Chapter 5
This was an official porcelain from ancient times, which Spencer had gone out of his way to acquire at an auction not long ago. It symbolized boundless fortune and longevity.
Annie had planned to brush it off and give Abrielle an easy way out, but to her surprise, Abrielle turned the box around and slowly opened it right in front of her.
"Annie, I think the gift I brought will win your heart," Abrielle said.
Annie squinted at the contents of the box, then finally let out a hearty laugh.
"Well, well, well, you really put some thought into this, Abrielle. This is a wonderful gift, even better than that official porcelain," Annie said.
"Adonis, put this box in my safe," Annie instructed.
The butler, Adonis Banks, nodded and carefully picked up the box.
Abrielle found a quiet spot and had just sat down when her phone buzzed.
It was a message from Spencer.
He said: [I've never seen Mom be this nice to you before.]
[Seriously, what did you give her that made her so happy?]
Abrielle chuckled to herself, but didn't answer directly.
She replied: [It's something special. You'll see soon.]
Spencer would find out about the big surprise once Abrielle was gone.
Once the guests had settled in, Annie started introducing Rosie to everyone.
"This is Rosie. She and Spencer have been childhood sweethearts. I wanted to bring her here so everyone could meet her," Annie said.
As soon as Annie finished speaking, the guests started showering Rosie with compliments.
"I heard Miss Stewart studied abroad for years, majored in finance? She's so young and accomplished. She and Mr. Walker are a match made in heaven!" one guest exclaimed.
"Absolutely! They've been close since they were kids, truly childhood sweethearts. Mrs. Walker couldn't have picked a better match. We're all rooting for your marriage!" another chimed in.
"You two aren't getting any younger. Once you're married, you should start a family soon. Mrs. Walker's health isn't great, and she's been hoping to see the Walker family have an heir," a third guest added.
*****
The guests kept chiming in, each one offering their congratulations.
Rosie's cheeks flushed bright red as she grabbed Spencer's hand, holding onto him tightly.
"Thank you, uncles and aunties. Spencer has always treated me so well, and he promised that even after we get married, he'll always be good to me," Rosie said.
Spencer stiffened for a moment, but with Annie and all the relatives watching, he couldn't just pull away and embarrass Rosie, so he stayed put.
His eyes instinctively drifted to Abrielle, who was sitting in the corner across the room. He expected her to be upset, but to his surprise, she didn't show any emotion at all.
She looked at him like he was just a stranger, her eyes completely blank.
Spencer felt a wave of relief wash over him, but at the same time, he couldn't shake off a strange sense of unease and irritation.
Annie grinned with delight when the topic came up.
"Don't worry, everyone. Rosie is such a thoughtful girl. She's already planning for a baby. She'll be part of the Walker family sooner or later, so having a child early is definitely a good thing," Annie said.
Hearing that, everyone crowded around Spencer, raising their glasses to toast him.
Annie suddenly turned to Abrielle and spoke up.
"Abrielle, since today is such a big celebration, you should toast Spencer too. Wish him a speedy heir, right?" Annie said.
Everyone glanced over to the corner, and for a moment, their eyes lit up with surprise. They hadn't realized just how strikingly beautiful Spencer's secretary was.
Compared to Rosie, who was as fresh and innocent as a newly bloomed jasmine, Abrielle had a graceful poise.
Abrielle lifted her glass, gave it a gentle swirl, and with her gown trailing behind, walked over to Spencer, lightly clinking her glass against his.
"Mr. Walker, wishing you a speedy heir and a blissful marriage," she said.
Then she finished her drink in one go.
"Abrielle, you're... being way too polite," Spencer said.
Seeing Abrielle so relaxed and formal, Spencer felt his chest tighten.
He was about to remind her not to drink so much because of her sensitive stomach, but with everyone watching, he forced himself to stay quiet.
Rosie stood up too, naturally looping her arm through Spencer's and clinking her glass with Abrielle's.
"Abrielle, I heard you've been at the Walker Group for seven years? Spencer can be pretty picky with his staff. He must've given you a hard time, huh? Let me raise a glass to you. Think of it as me making up for him," Rosie said.
"When the baby comes, we'll definitely make you the godmother," she added.
Abrielle couldn't help but think back to Annie's words about Rosie trying for a baby. She frowned, her stomach churning with nausea.
She quickly made an excuse and rushed to the bathroom, where she couldn't hold it in anymore and threw up.
'Absolutely disgusting,' Abrielle thought.
Everything about Spencer, his actions, his heart, made her feel more disgusted than ever before.
'How could a guy be so brazen? Trying to keep me around while planning a baby with someone else?' Abrielle fumed.
'What am I to him, really?' she wondered, feeling utterly humiliated.
'Just because I loved him with everything I had, does that mean I deserve to be his second choice? To be cast aside?' she thought, her heart aching with betrayal.