Chapter 60 She Knew She Wasn't Worthy
Chloe had been staying at the Blake family's villa for several days when Donovan told her that Samuel's birthday was coming up in a few days.
"Are we planning a big celebration for Samuel's birthday? What should I do?" Chloe asked earnestly.
"Samuel is against wasteful extravagance. It'll be just the three of us," Donovan replied.
Chloe checked the calendar and realized that the birthday was on a Sunday. On Friday evening, she went to the mall and ordered a massage chair as a surprise for Samuel, scheduled for delivery on Sunday.
She also planned to cook a big feast for Samuel herself.
However, on Saturday night, Donovan wore her out late, and Chloe, still young and loving her bed, didn't get up until ten o'clock on Sunday morning.
Rubbing her sleepy eyes as she stood on the stairs, she saw Samuel sitting in the living room with leftover noodles still on the dining table.
Chloe thought they were made by the maid.
Just as she reached the bottom of the stairs, she saw Paisley, donning an apron and slippers, carrying a dish of fish out of the kitchen.
"Up already? Forgot about Samuel's birthday, did you?" Paisley joked with Chloe.
"I..." Chloe wanted to say she hadn't forgotten, but she had just gotten up and hadn't done a thing yet.
"Samuel," Chloe said, looking at him apologetically for waking up late.
Samuel smiled kindly. "It's okay if Chloe doesn't remember my birthday. It's only the first year."
Chloe thought about how Samuel didn't have many years left, possibly not a second or third year. And yet, she had missed most of this very important day.
With this thought, she felt a pang of sadness.
"It's alright, Samuel knows Chloe cares. Don't dwell on it. You haven't had breakfast and must be hungry. Young people, I understand," he said, tempering his words with warmth.
Chloe knew what Samuel's "understanding" meant. Her eyes brimmed with tears, but they did not fall. She could only look at him with embarrassed gratitude and say, "Samuel."
Paisley carried out a dish from the kitchen and saw the warmth between Chloe and Samuel.
She overheard their conversation, and a shadow crossed her face. As an actress, however, she quickly brushed off the gloom with a bright smile.
"Where's my husband?" Chloe scanned the room but was unable to find Donovan. Her question was intentional, meant for Paisley's ears.
Chloe knew Paisley was a troublemaker, slandering Chloe's umbrella as a fake and stirring the pot with Donovan about the rumors involving Chloe and Brayden. Paisley had even once said that Chloe should let Donovan go for her.
"Oh, he went out to buy some spices. We ran out at home," Paisley said with a tone suggesting Donovan was her husband.
Chloe sensed something off in Paisley's tone but responded coolly.
"I made noodles for Samuel this morning. Now, I'm preparing a meal for you all. It'll be ready soon," Paisley returned to the kitchen, assuming the role of the hostess.
Chloe observed the sumptuous spread on the dining table. There were more than twenty dishes in total, the type of work that Chloe would typically do. Paisley's actions seemed like a deliberate move to undermine Chloe's place in the household.
The massage chair Chloe had ordered arrived, and the delivery person started moving it to Samuel's room. He was overjoyed. "As long as it's from Chloe, I love it. Whatever Chloe buys, I love."
Chloe smiled while Paisley teased in a joking tone, "Just ordered it for Samuel, huh? Make up for waking up late, aren't you?" She insinuated that Chloe had actually forgotten Samuel's birthday and had made a last-minute purchase.
Chloe was aware of Paisley's insincerity and chose not to argue. After all, Samuel wasn't fond of Paisley either.
When Donovan returned, he went to the kitchen to put down the spices. Paisley saw that Donovan had dirtied his clothes somewhere and offered, "Look at you, you're all messy. Let me brush that off for you."
After finishing her words, Paisley picked up her apron and, with one hand on Donovan's shoulder, started playfully cleaning him with the other. Chloe saw this but pretended not to notice, feeling a pang of bitterness in her heart. Yet, she knew she had no right to feel this way.
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