Chapter 367
+25 BONUS
Robin’s words made Nancy’s face darken almost instantly. Her eyes fell on the envelope he handed her.
“Ms. Stanton, what is that supposed to mean?” Robin looked genuinely puzzled as he set the invitation down on her desk.
Betty’s granddaughter–in–law? Wasn’t Jayson her only grandson?
“It’s nothing. You can go now.” Sarah was the first to react. She kept her expression unreadable, still radiating her signature elegance.
Robin gave a polite nod and stepped out.
As soon as the door closed, Nancy frowned but didn’t seem too shaken. “Is Mrs. Larkin Senior trying to warn me?”
It was surprising.
Betty was holding a celebration party for her “granddaughter–in–law“. Clearly, she had already heard about Ariel’s exam results, and now she was going all out with this over–the–top event.
The invitation wasn’t even really an invitation. It was more of a statement. Betty was telling her that Ariel was Jayson’s wife, her granddaughter–in–law.
Sarah’s expression hardened. “She’s telling you that Ariel matters to her. She won’t allow you to be there. I think it’s because you hold weight with Jayson. She couldn’t talk him out of it, so now she’s trying to ‘threaten‘ you instead.”
Nancy didn’t show much emotion.
Sarah stepped closer and patted Nancy on the shoulder. “It’s fine. Stay calm. This doesn’t mean she dislikes you. She’s just holding on because Jayson and Ariel have been married for years.
“Older people tend to think the original spouse is always better, even if the marriage is a complete mess. But really, she’s just wasting her time.”
She narrowed her eyes, considering. “Once Mrs. Larkin Senior meets you in person, she’ll know how much better you are than Ariel, and then she’ll change her mind.
“Besides, their marriage was kept secret all this time. Even if she’s throwing a grand party, Jayson’s not the type to let it get out of hand or put you in an awkward position.”
Sarah seemed sure of that.
Nancy glanced at the gold–embossed invitation and tossed it aside.
“I know. Jayson’s only going along with this because of Mrs. Larkin Senior. Otherwise, he’d never let Ariel take the spotlight like this.”
Even so, she was not happy about this.
Being flattered like that by Betty is bound to give Ariel the illusion that she was untouchable.
Sarah gave a nod. “This whole move from Mrs. Larkin Senior is just her way to get to you since she can’t sway Jayson. But as long as he stands by you, none of it really matters. The old lady doesn’t have many years left anyway. Besides…”
She let out a cold, dismissive laugh. “Jayson and Ariel never had feelings for each other. You’re the only one at his side. So what if Ariel pulled off a great exam score with Mr. Hockney coaching her?
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Chapter 367
+25 BONUS
“She might’ve impressed someone like Mrs. Larkin Senior who doesn’t know any better. But at the end of the day, she’s just good at exams. Real research is a different story. She’s not worth worrying about.”
Nancy understood that perfectly well.
Still, Ariel’s score had clearly caught the Larkin family’s attention.
She picked up the invitation again and gave it another look
She knew that Betty had no plans to let her attend, but she didn’t bother competing with Ariel over something so trivial. The truth was, they all knew exactly how much influence she held over Jayson.
“Mom, Jayson’s not like other men. He has his own mind. He won’t be swayed by anyone.”
Sarah narrowed her eyes in thought. “Should we talk to him about this? Or should we find a way to handle it?”
Frowning, Nancy stayed silent, lost in thought.
By the weekend, Ariel still hadn’t followed up with Colton or checked with Jayson about the celebration party.
Betty had said she wouldn’t reveal what they were celebrating, so Ariel figured whether she showed up or not didn’t really matter. She just pushed the whole thing out of her mind.
But around 6:00 pm, Betty called again. “Ari, should I send a car to pick you up?”
Ariel finally accepted it. The whole thing was already set in motion. There was no backing out.
She rubbed her brow lightly. “No need, Grandma.”
Betty had thought this through. She said, “Don’t worry. There won’t be any pressure on you. I know you and Jayson are keeping things quiet, and I won’t make things hard for you. The party’s just being announced as a family celebration. Nothing about you is being made public”
