"Why is Vivian Quinn here too? And with your mother-in-law?" Eleanor Winslow noticed a young woman not far away talking to a middle-aged woman adorned with jewels and elegance.
The middle-aged woman was none other than Cherry Chambers, Trevor Hawthorne’s mother and Blake Lockwood’s mother-in-law.
Vivian Quinn had once volunteered herself at the start of Blake Lockwood’s marriage to Trevor Hawthorne, so her presence at Blake Lockwood’s birthday party was truly shocking and repulsive.
"My mother-in-law invited her." Blake Lockwood said with a touch of contempt in her nonchalance, "You know, when Trevor Hawthorne married , my mother-in-law was against it. Now she’d love to have soone knock off my perch as Mrs. Hawthorne."
"Just Vivian Quinn?" Eleanor Winslow couldn’t understand, "Your mother-in-law has such low standards? Young Master Hawthorne wouldn’t be so desperate, would he?"
Desperate or not, Blake Lockwood couldn’t say for sure, as she didn’t know Trevor Hawthorne that well.
But n have their weaknesses, who knows what Young Master Hawthorne was thinking?
"Miss Lockwood, Miss Winslow, long ti no see!" Vivian Quinn walked over from a distance, flamboyantly greeting them.
She wore a red fishtail gown, her beauty high-key, chin slightly raised, like a rooster ready to fight.
Cherry Chambers calmly assessed Eleanor Winslow from top to bottom, her enthusiastic smile unwavering, though her words were, "Miss Winslow, Miss Quinn wants to play cards, why not join her for a couple of rounds?"
Blake Lockwood’s smile faded slightly, "Mother, Miss Winslow is my most important guest today, does Miss Quinn deserve to have her accompany?"
She spared no sentint, the phrase ’deserve’ thoroughly mocking both Cherry Chambers and Vivian Quinn.
Vivian Quinn’s self-satisfaction froze, ready to lash out, but Cherry Chambers held her hand to stop her.
Cherry Chambers was not at all offended, chuckling, "Blake, Miss Winslow and Adrian Grant are divorced, who deserves who is still up for debate. Besides—"
Cherry Chambers paused, her words heavy with aning, "Blake, you and Miss Winslow are truly good friends, your situations seem quite similar."
The underlying ssage was if Blake Lockwood divorced Trevor Hawthorne, she’d be just as beneath notice too.
Blake Lockwood, a parentless orphan, guarding a pile of antiques and wealth, and so what? Without her family’s support, who wouldn’t take advantage of her?
"Mrs. Hawthorne!" Eleanor Winslow smiled without warmth, "You speak as if you really like Miss Quinn, then why didn’t you speak up for her when she volunteered herself at the start?"
The term ’volunteered herself’ instantly turned Vivian Quinn’s expression ugly.
"Eleanor, stop sowing discord here!" Vivian Quinn knew well she should curry favor with Cherry Chambers now.
"Mother, if you’re not satisfied with , why not ask Trevor Hawthorne to divorce , then what’s the point of nauseating others here? Or are you standing up for Pearl Morgan?" Blake Lockwood looked indifferently at Cherry Chambers, "Despite praising Pearl’s intelligence in the past, if I were you, I wouldn’t dare step out today for fear of being ridiculed."
"Blake Lockwood! Is this how a daughter-in-law should talk to her mother-in-law!" Cherry Chambers finally couldn’t hold back, angrily rebuking.
Blake Lockwood crossed her arms, "Didn’t you say I lacked upbringing? Isn’t it that I didn’t turn out well as a daughter-in-law just because you didn’t teach well?"
What filial piety?
Blake Lockwood’s parents hadn’t taught her that before they passed!
If an elder treated her well, she would respect them; if they mocked her, she would sarcastically counter, who feared whom?!
"Do you think Trevor Hawthorne will argue with you over you confronting his mother?" Eleanor Winslow whispered to Blake Lockwood.
"Who cares?" Blake Lockwood was indifferent.
She didn’t particularly like Trevor Hawthorne; it was rely that this man was the last refuge her mother ticulously chose as she lay dying, so she didn’t divorce him.
Moreover, initially, Cherry Chambers disagreed with Trevor Hawthorne marrying her, but Trevor insisted on it — if he blad her, wouldn’t he be contradicting himself?
The main protagonist and her mother-in-law had a quarrel at the birthday party, and the surrounding guests quickly took notice, glancing over.
Eleanor Winslow didn’t want Blake Lockwood to be unhappy at her birthday, looking at Vivian Quinn: "Want to play cards? Fine, how much?"
Vivian Quinn thought Eleanor Winslow was capitulating, her pride swiftly returning, "Any amount is fine! But Miss Winslow, are you, like... have money to play?"
Eleanor Winslow lifted her left hand, the lustrous Purple Jade Bracelet gleaming under the sunlight: "At worst, I still have this as a bet, Miss Quinn, what do you have?"
Vivian Quinn’s eyes brightened at the sight of the beautiful Purple Jade Bracelet.
This bracelet was indeed stunning; if she could get it without spending a single penny, she’d profit handsoly!
Vivian Quinn’s fingers glided over the diamond necklace adorning her neck: "My diamond necklace crafted by a renowned artist is no worse than your bracelet, I’ll bet this diamond necklace!"
Eleanor Winslow nodded approvingly: "Fine, let’s start."
Blake Lockwood observed Vivian Quinn like watching a fool throughout.
Couldn’t she see Eleanor Winslow deliberately offering the bracelet to provoke her impulsive gamble?
...
Not far away on the second floor.
Trevor Hawthorne gazed downstairs, after listening to the servant’s report, asked, amused: "Guess what Mrs. Grant’s bet is?"
Adrian Grant glanced at him.
"Her left hand’s Purple Jade Bracelet." Trevor Hawthorne chuckled, "Familiar?"
Adrian Grant: "..."
Wasn’t it familiar? He gave it to her!
He personally put it on her wrist!
Many recalled when Eleanor Winslow sat at the card table, Adrian Grant had recently acquired a Purple Jade Bracelet at the Kyodan auction two months prior, didn’t they? It was soon rumored that the eight-figure Purple Jade Bracelet was given to Eleanor Winslow.
Eleanor Winslow was now using the gift from Adrian Grant as a wager?
Did she truly have not the slightest attachnt to this marriage?
Was she unafraid of Adrian Grant’s anger?
Adrian Grant indeed was angry, Trevor Hawthorne standing nearby could sense the temperature drop several degrees.
Trevor Hawthorne, leaning on the railing with one hand, a lit cigar between his fingers, stirred the pot: "Does Young Master Grant usually treat Mrs. Grant poorly, so much so that she’s without pocket money, needing to use jewelry to bet?"
Adrian Grant: "Young Master Hawthorne has ti to be sarcastic, not to diate mother-in-law and daughter-in-law conflict?"
Trevor Hawthorne: "..."
Adrian Grant knew, Eleanor Winslow wasn’t actually without money; she simply didn’t care about his gift!
A wager?
Ha!
He’d like to see today who dared take the bracelet he gifted off Eleanor’s wrist — Eleanor herself wasn’t allowed!
...
Mahjong was a four-person ga, apart from Eleanor Winslow and Vivian Quinn, the other two at the table were brought by Cherry Chambers.
Eleanor Winslow could clearly feel the other two intentionally assisting Vivian Quinn, the trio joining forces against her solo.
The first round, Vivian Quinn had the highest score.
Vivian Quinn’s smile couldn’t hide her glee.
Who would have thought from the second round onward, Eleanor Winslow would steadily take the lead — pure suit dragons and seven pairs self-draw, golden hook with dual draws, heavenly win!
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