Chapter 191: Agony Beyond Bearing
“Miss Fairchild, please come and sit with me.” Cassandra gestured to the empty seat beside her.
At that moment, Isabella was the only person left at the table who had not yet greeted Alison.
Glancing around the hall, she saw that Stephen was mingling with the guests.
“Certainly.” Alison smiled as she sat down, then turned to greet Isabella. “Hello, Aunt Isabella.”
“Miss Fairchild, please feel free to sit anywhere. I have an old friend over there that I must greet.” Noticing that the table was filled with Cassandra’s people, Isabella felt a pang of displeasure and prepared to leave.
“Aidan, get the child some sweets,” Cassandra instructed.
“Thank you, Grandma,” said Ethan.
“Good boy! Who taught you that?” Cassandra assumed that either Aidan or Alison had coached Ethan beforehand.
“My teacher taught me. She said to call people around Mum and Dad’s age ‘Uncle’ or ‘Aunt’, and people from an older generation ‘Grandpa’ or ‘Grandma’,” Ethan answered.
Cassandra chuckled. “Oh, I see. So calling me Grandma is perfectly natural, then?”
“Yes, Grandma,” Ethan replied.
Just then, the emcee on stage began testing the microphone while wedding photos of Jack and Aimée were displayed on the big screen.
Ethan’s gaze was drawn to the screen, and he knew it was his father’s wedding to another woman.
He quietly tugged at Alison’s hand and whispered, “Mummy, I need to go to the bathroom.”
“Miss Fairchild, please take the boy now.” Cassandra urged.
Alison rose with a sigh of relief. “Aidan, I’ll be back shortly.”
“Ok.” Aidan’s eyes dimmed.
He knew her heart wasn’t really with him.
Could she be the woman Jack had kissed that night?
The thought sent his heart into turmoil.
Alison led Ethan towards the hotel’s restroom.
Just a few steps in, her phone rang – it was Aimée.
She thought, Aimée really has her fingers in every pie; she must have someone watching me.
Just as she had gone off alone, Aimée had seized the chance to call.
“Alison, if Jack finds you, you must tell him that you’ll never marry him. Say that Aidan is the child’s father. Got it?” Aimée spoke in a hushed voice, clearly afraid of being overheard.
“Aimée, when will you give me back my child?” Alison pressed, worried that she might still be unable to see Sophia afterwards.
“After my wedding. After Jack and I get into the honeymoon car,” Aimée smirked, certain that she would marry Jack.
“Aimée, I’ll convince Jack to marry you. Please, just let me see Sophia now?” Alison was on the verge of tears.
“No.” Aimée refused.
“Then just let me hear Sophia’s voice — just once, ok?” Alison pleaded.
“No. I said everything must wait until after Jack and I get married. Don’t you understand?”
With that, Aimée hung up.
She dared not say any more. If Alison found out that it wasn’t her who took Sophia, her wedding would be ruined.
Suddenly, Jack’s voice interrupted the still-connected call. “Aimée, who are you talking to?”
Aimée jumped, her face instantly turning pale.
Terrified that Jack might have overheard, her voice trembled. “Oh, Jack, you startled me.”
Jack gripped her shoulders, his eyes filled with suspicion. “Aimée, stop this wedding. I’ve met Alison, I don’t want to go through with it.”
Aimée was so flustered that tears nearly spilled from her eyes. She pleaded, “Jack, you can’t! Help me! If we stop now, how will I ever be able to show my face in public again? Also, the baby!”
As she spoke, she almost knelt before Jack.
“That’s your business. I never wanted this child; it was my mother’s idea. Who were you on the phone with just now?” He suspected that Aimée had been speaking with Alison.
Had my mother and Aimée been plotting something?
The realization hit him. No wonder Alison had left. No wonder she was standing by Aidan’s side.
Aimée’s heart pounded as she hastily stuffed the phone into her bag. She was afraid that Jack would find out the truth.