Stacy was blushing, while she raised her spoon to feed Bill some cake, and replied, “He said he will come a bit later, he should be here soon though.”
Bill’s face darkened, he didn’t look as natural as before anymore.
“Don’t worry, Bill, today is my birthday, Joshua is not going to trouble you.” Stacy explained to him. Bill just laughed, but didn’t say anything. He raised his wine glass and drank it all. His gaze was resting at the place where Abigail was standing before. She has left for the kitchen though, and Bill couldn’t find her anymore.
“There is a surprise today.” Annie put her little hand on Stacy’s ears and said to her whispering.
“What kind of surprise?” Stacy asked, when there was clapping by the door. Annie’s father Kenneth walked in with Albert Caunter.
“Daddy!” Stacy was stunned for a second, then ran into her father’s arms, “Why are you here?”
“It’s my daughter’s birthday, how could I miss it?” Albert rubbed his daughter’s hair, and said emotionless to her. Only god knew that he never remembered any birthdays. He was here for another reason.
“Bill, this is my father, I am so happy!” Stacy pulled the handsome Bill over, and introduced her father to him.
Bill’s emotionless expression immediately changed into a big smile, and said, “Hello Mr. Caunter.”
“Great.” Albert didn’t have the time to bother, so he only nodded politely, then he looked towards Kenneth.
“Where is your brother?” They started looking around for him.
On top of the stairs, Joshua was standing, dressed in black suit, looking like an evil phantom. His shadowed face didn’t affect his elegant look, his appearance looked like an American model. He carried the aura of a king, there was no one like him.
Compared to Joshua, the usually eye catching Bill, was suddenly nothing anymore.
When he saw Albert, his lips formed into a cold smile, his sharp eyes lit up.
Joshua’s appearance stunned all the females in the room, their exclamation was going through the room.
“Oh my god, so handsome!”
Next to Joshua was Mrs. Caunter, because she couldn’t walk properly, so they moved slowly. Joshua helped her going down the stairs.
“Joshua is here!” Stacy said with a big smile on her face. She waved towards Joshua, the white cape on her shoulders moved like wings, bringing out the youth in her. But when she saw her grandmother, her face went dark.
“Why is she coming to this party, is she trying to ruin my day?”
Annie, who was standing next to Stacy, took a step towards Mrs. Caunter, as if she was afraid someone might get there before her.
“Granny, be careful.” This basic gesture was the love of a granddaughter in law in strangers eyes. Mrs. Caunter on the other hand was scared when she saw Annie, and leaned towards Joshua, her face full of horror.
She pushed back Annie’s hand, and looked at Joshua, asking for help.
Annie’s hand stopped midair awkwardly, the smile on her face stiff. She tried once again, but Joshua pulled his grandmother closer to himself and said coldly, “You can go, there’s no help needed here.”
Annie couldn’t take this public insult, and looked on the floor, trying to cover her anger. She put this one on Mrs. Caunter. She followed them both, and put on a protecting gesture behind Mrs. Caunter.
An outsider would think that this was the sight of a happy family.
“That’s enough.” Kenneth gave Albert a look, Joshua was already at the end of the stairs, and was walking towards them. The crowd parted to make way for him, the journalists were taking pictures nonstop, trying to catch a perfect moment.
Abigail was standing at the door of the kitchen, without anything to do. There were professional chefs there, and she couldn’t help with anything.
She watched them being busy in the kitchen, and remembered Mrs. Caunter. But because she had to be a waitress at the party, she had no choice but to ask another maid to take care of her. Now she was afraid that Mrs. Caunter might start looking for her, so she decided to go back to her.
Mrs. Caunter was upstairs, if Abigail wanted to see her, she had to pass the crowd outside, she was hoping Stacy won’t notice.
In the crowd, she suddenly saw Joshua and Mrs. Caunter walking down the stairs.
Was she okay? In her mind, she knew that even though Joshua respected his grandma, but they never appeared in public together, he even barely went to visit her.
Her little hand was nervously pulling on her shirt, she couldn’t guess the reason for this scene. Joshua was scanning the crowd and found Abigail, who was dressed in working clothes. His eyebrows knitted, the anger visible on his face.
He waved towards her, drawing all attention on her.
Shit!
Abigail was stomping her feet, now both Stacy’s and Annie’s eyes were on her, full of hate and poisonous, as if they wanted to eat her alive. They must think that she came back to the living room instead of working in the kitchen, as she was told to.
“Get over here and take care of Granny!” Joshua’s dominant voice was loud, now even more people were looking at Abigail.
“I have seen this girl before, on Annie’s party, she was Joshua’s dance partner.” Some people recognized her immediately, and some of the journalists were taking pictures of her too.
“Oh, she is just one of our maids, get over here.” Annie’s anger almost got hold of her, she watched the innocent face of Abigail. If this wasn’t a party, she would have smacked it right there.
