Chapter 136 Isabella, One in a Million
In the evening, John swung by and mentioned that Patricia was throwing a party for Isabella tonight to shake off the bad vibes from her stint at the police station. The guest list was tight—just close family and friends.
Isabella took a moment to gather herself, deciding to take a bath first and then get dolled up. She couldn't let the Spencer family down.
When George got home, Isabella was in the middle of putting on her makeup.
"Mom told me to come home early as soon as I got to the office today. Didn't think it was gonna be such a big deal," George said.
Isabella was also surprised by Patricia's dedication. "John told me Mom was throwing a party for me. I heard she's been at it since early this morning."
George gently pinched her chin, checking out her makeup. "Don't overdo it."
"How about now?" Isabella asked, pursing her lips.
"Perfect. Now go put on that dress I got you last time," he said.
Hand in hand, George and Isabella headed downstairs, where the hall was already buzzing with guests.
Besides the Damon family, whom Isabella recognized, there were plenty of unfamiliar faces. George mentioned they were all Patricia's friends.
"Isabella, come over here," Patricia called out.
Isabella let go of George's hand and walked over. "Mom."
Patricia took Isabella's hand and introduced her to her friends. "This is my daughter-in-law, isn't she a gem? She's not only beautiful, but she's also got a great personality too. I am so blessed"
Several well-dressed ladies nodded in agreement. "Patricia, you're so lucky. A great husband, a wonderful son, and now a fantastic daughter-in-law. You've got it all."
Patricia laughed, covering her mouth. "You too, with all your grandkids. If Isabella didn't have school, I'd want her to give me a granddaughter right away."
"Young folks these days aren't in a rush to have kids," the ladies chatted, while Isabella smiled awkwardly.
"I heard your grandfather is Lester?" one plump lady asked Isabella.
Isabella nodded. "Yes."
"And your mother is Hazel?" the lady continued.
"Yes," Isabella replied.
The lady sighed deeply. "I was your mom's high school classmate. She went abroad to study painting, and we lost touch. Next thing I heard, she had passed away. What a shame!"
Isabella pursed her lips.
Thalia came over, clinging to Patricia's arm and nudging Isabella aside. "Aunt Patricia, didn't you have someone make macarons? I want some."
Patricia affectionately pinched her nose. "You little foodie, always thinking about snacks."
"You know I love them, and you had them made just for me. Of course, I'm eager to eat them," Thalia said, snuggling against Patricia's shoulder like a spoiled child.
Patricia took Thalia to get some food, leaving Isabella standing there.
Isabella was speechless. Thalia always had to compete with her for everything. If someone didn't know better, they'd think she had stolen Thalia's boyfriend.
Adrian chimed in, "Sorry about that. She's been spoiled since she was a kid."
Isabella looked up at Adrian, finding him oddly familiar.
He continued, "I'm Adrian Baker, Thalia's brother."
George came over and wrapped an arm around Isabella's shoulder. "Perfect timing. Let me introduce you. Isabella, my wife, and my cousin Adrian Baker."
"Nice to meet you, Adrian," Isabella said politely.
"We're all family here, no need to be so formal. George and I grew up together. Even though I'm a few years older, he never treated me like just a cousin," Adrian said with a hearty laugh.
George laughed too. "That was back when we were kids."
"Kids or adults, we'll always be close," Adrian added.
It was clear Adrian and George had a solid relationship. Isabella thought she had seen Adrian before but couldn't quite place him.
Patricia had also planned a dance for the guests tonight.
The first dance was supposed to be for Isabella and George, but since Isabella couldn't dance, Patricia stepped in to avoid any awkwardness.
After the opening dance, everyone was free to find their own partners.
Thalia approached George. "George, dance with me."
George glanced at Isabella. "Go find Adrian."
Adrian knew Thalia always liked to cling to George, but now that he was married, there needed to be some boundaries.
"I'll dance with you," Adrian offered.
Thalia stomped her foot in frustration. "No, I want to dance with George."
"I'm a better dancer," Adrian said, trying to pull Thalia, but she dodged and clung to George's arm. "No, I want George."
Seeing George not moving, she whined, "Isabella is so understanding, she won't mind. Just one dance, and I'll give him back."
This made Isabella feel nauseous. "Go ahead, dance with her."
George put down the nut shells in his hand and handed a nut to Isabella. "Here, eat this."
"George, you're so considerate. Let's go," Thalia said, dragging George away. Adrian apologized, "Thalia is just spoiled. I'll talk to her."
Isabella said, "It's okay, I'm used to it."
"Thalia grew up in Patricia's house and is very close to George. She relies on him a lot, but her temper isn't great. She must have caused you a lot of trouble?"
Isabella thought of past events and smiled. "Indeed."
Isabella and Adrian weren't very familiar with each other, so after a few words, they fell into silence.
"I saw some beautiful flowers in the garden. How about we go outside for some fresh air?" Adrian suggested.
"Sure." Since returning to the country, she had been busy and hadn't had a moment to enjoy the scenery.
"I remember when I was in middle school, I participated in a school flower festival as a volunteer. That was ten years ago."
Isabella paused and looked up at Adrian. "A flower festival? Was it at Harmony Middle School?"
"Yes, how do you know?" Adrian looked surprised.
Adrian's eyes were filled with astonishment. "Were you a student at Harmony Middle School?"
"Harmony Middle School only held one flower festival. I was in eighth grade then."
"Oh my." Adrian was very surprised.
Isabella smiled, finally realizing why Adrian looked familiar. "Were you the volunteer who scraped his knee?"
"Were you the girl who took me to the clinic?"
Isabella nodded. What a coincidence.