Chapter 12

The only sounds in the dining room of Anderson's home were the clinking of silverware against the ceramic plates. No one spoke; everyone remained silent. Walker was seething with anger, and the smell of the fish Florentine made it difficult for me to eat. However, I was determined to show the old hag that nothing she did could faze me.

Now let's start from earlier this evening, as soon as I walked through the door. My sisters-in-law were all over me, super pumped about my pregnancy. You'd think they were the ones expecting! Even the older in-laws were congratulating us, which surprised me since they'd always treated me like I was the reason for their problems ever since I married Walker. Especially his Aunt Emily, who's the last and only daughter of the chairwoman.

My mother-in-law didn't congratulate us. Instead, she stood behind with a strange expression on her face. Adelaine noticed this and asked, "What's wrong Aunt? Aren't you happy? You're finally having another grandchild."

Eleanor Anderson, Walker's mother, simply cleared her throat, "The chairwoman will soon be down. We must get seated at the dining table now," she said and went away. Walker followed her.

Tension hung in the air after that. Blake chuckled, "Don't mind her, Destiny. You know how she is, I'm sure she is happy," he said in an attempt to lighten the mood. I smiled at him, "It's alright."

We headed to the dining room. Since not everyone was present, we only occupied thirteen seats, which included: Uncle Will and his wife Martha with their first son Mark, along with his wife Celine. Aunty Emily and her daughters Adelaine and Sam. Blake, Walker, and me. Walker's parents and Grandmother.

The chairwoman joined us a few minutes later with a grim expression. When she looked at me, I only managed to irritate her further with a smile. As the maids brought our dinner, there were small business talks thrown here and there between Walker, his parents, and his uncle.

Suddenly, Grandmother asked, "Ah, I heard you're pregnant. How many weeks along are you?" She looked at me expectantly, but there was a hint of something else - a subtle probing. I smiled, deciding to play along. "Why ask when you already know?" I replied, my tone light but cautious. Lady Grace nodded, her expression unreadable. "I just want to make sure it won't be like the first one," she said, her voice dripping with an unspoken implication.

The room fell silent, the tension palpable. I forced a stiff smile, my mind racing. "What do you mean?" I asked, trying to sound nonchalant despite the growing unease.

Grandmother's smile was thin-lipped. "Oh, come now. You know exactly what I mean," she said, her eyes glinting with a challenge.

I felt a pang in my chest as I realized what she was referring to. "You mean...the miscarriage?" I asked, my voice barely above a whisper.

Grandmother's expression softened slightly, but her eyes remained piercing. "Yes, dear. I'm just concerned that...well, that history might repeat itself."

"Mother—" Eleanor started but Grandma glared at her, so she kept quiet. Nobody on the table seemed to want to stop her.

I took a deep breath, trying to push aside the emotions that threatened to surface. "I understand your concern, Grandmother," I said, my tone measured. "But I'm doing everything I can to ensure a healthy pregnancy this time around."

Lady Grace nodded, her gaze still intense. "I'm glad to hear that, dear. But sometimes, no matter how hard we try...things just don't go as planned."

Her words hung in the air, a subtle reminder of the uncertainty that lay ahead. I felt a shiver run down my spine, but I refused to let fear take hold.

Just as I was about to respond, Walker stepped in, his voice firm but calm. "Grandmother, I understand your concern, but I don't think it's fair to bring up the past like that. Destiny's been through enough already."

Lady Grace's eyes narrowed slightly, but Walker continued, his tone unwavering. "Just as Destiny said we're doing everything we can to ensure a healthy pregnancy, and we appreciate your support. But let's focus on the present, not the past. Nothing good will come from bringing it up." Walker squeezed my hand under the table.

Grandmother's expression softened, and she nodded slowly. "Of course, dear. I just want what's best for you both."

Walker smiled, but it didn't reach his eyes. "We know that, Grandmother. And we appreciate it."

The food was served. As I lifted the lid, a pungent fishy aroma wafted up, invading my senses. My stomach churned, and a wave of nausea washed over me. I felt my face pale, and my hand instinctively went to my mouth.

Grandmother's voice dripped with sarcasm as she spoke again. "Oh, I specifically asked the chef to prepare something healthy for you, dear. Fish florentine is an excellent choice, don't you think?" Her tone was laced with mockery, and I could sense her satisfaction at my obvious discomfort.

