Chapter 4 Is This How You Care for Your Wife

Kiera happened to rush out from the bathroom just then. "It's all my fault, Aldy. I shouldn't have wanted to eat some bone broth. Don't blame Thalia…" Kiera's pale face, suggesting she had just thrown up, and her soft voice made for a frail, vulnerable look. It made Thalia look all the more wretched and hateful. Only now did Thalia understand what a real actor was! No wonder Alden was utterly entranced by Kiera and that Josephine was tending to Kiera's every need like the latter was some regal queen. Even Thalia had been deceived by Kiera's facade all this time! Josephine's heart ached. "You're too understanding, Kiera. This is why Thalia is getting more and more unruly." In the past, Thalia would've been upset for days on end after Josephine said such things. But now, she found herself strangely calm and at ease. Thalia took a deep breath before smiling politely. "If you really want to eat bone broth, Kiera, you can ask Sheila to make you some. Her bone broth is just as good as mine." Kiera seemed a little exasperated. "I don't know why, but I just can't stomach food that's cooked by the staff. Maybe the baby only likes bone broth that its aunt cooked." Kiera then added in a considerate tone, "It's alright. It's not like I have to eat bone broth. I'm sure the baby will be fine with missing one meal." Thalia nearly applauded at her acting skills. Kiera's words only fanned the burning flames harder. Josephine's expression was extremely dark at this point. She pointed at Thalia and cried, "You just want to see Kiera suffer, don't you? She's pregnant with our family's only grandchild right now, which makes her invaluable. So, you'd better do as you're told!" Kiera even cupped her stomach and retched a few times, seemingly following Josephine's tune. Ignoring Thalia's presence, Alden rushed over and held Kiera up. He then said to Thalia, "It's just some bone broth, Thalia. It won't take too long to make. Be a good girl, won't you?" As Thalia gazed at this man, whom she used to love with all her heart, she suddenly felt like all the time and effort she'd spent on him in the past three years wasn't worth it at all. It was true that the Marquette family had sought out financial aid from the Crestfall family many times throughout the years, but the total sum was no more than 20 to 30 million dollars. It was nothing compared to the 100 million the Marquette family lent the Crestfall family all those years ago. Additionally, Thalia had gone to work for Crestfall Group ever since she married Alden. The amount of profit she'd generated for the company far exceeded the total amount of money the Crestfall family had given the Marquettes. Besides that, Thalia had also devoted a lot of care and attention to Alden as well as everyone else in the Marquette family. Neither the Marquette family nor Thalia owed anything to the Crestfall family from the start! Thalia had just been too understanding thus far. That was why she'd been accused of not being considerate the moment she resisted! She looked up and said firmly, "A single bowl of bone broth takes me three hours to prepare. I don't feel well, so I'm not going to make it." "You—" Josephine gasped, clutching her chest in anger. Alden felt a strange sense of panic as he observed how Thalia's attitude had shifted greatly since last night. Had she discovered something? "I've only been away for a few days, and already, the lot of you are ganging up on my granddaughter-in-law! Is this how you care for your wife, Alden Crestfall?" A stern voice suddenly rang out from outside. Henrietta showed up in the doorway with her walking cane in hand. Thalia immediately went over to greet her. "Why have you come back, Grandma?" Henrietta held Thalia's hand and beamed at her. "Because I missed you, dear." Her expression then changed when she saw that Thalia wasn't looking too good. "You lost some weight there. Haven't you been eating well?" "Alden gives Thalia such a hefty allowance each month that she still has money to spare after sending some back to her family. She doesn't need to worry about anything and still has cash in her pocket to burn. "It's a wonder that she isn't gaining any weight—how on Earth could she have lost any?" Josephine commented sarcastically. "Stop that insinuating tone of yours!" Henrietta snapped, brows knitted together.