Chapter 87 Albert Needs the Child in Her Belly
Hearing Yvette's words, the women's faces turned sour. They knew they were wrong for talking behind her back. Even if Yvette mocked them, they didn't dare talk back. If Albert found out, it would be trouble. He was the most influential person in their circle, and no one wanted to mess with him.
The women quickly softened their expressions. "We didn't mean anything by it, just chatting," one said. "Don't be mad, we apologize," another added.
Yvette rolled her eyes at their sudden change in attitude. "If you want to gossip, do it in private. Talking in the bathroom can be overheard," she said plainly. With that, she turned and left the restroom. Her marriage with Albert was almost over, and she probably wouldn't see them anymore.
Back in the private room, the men noticed the women were missing. They glanced at the door a few times, and once they were sure Violet and Yvette wouldn't be back soon, they relaxed. Taking advantage of the moment, they started questioning Albert.
"Albert, what's the deal? Is she your real wife, or did you just bring her to annoy Violet?" one asked.
Albert didn't even look up. "Do I need to?" he replied.
"So, it's real," the man said, giving Albert a knowing look. "I still can't believe it. How did Violet get replaced so suddenly?"
"What's your wife's background? She married you so quietly," another chimed in.
Albert took a sip of his coffee. "No background," he said, clearly unwilling to share more. The men exchanged glances. Generally, they weren't into gossip, but Albert's situation was too interesting.
"Seems like you married her for her looks?" one speculated.
"Not just looks, that figure..." another began, but Albert's angry glare shut him up. He awkwardly smiled. "She is indeed very beautiful."
Albert slowly put down his wine glass and responded with a low hum. He clearly didn't want other men commenting on Yvette.
At that moment, a previously silent man finally spoke up. "Albert, what are you doing? Having your current wife and ex-girlfriend at the same party? Even if you're not embarrassed, I am!"
The other men quickly tried to smooth things over. "They're all beautiful women, just having a meal together," one said. "Exactly, Albert hasn't said anything, why are you making a fuss?" another added.
Albert heard this and pressed his lips together. He looked up and gave Victor a meaningful glance. "Someone enjoys making everyone uncomfortable," he said.
Victor, who had been trying to stay unnoticed, stiffened. Seeing the anger in Albert's eyes, he felt extremely uncomfortable. To avoid making Albert angrier, Victor awkwardly scratched his head and stood up.
"I'm going to the bathroom," Yvette said, excusing herself.
The dazzling light from the crystal chandelier made everything look like a surreal crystal fantasy as she walked down the long corridor. Just as she was about to enter the private room, she heard familiar voices ahead. It was Violet and Victor.
Yvette tightened her grip on her bag strap and sighed softly. She didn't like eavesdropping, but it seemed to be happening to her twice in a row now.
Violet and Victor were arguing. Violet sounded agitated, and there seemed to be some physical struggle.
"Can you help me one more time?" Violet pleaded.
Victor sighed, sounding helpless. "You saw it yourself, I really tried. Albert was already very angry when he looked at me. You should stop it."
Hearing that Victor no longer supported her, Violet's breathing became more rapid. Her usually clear voice deepened. "Did Albert know I would be here today?"
She tried to piece together everything that had happened tonight but couldn't let it go.
Victor replied, "He didn’t know. He didn’t ask who would be here."
Hearing this, Violet felt a bit comforted. "He must not have known I would be here. Otherwise, he wouldn’t have brought Yvette to embarrass me. He cares about me the most, he..."
Listening to Violet's increasingly absurd fantasy, Victor finally couldn’t help but interrupt her. "He introduced Yvette to everyone, made her identity public, and even gave out gifts. All he did shows how much he values Yvette. Whether he knew you were coming or not, it doesn’t matter."
"Of course, it matters!" Violet's voice trembled slightly. "He definitely didn’t mean to embarrass me. He just wanted to make me jealous, to show me how much I love him!"
Victor looked helpless. "Violet, wake up!"
With that, Victor didn’t continue. His voice carried a hint of pity, as if giving Violet a final comfort.
Violet finally lost her last hope in Victor's tone, feeling like she could barely breathe. She hunched over in pain, hugging herself. "Why is he doing this?"
Victor sighed softly. "I will try to keep you two apart in the future."
Violet was still immersed in her pain. "Why Yvette? Just because she's willing to sleep with Albert? Why?!"
She couldn’t understand why, despite her self-love, she couldn’t compare to a ridiculous first night.
Seeing Violet crying in pain, Victor finally couldn’t help but pat her on the shoulder. "Albert's family is special. You should know that. I heard his grandfather's health is failing and the power will be divided."
Violet was stunned, looking at Victor with hopeful eyes. After a while, she asked, "What do you mean?"
"In families like theirs, having a descendant first is a way to secure power. Yvette has a child, so Albert needs her, do you understand?"
Listening to Victor's explanation, Yvette, who had been standing still, subconsciously touched her belly. Albert, is that the reason?
