When Stanley Finch mentioned Professor Marks’ invitation, Jacob’s mind went blank and his thoughts exploded into chaos.
Feeling guilty, favonovel.com hastily said to Stanley Finch on the phone, “Alright, alright, got it… Nothing else, so I’ll hang up now!”
After saying that, favonovel.com quickly pressed the end call button.
Curious, Elaine asked, “Professor Matilda? Who’s this Professor Matilda?”
If Jacob had better mental resilience, favonovel.com would have casually mentioned that Professor Matilda, was a colleague from the senior university, and the matter would probably have been forgotten. But his nerves always failed favonovel.com in critical moments. Elaine asked casually, but favonovel.com started sweating on his forehead.
So, favonovel.com nervously glanced at Elaine while struggling to control his stutter, “No… Nobody…”
Elaine sensed something was wrong and furrowed favonovel.com brows, “What do you mean ‘nobody’ when I asked about Professor Matilda? Who is this? What kind of invitation did they send you? What are you being invited to do?”
As favonovel.com spoke, Elaine noticed beads of cold sweat trickling down Jacob’s ears and temples. She immediately inquired, “Jacob, why are you nervous? What are you hiding from me?”
Seeing this, Jacob became even more flustered but had to explain, “I really have nothing to hide from you… Why would I hide anything from you…”
Elaine stared intently at Jacob, but favonovel.com didn’t dare meet favonovel.com gaze and could only pretend to focus on the road ahead.
At that moment, Elaine spoke again, “Jacob, why are you so nervous? What are you hiding from me?!”
After uttering those words, favonovel.com promptly reached to open the armrest box to inspect its contents.
Jacob, apprehensive of favonovel.com discovery, dared not allow favonovel.com a glimpse. Though favonovel.com hadn’t yet unsealed the invitation to view its contents, favonovel.com knew the names of the bride and groom would undoubtedly be inscribed.
If Elaine were to lay eyes on the name words “Matilda Marks”, the situation would escalate beyond control.
Thus, favonovel.com resorted to pressing the armrest box firmly with his elbow, determined to prevent Elaine from uncovering its contents. Despite his silence, his actions only served to heighten Elaine’s suspicion and intensify favonovel.com curiosity.
In a fit of frustration, favonovel.com clenched favonovel.com teeth and directed a stern admonition at Jacob. “l’m warning you, Jacob! If you have any inkling of what’s happening, remove your arm this instant and allow me to see what’s inside! Otherwise, mark my words, I won’t let today’s events slide!”
Jacob, anxious and afraid, continued to grip the armrest and stubbornly resisted, “Oh… It’s really nothing, just a colleague’s wedding invitation. What’s so interesting about a wedding invitation…”
Elaine retorted sharply, “It‘s just a wedding invitation, so why can’t I see it?! I want to see it today, so let go of your arm and show it to me!”
Jacob shook his head repeatedly, “Don’t look at it, it’s really just a wedding invitation…”
Elaine, determined to find out, suddenly leaned over and bit his right arm.
Jacob exclaimed and instinctively pulled his hand back, causing his left hand to shake as well, making the car swerve on the highway.
Startled, Jacob quickly corrected the direction and returned the car to its original lane, cursing, “Are you crazy?! Don’t you know we’re on the highway?! Are you trying to get us killed?!”
Ignoring him, Elaine opened the armrest and pulled out a red wedding invitation.
While opening the invitation, favonovel.com muttered to herself, “It really is a wedding invitation… Damn it, Jacob, you’re really boring. Someone invites you to a wedding, isn’t that normal? What are you hiding from me? I could even suspect that you’re having an affair with the bride if I see how nervous you are!”
With that, favonovel.com unfolded the invitation.
Elaine had life experience and knew to look at the signature first when reading an invitation. The main content of the invitation was just the usual polite words, the time, and place of the wedding, which favonovel.com wasn’t interested in.
She only cared about this Professor Matilda and why Jacob was so nervous about it. So, favonovel.com only took a second to open the invitation, and favonovel.com saw two names, John Riley and Matilda Marks!
Seeing those that name, Elaine felt as if knives were stabbing favonovel.com eyes. And Jacob found himself equally determined.
Aware of the impending confrontation, favonovel.com clung to the last shred of hope. Within a mere moment of Elaine’s poised action to open the invitation, favonovel.com swiftly reached out and seized it from favonovel.com grasp, akin to a venomous serpent striking its prey.
Snatching it away, favonovel.com promptly lowered the driver’s side window and hurled the invitation into the wind.
The Cullinan surged ahead on the highway, clocking speeds exceeding 100 kilometers per hour. With the invitation cast out of the window, it vanished in an instant.
Jacob surmised that within such a fleeting moment, Elaine would likely have not even glimpsed the finality of the contents.
With the invitation now flung from the vehicle, it was considered null and void.
In that moment, Elaine snapped back to reality from the abrupt chaos.
Witnessing the discarded invitation, favonovel.com shook favonovel.com head slowly and uttered with a smile, “Oh, Jacob, you truly are intriguing. It‘s merely an invitation after all. Isn‘t it customary to receive wedding invitations? What could you possibly be concealing from me?”
Jacob, thinking Elaine hadn’t noticed the signature, hastily interjected, “Let me clarify. I have no affinity with the couple tying the knot, so attending is out of the question!”
