Following the wedding, the entire family moved in permanently to the manor, including Elias and Sonya, who had been residing in the Farwell main residence. The decision was made by the two to relocate to make it easier to take care of the three children.
Meanwhile, Peregrine went as far as insisting that Roxanne take a one-week wedding leave to allow herself to relax at home. Originally, Lucian planned to have their honeymoon right away, but with the upcoming peak holiday season, he was worried about the massive crowd. Therefore, Roxanne persuaded him to postpone it.
It was a beautiful day with fantastic weather. The children were having a blast in the backyard, sweating profusely on the small football field. Estella, despite being a girl, loved to learn everything from Archie and Benny, and her dribbling skills looked quite flawless.
Meanwhile, Lucian and Roxanne had set up a picnic blanket near the small lake and filled it with a variety of food, including barbeque steak, vegetable salad, fruits, and snacks.
Lucian had even brought along a camping coffee pot and proceeded to light up the alcohol burner to begin the process of making coffee.
As the high-quality Yirgacheffe coffee dissolved in hot water, its unique fragrance instantly filled the air. It had a scent of peanut brittle and the aroma of osmanthus at the same time. Lucian brewed just enough coffee for two small couple mugs. Then, he carefully handed one to his wife.
“Take a sniff first. Don’t rush to drink it. It’s still quite hot.” Lucian’s face showed more tenderness compared to before. Roxanne accepted the mug, and a happy smile spread across her face.
The aroma of the coffee was indeed excellent. Roxanne blew on it to cool it down and took a sip to taste it. She instantly tasted the fragrance and felt it penetrate her nostrils. The coffee was slightly bitter with a hint of sourness, but she could sense a sweet aftertaste.
When she took a sip of plain water after that, she noticed that the water had somehow turned sweet. Roxanne had grown to love these cozy moments dearly. She beckoned the children to come and drink some water to stay hydrated.
Not long after, the children grew tired from playing and became hungry. They started digging into the food. Before long, Elias and Sonya arrived to join them. They had even brought an outdoor tea set and began to sip tea while chatting.
As they were family, they could freely discuss anything and express their emotions without the need to conceal anything.
“Roxanne, did Grant and Winnie come to bother you again?” Sonya asked. Roxanne shook her head. “No, I figured they’re probably too embarrassed to bother me, and I doubt they have the courage. Mom, I’m part of the Farwell family now. They wouldn’t dare.”
“You’re right. If they try to harm or bully you, don’t hesitate to let us know,” Sonya reassured her. Roxanne nodded earnestly. Unfortunately, leisure time always seemed to pass too quickly. In the blink of an eye and amid harmonious conversations, the evening had already arrived.
As Lucian and Roxanne were packing up their outdoor equipment, Roxanne’s phone suddenly rang. Roxanne checked the caller ID, and it was a stranger’s number. She frowned at it and answered.
“I must congratulate you, Roxanne, for marrying into such a prestigious family. However, how could you treat my mother so disrespectfully? Who do you think you are? Do you think you can trample on someone else’s dignity just because you have money now? Listen, don’t let me catch you. Otherwise, I’ll teach you a lesson anytime,” the caller said.
The voice was so familiar that Roxanne couldn’t forget it for the rest of her life. Instantly, a hint of anger appeared on Roxanne’s face. She coldly rebuked, “Yuliana, you never grow up. Do you think this is still ten years ago?”
The person on the other side of the phone was at a loss for words. After some time, Yuliana continued, “So what if you’re living a good life now? The fact that none of your family attended the wedding made you a laughingstock. Roxanne, how could someone like you deserve happiness?”
Roxanne had intended to argue back at Yuliana, but as she looked at the children running and playing around, something inside her suddenly calmed down, and her anger dissipated.
It appears that I don’t need to respond to challenges from people I don’t like. Therefore, Roxanne put on a composed tone and responded, “I don’t see how you could consider you people to be a part of my family. Whether I’m happy or not has nothing to do with you. Please refrain from bothering me in the future.”
With that, Roxanne hung up right away.
