Unexpected Blessing After Divorce

Chapter 190

Chapter 190 Winning Or Losing Is A Mindset

Annabelle came from the direction of the kitchen, and she was holding a fruit platter.

The hallway leading to the kitchen was by no means spacious, and Annabelle and Yuliana were right in the middle. One of them had to step aside to avoid bumping into the other. NôvelDrama.Org (C) content.

However, neither of them budged to let the other pass.

They held each other’s gaze for a few seconds. Annabelle was the first to break the silence, smiling as she said indifferently. “Do you think you’ve won, Yuliana?”

Annabelle was wearing a red sweater today, which she matched with a long skirt that hemmed at her calves to reveal the delicate silhouette of her legs and ankles. Her sweater was a very pretty red, and its cutting. accentuated her figure, too.

She let her long and straight hair fall over her shoulders. She was also wearing makeup. Every bit of her seemed to radiate feminine charm.

In contrast, Yuliana did not look half as good as Annabelle.

She had been wearing a down jacket when she arrived, and she took it off the moment she was indoors to reveal a baggy, light-colored, knitted blouse underneath that hung past her hips. Yuliana layered the blouse. over a shirt, and to accommodate her pregnancy, she finished her look with a pair of white, loose trousers.

She also pulled her hair into a low ponytail and managed to wear a light layer of makeup. Her shell-pink lips were bare, but she looked fresh and clean.

If Yuliana was a painting in bright, bold colors, then Annabelle was one in muted shades of pastel.

Nonetheless, it looked like Annabelle was more than capable of holding her own against Yuliana’s attractive appeal. If anything, Annabelle’s natural look belied a calm and collected energy, whereas Yuliana’s look came off as over-the-top.

Yuliana eyed Annabelle steadily and said, “Think whatever you like, but I never intended to compete against you in the first place.”

Annabelle strode forward and stopped a couple of steps away from Yuliana. Their heights were similar, but when it came to appearance, Annabelle’s strong, modelesque features would capture anyone’s attention at first sight.

Yuliana, on the other hand, had relatively more delicate features that would not necessarily turn heads, but she carried herself with effortless grace. If she stood next to Annabelle, she would easily outshine the latter.”

Annabelle stared at Yuliana’s impassive expression. Since the first day Annabelle came to know Yuliana, she had never seen Yuliana startled or upset, like she was born indifferent. There were times when Annabelle wished she could see what Yuliana looked like when she cried.

“You must really hate me, Yuliana, Annabelle said, chuckling. “Your beloved Harry only ever had eyes for me, and the father of your children will abandon you all without hesitation as soon as I call out for him. At the end of the day, your marriage to him means nothing.”

Yuliana let out a light, humorless laugh, pointing out, “Well, you may be right. Harry is in love with you, and Christopher would gladly abandon us just to be with you, but you’ve forgotten that both these men would rather have me as a wife than marry you. I’m Christopher’s wife now and the rightful daughter-in- law of the Solace family. You, on the other hand, have no place in Christopher’s life or his family. Don’t you think it’s awkward for you to be here?”

The smile on Annabelle’s face slipped when she heard this. She glowered at Yuliana as her grip tightened on the fruit platter.

After a while, she drawled sarcastically, “I didn’t think you could be so sharp-tongued, Ms. Livingstone. I guess I underestimated you.”

Yuliana had always been rational, and she did not like arguing with others. As far as she was concerned, arguing would not solve matters and would only worsen them. However, that did not mean she was a pushover.

She picked up psychology because of her career, and she had dabbled in the subject during her university days. Although she did not want to use psychology as a tool to analyze others’ behavior, she dived into the possible reasons behind Annabelle’s constant provocation.

Based on Yuliana’s observation, Annabelle liked to present herself as the stronger person with all the winning cards whenever they faced each other. This was enough to show that, deep down, Annabelle actually felt vulnerable whenever she saw Yuliana.

With that in mind, Yuliana smiled and stepped aside, saying, “Go on, then. I’ll continue this conversation with you, but I need to see if Joyce needs help in the kitchen.”

Hearing this, Annabelle gripped the fruit platter so tightly that her knuckles turned white.

She stared at Yuliana for a moment, then clenched her jaw and walked away.

Yuliana stood in place and waited until she calmed down before entering the kitchen.

Preparations for the family dinner were almost done. In the kitchen, Joyce was assessing every dish with care. Today was a special occasion, and unlike most other days, Joyce knew she could not afford to mess up the food.

She was still inspecting the food when Yuliana approached and greeted her. “Hey, Joyce.”

Joyce put down the lid of the ceramic pot and asked anxiously, “What are you doing here? The kitchen is hot and greasy from all the cooking. I don’t want you near the smoke, either, not while you’re still pregnant! If you need something, have the housekeeper give you a hand.”

Yuliana thought this was an overreaction on Joyce’s part and merely laughed it off. “I’m just here to see if you need help.”

As she said this, she glanced around the kitchen.

This was the first time she was in the kitchen of the Solace residence. It was a massive space rivaling a full-range kitchen in a large restaurant, and it was stocked with all manner of kitchen equipment and fittings. There were four others in the kitchen with Joyce as well. Some were preparing the raw ingredients while the rest were busy operating the stove and cooking multiple dishes. All in all, the kitchen was in full swing.

Joyce followed Yuliana’s gaze and explained, “The chefs are long-time staffers in the Solace residence, and they’re usually on different shifts. They’re only here together now to whip up the dishes in time to accommodate the crowd. As for the other two, they were originally in charge of different jobs, but we had them come over today to help the two chefs.”

Yuliana nodded. She vaguely recalled seeing the two who had come to offer extra help in the kitchen before, but she did not think she had ever seen the two chefs in person.

After that, Joyce led Yuliana to greet the two chefs, then led her out of the kitchen. She said, “There are a few more dishes to prep, and dinner will be ready afterward. I don’t need any help here, and besides, you’re not supposed to help out in the kitchen while you’re pregnant. The floor can be slippery, and the air is filled with smoke and grease. I don’t want you to get hurt.”

Yuliana nodded and obediently followed Joyce out of the kitchen.

Shortly after, they arrived at the greenhouse in the backyard. Four other women were there munching on fruit and sipping coffee while conversing. They looked like they were enjoying each other’s company.

Annabelle and Gemma were among them, too.

Just as Yuliana and Joyce reached the entryway, the latter did not immediately pull the former into the greenhouse. Instead, she stopped and informed quietly, “Yuliana, you’ve probably already met those women during Dad’s birthday banquet. They’re all daughters-in-law of the Solace family.”

After a pause, she added, “I’m sure you’ve met Annabelle as well.”

Yuliana nodded once. “I have.”

Joyce looked at her and appeared to hesitate before saying. “I know you might feel uncomfortable about events like these. But the Solace family is big enough to come with its fair share of complicated relationships, and putting up with them comes hand-in-hand with being a part of the family.”

Joyce knew this better than anyone as she had been in Yuliana’s shoes before.

Yuliana had only exchanged brief pleasantries with these women during Zachary’s birthday banquet, but no formal introductions were made. This was the first time Yuliana was celebrating New Year’s with the Solace. family since marrying Christopher, and heaven knew what these women might say about her if she did not promptly attend to them.

Joyce figured there was no better time than the present to let Yuliana meet them.