The Eclipsed Life of Luna Mischa (by Jennifer Francis) novel Chapter 86

She sat and ate her lunch, didn’t bother to rush through it, but it was Laud that was tuned into Christy’s conversation over there with her friends that even Laud thought she’d brought those humans into this restaurant on purpose.

“Why is your fiancé having lunch with his ex–wife?” one girl asked. “I don’t know any exes that get along, shouldn’t they hate each other?”

“Why does she look so young? I thought she was the same age as Anthony. Did she go and get a face lift to try and compete with you, Christy?” another snickered loudly enough for everyone in the restaurant to hear.

It was clear they were just like Christy herself, birds of a feather, she thought absently even as she heard Christy stated “Let it go, she hasn’t had any work done,” Christy half muttered.

“She’s in her 40s, right? But barely looks to be in her mid–20’s,” another stated.

“Kind of looks younger than you do, Christy,” the first one stated.

“Drop it, she has those really good Korean genes.” Christy did mutter this time. “Let’s just eat

lunch.”

“Oh, you mean, like those Korean actors we see in Netflix K–Dramas and think are barely 20 but are like 40 in real life. Lucky woman.” another murmured.

Mischa could hear the full annoyance in Christy’s voice now and Laud chortled, ‘Oh, so she does realize you’re prettier and more youthful looking; that she’s aging quickly.‘

‘I wonder if that’s why she needs to keep Anthony with her all the time, so he doesn’t realize I already look younger than she does, and he comes back to me.’

‘Be an old hag by the time she’s 30, Laud snorted, fully amused, and Mischa couldn’t but help laugh out loud at her own beast’s words.

Because a part of her thought the same thing, Christy was aging quickly, had looked older when she’d come out of the cells, being punished and, apart from her Mate, at odds with him in her own way, had aged her. She already looked to be 30. Had looked to be 25 when going into them cells and aged a full five years in there.

Yet with her and Laud’s own resolve to just not care anymore and know their bond was over, they weren’t actually at odds with Anthony anymore, they just took it all in their stride and didn’t care. So, they were unaffected by all that was going on with their mate bond anymore.

She found the entire table looking at her, and she reined it in, ‘Laud said something funny.’

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She mind–linked to them, couldn’t well say that out loud, though it’s timing if anyone was listening to Christy’s table would seem as though she was laughing about what those girls had said and Christy’s reaction to it.

‘You shouldn’t have to hear things like that being said about you, Mischa.‘ Anthony returned.

‘It doesn’t bother me,’ she answered ‘I know I’ve not had work done, she’s also your fiancée in public, not me. I’m not about to pitch a fit,’ she stated, and continued on with her meal.

‘I’ll have words with her about that when we get back to the pack.‘ Anthony sighed.

‘Don’t do it on my account, that was a compliment as far as I’m concerned.‘ She stated simply.

Nothing Christy could do bothered her anymore, it had once upon a time, but now, not so much and her friends had just stated something that would annoy Christy more than herself. They might not find themselves friends for very long, knowing Christy’s nature.

‘I’m also used to Christy appearing everywhere we go when together and suddenly being at your side. So…” she trailed off after reminding him that was what Christy always did.

Something that she–wolf had been keeping in check since Anthony’s announcement and formal apology to the entire pack, after she’d tried to have Christy moved into his Alpha Suite permanently. She still didn’t know what the outcome of their argument on Monday evening had been, but she did know Christy was still diligently attending to all her Luna Lessons and actively participating in them.

Seems she was going to actually learn the role. It could well be that she was actually going to try and do the real job after her training was over and try to push Mischa from the job altogether, only she didn’t know just how much work it was going to entail. Because Mischa and Paul were planning on handing it to her in full, to make her work for the first time ever. See if she could actually do the job.

Though thinking about that very thing, Christy attending her Luna Lessons brought something else to mind. She’d brought up Christy’s lack of education to Anthony before and even given him admission papers, and now realized that nothing had been done about it as of yet.

She turned to look at Anthony. “I heard Christy was finally going to go to university and attend to her higher education. What is she going to major in?” Mischa asked. “Will it be something to help your business in the future? Or an arts degree of some sort?” she smiled.

Anthony’s eyes turned on her questioningly, and she blipped over the fact that the subject had come out of nowhere, or that Letti quickly covered a snort of laughter, and she asked another question before Anthony could even get a word out, “Which university did she get

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She knew it was very petty of her, but if she could hear those women, then she knew they could all hear her as well and most girls her age would be attending a university degree of some sort. Having no education when attached to such a wealthy man, with such a large company that was growing all the time. Wouldn’t be good for him or Christy, it would just see her as the gold digger some of the socialites around had mentioned at that Gala.

