A Drunken Decision ( Annabelle Ross )

Chapter 16 

Lucas did not feel like talking. If it were not for the fact that she was pregnant, he would have lifted her by the collar and brought her out of the room without any hesitation. 

Annabelle, who had been observing his expression, suddenly furrowed her brows. 

“Is he really that unwilling?” she wondered. “Can’t he smell his breath at all? Or perhaps…” 

Before she could finish her thoughts, Lucas interrupted through gritted teeth, “I don’t like eating garlic!” 

Shocked by his blatant dishonesty, Annabelle glared at him. 

“Back then, I was only giving an example of a bad habit that you might not be able to tolerate!” he grumbled. “That was all. What did you think it was?” 

After pondering for a moment, even she had to admit that his words made some sense. “But that doesn’t mean I can put up with those habits now!” she retorted. 

“Do your best, then! Of course, I’ll also try to put up with your flaws for the child’s sake.” 

Annabelle nodded, fully agreeing with what Lucas had just said. “In that case, I… I’ll try not to cry in the future,” she mumbled. After all, she still remembered how much he disliked women who teared up easily. 

He, too, nodded and hummed in acknowledgment before leading her downstairs for their meal. 

As she followed behind him, she could not help but wonder if their earlier conversation was what put her at ease. 

Since Lucas had said he would not be getting a divorce and would treat the marriage seriously, she had all the more reason to strive to be a dutiful wife and mother. In any case, she could not be a burden to him. 

As soon as they were downstairs, Annabelle happily greeted everyone she saw. Thanks to the change in her mood, her smile had gotten a lot bigger and brighter. 

The rest of the family was charmed by her sweet, saccharine voice and spoke to her just as gently. Elizabeth, however, merely rolled her eyes and strutted away. 

Annabelle had no idea why Elizabeth disliked her either. However, when she thought about how warm and loving the rest of the Walkers were, her sister–in–law’s unfriendliness no longer seemed that big of a deal. After all, there was no way she could make everybody like her when she was not gold or money. 

That said, she would continue working hard to integrate into the Walker family and try her best to get along with everyone. 

Having cheered herself up, Annabelle was once again full of vitality. 

During the meal, she was arranged to sit beside Lucas, where his sister usually sat. Naturally, such an arrangement caused Elizabeth to glare daggers at Annabelle out of displeasure. 

The latter felt wronged as she did not choose to sit there. 

Despite that, she dared not reciprocate the glare since she was new to the family. She felt so aggrieved that, in the end, her eyes started tearing up uncontrollably. 

Upon seeing Annabelle’s reaction, Elizabeth widened her eyes.. 

“What a pretentious bitch!” she grumbled inwardly 

“I haven’t done anything, have I? All she does is cry and act pitiful as though I’ve done something shockingly evil to her. I was right. She’s nothing but trouble! I bet she put on the same act to trick Lucas!” 

Just like that, her displeasure toward Annabelle snowballed. 

The truth was, Annabelle was just as frustrated with herself. There were times when she tried not to cry, but no matter what she did, nothing could stop her tears from welling up. 

Thankfully, she managed not to shed any tears that time around. However, afraid that she might lose control of her tears again, Annabelle decided to cast her thoughts aside and began digging into her meal. 

Her emotions went as quickly as they came, so it did not take long before the delicious food diverted her attention. The Walkers, who were still a little worried at first, smiled when they saw Annabelle’s genuine joy and urged her to eat more. 

During the first trimester of her pregnancy, not only did Annabelle have a poor appetite, but she also felt nauseous from time to time. Now that she was four months pregnant, her appetite suddenly improved, and everything tasted delicious to 

her. 

Seeing how Annabelle was enjoying her food while still being a picture of elegance, Susan chuckled from the seat opposite her. “We didn’t know what you liked to eat, so we made extra dishes, just in case. In the future, feel free to let Brenda know your cravings, and she’ll make them for you!” 

“Oh, I’m not picky at all. Thank you, Grandma!” Annabelle said smilingly. 

10:50 

Chapter 16 

“It’s good that you’re not a picky eater!” Susan replied cheerily. “Nothing beats a balanced diet!” 

Mary, too, chimed in, “That’s right. Lucas, on the other hand, doesn’t do well in this aspect. He hates onions, ginger, garlic, and even coriander. Can you imagine how hard it is for Brenda to cook for him?” 

After hearing that, Annabelle could not help but shoot a look of astonishment at the man beside her. “Wow. So the man in charge of Pearl Group is a picky eater. Who would’ve thought?” she pondered. 

“Eat your food,” Lucas said impassively as his gaze swept over her. 

“Okay!” Annabelle piped up. With that, she obediently turned her attention back to the food. 

roll back into her head. 

Everyone was amused by the duo’s interaction, except for Elizabeth, whose eyes were about to “What a scheming woman!” she thought angrily. “She pretends to be obedient in front of Lucas and acts so innocent with the rest of the family. But with me, she always puts on that pitiful look like I’ve bullied her!” 

Annabelle planned to help clear the dishes as soon as the meal was over, but Susan called her over before she could do so. “No, no, there’s no need for you to help with that. Come and have a chat with me!” 

Seeing Susan waiting for her with an extended hand, Annabelle hurriedly walked up and held her arm. 

Everyone else was happy to see such a scene, but once again, only Elizabeth snorted derisively. 

There was a saying that when someone was fond of a person, they could view all the latter’s shortcomings as strengths. 

On the contrary, even something as trivial as the sound of breathing would be a nuisance. 

The way Elizabeth felt toward Annabelle was the best example of that. No matter what the latter did, she would always find it utterly repulsive. 

She set the plates down angrily, wanting nothing more than to warn her parents about their lying, manipulative daughter–in–law. However, before she could even open her mouth, Lucas had walked up to drag her away by the collar. 

“Let go of me, Lucas! You’re embarrassing me!” Elizabeth protested, afraid that Annabelle might see her in that sorry state. If that happened, she would not be able to continue holding her head up high in the family. 

Lucas paid no heed to his sister’s complaints and only released her when they got to the sunroom at the back of the house. “Lucas, what are you doing?” Elizabeth whined. Upon recalling the look she received from Annabelle on their way out, she instantly felt anger welling up in her chest. “Could Lucas be trying to stand up for that pretentious woman?” She wondered. Instead of chewing his sister out from the get–go, Lucas kept his tone calm. “She’s one year younger than you.” 

“So what? Am I supposed to give in to her just because I’m a year older?” Elizabeth fumed. She was not going to stand for that, and besides, being younger was no excuse for Annabelle to manipulate the people around her. 

“No one’s telling you to give in to her. But, has she done anything to upset you?” 

Elizabeth rolled her eyes, not at all hiding her resentment for Annabelle. “Oh, she’s done so much! Of all the things she can learn at her age, why does she have to be a pretentious bitch? Also, wasn’t she the one who set you up? You obviously don’t want to get married, yet the rest of the family has forced you to be with someone like her!“. 

At the mention of that topic, she seethed with anger. “A man as outstanding as Lucas should be with someone of equal standing. How can Annabelle Ross ever be good enough for him?” she complained in her mind. 

When a thought popped up in her mind, Elizabeth suddenly remarked with a steely–eyed gaze, “Come to think of it, didn’t you give in only because of the child? If the child’s gone, you wouldn’t have to be with her anymore, would you?” She would do anything for her brother’s happiness, even if it meant playing the villain. 

Furthermore, she was certain that no child would live a happy life with Annabelle as their mother. 

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