Chapter 2 Engagement

Serena’s first instinct was to touch her bag, but the many eyes on her made her resist. She pinched the mahjong tiles, feeling their cold surface against her fingertips. The third sister-in-law raised her eyebrows and her voice an octave higher. “A pregnancy test stick? What’s so strange about that? Someone’s pregnant. We’re in a room full of women.”

The fourth sister-in-law shook her head. “Sister-in-law, this was left in the corner of the upstairs corridor. Which of tonight’s guests would randomly go upstairs? It’s not like there’s no bathroom downstairs. Besides, the upstairs bathroom is very hidden. Auntie wouldn’t take guests there.”

“So what?”

“So, it must be someone from the family.”

The family circle was small. The Forrest family had seven siblings. After the eldest son’s death, only six remained: three boys and three girls. Only two girls were present today. One was idle, and the other was pregnant. No one else could have used this.

Pregnancy is usually good news, but according to the fourth sister-in-law, doing it secretly was not.

The atmosphere froze instantly.

The third sister-in-law was the first to speak. “It’s not me. I’m already pregnant.”

Serena felt she should say something, but no words came out. Her heart pounded so hard it felt like it would leap out of her throat. She thought, it’s over.

What explanation could she offer if she was discovered?

Her father-in-law wouldn’t stop her from marrying again, but she needed a name to handle the situation. If that didn’t work, she could always ask Xiao Liu for help. He had helped her more than once before. As she racked her brains, a man suddenly stood up at the card table.

"Okay, okay, it's me, Fourth Sister-in-law. It’s so annoying that you still complain about every little thing!"

The person who stood up was a distant relative of the Forrest family, whom they called cousin. She blushed and explained that she and her boyfriend hadn’t met their parents yet, and she had been feeling nauseous for the past two days, thinking she was being tricked.

For the first time, Serena found her cousin so pleasing to the eye.

The card table returned to calm, and the fourth sister-in-law sat next to the third sister-in-law, giving her advice.

"Play this! Hey, when I came here, I heard that James was getting engaged."

Snap! The mahjong tile fell on the table. Serena picked it up and said regretfully, “I didn’t get what I wanted.”

"You’re not lucky today," the third sister-in-law remarked. "You heard right, we are getting engaged. Mr. Chen’s granddaughter is three years younger than James. She finally returned to China. She and James are old friends. Four years ago, after the car accident, she stayed with James in country M for a month, and our old Mr. Forrest was very satisfied with her."

"It’s her. Then why, last month, did old Mr. Forrest insist on asking James to discuss the resort project…"

The third sister-in-law looked at her cards and said with joy, “Yes, just to give them some alone time. I think they’ll have a good time. It will be officially announced today."

Oh, so that half-month business trip wasn’t about business at all, Serena thought. It was a romantic getaway. She focused on her cards, pushing all other thoughts aside.

"Now you’re the only one left among the Forrest siblings, second sister," someone remarked.

The second sister raised her chin. “It's all nonsense!"

Serena stood up, smiling. “Qingxiang, I just remembered I have a document that needs urgent attention. You all go ahead and play!"

The third sister-in-law, already losing halfway through the game, grumbled as she saw Serena leave. "Serena is just a little secretary, yet she’s busier than the president every day. Doesn’t she want to play with us?"

The fourth sibling pursed her lips. "Who knows why William went so crazy when he insisted on marrying her, turning the family upside down. But within a month of marrying this starlet, William was diagnosed with an illness. I’m telling you, this woman with the last name Winter is bad luck for the Forrest family. My father-in-law has such bad fortune. When he was young, he was deceived by the old Winter, and when he got older, his son was ruined by the young Winter. And don’t forget her mother, who’s in a vegetative state and costs the Forrest family 100,000 a month for treatment."

"That little money is nothing. Whatever the eldest brother leaves her will be enough for mother and daughter to live on for a lifetime. Honestly, I admire her. After less than a year of marriage, she became the Forrest family’s eldest daughter-in-law. If you provoke her, you still have to maintain appearances. If she remarries, the Forrest family will have to make some concessions. Look at her cunning—none of us can compare."

