Chapter 4

Maeve's POV

Imogen turned to look at me. There was a hint of amusement in her eyes.

She said, "Hux couldn't find you yesterday and was so worried that he barely slept all night. Later, when he heard you were on a fishing boat, he even sent a helicopter to pick you up. If something was bothering you, you could have just told us. There was no need to make such a huge fuss."

Her words sounded like she was trying to make peace, but every sentence was actually stabbing at my sore spots. She was implying that I was being childish and unreasonable, causing Huxley to worry about me unnecessarily.

Before I could respond, Rosalie reached over and patted Imogen's hand. "You're so thoughtful, Immy. Unlike some people who enjoy all the benefits of being part of the Lockes but don't know their place."

As she turned toward me, her gaze hardened. "Maeve, I warned you from the beginning. You're too stubborn, so you're not good enough for Huxley. If the Sinclair family hadn't been useful to us, I never would have agreed to this marriage.

"And now, you've even run away from home. What do you take us for? Do you think we have no authority over you?"

"What are you talking about, you old hag?" Meredith exclaimed with rage.

She glared at Rosalie and fired back, "Maeve left because Huxley clearly loves someone else! After three years of marriage, he's polite to Maeve but never shows her any real affection. On their anniversary, she waited from evening until late at night.

"And what did Huxley do? He went to the hospital with Imogen without even sending her a single message! If you were in her shoes, wouldn't you feel hurt too? Huxley is a jerk!"

Meredith's voice was loud and furious.

Imogen's eyes immediately turned red. She looked at me and said, "Maeve, I didn't know… My stomach really hurt badly yesterday. Hux was kind enough to take me to the hospital. I never meant to cause him any trouble…"

As she spoke, tears rolled down her cheeks, making her look utterly pitiful.

The moment Rosalie saw her crying, she pointed at Meredith and began yelling. "How rude of you, you insolent girl! Immy was sick. Wasn't it only right for Huxley to help her? Maeve is the one being petty, and she's got you spouting nonsense too!

"Is this how the Sinclair family raises their daughters? You have absolutely no manners!"

"You're the one with no manners!" Meredith retorted.

She was equally aggravated. If Irvin hadn't grabbed her in time, she probably would have charged straight at Rosalie.

Meredith fumed, "Maeve has manners, which was why she put up with Huxley for three years! If it were me, I'd have divorced him long ago! And you! You speak up for Imogen every damn time. Why don't you just make her your daughter-in-law while you're at it?

"Maeve doesn't give a damn about staying in the Locke family!"

"How dare you!" Rosalie was so furious that her chest heaved rapidly. Even the hand pointing at Meredith was trembling.

She screeched, "Irvin, look at your wife! Have you and your family been teaching her how to behave? How dare she speak to me so rudely!"

Irvin frowned. He held Meredith back while forcing a smile at Rosalie.

He tried to smooth things over. "Mrs. Locke, Meredith is young and doesn't know when to hold her tongue. Please don't take it personally. There are some misunderstandings about what happened today. Why don't we all sit down and talk things through?"

Meredith still wanted to say something, but a commotion suddenly broke out at the entrance to the ballroom.

The guests automatically stepped aside, and Huxley walked in.

His hair was slightly disheveled. It was probably because he'd rushed back from outside. His eyes swept across the room before finally settling on me and Rosalie.

He frowned and asked, "Mom, Maeve, what are you doing?"

His voice wasn't loud, but it carried an unmistakable authority that instantly silenced the room.

The moment Rosalie saw him, she seemed to have found the person who'd back her up.

She immediately put on a wounded expression and complained, "You're here at last! Look at your wife. She keeps antagonizing me and making my life difficult!"

Huxley's gaze shifted to me. His voice was as calm as ever when he spoke.