A Wedding Night Gone Terribly Wrong novel Chapter 29

Less than three minutes after the girls had rushed downstairs and out the door, Albert downed the last sip of his scotch and pushed himself away from the table.

"I better go keep an eye on Demi and Larissa. It's getting dark, and I'd hate for some creep to snatch them up."

Fifty-four-year-old Albert had retired three years ago. Since his son, Quentin, was highly successful, Albert had happily settled into living off his earnings. After three years of eating, drinking, and lounging around all day, he had developed a prominent beer belly. Now, carrying a gut that looked six months pregnant, he waddled toward the bathroom.

He had left his phone on the dining table. Suddenly, it started ringing loudly.

Eleanor glanced over. The caller ID read 'Kiki.'

Her face darkened instantly. She jabbed the screen with a thick finger and barked, "Who is this calling my husband?"

"Uh, it's me. Louie. Is Albert coming down?"

Louie?

Eleanor pulled the phone away from her ear and stared at the screen again. The name definitely said 'Kiki.' That sounded like a young mistress.

Albert sprinted out of the bathroom, his shirt half-untucked, and snatched the phone from her hand.

Eleanor was furious. "Who the hell is Kiki?"

Both of them knew they had way too much free time. They lounged around all day, doing absolutely nothing. Quentin was a dutiful son who gave them a generous five-thousand-dollar allowance every month. Since Albert had time and money, Eleanor was constantly paranoid that some young gold digger was after his wallet.

Albert gave a sleazy, embarrassed grin. "It's Louie. From the chess club. It's a guy."

Eleanor scoffed coldly. "You're just sneaking off to play chess! How dare you use the girls' safety as an excuse?"

And just like that, three people had vanished from the table. All of them were people Eleanor considered her "real" family.

Her family had left. Winifred and her children, in Eleanor's eyes, were nothing but desperate freeloaders trying to kiss up to them.

Having lost her appetite, Eleanor stood up. "Take your time eating. I'm going to go pick up Sharon. She's almost here."

Sharon was Quentin's older sister—the mother of Demi and Larissa.

Sharon was always overly friendly and all smiles. Winifred had honestly assumed she was coming over specifically to see Seth and Annelise. It was normal for extended family to drop by and wish the kids a happy second birthday.

Winifred didn't say anything, simply smiling politely as Eleanor walked out the door.

Shielding her children from the ugliness of the adult world was her basic duty as a mother.

Celeste huffed angrily, burying her face in her bowl and aggressively taking her frustrations out on the food, shoving piece after piece of meat into her mouth.

Winifred gently rubbed the heads of her two quiet children, her voice soothing.

"Tonight is just a small, simple dinner for us.

"Next Wednesday, Mommy is going to throw you a big celebration. I'll book a private room at a nice restaurant. We'll invite Ms. Miller, and you can invite all your best friends from school. We'll have a huge, fun party, just for you. Does that sound good?"

"Yes!"

Annelise clapped her hands, her bouncy curls bouncing with excitement. Seth's mouth curved into a sweet smile, his chubby cheeks lighting up.

Looking at Seth, Winifred was suddenly struck by how much he resembled someone else's childhood photos. Her eyes burned.

She didn't care how the Adams family treated her. She could handle the coldness and the injustice. Her grandfather had always taught her that experiencing the cruelty of the world was just part of life; it was entirely normal for some people to make you feel unwelcome.