Chapter 525: You Truly Are Renee’s Friends
Chapter 525: Chapter 525: You Truly Are Renee’s Friends
"Faye." Renee stood in the doorway of the private room, waving at her.
Faye Wyatt had said she was coming over, so Renee was waiting by the door.
"Renee." Faye Wyatt smiled and opened her arms to her. "We keep running into each other! It’s fate."
Renee Jennings raised an eyebrow. "Yes. Shall we go inside and chat?"
"Okay," Faye Wyatt nodded.
The two of them entered the private room together.
It was Faye Wyatt’s first time meeting Michelle Fuller and Sylvia Brooks, and she greeted them with open enthusiasm. "Hi there! I’m Faye Wyatt."
"Hello, I’m Sylvia Brooks." Sylvia Brooks rose and held out her hand.
Michelle Fuller spoke up next. "I’m Michelle Fuller."
"It’s nice to meet you, Summer." Faye Wyatt took her hand, her smile radiant. "Just call me Fanny."
She then took Michelle’s hand. "Nice to meet you, Michelle. You can call me Fanny, just like Renee does."
"Okay," Sylvia Brooks and Michelle Fuller replied, inviting her to sit down and eat.
Faye Wyatt didn’t stand on ceremony. "Great! I love hanging out with you girls."
"Girls?" Sylvia Brooks smiled, raising an eyebrow. "Aren’t you a girl too?"
"Me?" Faye Wyatt laughed until her eyes crinkled. "I’m not a girl anymore. I’m an old gal."
"No way!" Michelle Fuller said, looking at her in astonishment. "You look thirty at most! How can you call yourself an old gal? You’re still so young!"
Faye Wyatt roared with laughter, absolutely delighted. "You two really are Renee’s friends. Just as charming as she is."
An image of Yvonne Morgan flashed through her mind.
’Lunch with Yvonne Morgan earlier hadn’t been nearly this relaxed.’
’That girl was always so prim and proper, constantly putting on that demure, obedient act. It was no fun at all.’
’Eating with her earlier, Faye Wyatt felt like the food was tasteless.’
’But sitting here now, her appetite suddenly returned. Everything smelled delicious, and she wanted to try a bite of everything.’
’It’s really true what they say—who you eat with is so important.’
Sitting between the three young women, Faye Wyatt was grinning from ear to ear. Everything tasted delicious, and she completely lost track of time.
Back in their private room, Zoe Morgan and Yvonne Morgan waited and waited, sitting and then standing, but Faye still didn’t return.
"Auntie," Yvonne Morgan said softly, "is Aunt Fanny not coming back?"
"I doubt it." Zoe Morgan glanced at Faye Wyatt’s seat. "Her purse is still here. I’ll give her a call."
She picked up her phone and dialed Faye Wyatt’s number.
After a few rings, Faye Wyatt’s cheerful voice came through. "Vivi, are you guys finished?"
Zoe Morgan frowned. She took a deep breath before speaking slowly, "Fanny, how much longer will you be? The food’s getting cold."
"I’m on my way now." Faye Wyatt hung up and said to Renee and her friends, "Wait for me a sec, I’m just going back to grab my purse."
She returned to her original private room, beaming. "Have you finished eating? Are you about to leave?"
"Fanny, aren’t you going to eat?" Zoe Morgan asked.
"Didn’t you say the food was cold? Then there’s no point in eating." Faye Wyatt said, picking up her purse. "Let’s get together again some other time."
"Aunt Fanny, we can just order something new if the food’s cold," Yvonne Morgan said urgently. "I noticed you barely ate anything. Let me order some more food for you."
"No, it’s fine." Faye Wyatt waved it off. "I had a few bites with Renee’s group. I’m not hungry."
Yvonne Morgan’s expression almost twisted into a snarl.
’That damned old hag! I went out of my way to treat her to lunch, and she ditches me halfway through to go hang out with Renee Jennings? What the hell is that supposed to mean?’
Zoe Morgan was also displeased, but she didn’t let it show. Instead, she just smiled and joked, "Yvonne, your Aunt Fanny is just trying to help you save money."
"Is that so," Yvonne Morgan said with a strained smile. "Then I suppose I should thank Aunt Fanny."
Faye Wyatt pressed her lips together, not responding to the jab.
The three of them left the private room. Halfway down the hall, Faye Wyatt slowed her pace. "Vivi, you and Yvonne be careful on your way home."
"What?" Zoe Morgan frowned in confusion. "You’re not leaving?"
"A bit later," Faye Wyatt said breezily. "I’m going to go back and chat with Renee and her friends about the zoo."
The light in Yvonne Morgan’s eyes dimmed, but she forced a smile and said in her usual sweet, docile voice, "Well, Aunt Fanny should be careful on her way home later, too."
’Hope you get into a car accident.’
"I will," Faye Wyatt nodded. She turned to Zoe Morgan and patted her arm. "We’ll do this again sometime."
Zoe Morgan stared at her, her face a blank mask.
As if she hadn’t noticed, Faye Wyatt turned and knocked on the door of the private room to their right.
The door opened, and Yvonne Morgan caught a glimpse of Renee Jennings’s slender figure.
She gritted her teeth as hatred churned violently in her chest.
’Slut!’
Zoe Morgan glanced over at her and said gently, "Yvonne, are you coming over to my place tonight?"
But Yvonne Morgan declined. "Some other time, Auntie. I’m worried about Mom’s health."
’Her parents had been cold toward her lately; she had to do her best to show them how devoted a daughter she was.’
Zoe Morgan nodded. "All right, I’ll take you home first."
"Thank you, Auntie," Yvonne Morgan said gently.
On the way back to the Morgan residence, Yvonne Morgan even stopped to buy some pastries from the shop Aria Sinclair loved.
"Mom’s appetite hasn’t been good lately. I’m so worried about her."
"Her appetite’s poor?" Zoe Morgan asked, concerned. "Has she gone to see a doctor?"
Yvonne Morgan was silent for a few seconds before saying quietly, "A doctor’s visit probably won’t help. Mom has no appetite because of my sister, Renee Jennings."
"It’s because of her again?" Zoe Morgan frowned.
"Mom really misses Renee."
Zoe Morgan gripped the steering wheel tightly. "How can my sister-in-law be like this?" she said, exasperated.
"It’s understandable, really." Yvonne Morgan lowered her head, her voice soft. "After all, Renee is her biological daughter."
Zoe Morgan’s expression darkened, her tone laced with displeasure. "But has she considered your feelings? You’re her daughter, too."
"I..." Yvonne Morgan bit her lip. "I’ll be fine."
"Don’t say things like that." Zoe Morgan took her hand, her voice stern. "I need to have another talk with my sister-in-law."
"You don’t have to. I don’t want to make things difficult for you, Auntie."
"It’s no trouble at all, as long as it makes you happy."
Yvonne Morgan took a deep breath, her voice catching. "Auntie, thank you, really. If it weren’t for you, I don’t know what I’d do..."
"Yvonne," Zoe Morgan said, her heart aching for her. "You’ve been through so much."
Yvonne Morgan lowered her eyes, the corner of her mouth twisting into a cold, disdainful sneer.
’Old hag. You know I’m suffering, but you haven’t done a single thing to help. You’re completely useless.’
Though she thought this, she didn’t let it show. Instead, she squeezed Zoe Morgan’s hand, tears of gratitude streaming down her face. "I’ll be fine, Auntie. Please don’t let me come between you and Mom."