Chapter 218 BONUS CHAPTER 3 (TALIA)

Chapter 218 BONUS CHAPTER 3 (TALIA)
Cielo and I were interrupted by Agnes’s shrill voice. She emerged from the kitchen in light blue jeans and a short-sleeved baby pink blouse. A black apron covered her clothes. And I could tell it was very dirty, although the black color disguised the stains.
“Why didn’t Bruce tell me you guys were here? Where is he?”
“I think he’s sitting by the pool with Celine.”
“Oh, your baby girl is so adorable. He’s been raving about babies lately. Hi Cielo, long time no see.”
She carelessly took off her apron and hugged Cielo.
“You always look amazing.”
“You too.”
“I often hear my customers talking about you. They gossip about how handsome you are and how lucky Talia is to be your wife.”
I snorted.
“It’s not me who’s lucky, it’s him who’s lucky to have me as his wife.”
“She’s right,” Cielo said calmly.
“I’m the luckiest bastard to have her as my wife.”
“See. He admits it.”
Agnes burst out laughing at our silliness.
“You two are very lucky. And you are blessed human beings.”
“Yeah, I admit it.”
“I’ll catch Bruce in the backyard. You ladies, please continue your conversation.”
“Oh yeah, I do need Talia’s help in the kitchen.”
“Relax, our mother really likes you. You don’t have to do anything to impress her because she loves you far more than Bruce does right now.”
“Oh, that’s so reassuring. Thank you so much, Cielo.”
Cielo walked away in the same direction Bruce had gone just a few minutes ago. Once his silhouette had completely disappeared behind the double doors, Agnes's false calm turned to panic.
“God. I can't believe Daisy loves me more than her youngest son. Tell me it's not true, Talia. Tell me your husband is just trying to appease me.”
“No, it's true. Daisy loves her daughters-in-law more than her wild sons. Without us, Daisy would never have had grandchildren to continue her line. So, she really does love us more than her own sons.”
“I’m worried I’ll make a stupid mistake in front of her. She must already know I’m a former prostitute. His son is engaged to a former prostitute, God. That’s absolutely terrifying.”
“Agnes, listen to me.”
I shook her shoulder a little hard to stop her panic.
“That’s in the past. Forget about it and move on. You’re a very successful cake shop owner now. Your cakes have even gone viral. Everyone is talking about your cakes and comparing them to those of famous chefs. You’re not the same person you used to be.”
She fell silent. Her face turned grim, as if she were about to cry.
“I just—”
“Stop it. Your insecurities have poisoned you. You almost lost your chance to be with Bruce because of all your negative thoughts. Trust me, Bruce loves you for who you are. He doesn’t care who you were or what family you came from. He loves you, and he chose you to be his future wife.”
"I was abandoned by my mother, and I don't even know who my father is. I spent my youth in an orphanage before working in that elite brothel. My background is so terrible compared to yours. People compare us, and it makes me so insecure. I feel so unworthy of this family."
I sighed softly. How cruel those editors were. They had destroyed Agnes's self-confidence, and even her life.
“Fuck those articles. People are just jealous of you because after they lost their chance with Cielo, they thought they had a chance with Bruce. Now they have no chance at all. You need to get rid of those negative thoughts before they ruin your future with Bruce.”
“Yeah, I realize that too. Come to the kitchen. There's a lot I want to share with you.”
I put my arm around her shoulder, trying to encourage her.
“I'm here whenever you need me. Besides, we both have powerful men. I know your worries all too well.”
The kitchen was a mess. Even more so than I'd imagined. Eggshells were scattered across the counter. Apple peels were carelessly thrown into the egg basket. White pasta sauce had spilled onto the stovetop and dripped onto the floor. Flour dust was scattered across the floor and counters. The sink... Hmmm... It was a real disaster. Dirty cookware piled up, covering the faucet. Charless would have a headache looking at this mess.
"What's in the oven?"
"Oh my gosh, my apple pie. I almost burned it again."
Agnes hurriedly opened the oven lid and took out the apple pie. The aroma of cinnamon wafted throughout the kitchen. The pie was glowing and golden brown. If Agnes had been even a minute late in taking it out, it would have burned completely.
“Looking at this kitchen, I can’t believe you’re the owner of that viral cake shop,” I chuckled.
“Like I said, I’m a mess.”
“Like I told you, you don’t have to be afraid of Daisy. She’s a very lovely mother-in-law.”
Agnes opened the refrigerator and took out the marinated chicken thighs. She put the tray in the oven, then set the temperature before closing the oven.
“You know, Bruce and I had a fight last night about that.”
“What happened?”
“I told him I wasn’t ready to meet his mother. And he got angry. I think he’d reached the end of his patience. He took all his anger out on me. It was the first time I’d seen Bruce that angry. He mentioned how annoying it was when I repeatedly rejected him. He was also angry that I wouldn’t come to his mother’s house for Christmas dinner. He’d been so patient with me all this time, and he couldn’t take it anymore. He said I had to meet his mother this afternoon, or he’d go and find someone else.”
“He said that?”
“Yes. And how hurt I was that he said it just a day after he proposed to me. Isn’t he cruel?”
“That’s why he wasn’t as cheerful as usual when he greeted us earlier. But his anger was justified. He’d been patient enough. If it were Cielo, he would have forced you to accept his proposal right then and there, whether you liked him or not. I’m even surprised Bruce held out that long. He loves you so much, Agnes. Don’t disappoint him again, or you’ll truly lose him.”
She shot me a sad look before nodding weakly.
“I don’t want to lose him.”