Chapter 50

Mirabelle used a serving fork to place a piece of chicken on Liliana's plate.

Liliana was taken aback and nodded slightly, but before she could say thank you, she thought she heard a faint sneer from beside her.

She turned, her clear eyes meeting Cedric's.

For a fleeting moment, his profile was a perfect picture of contempt, but it vanished so quickly she thought she must have imagined it.

"Mom, you work too hard. You should eat more," Cedric said, the words laced with unspoken meaning as he placed food on her plate. It wasn't a suggestion. "Let's give that next project to Sylvia."

The conversation shifted seamlessly from small talk to business. When he and his mother were together, work was their constant refrain. But the sudden mention of Sylvia sent a sharp pang through Liliana's chest, forcing her to read a deeper meaning into his words. He was implying that an idle woman like her didn't even deserve to eat. The tone and expression he'd used only confirmed her interpretation.

"Her last two projects got excellent feedback and brought in significant profits. I have faith in her," Mirabelle said. She rarely praised anyone, but she followed up with a compliment for Cedric. "You were right to promote her. She lived up to your expectations. Your judgment of character is sound."

A hint of a smile touched Cedric's handsome face. "She is indeed a hard worker."

"No talking at the table," Dowager Forrest interjected, not fond of discussing business during meals. She had noticed the shift in Liliana's expression.

The Forrest family valued table manners, and a respectful silence fell over the dining room, broken only by the quiet clinking of cutlery.

Toward the end of the meal, Cedric's phone, resting beside him, suddenly rang. He snatched it up so quickly that Liliana didn't even see the caller's name.

"Don't move. I'm on my way."

Sitting closest to him, Liliana could hear the woman's voice on the other end. It was a familiar one: Sylvia.

"Grandma, Mom, Dad, please continue eating. I have something to attend to," Cedric said, rising from his chair. He gave a slight nod, a silent apology for his abrupt departure.

He completely ignored Liliana, his wife. He didn't say a word to her, didn't even spare her a glance.

Stoddard frowned, and Dowager Forrest's brow furrowed.

Mirabelle simply said, "Work is important. Drive safely."

Cedric grabbed his coat and left.

The atmosphere at the table instantly changed.

Liliana feigned indifference, focusing on her food, but the food felt like sawdust in her mouth. She wondered when she would finally stop feeling hurt by him and Sylvia. How much longer would this pain last? Maybe after the divorce, when she no longer had to see him, it

would get better. Out of sight, out of mind.

"Why have you stopped eating?" Mirabelle suddenly asked, noticing that both Dowager Forrest and Stoddard had put down their utensils.

Stoddard tried to lighten the mood. "We're eating. You've had a long day, dear. You should eat more."

Dowager Forrest smiled at Liliana. "Liliana's had a long day too. Eat up..."

"Thank you, Grandma," Liliana said, forcing herself to swallow the food in her mouth.

After dinner, she didn't linger. She drove home alone. In the confined space of the car, the faint scent of sunflowers filled the air. The roads were quiet and she drove at the upper limit of the speed.

Up ahead was a three-way intersection. As she began to slow down, a figure suddenly darted out into the road, running toward her and waving frantically.

Instinctively, she wrenched the steering wheel to the left. The car veered sharply, heading straight for a thick tree.

*CRUNCH *

With a deafening crash, the hood buckled, and black smoke billowed into the air.