Chapter 5

After leaving the old janitor's house he knew as Warner, Adam headed straight to the Anderson family lawyer's office. Unfortunately, Mr. Edmund—the lawyer—wasn't in England. He was in Norway and might only return in a week.

"Why is my luck so cursed? Have I committed too many sins in the past?" As it was getting late in the day, Adam decided to return to Brighton. Only that house could be his temporary refuge. There was nothing else he remembered, he even forgot Laura's message.

Adam entered the Smith family home with a tired body and mind. If he wanted to return, he had to be patient and cautious. Otherwise, his uncle's subordinates might find him first.

"Where have you been?" Margaret's voice startled Adam. He lazily rolled his eyes before turning to face Margaret.

"What's up, Mom?" he asked lazily.

Margaret looked Adam up and down. "Where have you been? What did you bring back?" Margaret mocked Adam when she saw his empty hands. "I thought your business would make you rich and bring back lots of money. Yet, you didn't even bring anything."

"I'll go to my room, Mom." Not wanting to respond to Margaret's hurtful remarks, Adam chose to enter his room. He didn't care even though his mother-in-law kept shouting behind him. His head was pounding when he found out that his trusted person had betrayed him.

Just a few minutes after entering his room, Adam, who was sitting on the edge of the bed, was startled by the door opening. Apparently, Laura had returned.

"Did you buy what I asked for?" Laura asked.

"Sorry, I forgot."

Laura, who was about to enter the bathroom, turned back and stared sharply at Adam.

"How could you forget? What have you been doing all day?" The woman began to scold, hurting Adam's pride. "Indeed, as Mommy said, you are useless!"

After saying that, Laura entered the bathroom, slamming the door loud enough to be heard. Adam closed his eyes and took a deep breath.

***

The living room of one of the esteemed families in Brighton became busier as the night grew darker. Tonight was the birthday celebration of Mr. Ferdinand Smith, the patriarch of the Smith family.

"Father." Ronald Smith, the eldest son of the family, came to greet. Beside him was Belinda—his wife, and on his other side was Victor Smith—the only son.

Mr. Ferdinand looked very happy to see his son's arrival with his family.

"What have you brought, Son?" Mr. Ferdinand asked Ronald.

Ronald turned to his son, raising an eyebrow as a signal. Victor took a step forward. He slightly bowed as a sign of respect to his grandfather.

"I have brought a painting by Hao Liu, Grandfather. I hope you like it," the man said politely with a smile on his face.

Mr. Ferdinand's eyes widened. "Hao Liu?" he exclaimed with a wide smile. "Where did you get it?"

Hao Liu was a 15th-century Chinese painter. Throughout his life, Hao Liu painted only five pieces, and each was very valuable. Their prices could reach hundreds of thousands of dollars.

Victor smiled faintly. "I have many connections from various countries. It's not difficult to get a painting like that," he said arrogantly. Victor turned his body and signaled his subordinate to bring the intended painting.

Mr. Ferdinand stared at the painting without blinking, his mouth even hanging open. He had long desired one of Hao Liu's works since he saw them at an exhibition in Beijing five years ago. When he wanted to buy one, he was too late and had to resign to let the painting belong to someone else. And now, he had another piece by Hao Liu. Of course, it didn't matter to him.

Ronald and Victor were satisfied with their gifts. The gifts they brought amazed Mr. Ferdinand. He immediately asked the servant to display the painting for everyone to see. He was sure many would envy him for having one of the legendary paintings.

After the eldest son's family, the second son's family approached. Mr. Ferdinand welcomed them just as warmly as the first son. Magdalena came with Hugo—her husband—who owned a textile factory in Brighton. They certainly didn't come empty-handed. Hugo brought a golf club from a famous brand.

And now it was Lucius's family's turn. He and Margaret stepped forward to bow before Mr. Ferdinand. Behind them were Adam and Laura, doing the same.

Lucius presented a Persian antique vase, which was, of course, very expensive. Mr. Ferdinand was delighted to receive it. Now it was Adam and Laura's turn to present their gift.

"Grandfather, I'm sorry, but Laura didn't bring anything today. She was too busy at the office and forgot about this important day. But Laura promises to bring something tomorrow." The woman glanced angrily at Adam, who remained silent. He didn't even help Laura apologize.

Mr. Ferdinand's previously cheerful expression turned into a frown. He was certainly displeased that someone had forgotten his birthday, especially his own granddaughter. He turned to look at Adam.

Laura's words were overheard by several people nearby. Whispering ensued, making Laura wish she could disappear. She was the only one who hadn't brought a gift to the party, and it was very embarrassing.

"Who you marry truly affects your life, Laura! Think about that!"

Laura kept her head down. She felt she no longer had the face to look at her grandfather. She then pulled Adam away. Laura chose a somewhat secluded spot to avoid meeting many people.

"This is all your fault! If you hadn't forgotten, we wouldn't be embarrassed like this," Laura hissed when they were alone.

"Sorry. I forgot," Adam replied briefly. He didn't have the energy to respond to everything. His mind was wandering to the plans he would make to reclaim his position.

"Mommy was right. There's no point in keeping you. I should have gotten rid of you long ago!"

After saying that, Laura left Adam alone. She walked hurriedly and accidentally bumped into Travis. Annoyed with Adam, Laura didn't refuse when Travis invited her to step aside.

Adam watched them from his place with a difficult-to-define feeling, especially when Travis deliberately looked at him and gave a mocking smile.

"How could Laura forget about this event? Her husband is truly unreliable, only bringing shame," Margaret muttered from where she stood. "I really can't wait for them to separate." She wanted to scold Adam, but she had to hold back until they got home.

Lucius was equally furious. "When will Laura finally get rid of that poor man? I can't stand it anymore." He looked around. Of course, he felt embarrassed because Laura was being spoken of poorly. Especially seeing Adam's face, who didn't seem to feel guilty at all. His son-in-law looked very calm, as if this wasn't an important issue.