Chapter : 145
And then, Ariel noticed a familiar name below that–Nancy.
Her gaze dimmed slightly.
So they had their own private group chat.
Nancy really was the center of their universe, the one everyone flocked around.
All those years married to Jayson, she never knew that a spouse could be added to their friend group chat like that, openly acknowledged.
Even if she no longer cared, learning about this now felt like some private humiliation had been dragged into the open–something they could all laugh at behind her back.
She almost found it funny.
Perry wanted to say something, but then he saw a private message from Nancy. “Are you really dating someone? Who is it?”
Perry pressed his lips together, not replying to her directly. Instead, he wrote a message in the group chat. “Don’t jump to conclusions.”
Meanwhile, after dinner, a few men gathered together, including wealthy heirs from family–run businesses.
The private room was lively, filled with clinking glasses and laughter. Matt saw Perry’s message in the group chat and laughed out loud. “This doesn’t sit right. He didn’t even explain anything!”
Jayson just sipped his drink silently, not joining in.
Nancy seemed thoughtful. “Maybe it’s not official yet. He doesn’t want to say anything prematurely.”
She looked down again at her private chat with Perry, wondering what he was doing.
He didn’t reply to her; he only responded in the group chat.
Matt shook his head. “It still doesn’t add up. I just asked him to come have a drink, and he said he was tied up with family stuff. But don’t we always hang out on this day every year?”
So was he really tied up, or did he just not want to come?
“Why don’t you go find him?” Jayson finally spoke, slow and indifferent.
Matt shrugged. “Not like I’m that bored. By the way…”
He looked around and checked the time.
“It’s almost midnight. Wanna bet when Ariel’s gonna show up with hangover soup?”
There was a hint of mockery in his voice, along with some disdain.
The same thing happened every year. He was used to it by now. Bringing soup was just an excuse to check up on Jayson.
Women and their little tricks–it was obvious.
“Hangover soup?” Nancy looked up, placing her phone on the table.
Matt chuckled and leaned in. “Back then, Jayson never brought Ariel to these events. She wasn’t allowed to mix in. But she just wouldn’t give up.
“Every year she’d show up with hangover soup for everyone, pretending to be considerate, but really just trying to prove she was Mrs. Larkin. We all saw through it. We just couldn’t be bothered to say anything. Honestly, she was just wasting her time.”
He shuffled the cards and clicked his tongue.
Nancy finally curled her lips into a smile.
She could tell that Ariel’s self–sacrificing gestures only made her more irritating to them.
If love could be won just through hard work, then it would be way too cheap.
Men were much more realistic than women. They picked the woman who was prettier, more capable, and more likely to bring honor to their name.
Unfortunately, Ariel had lost from the very beginning. All she had was a pretty face but no substance or skill. She was only ever fit to fuss over chores and domestic things.
“Hey, Jayson. How come she hasn’t shown up yet today? Honestly, I’ve gotten used to that soup of hers,” Matt asked casually.
Jayson set down his glass and answered flatly, “She’s not coming.”
After sending Betty a holiday greeting, Ariel’s phone rang. It was Betty calling.
“Ari, are you with your grandma and uncle? Jayson said you probably weren’t coming back, so I figured I’d call and ask. Did you two get into a fight?”