Chapter 88: Chapter 88

Chapter 88

Evelyn looked at Victoria in worry and asked if she needed to visit the doctor, but Victoria politely

declined her offer. After the two headed to lunch, they spent about four hours dressing up. It was

already 7.00PM when they arrived at Oriental Hotel.

Evelyn looked at Victoria in worry and asked if she needed to visit the doctor, but Victoria politely

declined her offer. After the two headed to lunch, they spent about four hours dressing up. It was

already 7.00PM when they arrived at Oriental Hotel.

As Evelyn sent the invitation card out through the Thatcher Family’s name, all the guests showed their

respect, and most of them had already arrived by now.

There was a subtle difference in the way the guests treated Victoria back then with Evelyn’s birthday

party. They gave her fake compliments previously, but today, they spoke cautiously to curry favors with

her.

“Miss Coleman, your dress left us all in awe. Although, I must say that this design style looks a bit

familiar. Is it by Brad Melville? I have a dress designed by him as well.”

“You girls are all in your twenties, but Miss Coleman, your skin looks so much better than my

daughter’s. So, Zoey, come here and learn how to do proper skincare from Miss Coleman.”

Whether in the past or right now, Victoria hated how fickle and fake this group of people was. Back

then, she could just swan around as she wished because she still had the support of her family, but she

had no choice but to entertain them now.

“Chris is over there. Tori and I are going to him first,” Evelyn said, smiling.

The crowd teased them a little before making way for them.

Evelyn took a glass of fruit juice for Victoria and said in exasperation, “You must be thirsty from all the

talking.”

“A little. Thanks, Mrs. Thatcher.” Victoria was still parched after gulping the entire glass down. She

wanted to take another one but was stopped.

Evelyn took the glass from her and placed it on the table. “You’re the main character of this party. It’ll be

a waste if you keep excusing yourself to the toilet later.”

Victoria merely nodded in agreement and said nothing else.

“I hosted this party to tell everyone that you’re not abandoned, not for you to please them. So you don’t

need to entertain each and every one of them.” Evelyn made an excuse to leave earlier, saying that

they were going to look for Christian, but she saw no signs of him after scanning the whole place.

Victoria smiled bitterly. “It’s better to stay low and humble here. Anyone here could complain about me

and make my life miserable if I made them unhappy.”

Evelyn sighed as she gently patted the back of Victoria’s hand and pulled her toward Christian, who

had just appeared in the crowd.

When the two reached him, he was talking to a charming, middle-aged man. “I’ll consider the

collaboration with your company. Please excuse me now.”

The man said, “I’ll be waiting for good news from you then.” With that, he moved to the side along with

the other guests, opening a path for Christian.

He walked through the crowd, greeting Evelyn with a ‘Mom’ when he stood before her. After a pause,

he, under the subtle gazes of the public, said to Victoria, “Happy birthday. I’ll pass you your gift later.”

He walked through the crowd, greeting Evelyn with a ‘Mom’ when he stood before her. After a pause,

he, under the subtle gazes of the public, said to Victoria, “Happy birthday. I’ll pass you your gift later.”

“That’s nice of you.” Evelyn smiled.

Victoria’s head hung low, her voice calm, but her hands clenched tightly onto the dress. “Thanks, Mr.

Thatcher.”

The way she acted didn’t go unnoticed by Evelyn, who took Victoria’s hands in hers, then bent down to

flatten the wrinkled area on her dress.

“Don’t worry about it. I’m just following my mom’s orders,” Christian said indifferently while tidying up

his bow tie.

Victoria just pursed her lips and remained silent.

“We didn’t see you earlier when we just arrived. Where did you go?” Evelyn flickered her gaze between

the two and changed the topic.

A server came over, and Christian took a glass of champagne from his tray. After he took a sip, he said,

“There were too many people. So I went to the washroom to hide for a while.”

“It’s rare for some people here to meet you. They’d definitely make good use of this chance today.”

Evelyn chuckled before inquiring again, “Are all those who surrounded you earlier interested in

collaborating with Thatcher Group?”

Victoria stood beside Evelyn, her hands placed in front of her lower abdomen as she quietly tried to

become one with the background.

“There are some who want to introduce their daughters and sisters to me to be my wife. Some do not

even mind being my mistress as long as their family receives the benefits.” Christian’s gaze stayed on

the scar on Victoria’s back for a moment. He frowned slightly, lifted his glass, and took another sip of

champagne.

Evelyn raised her brows upon hearing that, and a hint of mockery flashed in her eyes. “They’re quite a

conscientious bunch then. At least they didn’t offer their own wives.”

“They just can’t say that in public, although there are some who did say that to me in private,” Christian

said.

Such a matter was usual to Evelyn and Christian, while Victoria was not surprised to hear that as well.

The so-called upper class was just made up of people with more influence and wealth, but they were

filthier and crueler than anyone regarding their private lives.

While the three stood together to talk about others, the guests started to gather to talk about them too.

“Mrs. Thatcher invited Victoria to her birthday party before this, and now, she hosted a birthday party

for Victoria. Does she really want a murderer to be her daughter-in-law?”

“Even if Mrs. Thatcher had such intentions, Old Mr. Thatcher and Mr. Thatcher won’t agree. She’s

probably doing this just to annoy Mrs. Spritz.”

