Sean hadn’t wanted to bring Myra to the banquet, having changed his mind at the last minute.
However, when he got home today, an angry-looking Eve came up to him and demanded, “Sean, did you and Myra have another fight?”
He did not answer but his own expression was sour after all that had happened recently.
After a long moment of hesitation, Eve pressed on, “I’ll ask you this, Sean—are you still holding a grudge against Myra for what she did to the other woman and her unborn child?”
Eve hadn’t wanted to bring this up because she hated talking about the other woman, but there was one other reason that kept her from asking Sean about this. Her heart clenched tightly. She knew that there was no easy way to go about this conundrum—it might even end up making things worse between Myra and Sean.
Sean’s face grew darker. “Mom, I’ve married her just like you asked. What more do you want from me?”
“How dumb can you possibly be?” Eve snapped, then sighed heavily as she continued, “Why do you still blame Myra for hurting that child? Do you still love the other woman? Is that the reason?”
He looked up abruptly and his gaze darkened dangerously as he hissed, “You know as well as I do what that woman did to me. Why would I still be in love with her if she’s already moved on with another man?”
“So why are you treating Myra so horribly?” Eve argued, her heart pounding wildly in her chest. “You say this isn’t about the woman—so does this have anything to do with her child? Is that child the reason why you’re being so cruel to Myra?”
“That child wasn’t just hers, he was mine, too! And he was supposed to be your grandchild!” Sean thundered, his voice threatening to freeze the air around them.
“Mom, think about it—that child wasn’t even born yet, and Myra didn’t think twice about getting rid of him. How do you expect me to live with a woman like that? Haven’t I done enough? She asked for marriage and I gave it to her, but I never promised to love her.”
Upon hearing the words ‘that child wasn’t even born yet’, Eve took a couple of steps back. She trembled as the past flashed in her mind.
She clenched her fists and her voice was hoarse as she said, “Regardless of what you think of Myra, can’t you at least see all the things she’s done for you all these years? I know what kind of person she is and you know this too, but you refuse to admit it. What if what happened in the past was only a misunderstanding? What if Myra didn’t know the woman was pregnant? Sean, all I’m asking is for you to stop treating Myra the way you do. The affection she has for you won’t last forever…”
Sean spent the entire afternoon cooped up in his office. He didn’t change his mind in the end, and instead called Richard into his office.
Myra’s fingers tightened around her pen after she heard what Richard had said.
In the two years of their marriage, Sean rarely brought her along to formal events. She had thought that he hated her and after their relationship soured, he was even more unlikely to bring her along as a date.
Anxiety rose within her as she thought about the idea of attending the banquet with him.
As if reading her mind, Richard consoled, “Please don’t fret unnecessarily, Miss Myra. You are his wife, after all. Director Chase was only putting on an act with all those other women.”
“Putting on an act?” she repeated with a cold chuckle. After their big fight the other night, Sean had left to spend the night with a young model. Both of them made headlines in the tabloids the next day, with pictures of them looking as though they could not bear to part from one another. If all those were only an act, Myra dreaded to think how much he could truly hurt her.
Richard was still standing before her, looking awkward. Upon seeing this, Myra said flatly, “Go and get the car. I’ll wait for you outside the building.”
She had only agreed so that the rest of the office wouldn’t grow curious about Richard’s presence. It was only a banquet, after all; Sean was probably only trying to put up a decent front. Though their marriage was kept under wraps, there were still many in the upper-class who knew about them anyway. She only had to do this for show, so there was really no reason for her to be bothered by it.
The traffic was clear along the way. When they arrived at the atelier, Myra was greeted by the service staff who came out to open the car door for her.
A woman—who was the manager of the atelier—stepped up from among the staff, smiling at Myra as she said, “Mrs. Chase, we’ve readied the dress that Director Chase picked out for you. It’s a limited edition and air-flown from Paris, too!”
Myra nodded and was about to head into the atelier when she suddenly stopped in her tracks. Hastily turning back with a stony expression, she caught a glimpse of the red Ferrari that was parked not too far away.
She had seen a woman get into that car after the latter came out of the atelier. That woman…
Myra stiffened and without another thought, she rushed over to where the car was. However, the car started before she could reach it, and it drove away from the curb.
Myra stared after the red car in shock. If my guess is correct…
Presently, the manager from the atelier approached her and asked cautiously, “Mrs. Chase, is everything alright?”
“Miss Sherwood, who was that lady just now?” Myra demanded, her tone anxious.
The manager looked as though she wanted to evade the question and she chuckled awkwardly. “That would be Miss Fisher. She was here to pick out an evening dress.”
“Miss Fisher? Wouldn’t that be Ly—” Myra broke off. She ought to be relieved but for some reason, her heart raced even faster.
The dress that Sean picked out for Myra was exquisite. It was a simple, ivory-colored dress, worn off-the-shoulder and hemmed at the knee. The only embellishments on it were the mother-of-pearls that were strung along the waist. The skirts were flared underneath a thin layer of tulle, adding a somewhat romantic touch to the dress.
This is the dress Sean picked out for me?
Standing outside the Ritz Carlton, Myra felt as though she was in a daze.
She couldn’t remember the last time she had attended a banquet like this. She fidgeted in her dress and was beginning to feel out of place when a gentle female voice said close to her ear, “Miss Stark.”
She looked up and locked eyes with Serena—the eldest of the Hart siblings. Myra had seen her once at the Hart Residence and remembered that she was Henry’s mother.
Seeing as Serena was Sebastian Hart’s eldest granddaughter, she had been standing by the entrance to greet the guests and usher them in. She was surprised to see Myra but she was delighted too, if not more so.
She wasn’t sure what Myra had said to Henry the other evening in the garden but later that night, he had come up to Serena and solemnly told her that he would stand by any of her decisions, as long as she was happy. After that, it was as though his entire demeanor shifted. Henry started making little gifts for her just to make her smile, which comforted and surprised her to no end. Serena hadn’t expected any of this from him—after all, this was the same child who had avidly protested against her divorce.
No matter how she saw it, Henry’s change in attitude could only be attributed to his conversation with Myra. Serena had wanted to thank her ever since, but there was no opportunity for her to do so, until today.
“Are you here today as Tony’s date?” Serena asked, a meaningful smile playing on her lips. She came up to Myra, then clasped the latter’s hand in her own. “By the way, Miss Stark, I’ve been meaning to thank you. You know you’re welcome at our place any time—Henry absolutely adores you.”
It took a while before Myra realized what Serena was thanking her for. She recalled Henry, the little boy with whom she had a conversation the other night, and shook her head as she said, “You don’t have to thank me, Miss Hart. I like Henry, too. As for the banquet…” she trailed off and winced slightly, unsure as to how she should phrase her words. “I’m not here with Director Hart.”
“Aren’t you here because Tony invited you?” Serena asked with wide eyes.
“Myra—” someone interjected, his voice a pleasant baritone.
Before Myra knew it, she was pulled into a loose embrace. The same voice then said, “You’re here at last. I’ve been waiting for you for a while now.”
