âMom, calm down.â Betty approached Sophia shakily, She took a seat beside Sophia and continued, âI hate seeing you so upset. How can I help?â
âIf you want to help, how about getting rid of Lyla Nelson for me? Can you do that?â Sophia gritted her teeth.
â-â Betty was at a loss for words.
âI thought Lyla married Winston because she had no other choice and that she would be a worthless mistress forever. Sheâs a loser who bore a useless daughter for him,â Sophia remarked bitterly, Betty thought that Sophiaâs remark backfired on herself, for Sophia had given birth to two daughters.
âI never thought that Winston loved her so much as to throw her a huge birthday party and even hire Sharon to design a dress! How could Lyla enjoy a more glamorous life than me?â
Sophiaâs face reddened, and she fought back tears. The more glamorous Lylaâs life became despite starting off as a mistress, the more Sophia felt like a joke as Javierâs only wife.
âMom, anger wonât solve anything. We should figure out how to silence Lyla and spoil her birthday celebration,â Betty suggested as she tugged at Sophiaâs arm worriedly.
Sophia bit the bullet. She dialed a number and paced toward the window.
A man answered on the other end, âMs. Kirkman, itâs been a while. How have you been?â
He sounded like a middle-aged man with a hoarse voice.
Sophia struggled to hold back her tears. âNot well at all. Iâm facing a dire situation.â
âIs this about Lyla Nelson?â the man inquired.
âYes, itâs none other than her,â Sophia confirmed.
âMs. Kirkman, I owe you a great deal for your past help. Please tell me how I can assist you now,â the man offered.
Sophia sniffled, a wicked gleam appearing in her eyes.
The evening dress that Sharon had designed for Lyla was the talk of the party. However, that wasnât the climax yet, for the gift presentation was coming up soon.
Everyone was curious about Winstonâs birthday gift for Lyla, thinking it might be a property or some jewelry.
To everyoneâs astonishment, he presented Lyla with a charity foundation dedicated to disabled and seriously ill children. Not only was the foundation named after her, but she had also been appointed as its chairwoman.
Alyssa smiled in satisfaction at the gift, knowing that the Taylor wives were of a different breed. Except for Winston and herself, none of the women were remotely interested in material wealth or jewelry.
Winstonâs gift was much better than any diamonds and resonated with Lyla. She had been volunteering at an orphanage during her free time for years, funding the needs of underprivileged children with her private savings.
She had kept her charity work a secret from the family, thinking that Winston had no clue about it, but Winston had known and orchestrated this grand surprise.
âLyla, I know youâre into charity work, and youâve been secretly helping a lot of kids at the orphanage.
After much consideration, I thought this would be the most fitting gift,â Winston explained, holding her hand with an affectionate gaze.
Lyla sighed, her eyes brimming with tears. âOh, Winston, you knew after all.â
âYou shouldnât cry on your big day.â Winston chuckled with a frown and gently wiped her tears away. He looked at her with such tenderness that it would make any woman envious.
âSince Iâve established a charity foundation for Lyla, Iâll invest five million dollars in its operations. I hope to see everyoneâs future support for the Lyla Taylor Care Foundation. On behalf of KS Group, I express my gratitude in advance,â Winston declared, exuding an air of authority.
With his straight posture and captivating voice, he looked not a day older than 40 years of age. One couldnât believe his age based on his looks.
âWow!â