Chapter 2

Damian rushed over and helped Ava back to her feet.

"Layla, what's gotten into you? Don't make a scene in front of everyone."

As the twenty bowls of noodles were carried in, my in-laws' faces darkened by the second.

The moment the waiter withdrew and shut the door, my mother-in-law jabbed a finger at my face.

"Layla, what is this stunt? You drag us all the way to a hotel just to feed us noodles?"

I let out a cold laugh.

"Weren't you the ones saying it's a waste of money to eat at a place this expensive? So what's wrong with a little noodles now?"

For this anniversary of theirs, I'd taken the day off yesterday, bought a gift, and baked a cake.

Even this luxury private room at the hotel had been reserved a week in advance.

I just never imagined this would be the day I finally saw their ugly faces for what they were.

Damian dropped his voice and snapped at me.

"You're impossible. With all these relatives watching, where does that leave Mom and Dad's dignity?"

The relatives looked at the noodles on the table, all of them unhappy.

"Damian, this wife of yours has no respect for her elders. You really ought to set her straight."

"You might as well let Ava move back in, give her something to model herself on."

A few of them even pulled out their phones, filming while they talked.

"Look at the fine wife in this branch of the family. For the old couple's wedding anniversary, she serves us noodles."

The video went straight into their family group chat, dozens of people in it.

They started tearing into me at once.

【I said it back then, this woman looks like she's got something scheming behind her eyes.】

【Always looks so proper, but who knew she'd be this stingy, this cheap toward her own in-laws.】

【This is really too much. A day like this deserves a full table of good food, at the very least.】

My fingers flew across the keyboard, answering each of them.

【Is that so? My mother-in-law also says you're the ugliest of all the younger ones in her family.】

【You, not stingy? On my wedding day you fought someone bloody over a six-dollar red envelope.】

【Oh, and you're the one who begged me last time to get your son a spot in the top tutoring class, right? Well, here's your answer now. Not a chance.】

The second I hit send, the screen told me I'd been kicked out of the group.

Ava chose that moment to step up smiling, pouring tea for the relatives.

"Now, now, everyone, don't be upset. Let's just reorder the food right away."

She called the waiter back in and ordered dozens of dishes all over again.

My mother-in-law shot me a look.

"Learn a thing or two from Ava. You've got no sense at all."

I watched Damian trailing behind Ava, apologizing to the relatives one after another.

Who would ever guess these two were divorced.

Damian and I were high school classmates. I'd carried a quiet crush on him for two years.

At a reunion, I found out he'd gotten divorced, and after that we started keeping in close touch.

When we married, he told me:

"My ex-wife and I do have a child together, so there's no avoiding some contact down the road."

But I never thought the contact would be this constant.

I'd barely sat down on the stool before my mother-in-law yanked me up by the arm.

"What do you think you're doing sitting there? That seat is Ava's. Go ask the waiter for a stool and sit yourself in the corner."

Just then my stepdaughter Dotty, fresh out of school, was dropped off by our family's driver.

The second she came through the door she threw her arms around Ava and called her Mommy.

Ava frowned at me.

"Dotty's a little girl, and so young. How could you send some strange man to pick her up?"

I explained.

"Duane Walker has driven for my dad for over ten years. He's someone we trust completely, that's the only reason I had him go. And he's already been dropping Dotty off and picking her up for a month, without a single problem."

But Ava suddenly burst into tears, hitting and shouting at Damian.

"I handed my daughter over to you, and this is how you treat her!"

My in-laws and Damian all crowded around to comfort her.

I was so angry I clenched my fists.

"Damian, you knew about this too. My dad only had Duane pick up and drop off the kid because we were both busy with work——"

Before I could finish, Ava stood up and shoved me.

"What are you making excuses for, you unfit stepmother!"

Damian wrapped an arm around her shoulders, soothing her.

"All right, it was our fault. From now on we'll never let a stranger pick up Dotty again."