Part 95

The events proceeded according to the instructions from the host.

Happy? Of course, Claire was happy. Especially seeing Bella's silly antics, who didn't hesitate to liven up the event alongside Gladwin and some of his office friends invited to the wedding, which surprised them as well.

After all, Claire's absence from the office had already been quite shocking, and now they were suddenly presented with news of a wedding they had never seen any signs of.

"I had my suspicions when our big boss showed up at my wedding, and it turns out he was after the cheese in the sandwich," Chand whispered when his friend arrived with his wife. Claire could only smile in response to that accusatory remark.

A snippet of the song that Adaline was singing on stage made Claire and Antony hold hands tightly, hoping that no obstacles would disturb them in the future.

Guests began to dwindle. Amidst welcoming guests, they also took several photo sessions—not just with colleagues but also to capture moments with family. While all this was filled with smiles and laughter, something made Antony suddenly stand frozen in place.

Claire was also quite surprised at what had caused her husband to freeze, staring intensely. But when she looked towards where her in-laws were sitting, she saw the same expression in both of their eyes. Then she followed the direction in which the three of them were looking.

Anastasia. The woman who had once been contracted to be Antony's fake girlfriend arrived in a bright red dress, looking elegant. Next to her walked a beautiful woman—her expression equally tense—wearing a knee-length white dress with her hair styled simply in a ponytail.

Both women looked like most of the guests—polite, elegant, and not overly flashy. Yet, for some reason, this made Antony and his family appear tense.

Who were they really not wanting to see among the two women?

Slowly, the two women walked up to the wedding stage. They greeted Richard and Gladwin, who were still standing there since their mother hadn't returned yet. Then the woman stood before Antony. Her face now seemed flushed, and her eyes appeared to glisten with tears.

"I'm truly sorry, and I'm genuinely happy for you," she said in Antony's father's language, which Claire didn't understand, her expression turning sorrowful. "I'm not here to ruin your happiness." She said this while looking at Claire, who was staring back in confusion. "I just want to apologize to you and your family for all the mistakes I made in the past," she continued, alternating her gaze between Antony and Claire.

Claire glanced at Antony, then at Anastasia, and finally at Gladwin. Anastasia immediately walked closer, shook Claire's hand, and whispered something in her ear.

"She's Antony's ex-wife and Flavia's biological mother. Just ask her what she means by coming here on your happy day," she said with a mocking tone.

Claire looked at the woman standing in front of her with a confused expression, then back at the beautiful woman still standing in front of Antony, equally bewildered.

Alright, this was indeed their happy moment, and Antony didn't want to let his emotions get the better of him and act childishly by lashing out at the woman recklessly.

He glanced at Antony, who was still staring at the woman, his body frozen. What was his husband doing now? What was he feeling after so long without seeing the woman who had once been his love?

Mr. Arthur and Mrs. Brianna then walked closer. "If you have something to say to Antony or to us, we can discuss it later," Mrs. Brianna said with a cold gaze and a firm tone.

The beautiful woman turned to Brianna and extended her hands. "Mom," she said softly, her eyes glistening. "Dad," she continued to Mr. Arthur, who responded with an equally cold stare.

"Leave. Don't ruin Antony's happiness with your presence," the middle-aged man said. The woman looked back at Antony with a pleading expression, but he completely ignored her. And out of nowhere, Letizia grabbed the woman's arm and led her down from the wedding stage.

"Claire..." Antony called her name softly, his eyes filled with regret. "I truly don't know why she's here or what her reasons are." He said this, still filled with remorse.

In a matter of seconds, the smile and happiness Claire had just felt evaporated. She turned to look at her husband and forced a smile onto her face.

"We'll find out what that woman wants later," he said flatly. He turned to see his mother, who had returned at some point and was now smiling at him with a sly grin. "I hope this isn't the answer to one of my prayers that God is cashing in on for you," he added, trying to contain his anger.

The celebration that ended with a tumultuous feeling finally came to a close. Claire hurried back to the dressing room as quickly as she could. Bella, who followed her, could only watch her friend with a questioning gaze.

What had happened in the last hours of the party? That was the question on her mind, but Bella didn't dare voice it to Claire. Just moments before, she had seen Claire so joyful and smiling every time she greeted a guest. What could have caused that expression to vanish in an instant?

Claire sat in a chair, her gaze directed at the large mirror in front of her. The makeup artists had already started to help remove the headpiece while others began cleaning the makeup from her face. Before long, Antony entered, his eyes fixed directly on Claire.

"Darling," he called softly.

Claire glanced over for a moment before speaking quietly. "Finish your business that you think is still unfinished first," she replied.

Bella and the makeup artists could clearly feel the tension in the room. They wanted to leave the dressing room to give Antony and Claire some privacy, but Claire forbade them, instructing them to finish everything quickly.

She no longer turned to look at the man who had just become her husband. Let everyone know that she was not okay right now. She couldn't hide the frustration in her heart. All of it was because of a name and the two women who had come as uninvited guests.

"How could they come to my wedding reception without an invitation?" Claire asked, her voice sharp as she directed the question at Bella.

Bella turned to look at her friend in the mirror before replying, "I don't know." She shrugged. "Could it be that someone at the company played a prank and deliberately sent them an invitation?" Bella asked, turning the question back to Claire.

Claire remained silent. All the invitations had been specially printed, listing each guest's name on every single one, not some handwritten notes that could be hastily made just because there was leftover paper.

Claire recalled how her mother had smiled when she saw Claire's confusion upon the arrival of Anastasia and the woman of Italian descent, who was none other than Antony's ex-wife.

Could her mother be involved in this?