Watching the scene, Agnes felt a bit embarrassed. She smiled and clinked glasses with Tom and Mr. Johnsons, saying, “Thank you.” She then took a small sip of the red wine.
Ansel’s eyes stung, and his heart ached even more. He no longer had the courage to look at the young couple, so he avoided eye contact. Internally, he was forced to let go and offer his blessings.
“Please rest for a while. Thank you for taking the time to witness my happiness,” Agnes said politely.
Mr. Johnsons adjusted his glasses and smiled warmly. “Isn’t this what I should do? I watched you grow up.” Receiving the invitation made Mr. Johnsons happy as it showed Agnes’s recognition of him as an elder.
Agnes was also delighted by his words. This teacher-student bond would last a lifetime.
However, Ansel was feeling emotional. He was not without feelings; he was sad and heartbroken. But he was slowly starting to accept the reality and hoped that one day he would find peace. Hopefully, he would find a girl truly suitable for him in the future.
“Please help yourself to anything you’d like to eat. Don’t be shy,” Agnes said softly. “We need to greet other guests.”
“Alright, alright, you go ahead,” Mr. Johnsons replied kindly.
In the yard, there were rows of long tables covered with Italian countryside-style tablecloths. The porcelain plates shone brightly, and the silver forks were very delicate. Servants continuously added various small cakes and exquisite fruit platters to the tables. Guests picked their favorite foods at their leisure.
Groups of three or five guests held wine glasses and admired the surroundings-the enormous yard and beautiful villa filled their eyes with envy.
“Agnes has married into a top-tier wealthy family, hasn’t she?”
Mrs. Campell’s sister-in-law was elated and pulled Mrs. Campell’s hand closer, trying to get friendly with her. “The Fritz family has its own business; can you introduce my son to a job there?”
Mrs. Campell smiled at her but replied firmly, “No.” Her straightforward refusal surprised her sister-in-law, who had expected consent due to their good private relationship.
“Why not?” Her sister-in-law asked seriously, “Isn’t it easy to help my son find a job?”
“It is easy, but there’s no obligation,” Mrs. Campell answered.
Her sister-in-law was speechless.
Mrs. Campell was very clear-headed. “Your son has been spoiled since childhood. While others were studying hard, he spent nights playing games in internet cafes. Now he has no education, no skills, no ambition, stays home all day without socializing, and has gained so much weight-what can he do? Even security guards need to be in good shape these days!”
Mrs. Campell’s blunt words left her sister-in-law embarrassed, knowing well that her son was indeed useless and had nothing more to say without making herself look bad.
Mrs. Campell was a straightforward person who understood that Agnes marrying into a wealthy family was indeed climbing up socially. Even though the Fritz family liked her now, they were not well-matched in terms of social status.
There would always be people trying to curry favor. If those younger relatives were truly capable and the Fritz family company needed talent, they could go through the process of written exams and interviews; if they weren’t too bad, Tom could be informed.
But if they were useless, it would only disgust people and potentially strain the young couple’s marriage.
In the romantic and dreamy yard, Agnes held Tom’s arm affectionately as they walked around greeting guests with drinks in hand. After making their rounds, they headed towards Ingrid-the last relative of the Fritz family they needed to greet.