Filed to story: When His Wife Can’t Forgive
By coincidence, today was Juliet’s birthday. So, Philip asked Cliff to take her out for lunch.
At first, Cliff declined, arguing today was Laney’s competition.
But Philip just said, “I know, and the whole family will attend it. But Laney’s competition is in the evening. You can have lunch with Juliet at noon. No conflict.”
Cliff fumbled for a retort. The arrangement was solid. A lunch date would likely take about an hour, so he agreed in the end.
Cliff didn’t want to disappoint Laney, so he didn’t tell her he’d be late, figuring he could still make it before the competition started.
But things took a turn when Juliet’s whole family showed up and insisted on treating Cliff to a meal as an apology for Juliet stepping on Laney’s toes.
Philip had previously instructed him to handle the Foster family’s matters properly. Considering how Juliet had helped Madison before and how respectful the whole Foster family currently was, Cliff couldn’t turn them down.
As a result, Cliff ended up drinking too much, and by the time he left the table, his head was pounding. Feeling his presence in this state at Laney’s competition would be pointless, he asked Madison to tell Laney not to expect him.
Drunk, Cliff found himself later sleeping in a hotel room.
When Cliff woke up, it was already late. He checked his watch and noted the competition had ended a while ago. Rubbing his temples, he felt a strange emptiness. He figured Laney would likely be mad at him again and probably end up crying.
Cliff sighed, ignoring the headache, and headed for the restroom, intending to take a shower before setting off to pick Laney up.
Just then, someone swiped a card and walked in.
Cliff, who had only gotten half undressed, quickly threw his clothes back on.
Juliet entered. As the eldest daughter of the Foster family, she was not only stunning and well-educated but also smart and great at handling things, completely unlike her arrogant sister Kira.
Seeing Cliff was awake, Juliet gave him a soft smile. “Still not feeling well?” She placed the dinner down. “I asked your father to have the housekeeper prepare your favorite dishes.”
Cliff frowned. “Did you book this room for me?”
“Yes,” Juliet replied, her eyes full of admiration. “You were too drunk, so I went ahead and did it.”
Cliff pressed his lips together. “Thanks, but in the future, just reach out to my assistant for situations like this.”
Juliet wasn’t blind. She knew Cliff’s politeness was just a nice way of turning her down.
Today’s meal, meant to be an apology, was really just a setup against Cliff.
Cliff wasn’t interested in her, but Juliet liked him a lot. He had the looks and skills she was looking for, and with her nearing thirty, she didn’t want to delay marriage any longer.
Juliet shifted the topic. “Laney’s competition just wrapped up. There should be a celebration tonight. Since you missed it because of the drinking, how about buying a gift for her? I can go with you to deliver it.”
Cliff had actually been considering buying Laney a gift to make amends. However, going with Juliet, someone he barely knew, felt off, especially since they were both single.
“Miss Foster, if you have other things to do, go ahead. I’ll drive to meet her once I’m ready,” Cliff said.
Juliet chuckled. “What, are you scared of me?”
Cliff shrugged. “No. I just think it’s a small thing, not worth wasting your time.”
“Kira and Laney are on the same dance team. I need to celebrate with Kira. We’re on the same way, so it’s not a waste of time.”
Cliff recalled this was indeed the case. Though unsure about Juliet’s intentions, given the relationship between the Foster and Hopkins families, he knew better than to risk upsetting her. Plus, Juliet was flawless, making her both a good friend and business partner.
“Miss Foster, would you mind helping me pick out a gift to apologize?” Cliff asked.
Juliet’s eyes lit up. “I’d be happy to.”
Juliet had thought Laney was just a cousin to Cliff. So, she was surprised when the appeasing gift cost over a million. Curious, she said, “Mr. Hopkins, you really care about her.”
Cliff’s expression stayed neutral. “I treat my brother the same way.”
Meanwhile, after finishing her tasks, Laney had headed straight to the restaurant with Cliff’s parents.
Everyone was waiting for Cliff. The atmosphere was nice, but Laney kept checking the door.
Just when Laney was about to lose her patience, a waiter opened the door, and Cliff’s tall figure appeared.
Laney’s heart raced, ready to smile, but her expression froze the moment she saw the woman beside him.
Cliff and Juliet’s arrival caused a slight stir at the table.
Philip and Madison had been concerned about Cliff’s marriage prospects, but seeing him bring Juliet to dinner after their shared lunch made a strong statement.
Additionally, Juliet had recently saved Madison’s life, a gesture that made Madison feel deeply grateful to her.
With gratitude and affection building, Madison went over to Juliet and personally led her to a seat.
Gerry took a moment to assess Juliet. He recognized her from magazine features. She had modeled and promoted luxury brands as the daughter of the wealthy Foster family. In person, she was even more stunning than her photographs showed.