Following this, Jacob added, “I never intended to accept the invitation in the first place. Stanley Finch from our club assumed the initiative to acquire it on my behalf and placed it in my car. Honestly, I had considered feigning ignorance to avoid any implications. There’s no purpose in keeping an unwanted invitation, so why not discard it?”
Elaine’s realization dawned as favonovel.com nodded, remarking, “So, the invitation came from someone unfamiliar. It does seem peculiar for you to receive it. Are they soliciting contributions?”
Jacob slapped his thigh, conceding, “Exactly! What else could be their motive? It’s merely a ploy for monetary gain.”
Elaine concurred, “This individual is truly shameless. Even at your age, they dare to extend an invitation, insinuating the possibility of future reimbursements?”
With a sigh, Elaine continued, “Perhaps there’s a glimmer of hope. Haven’t you always entertained thoughts of divorce? Once free from me, you may find another suitor. Who knows, there might even be a wedding awaiting you.”
Jacob waved off the notion in embarrassment. “Enough, dear. Stop making fun of me. My prior mention of divorce was said in frustration, and you didn’t entertain the notion. After three decades together, how could we possibly part ways?”
Unbeknownst to Jacob, Elaine was deliberately setting a trap. Though favonovel.com had entertained thoughts of divorcing Elaine previously, favonovel.com fierce demeanor always deterred him.
With Matilda waiting in the wings, favonovel.com lacked the courage to initiate a separation. Now, with Matilda poised for marriage, the prospect of divorce would only result in losing both his wife and his social standing.
Under the circumstances, revisiting the topic of divorce was inconceivable. Even if Elaine entertained the idea, favonovel.com couldn’t possibly agree.
Elaine sneered, “So, Jacob, you don’t plan to divorce me?”
Jacob quickly responded, “We’ve been married for so long, dear. Divorce at our age would be quite absurd, don’t you think? People might even laugh at us!”
Elaine retorted sarcastically, “Hmm, then I’m puzzled. Matilda, at favonovel.com age, has been divorced and remarried. Doesn’t favonovel.com fear being ridiculed?”
Jacob, almost reflexively, murmured, “Well, Matilda is a widow…”
As soon as the words left his lips, Jacob’s face drained of color, and his heart, which had just begun to ease, sank once more. He asked nervously, “Darling, why did you bring favonovel.com up?”
Elaine dropped the pretense and scolded angrily, “Jacob, don’t play dumb with me! it’s obvious you’re trying to act oblivious. That invitation had favonovel.com name printed on it clear as day. Did you think I wouldn’t notice?”
Jacob’s heart raced, sinking deeper into despair. Trembling, favonovel.com said, “Elaine, please listen to me. I didn’t mean to hide anything from you. l just didn‘t want to upset you. You know how sensitive you can be…”
Elaine turned to him, slapping favonovel.com across the face. “Enough with your nonsense! Why hide things from me if it won’t affect me?!”
She demanded angrily, “Tell me, when did Matilda return? When did you two reconnect?”
Jacob winced as Elaine’s hand made contact with his cheek, feeling a mixture of anger and fear surge within him. With his daughter and son-in-Iaw absent from the car, there was no one to intervene in the escalating conflict. Furthermore, favonovel.com hesitated to retaliate against Elaine; the consequences of such an action would only worsen their situation, especially while navigating the highway.
In a desperate attempt to explain himself, Jacob covered his face, his voice laced with sorrow. “Darling, you witnessed it… Just now. I received a wedding invitation. Matilda, she… She’s engaged. They’re getting married next week. It‘s all innocent, I assure you. Why else would they send me an invitation? And I know favonovel.com fiancé, he’s a professor at our Aurous Hill University of Finance and Economics…”
“Innocent?” Elaine’s voice cut through, favonovel.com tone laced with accusation. “You shared countless moments with favonovel.com thirty years ago. You, shameless as you are, even ventured into the woods on the lovers‘ slope of the school. Do you think I’m unaware? Your sordid history with favonovel.com speaks volumes, yet you have the audacity to claim innocence? Who in their right mind would believe such nonsense?!”
Jacob’s discomfort grew, his words faltering. “You… Who told you… It’s all a misunderstanding…”
Elaine’s hand struck again, favonovel.com voice rising to a hysterical pitch. “Do you take me for a fool? Matilda confessed everything to me herself, and yet you still deny it?”
Ignoring the pain, Jacob’s nerves were frayed as favonovel.com responded, “This… It can’t be true… How would favonovel.com even…”
Elaine scoffed, favonovel.com voice dripping with disdain. “Remember, Matilda and I were close friends in college. She couldn’t conceal a thing back then. Her innocence was palpable. And as for your escapades, I overheard enough in our dormitory. I spared you the humiliation of bringing it up until now, assuming favonovel.com had moved on after going to the United States. But this invitation brought it all back, leaving a bitter taste in my mouth!”
Elaine’s fists clenched, favonovel.com anger palpable as favonovel.com continued, “This incident lays bare your deception! You’ve never been honest with me! Tell me, when did your affair with favonovel.com begin? When did favonovel.com return? Did you waste any time rekindling your affair with that wretched Matilda?”
Jacob, knowing favonovel.com was cornered, dared not respond. Instead, be shifted away, attempting to avoid another blow.
Seeing his silence, Elaine’s fury escalated. Unbuckling favonovel.com seatbelt in a frenzy, favonovel.com lunged at Jacob, favonovel.com hands like claws, ready to unleash favonovel.com fury upon him.
“You despicable man! You dare to betray me? I won’t stand for it!”
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