“You’d better put on your best self later on. Don’t embarrass the family.” With that, Nathan whipped his head in annoyance and left.
I spotted Yvette looking at us and smiling triumphantly at me on the other side, but I simply ignored her. Just as I was about to head in, I saw Lyle waiting for me outside. “What are you doing here? The reporters are gone already, so you can stop acting like you care. Aren’t you afraid that Crystal might get jealous?” Although I was teasing him, I was undoubtedly surprised to see him still standing there.
“Shut up.” He pulled me by my hand and dragged me into the house.
The party was no fun at all. I was uncomfortable with all the eyes that were on me. It went without saying that everyone was aware of what was happening. They were pointing fingers at me and I became the subject of their gossip.
“I really sympathize with Yvonne. Even though she’s the Tanner family’s daughter, that’s just a title.”
“I know right. Not only is her cousin making things difficult for her, but even the illegitimate child in the Tanner family is also giving her a headache.”
I put up a fake smile and brushed off their comments. It was true that I was in a pitiable state, but this was nothing compared to what I used to endure. At least I had a job of my own and could fend for myself now. Back then, I could only survive on the meager sum of pocket money that Nathan gave me.
I was not a sociable person. I disliked events like this where I had to mingle with people, but bearing the mission I had in mind, I came anyway. I surveyed the crowd and nudged Lyle when I saw Mason talking to his wife in a corner.
I could tell they were a sweet couple from how they held each other’s hands when they were talking to other people. Mason would look at his wife now and then when he was engaged in a conversation, and he would even ask the waiter to pour his wife a drink when he realized her glass was almost empty.
“Don’t take too much alcohol, it’s not good for your body. You should have some milk instead.”
Mary smiled gently, shaking her head. “It’s okay. It’s not like I’m taking a lot. It’s a party. People will think I’m such a bore if I don’t drink.”
“Who cares what people think about you? Your health is way more important.” Mason’s chubby cheeks tightened as he squeezed a blissful smile on his face.
“What are you looking at? Are you jealous of Mrs. Ziegler? Do you want to be his wife too?” Lyle’s voice called me back to reality when he saw me staring at the happy couple. I had no idea how Lyle came to this conclusion, but he was fixed on milking this.
“I know Mr. Ziegler is friendly and he’s really nice to you, but you’d better think twice before wrecking their marriage.”
“Not bad, so you’re actually aware that you’re such a bad husband that your wife needs to find another man, huh.” I shot him a cold smile and greeted Mason without waiting for another snarky comment from him.
Mason and his wife saw us and came over to greet us. Lyle tried hard to put on a smiley face but all it did was made him looked constipated as he tried to hide the anger on his face.
Hah! He’d better take me seriously now. I am no pushover.
“Hi, Mr. and Mrs. Ziegler. It’s nice to meet you again. I swear you guys are the sweetest couple at the party.”
Mary’s cheeks were flushed red. “Stop teasing me, Eve,” she said shyly. “By the way, the tea you recommended is really good. It really helped with my sleep.”
“I’m glad it worked. I’ll make some tea leaves for you next time.” I was really fond of Mary. Despite her social standing, she was down to earth and approachable, and she did not look at me differently like others did.
“That’s really kind of you to offer. Mr. Smith is really lucky to have a wife like you.” She chuckled, looking at the two of us.
The rigid smile on Lyle’s face faded away the moment he heard her. I could even see a faint glimmer of antipathy in his eyes.
Lyle’s really a hard-to-please.