Gerry was quite impressed with this capable future sister-in-law. With her partnering with Cliff, the Hopkins family’s future would likely be more promising, which allowed him to breathe easier.
Gerry welcomed Juliet and introduced himself.
Juliet smiled and said, “I’ve heard so much about you, the most celebrated young director in our field.”
In truth, Gerry had gained recognition from just one daring movie.
Despite the joke, Gerry had a good sense of humor and wasn’t upset.
When shaking hands with Juliet, Gerry noticed her hand was somewhat cold. He jokingly scolded Cliff, “Cliff, it’s October, and she’s in a dress. Why didn’t you offer her your coat?”
Juliet smiled shyly. “I’m not cold. Mr. Hopkins’ car was nicely heated.”
Cliff remained poker-faced, ignoring Gerry’s playful words. He shifted his attention to Laney, who was sitting quietly by herself, and walked over to her with a present.
Laney had been watching Cliff and Juliet since their arrival. They stood side by side, looking like a perfect match, and the Hopkins family appeared genuinely happy to see them together. Each word they spoke felt like a stab to her heart.
As Cliff approached, Laney couldn’t muster a smile and instinctively turned her head away. She longed to run away but didn’t want to alarm her family or expose anything about her relationship with Cliff.
Cliff placed the gift bag beside her. “I promised to show up and watch your performance, but I drank too much at lunch and slept through it,” he explained simply, leaning closer. “Check out the gift. If you don’t like it, we can go shopping later.”
Laney felt a surge of bitterness rise within her heart. She clenched her fists, fought back tears, and managed to say, “Thank you, Cliff. I really appreciate it.”
Cliff was close enough to notice the strain in her voice, which triggered an ache of unease. “I’ll make sure to attend your next competition,” he assured her.
Laney felt a sense of numbness. His absence during her competition had let her down, and his words did little to calm her emotions. She kept her eyes down, murmuring, “Go ahead and eat. I’m fine.” Throughout the dinner, Laney seemed listless.
Cliff served some of her favorite dishes, yet she barely touched them, only sipping at her soup from time to time.
Cliff frowned, suspecting that she would likely end up searching through the fridge later.
At the same time, Juliet, who seemed just as disinterested in the meal, watched Laney closely. She couldn’t ignore it. Cliff’s focus was constantly on Laney.
Juliet was curious to discover what charm Laney, Cliff’s cousin, possessed. In the end, she concluded that there was nothing particularly special-just a quiet, delicate girl with smooth skin. Still, Cliff’s affection for Laney appeared to be overly generous.
“Mr. Hopkins, could you pour me a glass of water?” Juliet politely requested.
Cliff obliged, passing her a glass.
When Juliet took the glass, she purposely let her fingers brush against his hand for a moment longer.
Laney froze, her eyes locked on the action.
Juliet maintained the contact for a moment longer before letting go and then unexpectedly caught Laney’s gaze.
Taken by surprise, Laney experienced a brief moment of embarrassment. She was tempted to look away but refused to appear defeated, lightly biting her lip.
Juliet read her reaction and gave a knowing smile.
After that incident, Laney didn’t eat for the rest of the meal.
After dinner, Madison arranged for Cliff to drive Juliet home.
Cliff recognized his mother’s intentions but wasn’t in the right mood to deal with them. “I drank too much at lunch and now I have a headache. Have the driver take Miss Foster home instead,” he said.
Juliet readily agreed. After saying goodbye to the Hopkins family, she left gracefully, raising no suspicions.
Madison sighed. “What a good girl, absolutely perfect for Cliff in every way.”
Cliff did not reply, his eyes scanning the room. “Where’s Laney?” he asked.
Madison looked around and noticed Gerry escorting Laney to the car. She remembered Laney’s earlier disappointment and scolded, “Cliff, this was Laney’s first competition. How could you miss it? You’re normally so level-headed, but today, of all days, you were drunk.”
Cliff’s headache intensified. “Mom, it’s done. Let’s not discuss it anymore.”
Cliff headed toward Gerry’s car.
Laney was napping in the back seat. As Cliff climbed in and sat next to her, she straightened up.
Gerry complained, “Cliff, move to the front. Having both you and Laney in the back makes me feel like a chauffeur.”
In a foul mood, Cliff snapped, “You’re more of a hassle than any chauffeur! Shut up and drive.”
The tension in the car was thick.
Laney kept her eyes fixed on the scenery outside the window.
Cliff watched her, observing the elegant lines of her profile, her long hair falling over her chest, and a glimpse of her cheek catching the light and glimmering. She clearly seemed unhappy.
Cliff asked, “You don’t like the gift?”