Chapter 8
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Valerie tilted her head slightly, sounding genuinely curious. “Miss Reed, what gift did you prepare for David?”
Kelly immediately puffed up with pride. “Arianna always comes up with the most thoughtful gifts every year. I’m sure this time is no different!”
Arianna gave a modest smile. “Oh, it’s really nothing.”
As she spoke, she presented her “carefully prepared” gift.
Everyone’s eyes were naturally drawn to the beautifully wrapped box. No one noticed the subtle curve of Valerie’s lips her eyes before quickly disappearing.
David took the gift with a warm smile. “Very kind of you,” he said.
The wrapping was exquisite, every detail reflecting care and attention.
–
a fleeting, icy glint flashing in
Arianna’s smile brightened even more. She couldn’t resist sneaking a glance at Valerie, eager to catch a glimpse of her embarrassment.
But to her surprise, she didn’t see shame or awkwardness – Instead, she caught a flicker of amusement in Valerie’s eyes, tinged with cool mockery that sent a chill straight down Arianna’s spine.
The feeling of unease hit her like a wave.
Arianna froze for a second, a sudden, creeping sense of dread settling in.
Meanwhile, David had already started unwrapping the gift. Panic surged through Arianna. She blurted out, “Wait-!”
But it was too late.
As soon as the box was opened, a bright red item slipped out and landed squarely on David’s lap – glaringly vivid against the muted colors of the room.
Everyone stared, stunned into silence.
David, thinking he must have made a mistake, instinctively reached into the box – only to pull out a men’s intimate item.
Not just any intimate item – the kind of thing meant for private, very personal moments between lovers.
The entire room drew in a collective, horrified breath.
David, utterly blindsided, reacted on pure instinct – flinging the item away as if it were something filthy. His face darkened, black as thunder.
Vivian stared at the scene, her mind buzzing. And then, like a blow to the head, she recalled Arianna’s sweet words from earlier.
“I’ve always felt sorry for you – having to manage the whole family alone. I just want to help ease your burden however I can.”
Now, looking at the thing lying brazenly in front of her, she thought, ‘Is Arianna trying to ‘ease my burden‘
—
or suggesting we share a man?‘
A surge of nausea hit Vivian so hard she could hardly breathe. She whipped around and fixed Arianna with a sharp, furious stare.
Arianna’s face drained of color. In a panic, she shot to her feet and stammered, “No- it’s not mine! I swear, this isn’t my gift!”
Kelly, oblivious to the seriousness of the situation, leaned in curiously. “What is it?”
Just then, she caught sight of the instruction manual that had fallen out along with the item. It was full of large, colorful, explicit images – detailed enough to make anyone’s face burn.
Kelly’s mind went completely blank, her cheeks turning a deep shade of red.
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Noelle, thoroughly embarrassed, hurriedly pulled Kelly aside and snapped, “Good grief! How could a girl even think about giving something like that to
an elder?”
Finally, Arianna couldn’t hold it together anymore. Pale as a ghost, she pointed a trembling finger at Valerie and shouted, “It wasn’t me! It’s Valerie’s! That gift – it was meant to be from Valerie to David!”
Caught off guard, Valerie sat beside Aiden, her cheeks flushed red, looking visibly uncomfortable.
With everyone’s eyes on her, she seemed genuinely startled, “Me?” she asked.
A flash of confusion crossed her face at just the right moment. Then, looking both embarrassed and indignant, she said sharply, “You… you’ve really crossed the line! First, you humiliated me at the mall in front of so many people, calling me Josiah’s mistress. And now, here you are again, in front of everyone, giving David this shameless gift and trying to pin it on me? Do you think everyone here is stupid?”
Arianna’s head was spinning, her panic rising by the second. She blurted out, “Don’t lie! It was you… you’re the one who brought that gift-”
“Enough,” Aiden cut in, his voice low and icy.
Arianna was on the verge of tears. “Aiden, I swear, it wasn’t me…”
Aiden let out a cold laugh. “You’re saying Valerie prepared the gift? Then tell me why is it in your hands?”
Arianna froze. She thought, ‘Right… why is it in my hands?”
She had forgotten David’s birthday. When she saw the gift Valerie had prepared, she’d acted on impulse–planning to use it to embarrass her.
But Valerie was David’s daughter–in–law. Arianna wondered, ‘How could she possibly give David something so inappropriate?”
A chilling thought crept into Arianna’s mind.
She wondered, ‘Could it be… Valerie has known what I am going to do? That she deliberately left the gift at the boutique, baiting me into taking it?
“Have I walked right into Valerie’s trap from the very beginning?”
The more she thought about it, the more terrifying it seemed.
She looked at Valerie’s innocent, almost angelic face and felt a wave of goosebumps rise on her skin.
She thought, ‘No. No way. Valerie isn’t psychic. How could she predict my every move?”
Arianna tried to pull herself together, but a chill kept creeping down her spine. Her heart pounded in her chest.
“Arianna…” Kelly looked at her anxiously. “Say something–this has to be a misunderstanding, right?”
Arianna’s face was ashen. After a long pause, she finally managed to speak. “Yes… it’s a misunderstanding, Just a mix–up. Today’s my assistant’s wedding anniversary. She must’ve prepared the gift for her husband, and I grabbed the wrong bag by mistake. That’s all it is!”
“Enough,” Ruth snapped in disgust. “Shameful! What are you all standing around for? Get that thing out of here!”
The nearby servants scrambled to pick it up.
Tears welled in Arianna’s eyes as she cried out, “Ruth, it really was a mistake! You’ve known me since I was a child–you know what kind of person I am! I’ve always loved Aiden. Why would I ever give something like that to David?”
“That’s enough,” Vivian said, her voice calm but firm. “Arianna, you’ve always been a good, sensible girl. Let’s just treat this as an unfortunate misunderstanding”
Arianna was stunned. She had never expected Vivian–who had always been fond of her–to respond like that. Her face turned even pater. “Vivian, it really was just a misunderstanding.
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Chapter 8
“Aiden is married now,” David said, his tone hard. “You should let those feelings go. It’s almost time for dinner, and this is a family gathering–we won’t be asking you to stay.”
Arianna’s face flushed crimson. She had never felt so humiliated in her life.
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