His family

I was still in the kitchen busy with another batch of meal preparation when Jennifer strolled in. Dressed in a black knee-length gown that hugged her slender frame, she sashayed in my direction.

"Meeting you exactly where I left you," Jennifer looked at me with disdain. "How ironic. Don't you get tired of being in the kitchen?"

I arranged freshly baked sausage rolls on a tray and walked past her to the dining room. She was standing where I left her when I returned.

"Still where I left you?" I threw her words back at her.

She threw her head back and laughed. "Nice one. Didn't know you had a sense of humor. But really, don't you get tired of being a full housewife? There's a life out there, y'know."

"I haven't always been a stay at home...."

"Oh come on," Jennifer waved. "That's stale news. As an engineer, you shouldn't.."

I turned to her. "Why don't you just say you want to wave your new degree in my face."

For a moment, she stilled, seemingly at lack of words. Then she chuckled. "Didn't know you had such a razor. Well, you aren't wrong."

To my surprise, she moved the second tray I was still filling away from me and extended her hand to me. "Engineer Rowling Jennifer."

I rolled my eyes. "Not new Jennifer, I am an engineer myself. Now move out of my way, I have work to do."

"Oh really?" she made a show of crossing her arms beneath her breasts. "Then let me reintroduce myself, Jennifer Rowling, a model, philanthropist, actress and software engineer. How about that?"

"Good for you," I said disinterestedly. "Now move away."

"Ugh, can't believe Nathan asked me to come say hi," she grumbled, flopping on a kitchen stool. "Whatever sapped the light out of your eye, by the way, you look tired."

I am tired. I resisted saying that out. Instead, I quietly removed the last set of baked sausages from the oven and set it in the dining room.

When I got back into the kitchen, she had left. Done with serving, I cleaned up and proceeded to the room to freshen up.

At the doorway, I came to an abrupt stop at the familiar voices coming from the parlour.

My mother-in-law was here. I exhaled gruffly, already feeling the signs of a brewing headache.

I really hated that I had to join them for lunch, but I had little choice. I do not want another argument with Nathan later.

Taking a deep breath, I left the kitchen.

I wasn't surprised to see that they'd already dug into the food. I never even expected them to wait for me.

"Mrs Evans, Zoe." I greeted softly, without waiting for a response. I briskly walked up the stairs.

I took my time with bathing and changing into a simpler outfit before coming back down the stairs.

I took the empty seat at the far end of the table adjacent to Nathan. Zoe was seated to his left and Jennifer to his right. I was sandwiched between his mom and Jennifer.

I took my own serving and slowly dug in, losing myself in the surrounding conversation.

"You're trying to say that you left the entertainment industry to follow your passion? I still don't understand how engineering can be anyone's passion," Zoe, Nathan's younger sister, said.

"I didn't leave entertainment, darling. I just wanted to...you know, do something different. So I got this degree."

I rolled my eyes. Natalie shared a theory that she left the country heartbroken because Nathan was getting married to me, but I had a separate theory. One entirely different from Natalie's.

"I am proud of you," Mrs Evans drawled. "Even with your wealthy background and being a successful artiste, you're still very hardworking and resourceful. It's commending," she paused to sip her juice. "Unlike others who only know how to spend their husband's money, lazing around all year long with nothing to show for it."

My breath hitched when Zoe and Jennifer flicked a gaze in my direction.

Quietly I bit into my sausage and chewed slowly.

Zoe giggled, "You don't know it all, mum. They also use Zars latest perfume."

"Zars perfume?" Mrs Evans furrowed her brows in confusion. "Isn't that one of the biggest brands in London?"

"The biggest mother," Zoe chirped and Jennifer frowned. "I saw the latest collection which is still on pre-order anyways, sitting in her cupboard."

"You entered my room and went through my things?" I blurted. I had promised myself that I wouldn't let their taunts get to me, but I couldn't help myself.

"I entered my brother's room and went through his things," Zoe declared.

I threw a look at Nathan, expecting him to say something. But he quietly munched, busy with his phone.

"What if she goes through your things? Ugh. Isn't it my son's money you used in purchasing them?" Mrs Evans snapped.

I should tell them that it was a birthday gift from Melinda's sister — the CEO of Zars perfume collection, but I remained quiet.

I bit my cheek, refraining from the clap back at the tip of my tongue.

"Nathan," Jennifer called, tugging his arm. "Where did you order the chicken from? It's just to my taste; well seasoned, soft on the inside and well grilled on the out."

Nathan raised his head from his phone. "I didn't order it, Ariella made it." Then he returned to scrolling through his phone.

Jennifer's eye widened comically, like she just realized that she had just complemented me.

She shrugged. "Not bad," she muttered.

"At least she knows how to do something besides spending your money," Mrs Evans grumbled.

To my relief, the meal continued in silence.

"Mrs Evans.."

"Oh come on, your mother and I go way back," Mrs Evans cut in, "Just call me mother."

I scoffed.

"Mother does sound good," Jennifer said. "I heard that grandpa's anniversary is coming up soon?"

"Yes, yes," Mrs Evans nodded. "I have informed my butler to send your family an invitation. It would hold next week, my dear."

"I can't believe it's a year already," Jennifer said quietly.

My mood turned sour on the topic. Grandfather Evans was the only one that received me warmly in their household. He was a strict man, and they all hid their dislike for me until his death.

I jerked at a prod on my arm. "What," I said irritatedly.

Zoe lowered her voice like she was about to spill a secret, but it was loud enough for all at the table to hear.

"I heard about your latest IVF, how's the result?"

My stomach dropped, the sound of my blood boiling filling my ears. Again, I threw a glance at Nathan, but he wasn't listening, he was busy with his phone.

We had planned for it to be a secret, yet he broke his word. God, this was the height of it.

"Negative again?" Zoe pestered.

"You have fertility issues?" Jennifer asked. "How come Nathan never mentioned it?"

"Of course, she has. How else do you expect one to be married for three years without a child," Mrs Evans said. "You went to the UK for three-year studies and returned with a degree. The same three years she'd been married without a child." She clicked her tongue, "She's just good at spending my son's money. I have warned Nathan to stop spending on the futile IVF sessions."

"That's sad," Jennifer said, turning to me, "have you ever tried a specialist abroad? I can give you some contacts."

My chair scraped across the hard floor and I shoved away from the table, walking away from their taunting calls and discussions.