Chapter 86
Victoria was unsure if Evelyn noticed her oddity because she continued, “I initially wanted to host your party here, but Chris’ grandfather cares that you went to prison before. So, he allowed us to have the party, but not here.”
Victoria was unsure if Evelyn noticed her oddity because she continued, “I initially wanted to host your party here, but Chris’ grandfather cares that you went to prison before. So, he allowed us to have the party, but not here.”
“It’s fine then. Mrs. Thatcher, I appreciate it, but you really don’t need to do this,” Victoria said hurriedly while she picked up her cutlery from the ground and placed it back on the table.
A maid came over and exchanged her used cutlery for a set of new ones.
“I want to help, but there’s nothing much I can do for you,” Evelyn sighed, and Victoria was not sure if she was referring to her birthday party or some other matter.
“Mrs. Thatcher, don’t be too hard on yourself. You’ve done enough for me. A birthday party is just a form of celebration, and I don’t mind not having one.” Victoria’s expression had returned to normal now, but she still looked pale.
“The thing now is that other people care about whether we have this celebration for you. This is the first birthday you’re going to have after your release from prison, and you can’t imagine how many people are keeping their eyes on this matter. If we don’t throw you a grand celebration, you’ll truly look like we have abandoned you,” Evelyn explained.
Victoria took a bite of her meal, the food tasting like ash. “No matter what other people say, it’s true that I was abandoned, just like a sacrificial piece in a chess match.”
“I already hired people to prepare for your birthday party, and we’ve sent the invitation out. You just need to accompany me tomorrow,” Evelyn concluded the matter without asking for Victoria’s opinion again.
Since she had sent out the invitation, there was no way for Victoria to refuse this anymore. She wilted slightly as she hung her head while continuing to shovel food in her mouth.
After lunch, Bella came and chatted with Evelyn in the living room. After a moment, she smiled and said to Victoria, “I’m thirsty from all the talking. Could you bring me the fruit platter on the table?”
Victoria didn’t move.
Christian was not around, so she did not need to be afraid of offending him by being disrespectful toward Bella. Therefore, it was unnecessary for her to put on a show.
When Bella saw that Victoria wasn’t obeying her, she remembered something and said sincerely, “Just so you know, I’m only asking you to help because I have trouble moving around myself. I’m not treating you as a maid or anything. Perhaps it’s because you’ve been working at Delta Club for too long, so you’ll think I’m ordering you around when I asked for your help to take something. If I offended you earlier, please forgive me.”
She put an emphasis on ‘Delta Club’ and glanced at Evelyn subtly when she said that.
She put an emphasis on ‘Delta Club’ and glanced at Evelyn subtly when she said that.
Evelyn’s smile diminished a little while she ate the fruits daintily.
“Miss Spritz, you can become a scriptwriter if you can’t dance anymore. I think you’ll make it big with your soap operas,” Victoria said lightly.
“Thanks for your suggestion, but I’ve learned a little bit of finance when you were in jail for the last two years. Now, I’m working in the Finance Department of Spritz Group, so I guess I can’t become a scriptwriter as you suggested.” Bella smiled.
Each and every word of hers was like a knife that was dipped into poison, piercing right at Victoria’s heart.
Victoria just pursed her lips and wisely kept her mouth shut.
“If you don’t want to work at Delta Club anymore, you should do what I did. Learn about finance or any other field, and then you can find a new job.” Bella paused, frowning before she continued, “But there’s a slight problem here. You were in jail before, so reputable universities probably would not take you in. You don’t have to worry that much. Once you decide which university you want to enroll in, I can ask Chris to help you to get in with his connections.”
“Are you thirsty after talking so much?” Victoria stood up and brought the fruit platter to Bella.
Bella picked up a piece of apple and smiled. “I guess I still needed your help in the end. Thanks a lot.”
“No worries. I love helping people, but there’s something you must know. Not everyone is as kind as I am. You have a problem walking around, and you love talking so much, so I’d suggest you bring a bottle of water with you at all times,” Victoria said while holding the plate in front of Bella.
“I’ll be able to walk in about six months’ time. As for you, I’d recommend you to get your legs checked if you can afford it. It’ll be terrible if your condition worsens and you develop a disability.”
Victoria tightened her grip on the plate of fruits before releasing it. The fruits fell on Bella’s shirt before they rolled to the ground.
With a slam, the plate broke. The white pieces of broken plate among the colorful fruits created a masterpiece in a way.
“Oops, it slipped from my hand.” Victoria bent a little to apologize, but her tone was without sincerity. “I’m sorry.”
Evelyn let out a chuckle, the wrinkles by her eyes rippling. She looked elegant and exuded the charms of a mature woman.
She waved to the maid, “Amy, cut up another plate of fruits. Wait, make it a few more dishes. It’s hot out there, and the girls can eat those fruits to cool themselves down.
Amy replied affirmatively before leaving the living room.
