"Victoria, stop picking at your food! You know my grandmother hates that!" Cedric whisper-yelled, pretending to remove something from Victoria’s hair while the table buzzed with discussions about Athena and her children.
Victoria mentally cursed him, feeling a surge of annoyance as she stabbed the meat on her plate with her fork and shoved it angrily into her mouth.
She was tired of catering to the whims of that old, stupid woman, and she was fed up with Athena being thrown in her face at every opportunity. Why hadn’t the old man given them a heads-up or something?
Now, here she was in her simple gown, while Athena sported a dazzling collection from Areso!
Victoria turned her fork against the vegetables on her plate, as if they had personally offended her, shoving them into her mouth with an ungraceful huff.
How could that woman be so lucky to be friends with Areso and Chelsea, the wonder pediatrician? And now, she was even on friendly terms with her in-laws, as if they’d known each other all their lives!
Glaring at Athena, who was laughing with Florence, Victoria could hardly contain her anger. They had only met moments ago, and now they were acting like best friends! Did this woman have a lucky charm hidden somewhere?
Cedric had tried to smooth the way between her and his grandparents, but their best behavior toward her was hardly anything to write home about, and she knew it was all because of Cedric. Was it because she wasn’t as popular as Athena?
Victoria gritted her teeth, letting her fork clang against the plate, tired of eating. Would she now have to compete for their attention now that Athena was here?
Before, she hadn’t cared—there was no other daughter-in-law to vie with—but with Athena’s appearance, the dynamics had shifted.
"Athena." Victoria muttered the name under her breath, anger simmering. She wouldn’t allow Athena to succeed in her plans, nor would she let the latter usurp her place or Cedric’s. Googlᴇ search NoᴠᴇFɪre.nᴇt
It was true that Cedric was known to be the next in line for the company’s leadership, but who was to say Athena wouldn’t weasel her way into the old man’s heart, especially since they referred to each other as "friends"?
After all, he seemed to enjoy spending time with the kids more than going fishing with Cedric.
She shot a glare at Cedric when he tapped her arm, urging her to continue eating. When would he man up? When would he do what was necessary? How long would he keep deferring to "my grandmother said" and "my grandfather said"?
She huffed and picked up her fork again. If it weren’t for the treasure trove that the Thornes represented, she wouldn’t be caught dead with him.
"Athena, do you want more meat?" Florence’s voice cut through Victoria’s thoughts, and she held back a scoff. The woman hadn’t asked her anything since the meal began!
Victoria watched as Athena gracefully declined, then saw Florence insist again.
Athena eventually accepted, prompting Florence to fuss over the twins with a level of attention that made Victoria’s stomach churn.
The fondness in Old Mr. Thorne’s eyes only made things worse, and Victoria let her fork clang violently against her plate once again. This time, the sound successfully halted the cheerful atmosphere around the dining table.
"Victoria, is anything the matter?" Florence asked, her brows furrowing as she focused her gaze on the woman Cedric had chosen to marry. Although she found Victoria somewhat materialistic, she endured her presence because of Cedric, who was dear to her.
Now the center of attention, exactly what she had wished for, Victoria suddenly found herself at a loss for words.
She stuttered under Old Mr. Thorne’s sly gaze, wondering if the old man had somehow developed the ability to read minds.
"I just don’t feel well..." She finally managed to say, cleaning her mouth with a napkin. "I think I will use the restroom. I apologize for the trouble."
Florence waved the apologies away. "It’s okay, Victoria. Please take your time." Then she turned to Cedric. "You should follow her. Help her get sorted out."
Cedric wasn’t pleased with this directive; he didn’t want to miss anything said at the dinner table. Still, with a sigh, he stood up, gently held Victoria by the arm, and led her out of the room.
"So, where were we?" Old Mr. Thorne asked as soon as the couple had left.
Athena chuckled. "We’re full, the children and I. That’s where we are..."
Florence shook her head, pointing toward the abundant food in the bowls and the desserts lining the table. "See, I prepared a lot. Surely, you won’t want all of this to go to waste."
Athena shook her head, acknowledging the strategy employed by the older woman. "I’m not changing my mind, but it can be packaged for us to take home."
"You’re going? I thought you were spending the night with the kids."
Athena was taken aback by Florence’s words. She turned to Old Mr. Thorne for support, but the old man looked eager to have them stay for the night, too.
With a smile, Athena shook her head. If she stayed here, Victoria would probably have a meltdown. Not that she particularly cared, but Athena had enough trouble with her at the moment.
"Maybe some other time," She said, reaching a compromise after seeing Florence’s disappointed pout.
Florence’s expression brightened. "You promise?"
Athena nodded, choosing silence, relieved that the woman was too consumed by happiness to press her for words.
Just then, Old Mr. Thorne got to his feet and beckoned to the children. "I’m sure you both have a lot to talk about as women, but I want to play with my favorite people..."
Immediately, Nathaniel and Kathleen jumped from their seats, not without grabbing a generous amount of cake. They followed the old man out of the room after Athena nodded at them.
"You really do look like Emily... it’s so uncanny..." Florence started, catching Athena’s attention just as she had been watching the door through which her children had disappeared.