From Forgotten Wife To Fierce Queen - Chapter 98: Chapter 98

Millie was about to reach for the gift when Vivian quickly took the bag with the gift inside.
Her attitude was a bit dismissive as she said, "Thanks, go ahead and sit down."
Serena felt a little disappointed. She had hoped Millie would open the gift to see what was inside, so she asked in her sweet voice, "Aren't you going to open the gift for Rena to see?"
Millie also tugged at her mom's sleeve. "Mom, I want to see the gift Rena gave me."
She had opened all the other kids' gifts, but Rena's gift was the only one left unopened.
Vivian hesitated but still gave in to her daughter's request and took the gift. "Let me help you open it."
Looking at the brand logo on the gift bag, a prominent luxury brand, she couldn't help but curl her lips with a hint of sarcasm.
The items from this brand could cost tens of thousands of dollars, even over a hundred thousand. She didn't believe that Paisley, a single freelance mom, could afford such an expensive gift.
She took the gift box out of the bag, which was made of exquisite velvet. Vivian raised an eyebrow, thinking the fake item looked pretty convincing.
Finally, in front of everyone, she opened the gift box, revealing a princess crown adorned with crystals and diamonds.
Even though she had bought crystal shoes the day before, Paisley had thought it over and decided not to give them as a gift just yet. After all, it would be very awkward if the size didn't fit her.
So, after discussing it with Serena, they decided to give the crown first, and then the crystal shoes after Millie's birthday. Paisley rushed back to the mall, and luckily, the Harrowfell store had this crown in stock, so she bought it.
When Millie saw the crystal crown, her eyes lit up. Just like Serena had said, no princess could refuse crystal shoes, and no princess could refuse a crystal crown.
"Wow, it's the crystal crown I've always wanted!" Millie exclaimed, then hugged Serena. "Thank you, Rena, I love it!"
Seeing her friend so happy, Serena also grinned, giggling non-stop. The other girls attending the birthday party all looked at the crown with envious eyes. They all wished it was their birthday so Rena could give them a crystal crown too.
"Mom, put it on me!" Millie said, trying to wear the crown.
Vivian stopped her, closing the gift box and roughly stuffing it back into the bag, carelessly setting it aside. Everyone could hear the muffled sound as the gift box hit the floor. No one knew what condition the crown might be in now.
"Mom!" Millie pouted, upset, and stood up to look at the crown.
Vivian pulled her back down and told her to sit. "Sit down and eat your meal."
She wouldn't let her daughter wear a fake crown, lowering their family's status for no reason. Millie sulked, sitting back down at her seat, pouting.
"Ms. Sutton, thank you again. Please take a seat," Vivian repeated, a hint of impatience in her tone.
Paisley's gaze dimmed slightly. She could already feel the tension. But Serena seemed to enjoy herself, having no issues with Millie or the other kids, and everyone was getting along fine. They were even planning to play together later.
Paisley didn't want the adults' conflicts to affect the children or spoil Serena's mood, so she held back and sat with Serena in the very last corner seat.
"Wow, mom, there's water and fish on the table!" Serena exclaimed happily when she sat down, not at all upset or embarrassed by the seat being at the far end.
"Look, mom, there are little snacks floating on the water." Serena pointed to the snacks floating on the water, looking very pretty.
"Ms. Sutton, don't be shy, just let Rena eat whatever she wants. She doesn't get to eat this often, so let her have plenty today," Vivian said, acting generous, though the arrogance in her eyes was barely hidden.
Serena didn't notice the adults' emotions and took Vivian's words at face value. Smiling, she said, "Thank you."
However, Paisley and Serena's seats were so far at the edge that even the nearest snacks were out of reach. Paisley wanted to help Serena, but there was no way to do so.
At that moment, a man sitting next to Paisley extended his arm and placed a piece of snack into Serena's plate.
"Thank you," Paisley said politely, then realized that this man was Elara's father, Kevin.
Isabella, who had come along, shot a glare at her husband. "Why haven't I seen you offer Elara any snacks?"
Kevin looked awkward. "She couldn't reach, so I just helped a little."
Isabella still didn't look pleased. She turned and scooped all the snacks from the plate into her daughter's plate. "Eat. It's all for you."
She urged Elara to eat while shooting glares at Paisley from the corner of her eye, like she was a thief.
Vivian had made it clear—Paisley was single, with no stable job, and a child to raise. She was most likely some rich man's sugarbaby.