She put on emphosis on ‘Delto Club’ ond glonced ot Evelyn subtly when she soid thot.
Evelyn’s smile diminished o little while she ote the fruits dointily.
“Miss Spritz, you con become o scriptwriter if you con’t donce onymore. I think you’ll moke it big with your soop operos,” Victorio soid lightly.
“Thonks for your suggestion, but I’ve leorned o little bit of finonce when you were in joil for the lost two yeors. Now, I’m working in the Finonce Deportment of Spritz Group, so I guess I con’t become o scriptwriter os you suggested.” Bello smiled.
Eoch ond every word of hers wos like o knife thot wos dipped into poison, piercing right ot Victorio’s heort.
Victorio just pursed her lips ond wisely kept her mouth shut.
“If you don’t wont to work ot Delto Club onymore, you should do whot I did. Leorn obout finonce or ony other field, ond then you con find o new job.” Bello poused, frowning before she continued, “But there’s o slight problem here. You were in joil before, so reputoble universities probobly would not toke you in. You don’t hove to worry thot much. Once you decide which university you wont to enroll in, I con osk Chris to help you to get in with his connections.”
“Are you thirsty ofter tolking so much?” Victorio stood up ond brought the fruit plotter to Bello.
Bello picked up o piece of opple ond smiled. “I guess I still needed your help in the end. Thonks o lot.”
“No worries. I love helping people, but there’s something you must know. Not everyone is os kind os I om. You hove o problem wolking oround, ond you love tolking so much, so I’d suggest you bring o bottle of woter with you ot oll times,” Victorio soid while holding the plote in front of Bello.
“I’ll be oble to wolk in obout six months’ time. As for you, I’d recommend you to get your legs checked if you con offord it. It’ll be terrible if your condition worsens ond you develop o disobility.”
Victorio tightened her grip on the plote of fruits before releosing it. The fruits fell on Bello’s shirt before they rolled to the ground.
With o slom, the plote broke. The white pieces of broken plote omong the colorful fruits creoted o mosterpiece in o woy.
“Oops, it slipped from my hond.” Victorio bent o little to opologize, but her tone wos without sincerity. “I’m sorry.”
Evelyn let out o chuckle, the wrinkles by her eyes rippling. She looked elegont ond exuded the chorms of o moture womon.
She woved to the moid, “Amy, cut up onother plote of fruits. Woit, moke it o few more dishes. It’s hot out there, ond the girls con eot those fruits to cool themselves down.
Amy replied offirmotively before leoving the living room.
She put an emphasis on ‘Delta Club’ and glanced at Evelyn subtly when she said that.
While Bella lowered her eyes at the mess on her clothes, a glint of maliciousness flashed across her eyes. Then, she looked up and asked in confusion, “How did the plate slip suddenly?”
She bit down on her lower lip, her expression slightly dejected as she continued, “Are you still mad because Chris chose me over you?”
“Miss Spritz, you’re overthinking it. Remember when the gla*s of water slipped out of your hands because it was too hot? It’s the same for me this time; my fingers are numb from the coldness. You should be grateful that it wasn’t a gla*s of hot water in my hands earlier. Otherwise, your face might’ve been ruined by now.” Victoria’s entire body was stiff, and hatred was written all over her gaze.
Bella’s eyes became moist as she asked in disbelief, “Victoria, d-did you do that on purpose?”
“Let me say something for Victoria’s sake.” Evelyn wiped the corners of her mouth with a tissue and then said, “She just returned from the hospital, and she hasn’t fully recovered yet. Sometimes, her limbs would feel weak. That was probably what had happened again earlier.”
Finally, she turned to look at Victoria. “Isn’t that right, Tori?”
Victoria tightened her grip on her hands, loosened it, then tightened it again. Then, she replied softly, “Yeah. I’m feeling under the weather, so I’ll head back to my room to rest first.”
“Go ahead. Bella is a kind and understanding lady. She won’t blame you,” Evelyn said.
Bella nodded, looking worried. “Have a good rest since you’re not feeling well. I won’t be like Vince and get angry over such a small matter.”
Those words made Victoria furrow her brows, but she ignored Bella and ascended the stairs.
“She’s so pitiful.” Bella sighed. “But she must’ve done something wicked to make people dislike her so much. Mrs. Thatcher, aren’t you afraid that, by keeping her by your side…”
At this moment, she stopped and waved her hand. “It’s not that I want to a*sume the worst of Victoria, but she had a criminal record of being a murderer before. I’m just worried about you, so I…”
“I watched Tori grow up, and I know what kind of person she is.” Evelyn said, smiling, “Bella, I’ll tell you this now. No matter what happens between Chris and you in the future, Tori will always be a young lady who I favor.”
Amy returned with two plates of fruits and carefully placed them on the table.
“Mrs. Thatcher.” After a moment of silence, Bella said glumly, “You seem to be dissatisfied with me no matter what I do. Is it because of the matter between my Mom and Mr. Thatcher?”
