Chapter 7

Before Joel's unfamiliar fiancé arrived in West Brooke, her aunt Marie's birthday came first. Joel pushed aside all her negative emotions and spent half the day in the kitchen, preparing a full table of dishes. Seven years ago, she had been a pampered young lady who had never lifted a finger in the kitchen. But now, after leaving the Irwin family for seven years, she had become the person she wanted to be. Aunt Marie watched her for a long moment and sighed with a trace of sadness. "Joel, are you really going back to Oakshire? You know, Chris and Daniel both like you…" Yes, they had said so many times before. Love letters in their youth, drunken confessions as adults. But in just a few short months, the two men who claimed to like her so much had fallen for someone else. Joel wiped her hands clean, sat down at the table, and smiled. "We're all just friends. Going back to get married sounds fine, too. I hear my fiancé is really handsome—I'd say I scored a win." Her playful tone made Aunt Marie laugh. With a resigned look, Aunt Marie said, "Alright, alright. But why didn’t Chris and Daniel come to dinner today?" Every year on Aunt Marie's birthday, they would drop everything to celebrate with her. One would bring an expensive jade bracelet, and the other a valuable antique painting. Both of them tried their hardest to impress Aunt Marie, always leaving her both amused and exasperated. But today… Joel glanced at her phone. Two lonely messages sat there. Chris and Daniel had both said they were busy and would visit later to apologize in person. Joel sighed and said to Aunt Marie, "They had something urgent come up…" Aunt Marie seemed to realize something, her face showing a fleeting disappointment before she quickly brightened up again. Not wanting Joel to feel upset, she urged her to go out and buy some fruit, suggesting it might do her good to get some fresh air. Joel didn’t feel the need to clear her mind, but she went out anyway. At the supermarket, she ran into some unexpected people. There they were—Chris, Daniel, and Rosanne. Rosanne stood between the two men, casually picking out fruit. Chris was pushing a shopping cart, while Daniel, masked, carried a box of desserts. The three of them were chatting and laughing, looking like a picture-perfect family. When they noticed Joel, both Chris and Daniel looked visibly flustered. "Joel, what are you doing here?" Chris blurted out. Joel lowered her gaze, her voice calm and even. "If you can be here, why can’t I? Did you buy this place?" Chris faltered, awkwardly scratching his neck. "That’s not what I meant…" Joel nodded in understanding. "You’re busy. I need to get back to Aunt Marie now." At the mention of Aunt Marie, the two men grew even more uneasy. Daniel stammered as he tried to explain, "Joel, we were planning to visit your aunt. But Rosanne’s parents suddenly came into town, and we thought it would be polite to host them." So, they had gone to meet Rosanne's parents. "You’re not mad, are you?" Daniel asked nervously, staring intently into her eyes as if trying to reassure himself. "It’s such a small thing, nothing to be upset about, right?" To the current Joel, it truly was a small matter. Rosanne, her eyes darting thoughtfully, stepped forward with an apologetic smile. "Joel, I’m really sorry. I didn’t know today was your aunt’s birthday. But you and your aunt live in the same city, so you can have dinner together anytime. My parents, on the other hand, rarely visit. I hope you understand…"