Chapter 42: Chapter 42

Valerie walked into the apartment tiredly as she sat heavily on the couch.

Susan approached her from the inner room with a welcoming smile. “Look who we have here. The little lover girl!” Susan teased her.

With a snort, Valerie rolled her eyes. “What are you talking about, Susan? I'm not in for your jokes right now. What's for dinner? I'm freaking starving”.

“Starving? Why would you be starving after attending your malicious sister's glamorous wedding party?” Susan snapped at her.

Valerie smiled dryly. “Honestly, I wasn't comfortable at all. Especially when my boss had to pose as my boyfriend. Susan, how the hell do I show my face to him tomorrow? I feel so ashamed of myself”.

“You didn't invite him, did you? I still don't understand how he found out about your half-sister's wedding”, Susan shook his head.

Valerie bit her lips hard and winced. “I can't even remember telling him about it. What if he terminates my contract as his daughter's nanny? Oh, Susan!! I really don't want to lose my job. You know how long it took me to get such a good paying job, huh?”

On seeing her devastated, Susan sat beside her and patted her back. “Of course, he won't. You didn't invite him, he did it on his accord.”

Suddenly, Valerie flinched and turned to Susan again. “And this dress? Who could have sent it? Did you get any letters after I left the house?”

Gobsmacked, Susan scratched her head, confused. Valerie was right. Who could have sent the dress to her without asking for anything in return? She was disturbed. “You're right! Who could have sent the dress? Oh, dear! I think this is really getting out of hand”.

Valerie picked up the price tag on the dress, and stared at it for some time. The money with which the dress was bought could buy her entire life. How would she pay back if the dress was delivered wrongly? “Susan, I'm doomed.”

Susan replied. “Cheer up, Val. It's not your fault if it was wrongly delivered. By the way, why aren't you wearing your precious bracelet?”

Upon hearing that, Valerie quickly touched the wrist. That was when she realized that her bracelet wasn't with her. “Good heavens!” She exclaimed, and picked up her purse to look for it.

Pouring out everything from her purse to the table, she searched for the bangle. Unfortunately, it wasn't there.

“Did you drop it somewhere?”

She scratched her head, and gulped hard. “Nicole is really not going to take this lightly. I can't remember taking it off”.

“This is unbelievable. I can't believe that you lost that bracelet. You've always been so careful when it comes to it” Susan said with a sigh.

“This is the worst wedding ever. I have to find that bracelet, but where do I find it?”

…

“Why is this bracelet with you?”

Ethan shook his head. “Uhm… I picked it up. I'll return it to its owner”.

Nicole was furious, but he got a hold of himself. He touched the necklace on his neck, and sighed slightly. He had always taken good care of the necklace Valerie had given to him, but why would she let Ethan touch the precious bracelet he gave her? “This is Valerie's. Why should you be with it?”

Shocked, Ethan turned to him swiftly with arched eyebrows. “How did you know that?”

Nicole laughed coldly. “Why shouldn't I know that? Valerie and I are best of friends, and this bracelet was given to her by me”.

Ethan felt disappointed on hearing what Nicole had said. He felt jealousy surge through him and he thought.

“Valerie's special bracelet was actually a gift from Nicole? Are they really a thing? I can't believe that, Valerie. Why do they keep running after her? Her brother-in-law and my cousin are all after her.”

“Ethan? Are you listening at all?” Nicole yelled at him, and he blinked his eyes rapidly.

With a feigned smile, Ethan reluctantly replied. “Well, I just picked it up. I don't have any plans of taking the bracelet, so I'll give it back to her soon.”

Nicole shook his head in disagreement, and said. “You don't have to bother yourself. I'll return it to her myself”.

“No!” Ethan fumed.

Confused, Nicole raised his brows at him. “No? Why do you seem so possessive, Ethan? She's just your daughter's nanny, right? Why do you sound like she's her mother?”

After a few minutes of silence, Ethan laughed dryly at Nicole. “Yes, she's simply my daughter's nanny. But I was the one who picked this up, and it's only right if I return it.”

“Oh, brother! It doesn't matter. You don't have to work yourself up for this. I'll have this bracelet returned to your worker”.

Ethan knew Nicole might get the wrong impression if he didn't drop the argument, so without hesitation, he nodded his head. “Fine! You can give that to her. I'm tired, I'll retire to bed now”.

He walked upstairs still feeling pretty annoyed. He thought.

“Why am I annoyed? What's wrong with me?”

The next day, at Davison's villa. Valerie walked into the mansion and headed straight to the servant's quarter to change into her uniform.

“I hope I don't bump into the President. I can't face him right now.”

In a haste to get into the servant's quarter and avoid seeing the President, Valerie ended up bumping into Clara, who was heading out of the room. “Hey, Val. Are you okay?” She helped Valerie up.

Wearing a nervous smile, Valerie nodded her head rapidly. “Y… yes, I am”

“Are you certain? You look very nervous, Valerie”.

Exhaling deeply and smiling widely, Valerie patted her shoulder. “I'm fine. Just a little tired, that's all”.

Clara smiled back at her, and turned to leave but halted. “It's the second Saturday of the month. You know what you should do, right? You can't keep them waiting”.

Confused, Valerie blinked her eyes rapidly. She couldn't remember what was so special about the second Saturday of the month. Before she could ask Clara, she already hurried off.

“What does she mean by that? All I have to do is to avoid the President”.

A few minutes later, she headed straight to Audrey's room, and knocked two consecutive times before getting into the room. Scanning the room, she couldn't find Audrey in the room. “Where could she be?”

Suddenly, the door creaked open and Audrey rushed in. She was putting on a weird attire. “Miss old-fashioned, what are you still doing here? Daddy is waiting downstairs for us”.

On hearing that, her jaw dropped in shock. “Your daddy? Downstairs? Why?”

“You didn't read the activity list, did you?” Audrey shook her head.

Scratching her head, Valerie stammered. “I… I… I had no time to… to read it all”.

Audrey shrieked in excitement. “We're riding on a boat with daddy today. And guess what? I convinced daddy to let you come with us, and he agreed”.

Valerie cried out in disappointed, “What?”