Shen Qingxiang frowned as she listened to the increasingly outrageous conversation. "Would you like to repeat what the fourth sister-in-law said about my eldest brother in front of the old man?"

The voice carried a sharp edge. Everyone turned in surprise to see James leaning against a low cabinet. Though a smile played on his lips, no one believed it was genuine.

Serena found a secluded, uninhabited corner to sit down. Her pregnancy test stick lay safely in her bag; at some point, James had slipped it back to her. She rubbed her forehead, trying to put the room's chaos behind her, but her worries lingered.

She recalled that night four years ago when her mother, who had been expected to recover, suddenly took a turn for the worse. The hospital issued three critical illness notices in quick succession. Panicked, she had called James, who was on a business trip in country M. But the person who answered was his assistant, who informed her that James had been in a car accident and was undergoing emergency surgery.

It's hard to describe how she felt at that moment. Neither "a bolt from the blue" nor "heartbreaking pain" seemed accurate. She sat shivering in the cold, harsh hospital corridor until William appeared.

Their reunion took place at William's hospital bedside. Serena was his wife, and James was his brother. They were surrounded by doctors, relatives, and friends. They looked at each other from a distance, familiar yet painfully unfamiliar.

No matter what, it was her betrayal that came first. James had every right to hate her. She deserved the torment he had inflicted upon her for the past three years.

But now, it was finally time for it all to end.

Serena could always distinguish a man's footsteps instantly. She turned around before he could get closer. James, as usual, wore no tie unless necessary, and now, with two buttons undone at the collar, he exuded an air of casual rebellion that matched his tousled hair.

Serena smiled at him. “Fifth brother, I heard about it. Congratulations.”

James paused, stopping half a meter away from her. They stood in the corridor, which opened onto a courtyard filled with flowers, trees, and lights. The outdoor lights complemented the ones inside, casting shadows across James's handsome features.

"Congratulations for what?" he asked.

"I heard you're getting engaged. Ms. Chen, Mr. Chen's granddaughter, who went through the same hardships with you four years ago, sounds lovely."

James's eyes sharpened. “She is indeed very good. At least she wouldn’t leave me to fend for myself in a foreign country.”

Serena felt a pang of sadness but maintained her smile. “Settling down soon will put William at ease.”

She tried to stand up, but the wicker chair caught the corner of her skirt. She awkwardly sat back down, her hands trembling as she tried to untangle the fabric. Taking a deep breath, she silently chanted to calm herself. Just then, James stepped closer, blocking her in the chair.

With his arms braced on either side of her, he leaned in, casting a shadow over her. His eyes burned with anger as he looked down at her.

"Why are you really here, Serena?" he demanded, his voice low and intense. "What's your plan this time?"

Serena's heart raced. She looked up at him, her own emotions swirling beneath her composed exterior. She had to be careful, not just for her own sake, but for the delicate balance she was trying to maintain in a world that felt increasingly precarious.

“I’m not here to cause trouble, James,” she said softly. “I just... wanted to wish you well.”

James’s expression remained hard, but there was a flicker of something in his eyes, something she couldn’t quite read. For a moment, they were just two people, caught in a web of past mistakes and present uncertainties, trying to find a way forward.

But in that moment, surrounded by shadows and strained whispers, Serena knew that their story was far from over.

"What qualifications do you have to reassure my eldest brother? You married him just to use his good intentions to get his money. He almost risked his life for you. And what did you do?" James paused, a contemptuous smile twisting his lips. "You climbed into my bed less than a month after his death. Do you think that can hold William's urn?"

A string in Serena's head snapped. She swung her hand at him, but James caught it effortlessly. He held her hand tightly, sneering, "Sister-in-law! What did I say wrong?"

Serena bit her lip, her chest heaving with suppressed emotion. James's face was handsome but merciless, like a harsh judge ready to dissect her soul and weigh each part.

After a moment, Serena lowered her eyes and sighed softly. "You are right. I am not qualified to be involved with your Forrest family. So, James..."

When she looked up again, her eyes were calm, like still water.

"Let's end this, now."