However, he had spoiled his son. It was overtly liberal for him to be calling people names.
Gregory waved his fork at me when I was lost in thought. “Ms. Stovall, Daddy would like some pork too!” he said in an attempt to instigate me.
The atmosphere over the dining table instantly chilled.
I did not think that a man of his wealth would stoop to eat something that I took for him.
The difference in our status was clearer than ever before. Just sitting at the same table felt strange; being intimate was out of the question.
“Greg, your dad will help himself if he wants some. He…”
It was a pathetic attempt to diffuse the tension, but Ashton chose this moment to make the situation extra awkward. “Greg, I would like some of that pork.”
Though he addressed Gregory by name, it seemed to me that he was speaking to me.
Even Marcus’s fork had frozen in midair. Everybody was confused.
“Err…” Gregory muttered with a glance down at his sticky hands helplessly. “My hands are dirty. Why don’t you ask Ms. Stovall…”
Marcus couldn’t bear it any longer. “Mr. Fuller, you have such a strong bond with your son,” he interjected. “You and your wife must be very close.”
A hint of coldness flashed before Ashton’s eyes. “Mr. White, your relationship with Ms. Stovall appears to be pretty normal,” he said with a sardonic laugh.
Marcus kept his expression carefully level. “It’s hard to imagine how a busy man such as yourself would have so much time to poke his nose into other people’s private matters,” he said without hesitation.
Ashton scowled, his eyes dark as storm clouds. “Second only to your ability to worry over nothing, Mr. White.”
Marcus suddenly sat up straight in his chair. “Mr. Fuller, you are indeed eloquent.” He smiled humorlessly.
“Right back at you,” Ashton said mildly as he turned to Gregory. “Are you finished?” he asked. Though his voice had no inflections, it was dangerously soft.
Gregory would undoubtedly have been to plenty of big events. He must have sensed that the atmosphere had turned hostile but was most reluctant to put down his fork. “Yes, I’m done,” he admitted against his will.
“Let’s go, then. We’ve overstayed our welcome. Someone’s not happy,” Ashton said as he got up. “Thank you for your kind hospitality,” he said politely to us. Gripping Gregory by the hand, they departed.
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