I swallowed hard, trying to compose myself. "It's...just a bit stronger than I expected," I managed to say, my voice strained.

Walker, sensing my distress, clutched my hand his own. "Grandmother, I think Destiny might need something a bit—" "—No. I'm fine. It just has a strong smell," I interjected and smiled at her. Two can play at this game.

Grandmother's smile turned icy, "I hope you enjoy it." "I definitely will," I bit back.

That's how ended up in that situation. I was glad that I was able to finish the food without giving in to the nausea. Sam took me outside for some fresh air after dinner, "You didn't have to do that. Grandma was just trying to provoke you," she said as we sat by the poolside.

"I know. But my pride won't let me let her win," I told her. Blake came out too with a glass of water in hand, "Here." he gave it to me. I thanked him and drank it all, "Where is Walker?" I asked even though I knew the answer.

Blake sat down, "He went to Grandma's study. I'm sorry about what she said." I looked at him, "You don't need to apologize to her. It's not like you did anything," I said and gave him a pointed look. Blake cleared his throat and said no more, while Sam pretended to be busy with her phone.

It was understandable why nobody in the family wanted to stand up against the chairwoman. She gave them the life they were living and she could take it away in an instant. In my opinion, if I had to choose between struggling to make it or having everything handed to me on a silver platter, I would choose the latter.

But I wasn't raised the way they were raised. While I was born rich, I had the privilege to do whatever I wanted and not have some dictator on my ass every time. So as much as I understood where they were coming from, I didn't agree with how they just stayed silent and let that old hag take control of their lives.

From her children to her grandchildren, except Walker, all their spouses were picked by her. They are very lucky that they ended up with very good people, and I'm sure Walker would have met a nice lady too, but that doesn't mean it's right.

Before I married Walker, he was also like that. I thought he would give in to the pressure when his grandma opposed our marriage, but he surprised me.

I'll never forget that day. It was raining hard as it was mid-June. I was in the living room of my apartment drinking coffee, and thinking about how our engagement was ruined. Suddenly, there was a loud knock on my door. I couldn't help but wonder who in their right mind would come to visit in such heavy rain. I was shocked when I opened the door and saw a very drenched Walker grinning at me. He didn't even bother to step inside; instead, he dropped the surprising news that his grandma had agreed to our marriage. He said we were going to elope if she didn't agree, I laughed.

"Why are you laughing?” Blake asked and I realized I was laughing out loud. I cleared my throat, “Nothing—” “—Destiny,” I turned at the mention of my name.

Eleanor stood at the back door wearing that same strange expression and I felt a little uneasy by that. “Yes Mother,” I answered. She gestured for me to follow her and left immediately. I looked at Sam and Blake and they had the same confused expression.

I stood up and went after her. She led me upstairs to one of the guest rooms. “Shut the door,” she ordered, and I closed it behind me. Eleanor paced around the room, her heels clicking on the tiles. The sound of her heels and her restless movement began to irritate me. “Why did you call me here?” I asked impatiently, hoping she would stop pacing.

Thankfully she did. She looked at me, her eyes held an unsettling gaze, “Why? Why didn't you leave?” she asked. I frowned, “What?”

She started pacing again, “I told you not to marry him. I told you not to marry Walker, but you didn't listen.”

“Mother—” She stepped closer to me, grabbing my shoulders tightly, “—I thought it was over when you lost the first one. I didn't know there would be a second. You were supposed to leave him. Why? Why did you have to be pregnant?!” Her fingers dug into my skin, and I struggled to push her off me.

“What are you doing? Stop it—”

“—The chairwoman will not rest until you're gone. She will do anything to drive you away from Walker. You have to leave, Destiny. That woman is more evil than you think,” she said, her eyes wild with fear.

I pushed her away, demanding, “What has gotten into you, Mother?!”

Eleanor took a deep breath, and suddenly she was back to normal. She adjusted her red dress and stood up straight. I was startled by the abrupt change and instinctively shifted away from her, holding my belly.

When she looked at me again, she seemed more composed, but there was still a wild look in her eyes. "This is me informing you about what is going to happen. You're going to end up like Gloria Thomas," she said before heading for the door. Then she paused and added, "Don't forget to call your brother." She left, closing the door behind her.

I stood in the empty room, speechless.