The current situation was starting to give Claire a headache. She took turns looking at Leila and Mike, but she couldn't do anything to improve the atmosphere between them.
Andrew saw Claire's discouraged face and sighed. The man pulled his wife to one of the chairs while glaring at Mike. It's about time he taught his brother a lesson!
"Sister Claire, Brother Andrew, sorry for worrying you. I will be more careful in the future." Leila said when the husband and wife had sat down.
Leila's voice filled with guilt made Claire not have the heart to rebuke her. All the nagging and lectures she had prepared seemed to have disappeared without a trace. Claire wasn't the type to bring up past mistakes once the person apologized.
Lilia looked at Leila across the table. After she realized the woman's resemblance to Sylvia, she began to discover the little details she had overlooked. For example, the way that woman laughed reminded her of the sound of Sylvia's laughing. Apart from that, Leila's protruding canines were the same as Daniel's. Lilia's little brother had a pair of canines that were clearly visible whenever he spoke.
"Lilia, how about you eat something first?"
Jean's voice broke Lilia's reverie. She turned to her husband, just as she was putting away her favorite plate of grilled ribs. But somehow, it didn't look appetizing as usual.
Jean glanced at Claire, "Didn't the Irwan Family come here?" He asked.
Leila jumped at the question. She never thought of the possibility that her family might actually come here. So why was Jean asking her that now?
Claire took a sip of the glass of water prepared by the restaurant, then she shook her head, "We don't know what's going on here. How could we dare to let Grandpa Simon come here? What if something happened to Leila?"
It would be too risky if they brought Grandpa Simon to Surabaya without knowing Leila's current condition. The man might have had a heart attack if he found out that his granddaughter was a victim of pickpocketing.
Then Claire turned her attention back to Leila, "Have you called home and told them about your current condition?" She asked.
Leila nodded, "Of course you have, Sister Claire. I borrowed Brother Mike's cellphone to make a call because my cellphone and wallet were stolen. Because of that, I couldn't contact you earlier. I promise I won't repeat this mistake again." She said with an obedient expression.
Lilia listened to Leila's chatter without comment. She could imagine how much love the Irwan Family had for their daughter. If not, how could Claire and Andrew be so panicked when Leila disappeared in Surabaya.
The two of them couldn't possibly fly here just because they were worried about Leila's safety. If anything happened to that woman… The Irwan family would probably be enemies with the Austin Family for the rest of their life.
Claire nodded, "Okay, we don't need to discuss this matter again. How about we enjoy lunch together?" She said, trying to sound cheerful.
As if hearing Claire's words, the waitress came in with another tray of dishes they had ordered. The atmosphere in the room became peaceful as everyone was busy filling their plates.
But Lilia couldn't enjoy the food at all. She barely ate anything and the spoon stopped moving frequently. For the first time, Lilia lost her calm demeanor. And the cause was sitting across the table smiling innocently.
When Lilia put down her spoon and fork, the rice on the woman's plate still looked intact. Jean glanced at her with a worried expression, but Lilia didn't notice it at all. She was lost in her own thoughts.
Compared to Lilia's gloomy mood, Leila seemed so cheerful. The woman was enjoying all the attention Claire poured into her as they ate and chatted. The figure of Leila laughing with Claire reminded Lilia of the time when she entered the living room and found Leila with Sylvia.
Her mother could laugh out loud at Leila's chatter, something she never did when she was with Lilia. All these years, she had struggled with all her might and did everything Sylvia wanted just to get her mother smile at her.
But then Leila appeared and took everything Lilia was dreaming of. Her mother's smile, her loving gaze, Leila got all of that so easily.
Then what was the meaning of Lilia's struggle all this time?
The woman clenched her hands together so tightly that her nails stuck into her palms. Even so, Lilia barely noticed the pain. At this moment, her heart felt much more painful than her hands. But Lilia buried her pain deeply and wore a flat expression. She didn't want to show her weakness in front of everyone.
Right at that moment, Lilia met Leila's eyes. For an instant, the corner of Leila's mouth raised to form a triumphant smile. Then the smile vanished as fast as it appeared. But Lilia was sure that she didn't see it wrong. The woman deliberately provoked her.
Lilia gritted her teeth and clenched her fists even stronger until—
"Lilia."
When she heard that whisper, Jean's large hand wrapped Lilia's hand in hers. She turned to her husband in surprise.
The man slowly opened her fist, showing Lilia's palm that was torn and bleeding. Jean frowned when he saw the pitiful state of his wife's hand.
"...Let's go get some fresh air for a moment." He said in a low voice.
Without waiting for Lilia's answer, the man got up from his chair and startled everyone. They all turned their heads as Jean pulled Lilia to her feet.
"Jean, have you finished eating?" Claire asked while staring at the second plate. She also frowned when she saw that Lilia's food was barely touched.
"Yes." Jean replied briefly before leaving the room with Lilia.
*****
The sound of their footsteps echoed down the hallway leading to the restaurant's rear garden. Jean gripped Lilia's hand lightly, but the man was walking faster than usual. She was trying her best to match Jean's brisk pace, but the man's legs were longer than hers.
"Jean, wait a minute…! Are you sure we can just leave?" Lilia asked, moving herself in a jog so as not to fall behind, "Jean, listen to me ... Jean!"
The man suddenly stopped, causing Lilia to bump into his back.
"Why did you suddenly stop ...?" Lilia protested while rubbing the tip of her nose.
As Lilia looked around, she just realized the reason. They were already in the garden behind the restaurant, which was empty without a single visitor. But before Lilia could appreciate the beauty of the garden, Jean turned around and hugged her tightly.
"J-Jean? What is…?" Lilia asked, confused.
"Are you thinking about your mother?"
Jean's question made Lilia suddenly speechless. Her silence was enough for the man to answer. He sighed and stroked Lilia's hair in a gentle motion.
This was the first time Jean had seen Lilia so shaken. Even though Lilia insisted that she didn't love her mother, Sylvia was still the only mother figure she knew. There's no way this incident didn't affect Lilia.
Lilia buried her face in Jean's chest and spoke in a muffled voice, "Not really. I was just thinking… about something else."
"Then, what do you think?" Jean gently cheered her up.
Lilia was silent for quite a while before she finally whispered softly, "If I'm not my mother's child...then who am I?"
That question had been plaguing Lilia ever since she saw Leila and Sylvia. All this time, Lilia assumed that Sylvia was cold to her because she really didn't like girls. Lilia deliberately believed that so she wouldn't be hurt by Sylvia's favoritism towards Daniel.
But when she saw Sylvia's warm attitude towards Leila, her trust shattered to pieces. It's not like Sylvia didn't dislike girls. That woman just didn't like Lilia.
"I know the answer to your question."
When Lilia heard Jean's words, the man cupped her face with both hands. The warmth of Jean's hands burned Lilia's icy skin. The man's gentle gaze was like the sun chasing away the dark clouds in Lilia's heart.
"You are my wife. Even if you are not the daughter of the Pangestu Family, you are still Mrs. Lilia Widjaya.. That fact will not change for eternity."
This content is taken from fr(e)ewebn(o)vel.𝓬𝓸𝓶