She put on her nicest side, trying to act as part of the Caunter family.
Joshua didn’t deny or accept it, and when Mrs. Caunter saw Abigail, she started to smile, “Where have you been? I couldn’t find you anywhere. And then Joshua said you must be downstairs. There are yo many people, what are they all doing here?”
Mrs. Caunter finally noticed the big crowd in the house, and asked.
“Come with me, Mrs. Caunter, let’s talk somewhere else.” Abigail took her to a more quiet corner, and arranged some food for her.
Joshua’s eyes were following her all this time, watching her tiny body, until they were gone in the crowd.
“Alright, today is a good day, let’s celebrate my daughter’s birthday!” Albert raised his glass, toasting.
“Happy birthday, Miss Caunter!” The crowd cheered.
“Let’s get to topic.” Kenneth couldn’t wait anymore, and Annie wrapped her arm around Joshua’s. Outsiders would think that they were a perfect couple.
Albert nodded his head and said, “There is another announcement to make today, and that is, the engagement of my son Joshua and the daughter of the president of Spencer Group, Annie!”
As soon as the announcement was made, the journalists started gathering around and taking pictures, even thought they already knew about this. They all wanted to hear what Joshua had to say about that.
“Mr. Caunter, what do you have to say about the engagement with Miss Spencer?”
“Mr. Caunter, we know that Miss Spencer has been living in this house for a while now, and now the sudden announcement of the engagement, is it because you are expecting a child?”
“Mr. Caunter, when are you planning to get married?”
“Mr. Caunter, is the cooperation between you and the Spencer’s going to be taken to a deeper level now? Is it going to get bigger with this announcement?”
“…”
Joshua’s face was stiff, his lips pressed together, he didn’t say a word to the journalists, and threw a hard look towards his father.
“Look at what you have done!” He said to him.
The crowd of journalists weren’t able to hear that, and Albert’s face was already spotted, like he was drunk from the wine.
“What are they talking about? Who is engaged?” Mrs. Caunter asked, while enjoying her food.
“Joshua and Annie of course!” Abigail replied, and didn’t forget to smile at her. Now that they are engaged, they will be married soon, and her child…
She put her hand on her stomach, a bitter feeling in her heart.
“Joshua cannot get married to this woman, no, no.” Mrs. Caunter jumped up from her chair, and moved towards the crowd.
“Granny, what are you doing!” Abigail was buried in her own thoughts, and only noticed when she was already vanished in the crowd. She went after her, but Mrs. Caunter was already standing in front of Joshua.
“Mom, what are you…” Albert’s face went dark. If this crazy woman would do anything, he cannot take the humiliation. And now she was in the middle of attention, trying to do something.
“Get her out of here!” He said to Abigail, who was arriving behind.
“My grandson cannot get engaged to this woman.” Mrs. Caunter pushed Abigail off herself, and took Joshua’s hand, saying it loudly.
“What is going on?”
“There is a new situation, I don’t like this girl. These rich families always bring a lot of problems.”
“Get more pictures, this news is going to get a lot of readers.”
There were more flashes from cameras, some even tried to interview Mrs. Caunter.
“Mrs. Caunter, what is the reason for you not agreeing with this engagement between Mr. Caunter and Miss Spemcer?”
“Do you have another girl in mind?”
“Could you tell us more?”
“Yes, of course.” Mrs. Caunter pulled over the shocked Abigail, and put her hand on Joshua’s, raising them up high.
“My granddaughter in law is her, no one can take her place.”
The crowd were exclaiming, people started talking and discussing about it, even the guests who were only standing and watching, couldn’t keep their calm anymore. Everyone was pointing and staring, giving their opinion in this big mess.
“I knew it, last time, he took her to Annie’s birthday party, and he even had a fight with Bill about her, there had to be a reason.”
“Isn’t she their maid? Did she seduce him? Or did they fall in love?”
“This is all happening too fast, who is their daughter in law now?”
“What a mess, let’s just wait and see what happens.”
“…”
Stacy never thought that such a situation would happen on her birthday party, and she also didn’t expect her grandmother to be the one to cause it, making her enemy to her sister in law. She pulled Abigail over and slapped her across the face.
“What are you, you are making Granny do this! You shameless bitch!”
“Oh!” The crowd was shocked, then everyone calmed down, it got so quiet that you could hear a needle drop.
Joshua was still quiet, only when Stacy slapped Abigail, his face frowned, but he got control of himself again.
Abigail could feel all the attention in the room, including Joshua’s, on herself. She saw him, then she covered her face, and rocked back and forth.
His eyes were powerful, and straight forward, as if he was thinking that she was the one who ordered her to do so. But, she didn’t do anything.
“Do not hit my granddaughter in law!” Mrs. Caunter pushed Stacy, and pulled Abigail behind her back to protect her.