Faux Vows, True Desires

Chapter 447

"Why bother with all that, hon? Being the reigning lady of the house is no easy gig. We've got it good now, don't we? No worries in the world, and everything we need is taken care of."

Ashley was upset.

How did she end up marrying a man with no ambition?

"I can't even with you right now. I'm going to go chat with Olina."

Ashley stood up and left the room.

After a few steps, she paused, then turned on her heel and headed into the kitchen.

Soon after, she went out with a maid, who was carrying a tray with three dishes of freshly cooked food.

She couldn't outright stop Owen and Cecilia from being together, but she could definitely plant the seeds of doubt in Olina's mind.

Olina always thought very highly of herself, especially since she considered her son Owen the rightful heir, putting her on a pedestal. She never liked Cecilia much, so a few choice words in Olina's ear, and she would surely act as she always did, putting obstacles in the path of Owen and Cecilia's relationship.

From what Ashley had observed about the Yates family, they weren't the type to social climb or sell their daughter off to the highest bidder.

If Olina showed enough displeasure towards Cecilia, and the Yates were unwilling to see their daughter mistreated, and with Cecilia's spirit, she might just decide never to step foot in the Martinez household for the rest of her life.

Little did Cecilia know that the seemingly kind Ashley she met for the first time was scheming such plans.

As Lucinda put it, the Martinez and Anderson families were not cut from the same cloth. Being with Owen meant facing a lot.

Even ordinary families squabble over small benefits, turning against each other.

Not to mention the vast interests involved in prominent families like the Andersons, which were one in a million. From NôvelDrama.Org.

In the courtyard of the main house, Ashley spotted Olina.

Olina was alone, seemingly stewing in her own frustrations.

"Olina," Ashley called out with a smile as she approached Olina.

Caught in her sulk, Olina turned at the call, her brows furrowing at the sight of Ashley, but she stopped and asked indifferently, "Ashley, what brings you here?"

"I heard Cecilia was coming over for dinner, and last time, I noticed she really enjoyed these dishes. Luckily, my cook had prepared them this evening, so I thought I'd bring them over for you to treat Cecilia."

Ashley, deliberately mentioning Cecilia in a familiar way, grated on Olina's nerves.

Seeing the tray of dishes in the maid's hands, Olina's expression turned even sourer. "Ashley, watch your language. Cecilia is not my daughter-in-law. She's here for dinner, not 'coming back' for dinner. And we have plenty to offer her without your charitable delivery. What's your angle here?"

Ashley, ignoring Olina's icy demeanor, explained cheerfully, "Olina, I mean no harm. I just like Cecilia. She may not be your daughter-in-law now, but with Owen courting her again, she's bound to be my niece-in-law eventually. A niece-in-law coming over for dinner, and me bringing a few extra dishes is just an aunt showing care. I'm not insinuating anything about your household."

With a gesture, Ashley had the maid carry the dishes inside.

Approaching Olina, Ashley's tone was one of sincere advice, "Olina, Owen's been heartbroken over Ruby. Now he's found solace in Cecilia, who seems quite lovely. It was Trenton who chose her for Owen, how bad could she be? You should stop giving the young couple such a hard time."

"Look, Owen's not getting any younger. The new year is months away, and he'll be thirty. People his age are fathers already. Surely, you want grandchildren too, right? Let Owen and Cecilia get back together, so you can enjoy your days as a doting grandma sooner. It doesn't matter that Cecilia comes from a humble background. We can support her family. Trenton sees something special in her. You were so sure about Ruby, and how did that turn out?"

While Ashley seemed to be encouraging Olina to accept Cecilia, she was slyly reminding her that Cecilia was chosen by Trenton, implying that marrying Cecilia would mean supporting the Yates.

Owen was raised under the stern eye of Trenton, and Olina harbored resentment towards him, though she dared not speak out.

Owen's matters usually didn't require Olina's intervention, and now, even his choice of a wife was out of her hands. If Trenton had chosen a well-matched heiress for Owen, Olina might have coped. But Cecilia? The reality was too bitter for Olina to swallow.

After being threatened by her son and looking into Cecilia's business shares, Olina had considered turning a blind eye to the marriage.

But Ashley's words ignited a firestorm inside her. She couldn't let Owen marry Cecilia. It would be a laughingstock.

Laughingstock? Ashley and the other in-laws would have a field day!

In this household, Olina saw herself as more noble than her sisters-in-law, her son the favorite of Trenton.

She had clashed with Ashley time and again and couldn't afford to lose on the matter of her son's marriage.

So what if Trenton liked Cecilia?

He was old. How much longer could he last?

Once he was gone, as Owen's mother, she could easily manipulate or dismiss Cecilia.

Of course, it would be best if she could prevent Cecilia from marrying in at all.

"Mom, Ashley."

Owen arrived just then, hand in hand with Cecilia.

Owen's brow furrowed as he spotted his mother and Ashley idly chatting in the backyard. Nevertheless, he approached to greet them.

The relationship between his mother and Ashley had always been strained, and their being together surely meant Ashley was there to stir up trouble.

Despite past conflicts with Olina, Cecilia greeted her and Ashley with polite formality.

Olina held her head high, not even bothering to look at Cecilia or respond to her greeting.

Conversely, Ashley warmly stepped forward, taking Cecilia's hand with a smile. "Cecilia, it's been ages! You're such a stranger—I have been wanting to catch up. Drop the formality and just call me Ashley, like you used to."

Cecilia returned the smile. "Owen and I are just friends now, not married, so it doesn't feel right calling you Ashley. I've been busy and seldom have time to come around. If you really want to talk, you're always welcome at my shop."

Ashley was momentarily speechless.

Her words were indeed charming, but Cecilia had subtly undermined her.

If Ashley really wanted to talk, why not simply visit the Serendipity Cafe?

She surely knew where Cecilia's coffee shop was located.

Recovering quickly, Ashley chuckled, "I didn't want to intrude on your business, dear. I've been too shy to drop by."