Chapter 95 The Annual Party Begins
Margaret was exceedingly dissatisfied, and that resentment hadn’t just been for a day or two.
He’s part of the Smith family, yet he’s seated at the fringes, closest to the door, during the Smith family’s annual party! Is this not humiliating and degrading?
“It makes no difference where we’re seated, no?” Conversely, Connor wasn’t the least bit bothered.
Anyway, I haven’t been treated all that well in the Smith family ever since young. Dad has always favored my brothers more. As for me, I’m no different from a child he found by the roadside! No sooner had I gotten married than I was booted out of the Smith mansion and had to live outside. Of the three sons of the Smith family, I was the only one kicked out of the house!
“Of course, it’s different!” Margaret grew even more irate after hearing that. “Tell me how it’s the same! How could sitting in the first row and the last row be the same?”
The instant her temper spiked, Connor was so frightened that he lowered his head and dared not even say anything.
At that exact moment, Josephine finally had enough and snapped, “That’s enough! Stop arguing. Not only do the two of you bicker at home, but you’re even doing so when you’re outside. When are you both going to stop squabbling?”
Ever since young, I grew up with their interminable arguments! And this is precisely why I adamantly refused to get married in the past. Otherwise, I would never have taken a second look at Jonathan back then!
“Do you think I want to quarrel with him?” Harrumphing, Margaret huffed, “He’s not young anymore, yet he’s still as useless as before! Even when he returns to his own house, he has to sit at such a crappy place! I feel ashamed to sit at the same table with him!”
“Keep it down…” Connor tugged at her sleeve, urging her to lower her voice.
Unexpectedly, Margaret’s voice went up a decibel instead after she heard that. “Are you embarrassed? Do you even know what it means to be embarrassed?”
At her retort, Connor hung his head at once, not daring to utter a single word.
As time ticked by, almost all the guests seemed to have arrived in short order.
Right then, an elderly man in white, traditional attire walked out of the living room, surrounded by a group of people. In his hand was a cane with a dragon’s head. He had white hair and looked to be advanced in years. However, he was seemingly in the pink of health since he had a majestic gait.
Just after a few steps, he arrived at the main table.
“Old Mr. Smith is here!” someone among the crowd exclaimed upon spotting the elderly man.
It was also then that Jonathan cast his gaze over. That elderly man was none other than the patriarch of the Smith family, Hugo Smith!
He was also Josephine’s grandfather, but Jonathan wasn’t really familiar with him.
The two of them seemingly hadn’t said a single word to the other. Even when Jonathan and Josephine got married, he had never bothered being amicable to him.
In fact, he didn’t even deign to spare him a single glance.
“Ahem!” Hugo cleared his throat. At once, the crowd went silent, upon which he nodded approvingly. “I’m truly honored to have all of you gracing the Smith family’s annual party with your presence today. A lot of you here are my old friends. But of course, there are also many new faces. No matter what, all who are here today are esteemed guests of the Smith family! And now, I’d like to toast all of you!”
While saying that, he raised a glass of white wine and downed it in one go. Everyone there got to their feet and guzzled their wines with him.
Subsequently, it was naturally time for the most crucial part of the annual party—the presentation of gifts.
After the guests had presented their gifts, it was then the Smith family’s turn to demonstrate their sincerity to Hugo.
“Let’s go. It’s our turn now.” Connor took a gulp of wine morosely before he led Jonathan and the others toward Hugo. When they were halfway there, Margaret even glanced over her shoulder and asked Jonathan, “You did bring the gift, yes?”
“Yeah,” Jonathan answered mildly.
By the time they walked over, there was already a crowd in front of Hugo.
“You’re here, Connor?” Seraphina made the first move to greet Connor when she saw him.
“Seraphina,” Connor murmured in reply, his head hung low.
“What gift did you prepare for Dad this year, Connor?” Snorting, Ezra swung his gaze at Connor. “Don’t tell me you only bought a gift worth a mere few thousand, like the previous year?”
“A few thousand is already pretty good. Who knows, he might be giving a gift that’s only worth a few hundred this year!” a middle-aged lady, Lula Brooks, couldn’t help deriding right after his words rang out.
“A few hundred? That’s impossible!” With a sneer, Ezra exclaimed, “Would they really be so shameless to give something worth a mere few hundred?”
The husband and wife ganged up and started mocking Connor in front of all the guests.
“Why not?” Snickering, Lula scoffed, “It’s not the first or even second time they’ve been so shameless, so what’s another time to them?”
Turning to Connor, Lula started, “I don’t want to lecture you, but you should just forget about buying a gift if you haven’t the money and can’t afford to buy something decent, Connor.” As she spoke, she caressed the freshly done manicure on her nails and brandished the jade bracelet on her wrist in front of them in a seemingly involuntary manner.
“Who said our gift this year is worth only a few hundred?” Margaret snapped at their provocation. “Our gift this year is worth a hundred grand!”
Hearing that, Lula promptly sneered, “Oh, a hundred grand? Can you guys afford to buy something of that value? Don’t tell me you bought some counterfeit and deliberately claimed that you bought it for a hundred grand?”
“That’s impossible! Connor would never do such a thing!” Seraphina chimed in.
“Who knows?” Chuckling coldly, Lula drawled, “People like them will do anything at all!”
“That’s enough! Stop bickering! Why are you all squabbling with so many people looking on? Are you not the least bit ashamed?” a middle-aged man in a black suit stepped forward and chided at just that moment.
“Miguel,” Connor greeted immediately at the sight of him, dipping his head.
His brother, Miguel Smith, cut him a look and chastised, “Connor, it’s not my intention to criticize you, but just buy something cheaper if you really can’t afford to buy an expensive gift. No one will say anything about that. However, it’s simply too embarrassing to buy some knock-off and pretend that it’s a costly gift just to pass yourself off as what you’re not! Can you afford to buy a gift worth a hundred grand? I know your limits all too well!”
“No, Miguel, I—” Connor wanted to explain when he saw that things were looking bad for him, but Miguel cut him off right away. “Okay, stop giving excuses. Let’s just forget about it this time. In the future, remember not to do something so disgraceful!”
After saying that, he waved a hand and declared, “All right, it’s our turn to go over and present our gifts to Dad. Bring your gifts and come with me.”
