Serena cherished and adored—was the rare exception to the rule.
Calvin''s eyes were half-lidded with exhaustion as he muttered, "I''m tired, Eric.
Take me back to the nursing home."
"Yes, Grandpa." Eric shot Sarah a cold nce before wheeling Calvin away.
As Calvin exited, the rest of the guests quietly dispersed.
This was already the second engagement party. Sarah was heavily pregnant and
had just been publicly rebuked by Calvin himself. It was clear the Larson family
didn''t care for her at all.
No one saw any point in sticking around. In mere moments, what was meant to be
a grand celebration hadpletely unraveled.
Eric and Melissa, already expecting things to fall apart, calmly left after instructing
Cole to keep Sarah in check.
The once-bustling banquet hall now felt cold and empty.
Cole''s expression matched the chill in the room. "The driver''s waiting downstairs. I
have to go back to the office. I don''t have time to take you home."
"But it''s our engagement day... You''re really not staying with me tonight?" Sarah
clutched at his sleeve with pleading eyes.
Cole turned, and his eyes drifted to her belly. "And what exactly do you expect me
to do with you tonight?"
Her whole body trembled. The baby wasn''t even stable yet. Even if he stayed,
they couldn''t do anything.
Her lips trembled with frustration. "Can''t you stay... just to be with me?"
"We''ll talkter," he said, already walking away. He was cold and distant, not even
sparing her a backward nce.
True to his word, she heard nothing from him that night. Instead, it was his
assistant who texted her.
"Mr. Cole is still workingte. Please rest early."
Alone in the big, empty room, Sarah could only cry in silence.
Why was everything so perfect for Serena after marrying into the Larson family,
while she was met with nothing but disdain?
She covered her face in frustration
and opened her social feed, hoping
to relive the fleeting moment when
she had been the center of attention.
Instead, she saw two of her closest
friends making ns for afternoon
tea at Sky Terrace the next day.
Perched high above the city, Sky Terrace offered panoramic views and elegant
desserts. It was the kind of ce made for photos and for showing off.
And now, with her new status as Mrs. Larson, she didn''t even need a reservation.
The idea sparked in her mind. Should she surprise them—and unt her
privileges as "Mrs. Larson" a little?
She secretly booked the table next to theirs and cheerfully began picking out her
outfit for tomorrow.
But tomorrow could wait. Tonight, she still had a score to settle.
Seething, sheposed a lengthy
message to Howard, exaggerating
every detail—iming Serena was
turning the Larson family against
her, saying she refused toe to
the engagement party and even
dragged Calvin away in the middle
of it.
In the dead of night, Howard jolted upright in rage and called Serena on the spot.
"Why the hell didn''t you go to Sarah''s engagement party? I want you back here
tomorrow. I''ll ask you myself what the hell''s going on!"
Serena was jolted awake but was still half-asleep. Before she could respond, the
call ended with a sharp click.
Beside her, Snuggle stirred. She twitched her ears, then curled deeper into her
arms with a low, sleepy purr.
Serena ran a hand through her
messy hair and mumbled groggily,
"They didn''t even show up as her
parents... Why is it such a big deal
that I didn''t either? Seriously, they
lose their minds over something
every single day."