“Eve, stop it. We are husband and wife. I won’t bring up the matter of divorce from now on. And don’t you think about getting a divorce.” Lyle appeared saddened as he gazed mournfully at me. The sorrow and longing that spilled from his eyes made it seem like I was the one who was unsatisfied with our marriage, not him.
He had always said that I caused trouble, for which I had always found an excuse. I had transformed from being a meek and soft-spoken woman to a prickly one. The type whose thorns kept people at bay. And all of that because of whom?
I gazed at him in disdain, without even bothering to anticipate what he would come up with next. I was just content with watching his charade. Besides, the next time when Crystal came causing trouble with me, he would cast me aside without hesitation anyway.
This was the day after the party. The Lane family’s massive villa had architectural elements which were reminiscent of a medieval castle. Its ability to house such a long guest list impressed me as well. Sabrina had mentioned that only the people who were present the night before were aware of the incident. As for Mr. Wilson, he had slipped away that very morning.
When I was having breakfast with Sabrina in the dining hall, I felt the full extent of the Lanes’ grandeur as I admired the beautiful decor and silverware. I became distinctly aware that my self-esteem would be crushed just by attempting to deduce Christopher’s net worth.
The frustrations of the poor are incomprehensible to the rich.
I sighed as I bit hard into a piece of foie gras. Sabrina glared at Lyle who clung to me like a lost sheep. “What’s the situation with him?” She asked with a wink and a jerk of her chin at Lyle’s direction.
“The end of the world, I guess. We’re back together and working things out.” Despite the apparent good news, I was dejected.
Lyle meant what he said of wanting to start anew with me. He began to act like the model husband, fetching whatever I desired during breakfast, even serviettes for me to wipe my lips after I was done. I wasn’t used to this sort of affection from him, and could not repress a slight shudder.
As we spoke, Sabrina’s phone rang. She glanced at it and then at me with a strange expression on her face. She dashed off to the kitchen and returned with a heavy porcelain bowl, which she placed in front of me. “Eat up, this will help replenish your blood, supposedly.”
I eyed the contents of the bowl curiously and found a dark mass of red, which I identified as deer liver. It was supposed to be very expensive. I took a tentative taste and found it to be surprisingly sweet and smooth. “Did you have the kitchen prepare it for me?”
Sabrina giggled and burst into song. “Who was it that brought me to you? It was the moon, the moon, the moon…”
I understood at once. Christopher must have called Sabrina to ask her to bring the bowl of deer liver over. Since this was his house, he must have had the kitchen prepare it ahead of time. I looked up in an attempt to seek out the familiar figure out of the crowd in that extravagantly decorated dining hall.
I was not disappointed. Spotting Christopher and his brother sitting in a corner, they appeared to be having their lunch. Several other important-looking young men shared their table, all of whom were immersed in discussions. The crowd gave their table a wide berth.
Christopher must have felt my gaze, for he cast a casual eye in our direction and turned swiftly back. He tapped a finger on the table and placed it gently on his stomach. This tiny gesture may have been missed by any other observer, but I got the message loud and clear: I was to finish the entire bowl of deer liver.
I smiled. At the same time, Lyle whispered angrily in my ear. “What are you looking at? I’ve told you that Christopher has a fiancée, if you were to be involved with him, you’re asking for humiliation.”
“Hah!” I scoffed at his words with blatant shamelessness. “This is the Lane family mansion. I was just contemplating on whether or not I should go over and greet our host.”
“They are discussing important manners,” Lyle said disapprovingly. “Your status is not important enough to participate.”
“That’s right, which is why I’m only worthy to sit here with you,” I said with a cold laugh. Noticing that Sabrina was eyeing my bowl mischievously, I felt slightly embarrassed, prompting me to slide the bowl over. “Would you like a taste?”
“I don’t need my blood replenished,” Sabrina responded hastily. “You’re the one who has had an ordeal. You should finish it. Besides, I don’t want to cause any trouble,” she added in a soft voice.
“Have some fish, it’s good for you,” Lyle interrupted, feeling left out because he did not understand our conversation. He slid a plate of fish over.
I pushed it away with revulsion. Though I used to cook a large variety of fish at home, that did not mean that I enjoyed eating them. Lyle loved fish, which was what made me learn to cook them I had also perfected the art of pretending to enjoy the taste of fish, too.
