Chapter 6

The man wore a tailored suit, his posture seemingly casual, but even from the side, he gave off a quiet, intimidating presence that warned people to keep their distance. Miranda stood several steps away from him, gazing at her photograph on display. Looking at her old work made her feel as if she were looking at her former self. After she got married, she poured everything into her family, living as Lucas' wife and Jake's mother, but not as herself. She suddenly noticed the exhibition manager, Howard Lane, approaching the man. Howard seemed to be talking about her photograph. Miranda walked closer and caught their conversation. "I'm sorry, sir. We're not sure who Rita is. This piece was placed here by the owner's friend, and it's not for sale." The man, Wayne Sunders, didn't reply. He turned and looked at Miranda. When their eyes met, Wayne showed no emotion, just studied her quietly. His cool gaze and handsome face made Miranda's heart skip. She said, "I'm sorry. I didn't mean to eavesdrop. I'm the one who took this photograph. If you have any questions, feel free to ask." She looked elegant and beautiful. Her smile was gentle and polite, almost like a summer breeze or a passing cloud, but nothing at all like the person who had created the work before them. Wayne had no intention of exposing her. "No, it's nothing," he said, turning to leave. Howard approached Miranda and politely handed her his name card. "Rita, hello. Here's my name card. If you ever want to exhibit more of your work, please consider our gallery." Miranda was a little surprised, but she accepted the card. "Thank you very much. I'll keep that in mind." She wandered the exhibit hall for a bit, then spotted Abigail standing outside. Wayne was standing next to her. Abigail said a few words to him, and he nodded before leaving. Immediately after, Abigail turned and noticed Miranda before approaching her with a smile. "If I'd seen you sooner, I would've introduced you to my son. He's been living with my ex-husband for years. You two actually met when you were kids, you know." Miranda searched her memory and recalled a faint image of a summer day, standing under the blazing sun, calling his name outside his window and waiting for him to come out and play. What was his name again? "His name is Wayne Sunders. Do you remember?" Miranda wondered if she'd heard her right. Wayne Sunders? Did he have the same name as Lucas' boss? "You might know him as well. He runs Pama Group." At that, Miranda went quiet for a moment. Abigail continued, "I think Lucas works at Pama Group, too, right?" "Yeah." "So, Wayne is Lucas' boss?" "That's right." What a ridiculous, almost unbelievable coincidence. Abigail's eyes lit up. "Do you want me to have Wayne fire Lucas? I can help you get a little revenge." Miranda was touched, but she shook her head. "I know you're just trying to help, but Lucas' position is pretty high up, and he's capable. Even if he left Pama Group, he could still find another high-paying job." Abigail looked disappointed. Ramona had only one daughter, and Abigail wanted to protect Miranda, as if she were her own child. After they left the exhibit, Abigail took Miranda shopping. Hearing Miranda planned to get back into photography, she bought her a new Hasselblad camera and four top-of-the-line lenses as a gift. It took less than two days for everyone in their social circle to hear how much Abigail doted on Miranda. On Abigail's birthday, Miranda gave her a full set of jewelry and baked her a cake. Abigail bragged to everyone she met, nearly wearing that jewelry on her head to show it off. "Still, she's not your real daughter. She has her own mother. You're only so touched because your son isn't around." The smile vanished from Abigail's face as she glanced at another woman, Priscilla Drake. The two had been rivals for years. They couldn't get along, but since they had some business ties and distant family connections, they exchanged invitations to keep up appearances. Priscilla had a set of twins and bragged about them constantly—how thoughtful her daughter was, how devoted her son and daughter-in-law were, and how her husband doted on her. In turn, Abigail boasted about juggling eight different boyfriends every month, each one more attentive and attractive than the last. Priscilla said, "You haven't seen much of Miranda since Ramona passed, right? Now that she's suddenly shown up, you should be careful. She might not be as sincere as you think." Abigail retorted, "I heard your daughter-in-law won't have kids unless you give her 200 million dollars. Is that true?" The smug look on Priscilla's face faded. "Kids are a lot of work. I'd give her the money even if she didn't ask. But what about you? You say you care about Miranda so much, but you never even visit her. Maybe you don't think much of her after all. Who are you trying to fool?" "Who says I don't care? Miranda is wonderful. Admit it, you're just jealous." Miranda heard this last part as she walked toward the stairs and felt a warmth spread in her chest. She didn't want Abigail to fight on her behalf and started heading down the stairs to smooth things over. Priscilla went on. "I noticed Miranda's not wearing her ring anymore. So, she got divorced, right? If you like her so much, why don't you have your son marry her?" Noticing Abigail's glare, Priscilla smirked. "But let's be real. You wouldn't want your son to marry a divorced woman with a kid, would you? Just be honest, Abigail." "So what if she was divorced? Why are you so old-fashioned? What, are you living in the Stone Age?" "Then go ahead and ask around. Who would want her? She has no parents and has a son. So what if she's pretty? Who's really going to marry her?" She glanced around, but no one said a word. Priscilla raised an eyebrow and shot Abigail a smug look. "She'd make a great mistress." Abigail's eyes flashed cold. "Just because your son has a mistress doesn't mean every family is like yours. My family cares about character, and Miranda's got plenty. In my heart, she's my future daughter-in-law." The room went silent. Miranda stood halfway down the stairs, unsure whether to go up or down. At that moment, Abigail saw Miranda and waved her over. "See? She's the kind of woman you can't find anywhere else. I'd be proud to have her in the family. I can't stand those fake, spoiled women." She was clearly talking about Priscilla's niece, Ann Yates. "My son likes women like Miranda. Now that she's divorced, maybe they'll finally get their chance. Who knows? Maybe next year, we'll be sending out their wedding invitations." Priscilla's face darkened. Just then, Miranda leaned in and whispered, "You don't need to go this far for me. I'm fine, really." Abigail whispered back, "Your mom's gone. If I don't stand up for you, who will? Besides, it's not just about you. I've got to speak up for my son, too. He's the one who keeps me worried." Miranda thought of Wayne—his refined looks and commanding presence. It was hard to imagine Abigail ever needing to worry about him. Abigail pulled her aside and said quietly, "I won't actually make any promises or call you my son's official fiancee. Just play along for me, okay? My son has too many admirers, so just help me keep them at bay. If you or he finds someone else later, we'll set things straight. No harm done." Miranda knew Abigail was just trying to help her, so she asked, "Shouldn't you check with Wayne first?" Abigail grinned. "I'm his mom. Why would I need to?" ... "Wayne, I heard you're getting married next year. Rekindling an old flame, right?" Wayne frowned. "Who told you that?" "Your mom." "Yeah, I heard that, too. Congrats, Mr. Sunders." The man who spoke was clearly trying to flatter him, raising his glass of wine with a smile. They clinked glasses, but Wayne had no idea who the man even was. Once someone brought it up, more people came over to offer congratulations. Wayne's expression turned icy. He muttered a polite excuse and headed upstairs. Watching Wayne head upstairs, Warren Sims, who had been enjoying the show, grinned. "So, you didn't actually know about this, did you?"