Chapter 7

Meanwhile, after Eliza returned to Lange Manor, Martha left her in charge of organizing and executing the entire ladies' luncheon, while she herself spent all her time with Jackson.

Before long, the day of the ladies' luncheon arrived.

Martha deliberately made things difficult for Eliza, assigning her to handle all the setup and arrangements in the back hall while she and Melanie entertained the wives and kept Jackson by their side, happily introducing him to everyone.

"This is Melanie's child. He's handsome and smart."

Melanie also sat obediently beside Martha, looking as though they were a loving mother-daughter duo.

The wealthy wives observed this with varying expressions. The news of Melanie's secret marriage and child had already caused quite a stir, and some people had even rumored that she was the enigmatic Mrs. Lange.

Now, seeing Martha's attitude, some of the wives were practically convinced that their suspicions were true.

Eliza, who had just finished dealing with the setup in the back hall, noticed this. She smirked and raised her brows.

She hadn't paid much attention before. But now, looking from a distance, she realized that Jackson didn't look the slightest bit like Harrison.

It was a wonder Martha could keep a straight face while spouting such blatant lies.

Eliza walked over and said unhurriedly, "Since you like children so much, why don't I take this opportunity to go to the hospital and get checked out, too? Maybe I can have a child with Harrison. After all, another man's child can never compare to Harrison's own."

Another man's child?

Martha cursed inwardly. Hell would have to freeze over before she'd want a grandchild given to her by an orphaned country bumpkin!

"What are you doing here?" Martha snapped irritably. "Are you done with the tasks I assigned you?"

"I had the staff keep an eye on the setup in the back hall. Don't worry. The staff will make sure our distinguished guests are well taken care of," Eliza said.

It was honestly hilarious. The Langes expected her to wait on the family like a maid while Melanie put on the airs of the lady of the house. Did they really think they could treat her like a fool?

She refused to let them have their way. She had spent all these years in a match of wits with plenty of the sharpest minds in her career. What was a mere ladies' luncheon compared to that?

Soon, the wealthy wives' attention also fell on Eliza.

She was wearing a simple maxi dress, with understated yet elegant makeup that accentuated an indescribable liveliness and grace.

Someone asked curiously, "Who is this?"

Before Eliza could introduce herself, Melanie linked arms with her.

"This is Eliza. Eliza, I really have to thank you for your help these past couple of days. I've been busy working on the investment projects with Harry and haven't had time to look after Jackie. Thank you for taking the trouble to care for my child."

After hearing that, the uninformed guests were on the verge of assuming that Eliza was one of the maids at Lange Manor.

However, Eliza merely raised an eyebrow and nodded at the ladies. "As Harrison's wife, it's my duty to make sure he has nothing to worry about. These are all things I should be doing. By the way, are you ladies satisfied with the food and drinks served here today?"

Everyone immediately looked like they'd realized something. They had heard long ago that Harrison had been secretly married for years. So this was the real Mrs. Lange.

Didn't that mean Melanie, the Lange family's adopted daughter, had secretly married and had a child with someone else?

The wealthy wives were all shrewd. Melanie hadn't said a word about her husband, and she had brought her son back to live at Lange Manor. But evidently, the child's father wasn't Harrison. In other words, it was obvious she had secretly married a nobody!

One of the wives covered her mouth and laughed. "Mrs. Lange, you're so beautiful and capable. No wonder Mr. Lange refuses to bring you out to meet us. If you hadn't shown yourself today, we might have thought Ms. Weaver here had secretly registered her marriage with Mr. Lange and had his child."

Every word implied that Melanie had usurped Eliza's place, and that the father of her child was unknown.

Melanie's smile grew strained.

"I raised Melanie, and her child is also my grandson." Martha cursed Eliza inwardly. "Eliza is only good at handling these household chores. How could she compare with Melanie? Melanie is not only smart and outstanding, but she's even raised her child so well."

"Mom, Eliza is only like this because she's an orphan from Havensea. I'm different. I had you to teach me." Melanie deliberately brought up Eliza's family background.

The wealthy wives of Grayport cared deeply about pedigree and family background. An orphan from another city was obviously the sort of person they liked least.

The guests' initial desire to befriend Eliza faded somewhat. Seeing their reactions, Melanie finally curled her lips into a smile.

Just then, one of the wives suddenly spoke up. "Mrs. Lange, were you the one who came up with the investment proposal for Fuller Tech?"

The woman speaking was Tanya Green, and her husband, Aaron Fuller, owned Fuller Tech.

Eliza recognized her almost immediately. Smiling, she nodded. "Thank you for remembering me, Mrs. Fuller. How have you and Mr. Fuller been lately?"

Tanya immediately broke into a delighted smile, making the Paraiba tourmaline around her neck seem even more dazzling.

"Oh, we have so much to thank you for! The returns on our new project are already 30%! My husband has been saying for days that he wants to take you out to dinner."

With that topic brought up, Eliza was immediately drawn into conversation by the other ladies.

Fuller Tech's latest investment project had made quite a few people envious. Who wouldn't want to make a killer profit?

Eliza calmly and confidently discussed several key points, and the women immediately smiled and praised her. "No wonder Mr. Lange chose you. You really know your stuff."

Melanie gritted her teeth so hard they nearly sounded like cranking gears, yet she had no choice but to maintain a polite smile. So what if Eliza knew a thing or two about investments? She couldn't wait to see how long Eliza could keep feeling so proud of herself!

With that thought, her eyes flickered. She called Jackson over and whispered a few words into his ear…

…

Eliza chatted with the ladies for a while, and soon, it was time for afternoon tea. Per Martha's arrangements, Eliza went to the back hall to prepare the spread for the ladies.

Just then, Jackson somehow slipped inside. He walked over to her, lifted his chin, and ordered her imperiously, "I want that chestnut cake. Give it to me now!"

Eliza glanced at him indifferently, unmoved. At the end of the day, as a child, he was innocent. While she wasn't fond of him, she didn't bother holding his rudeness against him.

Eliza turned to leave, but Jackson's eyes darted around. He suddenly kicked at her, his expression becoming even more arrogant.

"Hey, bitch! Give it to me! If you don't, I'll go tell Daddy! Daddy will definitely punish you!"

Eliza dodged his kick and frowned. No matter what, she hated spoiled children.

"You call Harrison Daddy? I'm his wife, so doesn't that make me your stepmother?"

Seeing his eyes widen, Eliza deliberately continued, "Too bad. Even if you want to call me Mommy, I'm not willing to call you my son."

Jackson immediately flew into a rage. "Hah! You're not worthy of being my mommy! When Mommy comes back to the Lange family, Daddy… Uncle Harry will throw you…"

Remembering Melanie's instructions, Jackson swallowed the rest of his words. Then he glared viciously at Eliza. "Anyway, hurry up and give me the cake."

Eliza frowned. She was just about to say something when Jackson grabbed the chestnut cake beside her.

The moment he got the cake, his eyes flickered. He turned and ran off in a flash.

Eliza watched him disappear, her eyes narrowing slightly.

Soon, it was time for afternoon tea. Because of Tanya's remarks, quite a few wealthy wives had gathered around Eliza.

Being an orphan from Havensea meant her background wasn't impressive, but that hardly mattered when she was accomplished enough to make up for it. What wealthy wife wouldn't want to get to know someone smart and capable?

Besides, Eliza was still Mrs. Lange in name. Just then, a commotion suddenly broke out inside the room.

A maid hurried out and shouted, "Help! Mr. Jackson has fainted!"