Chapter 6

Cheryl was feeling rather dizzy when she woke up the next day, as if she had a fever. Leon, Zane, and Steve somehow caught wind of it, and the three of them hurried over as soon as possible. Cheryl ended up being sick for three days, and the trio never failed to show up each day. However, even though they were there for her physically, they might as well be somewhere else. That was because, most of the time, the three young men would either be downstairs chatting with Giselle, teaching her chess, playing the piano with her, gardening together, painting together, or even holding a spontaneous photoshoot for her. Cheryl watched as they did everything with Giselle, but she never called them out for any of it. At some point, the trio came up to visit Cheryl in her room, and that was when they realized many of her things were missing. "Cheryl, where's the pearl figurine I gave you a few years ago? It's disappeared!" "Didn't you say that you liked the crystal tiara I gave you previously? You used to display it here as the main centerpiece. Why aren't you displaying it anymore?" "Where are the photos that we took back when we were 18? Did you hide them away? Where are they?" Cheryl just came up with an excuse for everything and fibbed her way through. And although the three young men felt confused about the missing things, they never bothered asking any further. She finally felt a lot better as her birthday approached. Francis and Meredith came to pick Cheryl up right before the birthday party started. They also discussed a few things with her. "Many big shots and important people will be attending your birthday party today. The Kingsleys, the Thomsons, and the Laurents will also be there to celebrate your birthday with you. "Your dad and I had a discussion and decided that today is the best time to announce the news of your marriage. What do you think?" Cheryl was just about to nod when they heard the sound of a glass crashing onto the floor behind them. She immediately looked back and saw Giselle rooted to her spot, her face deathly pale. "Ms. Jenner… Are… Are you getting married soon?" Cheryl nodded lightly without explaining further. Everyone was going to find out about it soon, anyway. The birthday party started at 7:00 pm that evening. Many guests mingled in the main banquet hall, lively and eagerly chatting with each other. Leon, Zane, and Steve were dressed to the nines in their tailored suits as they walked in together, drawing everyone's attention at once. "I'm so envious of Ms. Jenner! Her childhood friends are so good-looking—and there are three of them! To think that they're also her suitors too… I wonder when Lady Luck will finally be on my side?" "What's the point of being envious of her? They've practically been betrothed since birth. And it doesn't matter who she picks, because they come from similar backgrounds. They're all made for each other anyway!" "Ms. Jenner's already around the age for marriage, right? I wonder if she'll be announcing news of her wedding! I'm curious to see which one she picked!" Cheryl listened to the guests discussing her marriage plans, her face calm and stoic without a hint of emotion. However, Leon, Zane, and Steve felt anxious when they heard the discussions. They hurried over to her at once. "Cheryl, are you really going to announce the wedding today? Why didn't you tell any of us beforehand?" "This is my personal matter. It has nothing to do with you. Why should I tell you beforehand?" Cheryl calmly asked in turn. The trio was starting to feel frustrated. "What do you mean that it has nothing to do with us? Your groom can't possibly be anyone else besides us! How can you still be joking around at a time like this? Tell us now. Who did you pick?" Just as they finished asking that question, Francis and Meredith went to the center of the stage and nodded at the guests before taking the microphone offered to them. "On behalf of the Jenners, we would like to thank everyone here for taking the time to attend our precious daughter's birthday party tonight. "Aside from her birthday celebration today, we also have some really exciting news for everyone, and that'd be regarding the groom our daughter, Cheryl Jenner, has picked for herself." When the audience heard this, everyone clapped and cheered loudly for her for a long time. The people most excited for the news were undoubtedly the older generation of the Kingsleys, the Thomsons, and the Laurents. They got up and waved at Leon, Zane, and Steve, asking them to go over to them to receive the news. Seeing this, the trio couldn't help but feel their hearts thump wildly against their rib cages. Their faces turned as dark and thunderous. Still, they knew that they had to behave in social settings like this, so they forced a smile on their faces before begrudgingly walking over to their respective families. Francis and Meredith then glanced at Cheryl, exchanging eye contact with her. Cheryl immediately got the message and slightly lifted the hem of her skirt, carefully making her way to the center of the stage to be with her parents. Just as she'd steadied herself on her feet next to them, there was a loud buzzing noise coming from behind them. Cheryl and the rest of the audience cast their attention on the large screen behind them, which showed a very familiar face on display. It was Giselle Brussel, and she was sobbing inconsolably.