Free Web NovelChapter 75: Chapter 75: Two Wives?
Seeing their reactions, Eloise Donovan knew they could probably hear Arabella Donovan’s thoughts, just like she could.
She cleared her throat and, before the two of them could speak again and make Arabella suspicious, she scolded them, "What nonsense are you spouting? Arabella is your older sister, same as me. It’s bad enough you don’t greet her properly, but you dare to threaten her? Where did you pick up such a horrid attitude? I’m telling your mother in a bit. We’ll see how she deals with you then."
The edgy teenager, who had been so full of bravado in front of Arabella a moment ago, instantly deflated, looking crestfallen as he pleaded for mercy.
"I was wrong! I’ll never do it again! Please don’t tell my mom."
Eloise Donovan said nothing, simply looking at Arabella Donovan.
Although Sean Donovan was going through a rebellious phase, he wasn’t completely clueless. Seeing the situation, he reluctantly called out, "Arabella..."
His voice was so quiet it was barely audible, but Arabella Donovan didn’t mind at all. In fact, she was secretly delighted.
’He sounds so reluctant. But that’s fine. I love that you can’t stand me but can’t do anything about it.’
Sean Donovan: ...
Her words were just too infuriating. Sean Donovan was so mad he shut down on the spot.
Iris Donovan, however, sensed something was wrong first. She looked up at Eloise Donovan questioningly.
Eloise squeezed the hand she was holding, signaling for her to keep quiet for now and that she would explain later.
Iris looked at Arabella, then at Eloise. In the end, she chose to trust her older cousin, who she had been very close with since childhood, and gave a silent nod.
By the time Arabella and the others came downstairs, Mr. Donovan and Justin Donovan had also gotten the news and rushed back.
Except for Hector Donovan, who had rushed off to work in another province, and Aurora Donovan, who was stuck in a lab with no definite release time, the whole family was gathered. With Lillian Donovan’s family there as well, it was a rare, lively occasion.
The moment Lillian Donovan saw Arabella Donovan, she suddenly understood what Mrs. Donovan had said earlier.
Honestly, Arabella didn’t look much like her parents, yet for some reason, you just knew she was undoubtedly a Donovan.
"You must be Serena, right? I came in such a hurry today, Auntie didn’t get a chance to bring you a proper welcoming gift. Please take this bracelet for now. When it’s your and Eloise’s birthday, I’ll make it up to you."
Lillian Donovan had just returned from a trip to the Province of Crovia, where she’d bought a large amount of jade and gemstones. They were fine as souvenirs, but as a formal welcoming gift, it felt a little shabby.
Especially after meeting Arabella and taking a genuine liking to her, she felt the gift wasn’t substantial enough.
Arabella Donovan glanced at the crystal-clear jade bracelet with its superb translucency nestled in the box and marveled inwardly at her aunt’s family’s immense wealth.
’This bracelet feels heavy just holding it. One of these is probably worth more than Second Brother’s entire jewelry set from before. And she says this isn’t even a proper welcoming gift? The way rich people flex really is so unpretentious.’
The smile on Lillian Donovan’s face froze slightly. Her eyes widened in surprise as she looked around.
After coming downstairs, Eloise had quietly told Mrs. Donovan everything that had happened. Now, seeing Lillian’s expression, she knew her aunt was no exception.
She quickly took Arabella’s hand and said with a smile, "Hurry up and put it away. Thank your aunt."
"Thank you, Auntie. I love the bracelet."
"Alright, everyone, stop standing around like statues. Let’s get ready for dinner."
As soon as Mr. Donovan spoke, everyone quickly got up and moved in a large group toward the dining table.
Lillian Donovan took advantage of the moment when no one was paying attention to her and hurriedly asked in a low voice, "What in the world is going on? Just now..." frёeweɓηovel.coɱ
"This is what I told you about before. Serena grew up in a Sacred Temple, so it’s not surprising she has some unusual abilities. For now, only our family knows about this, and only our family can hear it. Be careful in a bit. No matter what you hear, don’t react. Serena doesn’t know we can hear these things."
Lillian Donovan looked dazed. She never would have imagined that a simple family visit would uncover something so paranormal. For a moment, she was at a loss for words.
Fortunately, the dinner served as a good cover. Since Lillian didn’t know what to say, she just focused on eating, so nothing seemed out of the ordinary.
"Slow down, slow down. No one’s going to steal it from you. There’s more here."
Lillian Donovan’s husband was a man in his early forties. Dressed in a crisp white shirt with a neat, layered haircut, he looked so refined that anyone who didn’t know better would think he was barely in his thirties. It was hard to imagine he was already the father of two teenagers.
While Lillian was eating, he, despite eating his own meal, paid constant attention to his wife’s needs, immediately putting her favorite dishes on her plate. He was the very picture of a model husband.
The others around them seemed completely used to it, remaining calm throughout. It was clearly normal behavior for him.
But to Arabella Donovan’s eyes, the scene was incredibly awkward. The reason was that as soon as she sat down, she had noticed that there was indeed a red thread of fate connecting Lillian and her husband, but there was a large, tight knot tied in the middle.
Most importantly, besides the red thread connecting him to her aunt, the man clearly had another, thicker, and redder thread of fate attached to him.
Simply put, besides her aunt, this man probably had another woman. It was highly likely that he was also married to this other woman, a de facto marriage that still existed today.
’In other words, he’s married to two women at the same time. Doesn’t that count as bigamy?’
CLATTER—
Lillian Donovan was so frightened her chopsticks fell, and she stared in disbelief at the husband she had spent nearly twenty years with.
Mr. and Mrs. Donovan and the others were also shocked. They never would have imagined that this man, universally acknowledged as a model husband, was secretly supporting another woman behind his wife’s back?! ƒreewebɳovel.com
Seeing his wife drop her chopsticks, Julian Croft was also taken aback for a moment before complaining good-naturedly, "How old are you, still so clumsy? I’ll go get you another pair."
His words made the Donovans realize something was amiss. Lillian and her two children could clearly hear Arabella’s thoughts.
But Julian Croft... he couldn’t?!
A glint flashed in Mrs. Donovan’s eyes. She exchanged a look with her husband and her two children, already forming a conclusion in her mind.
The two younger ones, however, were a step behind. Startled by the sound of his father moving his chair, Sean Donovan subconsciously shot up to curse, "You’re talking non—Ouch..."
Before he could finish, his sister stomped on his foot.
Iris Donovan’s face was a little pale, but she still managed a smile at Arabella, who was looking over. "We were talking about something from school. He got a little worked up."
Arabella Donovan nodded absently, her mind still preoccupied with the matter of Julian Croft and his wife.
Lillian Donovan also noticed her children’s reactions. She took a deep breath and calmed down slightly.
By the time Julian Croft returned with a new pair of chopsticks, the atmosphere at the table had returned to normal.
The moment he sat down, Mrs. Donovan immediately said, "Julian, don’t just keep serving Lillian, eat something yourself. The sweet and sour pork ribs are quite good today. I remember you like them, so have some more."
As soon as she finished speaking, everyone heard that familiar clattering sound again.
Only this time, the one who had dropped their chopsticks in fright was Arabella Donovan.
