Chapter 70 Impatient Kevin
Unwilling to take another look at Cherry's fake appearance, Anne focused all of her attention on her meal. Everyone present hated her anyway, and she didn't care about any of them. Cherry was a little embarrassed by Anne's disrespect. She threw Kevin an aggrieved look with her beautiful eyes, but she pretended to be unbothered.
Kevin was not in the mood to care about such a trifle, so he automatically ignored Cherry's annoyance.
In the past, he would have definitely taught Anne a lesson without hesitation. Now, he had no idea what was wrong with him-it was like any hurtful word he said to Anne bounced back to him. Selma, who was watching them, got fed up with the situation. She leveled Anne with a cold, dissatisfied stare.
"Mrs. Anne, your upbringing is laudable. How could you ignore your sister in front of so many people? Is this how your mother raised you?"
Selma intensely disliked Anne. She would always find fault with Anne no matter what she did.
Selma's implied insult toward her mother had Anne seething. She could bear whatever Selma said, but she would never allow anyone to insult her family.
"Auntie, you are my elder, so I respect you-but please don't involve my mother in this, and please respect others."
Anne raised her eyes to meet Selma's, with barely suppressed anger burning in their depths.
"Why should I? Can a lowly person such as you be compared to me? Mrs. Anne, have you forgotten how you deliberately approached Kevin?"
Selma's face clearly reflected her disdain. Who did this woman think she was-did she think she was Selma's equal? Selma was the noble wife of the Fu Family. How could such a person be compared with her?
Cherry coolly witnessed the argument brewing between Anne and Selma and sneered inwardly. She had been looking forward to this scene. If Anne managed to completely offend Selma, then she would have an awful time in the Fu Family in the future.
Clenching her fists, Anne tried hard to hold back her anger. The older woman evidently looked down upon her, but Anne could never let her malign her mother.
"Enough!" Anne was about to open her mouth to retort when Kevin's cold voice angrily interrupted the exchange.
Everyone turned to look at him and saw his thunderous expression. His black eyes swept coldly over the people present.
"Mom, do you know what you have just said? What do you mean by a lowly person like Anne being compared with you?" No one spoke a word.
Kevin might look aloof and detached, but he had never thought himself as above others. What Selma had said just now irritated him.
"Kevin, I didn't mean that, I..."
Selma also realized that she had said something wrong in front of Kevin. She anxiously tried to explain herself but was cut off before she could finish her words.
"From now on, I don't want to hear such words from you."
Somehow, Kevin felt sorry for Anne when his mother belittled her.
He couldn't stand others looking down upon Anne, including his mother.
Selma frowned slightly. She was far from satisfied, but she kept silent for fear of displeasing Kevin.
Cherry threw Kevin with a conflicted look. He was different these days, and this change in him made Cherry feel strange and uneasy.
To Cherry, Kevin's attitude towards Anne seemed highly suspicious. She began to worry that he had actually fallen in love with her.
She had done so many things to be with him. It was not easy, but she succeeded in getting him. Thus, this affinity that he had started to show toward Anne was making her uncomfortable.
"Kevin, how can you talk to Auntie like that?" Cherry looked at Kevin reproachfully, and the note of disapproval in her voice was evident.
The fact that Kevin even stood up for Anne in front of his mother was worrying Cherry. What brought on his change in attitude towards her?
Cherry gave Kevin this mild scolding to make a good impression on Selma. Moreover, it was to remind Kevin that she found his current attitude towards Anne to be unacceptable. Kevin frowned with displeasure. Cherry's words left him slightly dissatisfied, but he didn't say anything when he thought of what Anne had done before.
"Anne, go back to your room and have a rest if you are full."
When he saw the restrained expression on Anne's face, his mood worsened. However, he could not show his displeasure even if he felt sorry for her. "Okay, I'm going back to my room. Please enjoy the rest of the meal."
Anne relaxed when she heard Kevin's words, which felt like a reprieve. She really did not want to stay there for a minute longer.
Following Anne's receding figure with their eyes, both Cherry and Selma glared at her back with anger and disgust. However, Cherry did a better job of hiding her emotions. "I'm full, too. I still have work to do."
