On the Ruins of His Regret I Soar novel Chapter 15

“What’s all this commotion?” Susan Lane asked, walking back into the room. “I turn my back for one minute and you’re all at each other’s throats?”

Jessica was the first to compose herself. “It’s nothing.”

Susan came and took her hand. “Let’s all go to the dining room. Dinner is ready.”

She led Jessica away, leaving the “happy family” of three to follow, laughing and talking amongst themselves. Jessica thought she was past caring, but a dull ache still throbbed in her chest. Susan sighed silently. This wouldn’t do. If things continued like this, that interloper would soon be the lady of the house.

Susan had never liked Catherine. Not when she was just the daughter of the Browns’ housekeeper, and not now. Even though Catherine and her mother had successfully married into the Brown family, who knew what vile traits from her biological father lurked in her genes?

At the dinner table, Susan made a suggestion. “Jessica majored in design in college. I heard you recently opened a design studio, Catherine. Now that Amy is older and doesn’t need her mother around constantly, perhaps Jessica could go work for you.”

Catherine shot a nervous glance at Lance.

“That studio was a gift for Catherine,” he said, his voice flat.

Susan put down her chopsticks.

Catherine quickly tried to smooth things over. “Susan. I’ve wanted to be a designer since high school, but… certain things happened, and I had to drop out and move abroad. Opening a studio has always been my lifelong dream, and Lance was just helping me achieve it. But if you really wants it, you can have it.”

Jessica smiled sweetly. “Oh, that’s so generous of you. In that case, I accept.”

Catherine’s smile twitched.

Susan hid a smirk and put a piece of fish on Jessica’s plate. Just when she thought they had won the battle, Lance spoke again, his voice cool and distant.

“What’s yours is yours. No one can take it from you.”

“Daddy is a good daddy,” Amy said seriously. “Don’t yell at him.”

Susan’s smile froze. She glanced worriedly at Jessica.

After dinner, Susan had a maid take Amy to her room and then led Jessica to the tea room. She poured Jessica a cup of water from an exquisite teapot.

“Jessica, you can’t keep being so cold to Lance and Amy. Think about how you were when you first got married. If you act like that again, you’ll have Lance wrapped around your finger in no time.”

Jessica took a sip of water. It tasted bitter. “I was only ever a substitute,” she said with a sad smile.

Lance had been best friends with her cousin. He had always treated her like a little sister.