And this woman had the kind of seductive look that made all the men in the room turn their heads as soon as she entered. Even her usually quiet, obedient husband was helping her daughter with food.
Paisley's attention was entirely on Serena. She didn't notice anyone else.
The snack was a bit large, so she cut it into smaller pieces to make sure Serena didn't choke. Serena had been looking forward to it, but after taking a bite, her expression turned complex, as if she was trying not to vomit.
"What's wrong?" Paisley asked, immediately knowing by the look on her daughter's face that it must taste awful.
Serena reluctantly swallowed the bite in her mouth. "Mom, you eat it instead."
Sure enough, it was awful. Sticking to her principle of not wasting food, Paisley ate the remaining snack.
At that moment, Millie waved at a nearby waiter, and soon the waiter arrived with a bottle of wine, carefully placing it on the table. It was as if the bottle wasn't just wine, but some rare treasure.
The men who knew their wines immediately recognized the bottle and gasped, "Is that Cloud Crest Reserve?" Sure enough, it was the premium Cloud Crest brew.
"It's really Cloud Crest Reserve. This is a rare wine. Just this one bottle is worth more than several years of our average life expenses!"
Paisley looked at the familiar bottle, secretly rolling her eyes. 'What's the big deal? It's just wine.'
Hearing the dad's explanation, the other parents got excited.
Who would have thought that at a kindergarten birthday party, they would be able to taste such good wine!
"As expected from Vivian. We've really struck gold today!" said Parent A.
"Yeah, being able to taste Cloud Crest Reserve in this lifetime, I have no regrets!" said Parent B.
At this moment, Vivian's vanity was fully satisfied. She felt it was worth begging her husband for a month just to bring out this bottle of wine today.
"Only Vivian could get it. After all, her husband isn't ordinary, he's—" said Isabella.
"Isabella, don't say anymore," Vivian laughed, covering her mouth. On the surface, she stopped Isabella from talking, keeping up her humble image, but in reality, everyone in the room, except for Paisley and Serena, knew exactly who her husband was.
She picked up the wine bottle and personally poured a glass for each person, making sure each one was just enough for a single sip. After all, the wine was expensive, and even one sip cost quite a lot.
In her heart, she was feeling the sting, but she still maintained her generous image. "Everyone, please feel free to try it. We often drink Cloud Crest wine at home thanks to my humble husband."
Her words seemed modest, but every line subtly hinted that her husband was the general manager of the Cloud Crest Winery in Brightmoor.
"It's Millie's birthday, but isn't Mr. Morgan too busy? Why hasn't he returned to celebrate?" Isabella asked, trying to flatter Vivian and show how close they were.
At the mention of her husband, Vivian smiled shyly, "He's on his way back. He'll be here soon."
The parents present had seen Nate before. He was handsome and, importantly, he earned well and took care of his family. Therefore, the mothers at the party were all extremely envious of Vivian.
A small glass of wine was placed in front of Paisley, but thinking about having to drive home later, she decided not to drink it.
"Ms. Sutton, aren't you going to drink?" Kevin stared at the untouched wine glass in front of Paisley, clearly surprised.
It was quite a rare wine, and for the host to pour it for her was a big deal. People who were more considerate wouldn't ask for a second glass.
"Mmm, I don't really drink," Paisley replied. Cloud Crest Reserve wasn't the best wine from her own winery, and it couldn't compare to the craft brews she made herself.
Of course, due to her limited time each year, she couldn't make much wine, and it wasn't available every year.
Seeing Kevin still staring at her wine glass, Paisley pushed the glass toward him. "You can have it."
Kevin grinned widely, thanking her repeatedly before grabbing the glass and drinking it in one go.
Isabella looked at Paisley with increasing hostility, which left Paisley feeling confused.
Meanwhile, sitting at the head of the table, Vivian looked at Paisley with disdain. "This woman really doesn't know how lucky she is. She missed such a good wine. She'll probably never have another chance in her life."
The kids couldn't sit still. After eating a little, they went down from the table to play. Serena saw her friends getting off the table and followed them to join her buddies.
Paisley felt a bit uncomfortable sitting there alone, so she excused herself to go to the restroom. Just then, she almost bumped into another figure.
Max Godard, surrounded by a group of people, was heading towards a private room inside. As he passed by the corridor, he stopped for a moment, as he thought he saw a familiar figure.
"Oh, that's a kids' birthday party over there. If Mr. Godard finds it too noisy, I can arrange for another private room," the restaurant manager suggested.
Max waved his hand, in a good mood because his leg no longer hurt. "It's fine, this room will do."