8: 59 pm.
"Is this necessary?" Caesar asked. He looked well dressed even in simple suit pants and a pair of linen shirts. The sleeves were rolled to his forearms.
"What do you mean?" Lady Stoman glared at him. "I am trying to do damage control."
Caesar ran a frustrated finger over his black hair. "What damage control?" He had been irked all morning. She dared to hang up his call and then blocked him again and again.
"Even if you wanted your mistress, Caesar, it does not mean you shove a divorce in her face." Lady Stoman slapped her hands on the table. "She is your wife, and divorcing her is no more than asking for a scandal. You are a public figure, an uncontrolled famous one! People are watching you back and forth, anything to write a story about out there. They will have your names all over the tabs. Is that what you want for yourself and for this family?"
"Mother." A lady's laughter echoed. "Let brother be. He did what he wanted. I bet he didn't expect sister-in-law to sign it, eh?"
Both Caesar and his mother turned their gazes. A woman who looked about the age of 25 with facial similarities to him settled into one of the dining chairs. "He had it coming. Did he think she would bark for him for the rest of her life?"
She shook her head, amused.
Lady Stoman snapped, "Eloise! Shut up your mouth! Do you think now is the time for this?"
Eloise shrugged. She threw Caesar a look. "Do you disagree with me, older brother?"
Caesar parted his lips to speak. But just then, a maid hurried into the dining room.
"Madam." She bowed at the waist
Lady Stoman frowned. "Is there a problem?"
"You told me to inform you. Young Ms has arrived."
"Eh, sister in law?" Eloise chuckled. "Ohhhh!"
"Escort her in–"
"No need. I am not lost, ma."
The very familiar voice made Caesar go rigid in his seat. He lifted his head and slowly turned. To think she actually came…
His throat went dry.
At the entrance, there she stood, a sly smile evident on her face. His gaze locked onto her pitch-black pupils for a while before falling low, low, and lower upon the dress she had on. An exotic red dress that showed off all the curves of her body regardless of how much more slender she'd grown over the course of the years from stress.
Caesar swallowed. He could not help that his eyes followed her movement as she bounced her hair with her hands, settling it better into place to fall all the way to her bottom. Lilian had long hair. Beautifully long and silky, one of the traits that made her stand out easily.
He was uncomfortable. He felt suffocated against his will.
"Would you look at that?" The sudden whistle of admiration made him turn his head. It was his sister Eloise who'd done it while watching Lilian with a large grin on her face. "Sister in law, it really is a shame I'm not a man. Otherwise, I'd have shown my brother what good taste really is."
She shook her head in dejection as though mourning for Caesar.
This made Lilian chuckle. She saw herself further in, and whether it was deliberate or not, she settled down in the chair next to the head seat Caesar sat on. But not even for one or even a single moment did she spare him a glance.
One would think he did not exist in her sight nor her world.
Caesar's handsome face was unsightly. He clenched and unclenched his hands. He didn't say a single word.
"I'm happy that you made it," Lady Stoman said. "Please go ahead and feel at home. Many delicious dishes have been prepared."
Lilian nodded. She did not hold back, reaching over the table to pick many delicacies to eat. All this while, the three family members could only stare at her.
Lilian chewed. Her smile never fell off.
Eloise could not help but laugh. "Sister in law, when did you become so funny?"
Lilian pointed at herself. "Me?"
"Yes." Eloise nodded. "I mean, you were not bad before, but something is just so different about you now. I can't help but notice. Aish."
"You flatter me, Eloise," Lilian giggled.
The more Caesar watched this nonsense, the more unsightly he grew.
Lady Stoman had not expected things to start off this way. She cleared her throat. "Eh, Lilian, you know why I wanted you over. I understand that you and Caesar have some misunderstandings. But do you not think it can be cleared? That you two can—"
"Not at all." Lilian shook her head. She swallowed her meal. "No, no, no, that cannot be done. Ma, your son and I are already divorced. Fixing things will simply mean getting married all over again. But you see, I'm no longer interested in your son. There are many men out there, why should it be him? I've lost interest, and so, we have mutually parted ways."
Lady Stoman's stress worsened. "I understand all this, my dear, but…"
She was at a loss for what to do.
Lilian sighed. "Ma, you should not stress yourself this way. I have taken down the post. You have nothing more to worry about. Marriage should be done by two people who love each other. Caesar does not love me, nor do I love him anymore. Putting us back together is only a mistake. This mess will repeat itself again, so let us not do this."
At this point, Lady Stoman could only stare at her. She truly was at a loss. More so, her son did not even utter a word nor cared enough to fix the relationship he ruined.
She rubbed her temple in deep stress.
The dinner went on.
At this table, only two women ate happily. The mother and son were left in a sour mood even as the clock ticked by in a steady rhythm.
Eloise smirked as she said suddenly, "Brother, aren't you hungry? You came here all the way from your manor. I'm sure you ate nothing."
Caesar looked at her with cold eyes.
"Don't look at me like that," she scoffed. "I didn't serve your wife divorce. That was you."
"Eloise, shut up!" Lady Stoman snapped.
It startled Lilian, who paused chewing on her food. She watched the family, and all of a sudden, it made her awkward enough to feel nauseous. Quickly, she got to her feet.
"I'd like to use the bathroom. Excuse me."