knocking on the door. Summer darted across to open it.
It was none other than Colin and Michael.
The father and son brought some freshly caught lobsters.
Entering the house, Colin was briefly surprised to see Anthony. He handed me the lobsters and said, “I bought it from an elderly man when I was picking Michael up this afternoon. Michael is allergic to lobsters, but Summer loves them. Keep them now and cook for her tomorrow.”
I nodded and took the lobsters from him. Then I ushered him to take a seat.
This was their first official meeting, though both Anthony and Colin had met each other before. They were about the same age.
After shaking hands and exchanging smiles, they sat down and talked about the economy.
Anthony turned to me with a smile. “You have alcohol at home?”
I nodded. “Is wine okay?” We had too many grapes, so I used some and made them into wine.
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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