A Wedding Night Gone Terribly Wrong novel Chapter 155

The make-up birthday party wrapped up amidst joyous laughter. Now, it was time for the kids to say their goodbyes.

Gwen, clutching her massive bag of new hair accessories in one hand and holding Annie's hand with the other, leaned forward and asked in her sweet, milky voice, "When are we going to see each other again?"

Ever since Annie had been expelled from preschool, they hadn't seen each other. She missed her friend terribly.

Annie comforted her. "Mommy is taking us to move into our new house tomorrow! Once we're settled, she's going to find me a new school."

Mrs. Channing was surprised. "Winifred, you're moving?"

"Yes," Winifred replied honestly. Having known Mrs. Channing for nearly three years, she knew her family was genuinely kind and loving. There was no need to hide things from them.

Mrs. Channing took Winifred's hand, sighing softly as her fingers brushed over the slender wrist. It bore the jade bracelet she had gifted her earlier tonight. The same size bracelet had gotten stuck on Shelly's plump wrist, yet it slid loosely around Winifred's... Quentin was using Winifred's hard-earned money to fatten up his mistress while Winifred practically wasted away. It made her heart ache.

Winifred patted Mrs. Channing's hand. "Don't worry about me. I'm doing really well now."

Mrs. Channing's eyes reddened. "I'm so sorry. I couldn't do anything to help you."

Mrs. Channing had been the one to recommend Seth and Annie's preschool. By the time she found out Holden had interfered and gotten the kids expelled, it was too late to change anything. Knowing Winifred was out there alone, a single mother facing the world, made her feel utterly helpless.

"I bought a house, and I have a wonderful new job," Winifred reassured her with a gentle smile.

Mrs. Channing's face lit up. "Then we absolutely have to come to your housewarming party!"

Winifred hadn't even thought of that. Just the idea of moving into her own beautiful home and living happily with her kids felt like enough. She hadn't dared to hope for the social normalcy of hosting parties.

Mrs. Channing pointed at the two little girls. "Look. My daughter can't bear to leave yours. They're holding hands like they're about to cry."

Winifred followed her gaze and saw the exact same reluctance mirrored on Annie's tiny face. Her heart instantly melted into a puddle. If her daughter wanted the moon, she would find a way to pull it down from the sky.

"Okay," Winifred said, extending a formal invitation. "Once I'm all settled and pick a date, I'll call you."

Thrilled by the invitation, Gwen cheered loudly.

Hearing this, Yara tugged on her dad's hand, insisting she wanted to go too.

Kirk, who was chatting with Seth, perked up and directly advocated for himself. "Can I come to your housewarming party?"

Seth kept his little face serious, glancing at his mom. Winifred gave a warm, affirming nod. He then turned back to Kirk and officially declared, "You are welcome to come play at my house."

"Thanks, Seth!"

"You're welcome," Seth replied, offering a tiny spoiler. "You should wear your sneakers. We can go down the slide, play basketball, and catch tadpoles in the pond."

Kirk was so excited he practically vibrated in his little tuxedo, sprinting over to his dad, who was deep in a conversation about finance with Leland.

"Dad, Dad, Dad!"

Leland tapped on the passenger window. "Stay sharp. Keep an eye on the kids."

"Yes, sir! Don't worry about a thing."

The SUV pulled away. Winifred slid into the passenger seat of Leland's car.

As he pulled into traffic, Leland said, "Alright, tell me. What did you want to talk about?"

He sounded almost gleeful, practically radiating anticipation. It was as if he expected her to shower him with praise for his stellar performance tonight, confess how deeply moved she was, and offer him her heart on a silver platter.

Winifred hid a smile and turned her gaze out the window.

"I want to talk to you about a few things. Starting with my romantic history. Do you want to hear it?"

Leland smiled. "I'd love nothing more."

Peeling back the scabs of her past felt like tearing her heart open all over again. Every agonizing memory rushed forward, filling her eyes with a stinging warmth until tears threatened to spill. Her voice was tight as a drawn bowstring, every word laced with a suppressed choke.

"After I was forced to divorce my children's biological father, I followed my senior north to Kingsbridge. For three years, I convinced myself their father was dead. I dedicated myself entirely and earnestly to following my senior.”

"But life doesn't care about your plans. Recently, their biological father reappeared. After three years, he's completely unrecognizable. He colluded with his mistress to manipulate everyone around me. He attacked me, sought revenge, and tried to destroy every avenue of my life.

"And right when I needed him most, the one person I trusted—my senior—became my ex-husband's accomplice..."