An education was seen as one wanting to better themselves, and wanting to be a productive member of society, not just live off another’s money. If she got a degree and started working for his company, that would also be seen as she was contributing to it and worthy of him. All the things Christy didn’t actually do.

Mischa also knew now just how the wealthy men and women of this state saw Christy, as nothing but a gold digger who’d snatched another woman’s husband and gotten him to divorce her as well. The mistress had ousted the wife is how they saw it.

Although Christy was over there with her human friends, it was likely one or two of them were from prominent families and were likely to be the same age as Christy too. Which meant they would be at university studying some sort of degree to either help with their family business or to have them be introduced into another prominent family’s business who they wanted a marriage alliance with.

They would also have mothers that knew who Christy was, due to their husbands being in business with Anthony, and might not actually approve of their daughter’s interactions with Christy, or they could all be she supposed the daughters of the mistress who’d gotten the wife’s husband, so their mothers didn’t care that Christy was their friend, were just like her and raising their daughters to be the same.

“I don’t actually know. She’s not filled in the university paperwork…” he answered her question, then, after a moment’s thought, stated, “She is attending private study lessons this year.”

Mischa understood what he’d said would be heard by Christy and seen as insulting her, so he’d followed up by defending her not attending university with that private study for anyone that was listening to their conversation, including Christy or her wolf.

“Ah, so she’ll be signing up next year then… I know quite a few Deans and Admissions Officers, to several universities… If you need, Mr Trenery, I could put in a good word for your fiancée any time she’s ready to study.

“But, I guess she’ll be a bit older than most of the students by then, most start their education at 18, and she’ll be what? 21 by then… I think the longer she puts it off the bigger the age gap will be, and she might feel out of place… Maybe not want to go in the end

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“As your future wife, she really should be seen as wanting not only to be educated but having an education that is helpful to your business, don’t you think? Not just sitting around all day doing nothing, or going out shopping and spending your company’s money on things like… lunches with her friends at your company’s restaurant.”

“Mischa!” he frowned at her words disapprovingly now as he realized what would now happen if they were seen out in public and Christy came at them. She was playing the spiteful ex–wife card, but being polite and seemingly caring about his business at the same

time.

Thinking about his reputation and the money that his new fiancée spent from the company she was still a part of. She smiled right at him. “What?” she asked right back. “I’m still a CEO of this company. I may be a silent partner for the most part, but I am still allowed to voice my concerns about those that don’t work for the company but still have access to spending company funds. Do I not.

“I can bring it up at the next shareholder meeting if you think it’s inappropriate to do so here in a more casual setting, to be discussed between you and I, two of your other CEOs. Or are you upset I kind of insulted your fiancée for not already having gone off and started a university degree.

“Oh!” she put a hand to her mouth. “I’m sorry, I am insulting her. You must be happy to have an uneducated young thing on your arm. But I don’t know… She might get called a gold digger if she doesn’t contribute to anything and is only seen as being with you for your money and status.” She smiled and picked up her glass and sipped her drink.

She knew that even in their own world, words like that stung, for not only the one like Christy that ranked up but didn’t contribute to the pack, but also for the Mate that accepted one such as she was speaking of, useless and non–contributing. As she was pointing out to him with Christy and all her friends right there.

And not only her human friends, but those she–wolves sitting at that table as well. He was glaring at her now and she smirked just a little. “Oh, I’m sorry… I guess being your ex–wife who helped you build this company she’s living off, and that I still work and contribute to. I don’t want anyone freeloading off my hard–earned work,” she stated as she leaned back in her chair and looked right at Christy at her table, who looked filthy mad right now.

Mischa smiled at her. Yes, she could play the role of the ex–wife. If that was how Christy wanted her to be seen by everyone, then so be it. She brought it upon herself. “It’s not like I don’t‘ hear what people say. I know how old your new fiancée is and have looked into her education or… lack there of.” She tipped her glass to Christy.

Then shot down the mind–link to Christy, ‘Two can play your game, only I’m educated and a registered CEO of the packs human company, which you’re not, and can’t be, until you get a

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degree and become a working member of it. What else you got other than bringing your human friends in to make Anthony only acknowledge you. I can play the spiteful, vindictive ex–wife and get away with it with those humans you brought in here.‘ she snorted

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