Talks from talks spreads as Jayce and Veronica held hand in hand turning their best to compose themselves.. most expecially Veronica.
What choice did she have?
This was the life she entered singlehandedly. The only one to save her out of this was herself. No one else. She didn't have friends, nor any family members.
"Jayce!" A familiar face was waving at them from a distance.
Martha, her mother in-law waved at them as Veronica and Jayce furrowed her way to her direction.
"Mum" Jayce leaned in for a hug as Martha crossed her arms around him bringing in a barehug as she kissed both sides of his cheeks. The minute she pulls back from the hug, she turns to Veronica
"Good morning, Martha," Veronica forced a smile, bracing herself for the chaos that always came with this narcissistic woman.
"Hello, dear," Martha replied, her tone shifting to something firm as she planted a kiss on each of Veronica's cheeks. She pulled back instantly, gripping Veronica's shoulders with a controlled strength.
"You look stunning," Martha said, eyes flicking over Veronica's dress like she was inspecting a masterpiece.
"Thank you so much. The dress fits perfectly," Veronica replied, keeping her voice light while picturing a smile she didn't feel.
"Well, I knew it would. It was for my mum. That woman really had awful taste in fashion," Martha rolled her eyes, letting out a soft laugh as if she'd just delivered the punchline to the funniest joke in the world.
Just then, a sharp tapping sound cut through the air.
"Don't fool yourself, Martha."
The voice came from a distance, steady and commanding. Every head turned toward Mr. Luke, the head of the family—and Jayce's father.
Approaching them, he turns his attention to Jayce while leaning on his walking stick.
"I'm glad you came" he says not even showing a sign of excitement. Jayce forced a smile and nodded formally.
"Now that everyone is here, shall we?" Mr. Luke announced, his voice commanding, drawing every eye toward him.
But Martha's sharp gaze cut through the room. Her eyes narrowed, a flicker of worry crossing her face as she turned to him. Luke caught the look immediately, sensing exactly what was coming.
"Andrew?" Martha's voice broke the tension, tentative but pointed, hanging in the air like a question no one wanted to answer.
Luke shakes his head dissagreeingly.
"You know he's not gonna show up" Luke utters in a low tone.
Martha lets out a sigh.
For two years now, Andrew's name has been a vow, but he was never seen during those years when she was married to Jayce. Veronica had seen a picture or two of Andrew placed as a family photo in Mr Luke's and Mrs Martha's mansion beside the entrance of the lounge, and for all she knew, he was about 5 years older than Jayce.
She had heard rumours after rumours about him being an illegitimate child, nearly costing his disappearance and him cutting ties with his family.
But all Veronica knew was that hers is gonna be worse to come.