Chapter 32: Molly's Gift
Nicole's POV
Cathy lay weakly against her pillow, staring blankly at the white ceiling.
She said softly, "I'm different from Wendy."
"Wendy grew up by Doris's side from a young age. Doris raised her with her own hands. No matter what Doris truly thought, on the surface, she always doted on Wendy. But when I was adopted, I was already ten years old."
Her gaze shifted to me, filled with bitterness.
"She never showed me any warmth, only demands. She required me to learn etiquette, to learn dancing. She taught me how to recognize luxury brands, how to distinguish wines from different years, how to say appropriate things at dinner parties."
"She crafted me into a perfect commodity, a seemingly noble 'socialite,' so she could use me to exchange for more wealth and connections. I was such a fool. She used me for so long, and only today did I finally see her true face."
I covered my mouth, listening to all this in disbelief.
In my impression, although the Gerald family couldn't compare to the Hall and Percy families in terms of power and influence, in outsiders' eyes, the Gerald family was still considered an old nobility.
Doris was a celebrity in social circles. She founded a charity foundation and sponsored impoverished students' education.
But behind the scenes, she was doing such disgusting things.
I didn't know how to comfort Cathy. I could only try to help her emotions stabilize a bit.
"Cathy, you should rest well first. Don't think too much. As for everything you told me today, I'll keep your secret."
A few days later, an invitation was delivered to the Gerald villa.
The Hall family had sent an invitation to Barry's birthday banquet.
On the evening of the banquet, my parents, Wendy, and I took a car to the Hall Manor
The car drove through the estate gates. Inside, lights blazed everywhere, and the lawn was already filled with luxury cars.
Guests gathered together, holding champagne.
As soon as I walked into the banquet hall, I saw Hodgson.
Today he wore a black suit with no tie, the top two buttons of his collar undone. He looked less fierce than usual, more casual.
He had his back to me, talking to a middle-aged man, holding a glass of whiskey.
As if sensing my gaze, he suddenly turned around.
Our eyes met unexpectedly.
In that instant, I couldn't help but hold my breath.
His eyes held no emotion whatsoever, calmly sweeping over my face as if I were a completely irrelevant stranger.
My heart felt like someone was squeezing it hard with their hand, painfully constricting.
I bit my teeth, forcing myself to suppress that sour feeling.
After the banquet officially began, guests took turns going forward to offer birthday wishes to Barry, who sat in the place of honor.
Barry looked to be in good spirits today, generously accepting everyone's blessings.
I stood far away in a corner, completely uninterested in participating in this kind of hypocritical social occasion.
At this moment, Wendy stepped forward to represent the Gerald family.
She was dressed brilliantly today, wearing a sweet smile on her face.
"Grandpa Barry, happy birthday. This is a small gift of our Gerald family's regard for you."
She signaled her assistant to present a flat gift box. When opened, inside was an extremely exquisite antique fountain pen.
"This is the last work made during the lifetime of a famous German master craftsman from the mid-last century," Wendy introduced proudly.
"We know you enjoy collecting these historically significant old items, so we specifically pulled many strings to buy it from a European collector."
Barry was obviously very interested in this gift. He picked it up and examined it carefully.
"Oh? I think I've seen this pen in a catalog from an auction. "
A satisfied smile appeared on Barry's face, and his attitude toward Wendy clearly improved considerably.
Shier also stepped forward, taking credit for Wendy: "That's right, Grandpa. Wendy spent a lot of money and went through great trouble to acquire this pen. "
"Good, " Barry nodded and said to the butler beside him, "Put the gift away safely."
With Barry's personal praise, Wendy immediately became one of the focal points of the entire venue.
She stood beside Shier, accepting compliments from those around her, truly stealing the spotlight.
I watched all this silently, feeling completely unmoved.
Don't worry, the good show is yet to come.
After a while, a commotion suddenly came from the doorway.
"I'm sorry, Mr. Barry. There was a bit of traffic on the road. I'm late."
Everyone looked toward the entrance.
Molly wore a dazzling red strapless gown, walking in under the gaze of all the guests.
Two bodyguards following behind her carefully carried a large gift covered with dark velvet cloth.
Molly walked straight to Barry.
"Mr. Barry, happy birthday and good health. Knowing you're a collector with taste, I specially prepared a small gift for you. I hope you'll like it."
After speaking, she gave a look to her assistant behind her.
The assistant stepped forward and, under the breathless gaze of the crowd, unveiled the velvet cloth.
A collective gasp went through the crowd.
It was an exquisite oil painting.
Among the guests present, there were many with artistic knowledge.
Someone immediately recognized the distinctive style: "My God, Could this be Monet's work?"
Someone raised a question: "That's impossible! Every work of Monet's that survives in the world is documented. Most are in major museums."
Molly smiled, enjoying everyone's shocked gazes, then explained unhurriedly.
"This isn't strange at all. This painting was originally the finale piece of an extremely important spring auction this year, but news of it was strictly sealed. "
"Its original owner was the descendant of a European banker who needed cash flow at the time. So, with the auction house's mediation, we reached a private agreement. Therefore, it never even had the chance to appear in an auction catalog before I acquired it directly."
"The authentication certificate and transaction records for this painting are all here."
She had her assistant hand a document to Barry.
The weight of this gift made Wendy's pen look like a joke.
Wendy's spotlight was completely stolen. She stood to the side, her face looking terrible, hatred nearly grinding her teeth to dust.
Hodgson had been leaning against a nearby pillar. Now he straightened up, the corner of his mouth curling into a playful smile.
"Miss Molly, your gift truly leaves an impression."
Molly blushed shyly: "Mr. Barry has always been an elder I deeply respect. This is what I should do."
Barry was obviously very satisfied with this generous gift. He laughed heartily.
"Hodgson, today you must properly host Molly for me."
"Of course."
Hodgson nodded. He walked forward two steps, standing beside Molly, his posture intimate.
"Since Miss Molly has rarely come to the Hall Manor today, why don't you stay overnight here tonight."
As he spoke, his gaze passed over Molly's shoulder, through the crowd, and looked toward me.
My mind suddenly buzzed, my heart plummeting to the depths.