Chapter 25
The dining room was already set with a lavish dinner, the light from the crystal chandelier casting a dazzling glow on the elegant tableware.
Heidi sat beside Caroline, gracefully serving Isaac and speaking softly, making him laugh heartily. Tiffany sat across from them, occasionally adding food to Heidi's plate, her eyes filled with undisguised affection.
Irene joined in, chatting with Heidi about her upcoming art exhibition, her words full of admiration.
"Heidi, I always thought you had a great business mind when we worked together, but I had no idea you could paint too. And now you're having your own art show!"
Irene raised her wine glass, smiling, "I heard you handled all the planning and promotion for the exhibition yourself? That's impressive. When I took over the company, I wasn't nearly as capable."
Heidi smiled shyly, gently swirling the wine in her glass, "You're too kind. I just have a short attention span and get interested in everything, wanting to try a bit of everything."
She paused and looked at Caroline, her eyes showing a perfect hint of humility, "Actually, I have to thank Caroline for it. She takes such good care of the kids, their innocence and playfulness have given me a lot of inspiration."
Caroline's grip on her utensils tightened, "I'm just doing what any mom would do."
Caroline responded lightly, spearing a piece of lettuce and putting it in her mouth, but it tasted bland.
The atmosphere at the table grew livelier, with Heidi's witty remarks flowing effortlessly. Whether discussing art or business, she had unique insights to share.
She knew how to appreciate wine, the history behind each dish, and even the details of Isaac's favorite teapot.
Caroline, on the other hand, sat quietly, feeling like an outsider, unable to join the conversation.
During the chat, Caroline learned that Heidi was not only a painter but also skilled in piano, zither, calligraphy, and more.
Watching Heidi's confident and composed demeanor, Caroline suddenly realized how many shining qualities Heidi possessed.
Heidi was beautiful, smart, capable, knew how to please elders, get along with peers, and even the children adored her.
A strong sense of inferiority surged within Caroline, making her lower her head and stare at the food in her bowl, feeling a bit suffocated.
She even began to wonder if Arthur was attracted to Heidi because she herself was too ordinary.
Compared to Heidi, Caroline could only cook, and even her once-proud medical career had been delayed for seven years due to marriage.
"Caroline, why aren't you eating?" Isaac noticed her silence and asked with concern, "Is the food not to your taste?"
Caroline quickly looked up and forced a smile. "No, Mom's cooking is always delicious."
She picked up a piece of rib and chewed it vigorously, trying to hide her discomfort.
Heidi glanced at her, a meaningful smile playing on her lips, then turned back to Isaac, continuing the engaging conversation.
Laughter filled the dining room again, but this time, Caroline felt those laughs were mocking her, making her feel utterly humiliated.
It turned out, in this silent war, she had already lost completely.
After dinner, the living room was filled with the faint aroma of digestive tea.
Isaac set down his teacup and tapped his fingers on the table. "Caroline, since it's Heidi's first time here and she's not familiar with the place, as Arthur's wife, you should help his employee find the USB drive."
Caroline paused in her task of helping the servants clear the table, then quickly looked up, her face still wearing a gentle smile. "Sure thing, Grandpa."
Heidi immediately stood up from the sofa, her smile bright as she turned to Caroline, "Caroline, where does Mr. Arthur Windsor usually work?"
Her voice was sweet, with a perfect touch of intimacy, as if the closeness to Arthur was only natural.
Caroline placed the folded towel into the sterilizer, the glass door closing with a soft hum.
"He used to work in the study at our old house."
She looked down at the polished marble floor, where her blurred reflection stared back at her. "But we just moved into this villa recently, and the study hasn't been set up yet. He's been working in the bedroom lately."
"The bedroom, huh." Heidi repeated thoughtfully, her eyelashes fluttering lightly as if she suddenly realized something and covered her mouth.
"That's so inconvenient, since the bedroom is a private space."
She looked at Caroline, her eyes probing, "Maybe you could get it? I'll wait outside."
Caroline's fingertips curled slightly.
It was indeed inconvenient. Caroline valued her personal space highly. In seven years of marriage, she never allowed anyone to touch her wardrobe, and she always cleaned the bedroom herself, never letting outsiders in.
She was about to nod in agreement when Tiffany leaned over from the sofa, her tone carrying an undeniable familiarity, "Don't worry, Heidi, Caroline won't mind."
She glanced at Caroline, her eyes filled with disdain like tiny needles. "Caroline, don't trouble yourself. You've been a housewife for seven years; what do you know about the company? Even if you went to look, you probably wouldn't find it."
Caroline lowered her head, wondering what did finding a USB drive have to do with such things.
Tiffany set down her knitting, her voice rising slightly, "Heidi has been with Arthur since the startup days. She knows his work habits better than anyone. Let her go; we don't want to delay Arthur's meeting."
Caroline's hand at her side slowly clenched, her nails digging into her palm, causing a faint pain.
Seven years as a housewife—these words felt like labels stuck to her forehead, scrutinized by everyone wherever she went.
She took a deep breath, suppressing the bitterness in her throat, and forced a bland smile. "Alright, then I'll leave it to you, Ms. White."
After all, there was nothing to hide.
She told herself, after all, the bedroom was just an empty room, where even arguments felt redundant.
As the bedroom door opened, Heidi's gaze roamed the room, casually sweeping over the wedding photo on the wall, where Caroline's smile was radiant, but Arthur's expression was indifferent.
Caroline noticed that Heidi's gaze lingered on the photo for less than two seconds before moving to the desk by the window, as if the photo was just a regular decoration.
"Arthur still prefers working by the window," Heidi said with a smile, walking briskly to the desk, her fingers almost touching the documents on it.
Caroline stood at the door, unmoving, like an outsider.
Watching Heidi's actions, though they were just normal searching, the scrutiny in her eyes felt like a fine net, making Caroline uncomfortable.
It was like... like a beast whose territory was being invaded, instinctively raising its spikes.
Heidi was about to open the bottom drawer of the desk when Caroline suddenly spoke, "No need to look."