Kevin, who was put in a bad mood by the exchange during dinner, lost his appetite. He immediately stood up and left, leaving no room for Cherry and Selma to speak. Cherry's disappointment showed in the longing eyes that followed Kevin out of the room. She could not help feeling aggrieved.
Sitting next to her, Selma saw her expression and tried to comfort her.
"Cherry, Kevin has always been like this. Don't take it to heart." With a faint smile, Cherry nodded in understanding.
"Auntie, I'm fine. Kevin is always cold and indifferent. I understand him, but I feel that he seems to treat Anne like..."
Cherry's words trailed off, but she knew that Selma understood what she meant. She only said it to test Kevin's mother. True enough, Selma's reaction satisfied her.
"Kevin will never fall in love with a woman like Anne! Besides, I will never allow such a woman to become my daughter-in-law. Once she gives birth to the baby, Kevin will drop her immediately!" Selma said in an agitated tone. Her hatred of Anne was apparent.
Even disregarding all of the gossip about Anne that had reached her ears, Selma formed a terrible impression of the woman today because of her behavior. She would never allow her to enter the Fu Family. Cherry's mouth slightly curved up in a subtle grin. Selma's words reassured her somewhat, because she knew that Kevin's mother would never allow Anne to stay with her son.
"But..." Cherry countered in a worried tone, calculated to make it seem like she wanted to say something but stopped on a second thought.
Selma seemed to see through Cherry's concerns. She held her hand and said firmly,
"Cherry, you are the one I want as a daughter-in-law. Don't worry-once the two of them get divorced, I will immediately make Kevin marry you."
Selma did not know much about Cherry, but she was already fond of her. Such a considerate daughter-in-law could only bring her joy. Her mood was definitely improved by the thought. "Auntie, that wasn't really what I meant. I just want to stay with Kevin, and I am not after the position of his wife."
Fearing that Selma would misunderstand her, Cherry hastily explained and pretended to be infatuated with Kevin to win Selma's favor.
Selma smiled in satisfaction upon knowing that this woman loved her son so much. At the same time, she was more certain that Cherry was the daughter-in-law she wanted. "Cherry, I know that you are a kind, considerate girl, but how can I let you stay with Kevin without a title? I will definitely let you marry into our family,"
Selma said firmly with a pleased smile on her face.
"Thank you, Auntie. If ever I were lucky enough to become Kevin's wife, I will be the most filial daughter-in-law in the world,"
Cherry said in an excited tone, throwing her arms around the older woman. With Selma's promise, her entry into the Fu Family would definitely progress smoothly.
Back in her room, Anne had yet to shake off her irritation. Recalling what Selma had said about making Cherry marry Kevin once Anne had given birth to her baby, her resentment grew.
She had just recently gotten pregnant, yet the Fu family had already begun planning Kevin's and her divorce. They had never accepted her nor taken her seriously.
At the same time, Kevin was stewing in the study. Now that he had witnessed someone making trouble for Anne, he actually felt sorry for her. What was happening to him?
Giving in to a sudden impulse, he stood up to head toward Anne's bedroom. He wanted to see her and know what she was doing right now.
However, as soon as he opened the study door, Cherry appeared in front of him and blocked his way.
Surprise and disappointment flashed in Kevin's dark eyes.
"It's so late. Why don't you go back to your room and have a rest?"
Kevin asked with a faint smile that failed to reach his eyes. He did not know when he had lost the feeling of delight upon seeing her.
"I just came here from sending away Aunt Selma. I know that you didn't eat much during dinner, so I wanted to ask if you'd like me to prepare a night snack for you." Cherry's thoughtfulness had always been Kevin's favorite, but now, he felt inexplicably impatient about it.
"No, thanks. I'm not hungry. It's late now. Go back to your room and rest."
However, at the thought of Cherry's kindness to him, he tried to suppress his irritation and spoke to her in a gentle tone.
At that moment, he didn't want to be with Cherry. He could imagine how upsetting a discussion of their future would be, and he was not looking forward to it. Kevin's cold expression made Cherry feel wronged.
After looking up at him for a few moments, she asked, "Kevin, where are you going? Do you want to see Anne?"
Cherry posed a question, but she obviously knew the answer. After all, she clearly saw the disappointment in his eyes when he opened the door and saw her. Kevin gave a start at Cherry's words, and his eyes flashed guiltily.