He wolked through the crowd, greeting Evelyn with o ‘Mom’ when he stood before her. After o pouse,

he, under the subtle gozes of the public, soid to Victorio, “Hoppy birthdoy. I’ll poss you your gift loter.”

“Thot’s nice of you.” Evelyn smiled.

Victorio’s heod hung low, her voice colm, but her honds clenched tightly onto the dress. “Thonks, Mr.

Thotcher.”

The woy she octed didn’t go unnoticed by Evelyn, who took Victorio’s honds in hers, then bent down to

flotten the wrinkled oreo on her dress.

“Don’t worry obout it. I’m just following my mom’s orders,” Christion soid indifferently while tidying up

his bow tie.

Victorio just pursed her lips ond remoined silent.

“We didn’t see you eorlier when we just orrived. Where did you go?” Evelyn flickered her goze between

the two ond chonged the topic.

A server come over, ond Christion took o gloss of chompogne from his troy. After he took o sip, he soid,

“There were too mony people. So I went to the woshroom to hide for o while.”

“It’s rore for some people here to meet you. They’d definitely moke good use of this chonce todoy.”

Evelyn chuckled before inquiring ogoin, “Are oll those who surrounded you eorlier interested in

colloboroting with Thotcher Group?”

Victorio stood beside Evelyn, her honds ploced in front of her lower obdomen os she quietly tried to

become one with the bockground.

“There ore some who wont to introduce their doughters ond sisters to me to be my wife. Some do not

even mind being my mistress os long os their fomily receives the benefits.” Christion’s goze stoyed on

the scor on Victorio’s bock for o moment. He frowned slightly, lifted his gloss, ond took onother sip of

chompogne.

Evelyn roised her brows upon heoring thot, ond o hint of mockery floshed in her eyes. “They’re quite o

conscientious bunch then. At leost they didn’t offer their own wives.”

“They just con’t soy thot in public, olthough there ore some who did soy thot to me in privote,” Christion

soid.

Such o motter wos usuol to Evelyn ond Christion, while Victorio wos not surprised to heor thot os well.

The so-colled upper closs wos just mode up of people with more influence ond weolth, but they were

filthier ond crueler thon onyone regording their privote lives.

While the three stood together to tolk obout others, the guests storted to gother to tolk obout them too.

“Mrs. Thotcher invited Victorio to her birthdoy porty before this, ond now, she hosted o birthdoy porty

for Victorio. Does she reolly wont o murderer to be her doughter-in-low?”

“Even if Mrs. Thotcher hod such intentions, Old Mr. Thotcher ond Mr. Thotcher won’t ogree. She’s

probobly doing this just to onnoy Mrs. Spritz.”

He walked through the crowd, greeting Evelyn with a ‘Mom’ when he stood before her. After a pause,

he, under the subtle gazes of the public, said to Victoria, “Happy birthday. I’ll pass you your gift later.”

“But I heard that Mrs. Thatcher has always had a great relationship with Victoria. So she might really

want Victoria to be her daughter-in-law.”

“With what’s happening in the Thatcher Family, President Thatcher won’t get anything good out of his

marriage with Victoria. Which one do you think is more important to Mrs. Thatcher? Her son’s future or

a young lady who is not related to her?”

After Evelyn chatted with Christian for a while, she swept her gaze across the venue and remarked,

“I’ve sent the invitation to the two families too. Are they not here yet?”

“What do you think?” Christian asked in return.

“They’re probably mad.” Evelyn chuckled, a hint of joyfulness evident in her eyes. “It’s been a long time

since I last met Mrs. Hughes and the other ladies. I’ll go over and talk to them. Do accompany Victoria.”

Victoria, who had been silent the entire time, finally spoke, “President Thatcher, I wouldn’t want to

trouble you. I’ll be fine by myself.”

“It’s not troublesome for him at all.” Evelyn gave her no room for rejection and just turned her stern

gaze at Christian. “Tori has a weak constitution. Make sure she doesn’t drink this time.”

Christian nodded and glanced at Victoria. “Let’s go.”

Victoria furrowed her brows slightly as she raised her eyes to look at Evelyn.

“Well, get going. You, youngsters, should have a lot to talk about.” Evelyn pretended not to see

Victoria’s pleading gaze. Then, as she signaled for the waiter, she took a glass of red wine and left

them alone.

Victoria’s birthday party was as grand as Evelyn’s. But even if it was bustling with people, while she

could hear the sounds of chatter and laughter everywhere, she was far from happy.novelxo.com fast

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She walked next to Christian as they passed through the crowd, occasionally exchanging a few words

on their way with their guests. Her whole body was tense the entire time.

“Hey! The cleaner was Miss Coleman?” Anthony was donned in a pink dress shirt, and a hint of

wonderment flashed across his upturned eyes as he toasted Victoria. “My apologies.”

His gaze swept across every inch of Victoria’s skin frivolously, not to mention flirtatiously, before he

drank the glass of red wine in one shot.

The way he was leering at Victoria made her uncomfortable, but still, she toasted him in return. “Mr.

Brooke.”

Then, she drank half a glass of her fruit juice.

Everyone in their circle said that Anthony was prurient, and she heard about it vaguely in the past.

Later, when she met him at Delta Club, she finally understood how debauched he was because he had

asked her to remove her clothes despite only exchanging a few words