Chapter 22: Just a Fun Thing to Do?
When Troy glanced up, he noticed Imogen standing at the door.
She was silhouetted against the light, making it hard to see her face clearly, but he sensed her gaze fixed on him
“Cedric and I bumped into each other in the hallway, so I thought I’d say hi to everyone,” Imogen said, smiling as she looked around the room.
Troy inquired, “Are you here with your friends for dinner?”
“Yes.”
Riley smiled at Imogen and asked, “What have you been up to lately?”
“Working on a project for McKesson.”
Riley was taken aback when he realized the significance of what she just said
But to others, it seemed like an innocuous remark as someone pointed at Sarah and asked, “Isn’t she the spokesperson for McKesson?”
Imogen walked over to the table and playfully poured herself a cup of tea into an empty wine glass. “Today, I’ll offer you tea instead of wine since we ran into each other,” she said, smiling. “I’ll treat you to dinner some other time. As your older brother, I raise my glass to you.”
She emphasized “older brother” clearly.
Since their marriage, Imogen rarely called him “older brother” anymore; instead, she used “Troy,” a sign of their closeness.
Imogen took a sip of tea from the glass.
“Thank you,” she said.
Imogen placed the wine glass down and added, “I have some other matters to attend to, so excuse me.”
Cedric interjected, “Imogen, you can’t leave without toasting your sister–in–law.”
Riley inwardly cursed Cedric for making such a foolish suggestion, but before he could intervene, some guys at the table playfully flirted with Imogen. “Come on, Imogen, your older brother acknowledges her as your sister–in–law; give her a toast!” one of them said. “Are you being rude to her?”
“Do you
still work together? Have a drink!” another said.
-Imogen closed her eyes and pouted
How could she have expected Sarah to drink a toast?
“Or perhaps you’d rather leave,” Riley suggested.
Cedric chimed in, “What’s the matter? Is Imogen unhappy with her brother’s wife? This is the one Troy calls ‘Madam Marshall.”
ווו
His words were laden with meaning.
Sarah, a girl raised by the Marshalls, how dare she mistreat the future Mrs. Marshall?
And little does Imogen know that Sarah is her sister–in–law. Is Mrs. Marshall still revered in their circle?
Imogen holds a special place in Grandpa Marshall’s heart. Does her behavior reflect his actions?
All eyes were on Imogen.
Sarah smile
tly and said, “Imogen doesn’t mean anything by it. Don’t make it
difficult for …, Cedric.”
“Troy, Sarah is your girlfriend; say something,” Cedric prodded.
All attention shifted to Troy.
As Imogen gazed at Troy, her hand involuntarily curled up.
Their eyes met, and their gazes intertwined.
He reached for a wine glass on the table, poured the bottom, and placed it in front of Imogen. “Imogen, toast your sister–in–law,” he said.
The word “sister–in–law” felt like a stab to her heart.
In front of so many friends, he asked her, his wife, to raise a toast to Sarah.
Does he see her as his wife, or is she just a casual affair to him
Imogen felt her body stiffen, as though she had fallen into an icy pit. A deep chill engulfed her, and her teeth chattered.
Troy lifted his hand, adjusted his tie, and squinted his eyes. “Aren’t you going to? Or do you not recognize your sister–in–law?”
The words stung, and a sour taste rose in her throat as the corners of her mouth drooped
Troy, you know just how to hurt her.
You’re the one thrusting the knife into her heart.
“Imogen, it’s just a toast to your sister–in–law,” someone else said, adding to her discomfort.
“Is that so difficult?
“Sarah is being kind. Should it be that hard to raise a glass to your sister–in–law?”
Imogen forced a smile, her face tensing up. She stepped forward, picked up the wine. glass from the table, lifted it toward Sarah, and downed it in one gulp.
Setting the wine glass down, she turned away without a word.
“Even she didn’t refuse the toast to her sister–in–law,” Cedric said, smiling and shaking
his head.
“She must really think she’s the true lady of the Marshall family. How dare she behave like this in front of Troy?
ווג,
“It’s great that she has a place in the company now. Sarah is going to be the face of the Marshalls, yet she doesn’t take it seriously. Troy, are you just going to watch Sarah get hurt?”
“Sneeze, sneeze,” Riley cleared his throat, noticing Troy’s displeased expression. “Let’s not discuss this right now,” he said.
Seeing Troy‘
refrained f
happy face, the others assumed he didn’t like Imogen, so they aying anything further.
However, one person, seemingly trying to please Troy and Sarah, suggested, “Troy, since Imogen is still single, why don’t you find her a husband? Her husband could make you happy, right?”
“That’s an interesting idea.”
The person was praised, and they grinned.
Suddenly, Troy stood up, and without warning, he kicked the person in the knee.
The person was caught off guard, falling to their knees in pain.
Everyone was taken aback.
Troy shot the person a cold look and said, “Even if Imogen is flawed, she is still part of the Marshall family. Don’t say that again.”
“Yes, yes, I won’t.”
“Let’s go,” Troy said to Sarah. “I’ll have the driver take you home.”
Though Imogen appeared composed when she returned to the private room, her heart was already aching, and she felt drained of energy.
As they all had work the next day, they refrained from staying up too late and left the
restaurant.
After Liam settled the bill, the three of them headed to the garage.
Alex waved goodbye and said, “My car is parked over there; I’ll leave now.”
“Hmm,” Imogen nodded, chatting with Liam briefly before telling him, “I should get going too.”
“Remember to come to my place for dinner in two days,” Liam reminded.
“Of course.”
As Alex walked away, he almost choked on his food. Was Liam really Imogen’s boyfriend?
Liam’s career was on the rise, and she didn’t want to jeopardize it, so she hadn’t made their relationship public.
Alex thought he had it all figured out.
Unbeknownst to Imogen, Alex had concocted numerous assumptions in such a short time.
Imogen parked her car in the garage and entered the living room with her purse, only to be surprised by Troy sitting on the couch.
He still wore his suit, leaning back with his elbows on the couch and his hands over his eyes, as if he had dozed off.
Upon hearing the door, he slowly raised his arm, opened his eyes, and looked straight
at her.
Troy inquire
re you home?
Without glancing at him, Imogen ignored him and headed straight upstairs.
Troy’s gaze darkened as he followed her until she disappeared at the top of the stairs. After a short while, Troy stood up and made his way to the master bedroom. Opening the door, he found it empty, but he could hear the sound of water running in the bathroom, indicating that Imogen was taking a shower.
His Adam’s apple bobbed up and down as he took off his collar, grabbed a towel from the closet, and went outside to the bathroom for a shower.
Upon returning to the room, Troy saw Imogen emerging from the bathroom.
The two locked eyes.