Chapter 47 Stirring Up Trouble
Jerry, along with a couple of his close buddies, headed to the card room, and Kevin tagged along.
"How's married life treating you?" Jerry asked with a mischievous grin.
Alexander casually drew a card and scoffed in response, " When are you and Doris getting hitched? I've already got a big gift ready for you two."
"You're no fun", Jerry remarked, throwing down a card and chuckling. "I mean, Lillian's not bad. Why not just settle down with her?"
Theodore played his card and added, "I also think Lillian's pretty decent, not like what you've described."
Alexander let out a derisive laugh, "She's always cooking up some scheme every day. It's driving me insane."
"Maybe Lillian likes you and she's hinting at it," Jerry speculated. "Look at you, her big boss, you randomly married her, how can she not be smitten? She's too scared to confess, so she starts with some actions, right?"
"I've warned her," stated Alexander firmly. "Truth is, I know what she's up to. She just wants to make a quick buck off me, just like Lisa and Adam."
As he finished speaking, the door was suddenly pushed open from outside, and Daisy walked in, beaming, and sweetly called out, "Alexander!"
Alexander turned his head, surprised, and asked, "What brings you here?"
"Jerry told me to come over. I had nothing to do at home, so here I am," explained Daisy, her eyes scanning the room before locking with Kevin's.
"Ms. Sinclair," Kevin greeted her respectfully.
"I figured Daisy was bored at home and invited her over to join us," Jerry mentioned.
Daisy sat down next to Alexander to watch the game, then inquired, "Apart from Doris, any other girls here?"
"Your sister-in-law," Jerry said, tossing down his cards in victory. "I won!"
Confused, Daisy asked, "Freya? She's here too? Then is Rhett here as well?"
"No, it's Lillian."
"What? That hick?" Daisy exclaimed, shocked. "Why is she here?"
Just thinking about Lillian's unsophisticated family background, nowhere near Alexander's league, filled her with irritation and made her even more disdainful.
"Of course, she came with Alexander, as well as Lucas," Theodore informed her.
With a gleam in her eye, Daisy stood up, "I'll go find them and play."
In the upstairs dressing room, Lillian and Doris had both changed into comfortable home attire.
The floor heating in the manor was exceedingly warm, reminiscent of summer. Lillian usually relied on the subway for transportation, so she was accustomed to bundling up. But now, changing into loungewear, she indeed felt much cooler.
"Do you come here often? How come there's so much clothing ready for use?" Lillian surveyed the surroundings, noting the wardrobe packed with clothes, a dressing table filled with all sorts of jewelry, and a variety of handbags in cubbies.
Seated on a leather stool, Doris looked at these enviable items and said, "I used to come here with my parents and stayed a few times. Other than a few sets of loungewear and some skincare products, all the other things were gifts from Jerry that I didn't ask for."
"Wow, he gave you all that?!" Lillian's mouth dropped open in astonishment, but then she felt she was overreacting and quickly shut it again. "Mr. Nelson is really good to you!"
Doris stood up and gently touched a dress, offering a non-committal response, "He has been very good to me over the years."
"But I just don't like him. The engagement was arranged by my family." Her tone carried strands of sadness and helplessness.
Lillian looked at her, unsure of what to say. Although she knew of her friend's suffering, she could not fully grasp her despair.
"Why are you staring at me like that? Did I scare you?" Doris laughed. "I'm fine, just blowing off some steam."
Lucas, sitting cross-legged on the leather stool, looked up at the two women and said, "Have you two changed? Come on, let's play."
Lillian went over and took his smartphone. "Protect your eyesight, you're not allowed to play."
"Alright, then I'll watch you two play."
The three of them headed downstairs and saw Daisy sitting in the living room, texting Doris.
"Daisy? When did you get here?" Doris went over, sat beside her with a smile, and asked.
"Doris, why didn't you call me to hang out? It was Jerry who invited me." Daisy affectionately wrapped her arm around Doris and shot a dismissive glance at Lillian.
Lillian didn't have much to say to Daisy and quietly sat to one side with Lucas, looking at the smartphone.
"Lucas, why didn't you greet me when you saw me?" Daisy beckoned the child. "Come over to me, and I'll give you a kiss."
"No, I want to look at the phone with Lillian." Lucas ignored her.
Not wanting trouble, Lillian locked the phone screen and said to him, "Daisy is calling you. Go to her. That's polite."
"Okay." Lucas, somewhat reluctantly, walked over to Daisy and presented his cheek, "Hmm, kiss then."
His reluctance aggravated Daisy even more. She had wanted Lucas to come over to annoy Lillian, but Lucas clearly wasn't enthusiastic, not aligning with her at all.
"No kiss, little traitor!" Daisy was angry and pushed him toward Doris's embrace.
Lucas shrugged his shoulders without a word and sat back down beside Lillian.
"You don't have to be so smug, you hick!" Daisy said bitterly.
Lillian's eyes flickered with displeasure, and, alongside Lucas, she looked up at her.
"Daisy, you can't talk about Lillian like that!" Lucas shouted, clearly upset.
Lillian, calm and collected, warned Daisy, "Ms. Sinclair, please mind your language, there's a child present."
From nearby, Doris intervened, "Daisy, you're family now. What are you saying? We all came here to have a good time and don't be upset."
"Hmph, who says we're family? I'm embarrassed to be associated with her!" Daisy stood up abruptly and stormed off.
She had come hoping to mock Lillian, but instead, she was the one who left in a huff. It just goes to show, one really shouldn't harbor ill intentions.
"She's just been spoiled by her family, all pampered and willful. Don't mind her," Doris explained to Lillian.
If Lillian had actually taken it to heart, she would have been livid, but instead she said, "I understand, she's just jealous and looking to give me a hard time."
"I hate Daisy, I'm not going to be friends with her anymore!" Lucas, angry and feeling sorry for her, said to Lillian, "You're not a hick, I like you!"
Doris exclaimed in amazement, "Lucas is really fond of you. What did you do to him?"
"Lucas thinks I'm prettier than you!" Lucas hugged Lillian, saying earnestly.
"Get out of here!" Doris laughed and teased back, "I'm the most beautiful in the world!"
