Chapter 7.

Sir Stanley's party was in full swing, and the gifts were yet to arrive, making Jason a little antsy, he had sent a couple of messages to Raphael and he had assured him that the gift would be delivered in time,

“Distinguished ladies and gentlemen, the celebrant has a few words” the MC announced with a smile, and handed the microphone over to Sir Stanley who was seated regally in his wheelchair,

Sir Stanley gave a speech of appreciation and then cleared his throat, his entire face beaming, while his face was all smiles, that of his wife and every other person was gloomy and unhappy. Jason cast a glance at Faith who was seated beside him, her face lowered and he felt a pang in his chest, before returning his attention to the ongoing speech,

“As you may have all heard, my granddaughter, the favourite one at that, my sweet Faith Reynolds is engaged”,

The crowd broke into applause, beaming and subtly looking to get a glimpse of Faith and her fiancé, Sir Stanley waved his hands to calm them before he continued with his speech,

“Her husband is a man after my heart. One that I have approved of, and I know he will treat my Faith right and stand by her. Join me in wishing them a happy married life. Jason and Faith, please get on your feet," Sir Stanley urged; Jason grabbed Faith's sweaty palm in his, and they both got to their feet, the latter albeit reluctantly. When the couple rose to their feet, the crowd gasped loudly, while some had widened eyes, a few shared curious glances amongst themselves, and Jason who had sharp hearing could hear some of their snide remarks,

“Are my eyes deceiving me?!" While the person spoke, they rubbed at their eyes and opened them once more with widened mouths,

“How can a grandchild of the Reynolds family descend so low to marry beneath their status?" Another one observed with popping eyes,

“There were rumours that she was dating Ryan Cape! His father is the owner of Cape Enterprise and they are the number two wealthy people in our state! How can she leave such a person for this- this trash?”

An elegant woman whispered to her friend whose eyes hadn't left the couple, with her wide eyes still staring, the friend mumbled a response,

“M-maybe she's pregnant for him."

Her friend scoffed and rolled her eyes,

“That even makes it worse! Can you imagine someone as beautiful and classy as Faith Reynolds in bed with that hobo?!" The poor woman shuddered at the thought, cringing as she did.

At their table, Faith's parents felt like the ground should open and swallow them for the embarrassing moment, but her father Jack was like the black sheep of the family and the least favoured, no matter his dislike for the situation, he couldn't challenge it,

His mother, on the other hand, was fuming in her seat and sneering at her husband; her fist was clenched tightly by her side. Rita knew she had to do something to salvage their reputation, and so without waiting for her husband to continue his speech, she grabbed the extra microphone from the table and spoke into it,

“We're here to celebrate my great husband for his service to our community and for turning seventy. Please, it's time to bring your gifts forward, and please do enjoy the rest of the party, and the array of delicious cuisines that our international chefs have made for this special occasion",

She gave a smile that belied how she was boiling within, and the people gracefully clapped, before a few people began making their way to present their gifts.

“I present to you a world-class portrait of Sir Stanley, proudly drawn by the revered Leo Ricci"

“Grandfather, here's a one-year subscription to your favourite spa"

“Father, this is a vintage shirt that cost over five million dollars. Wear it with pride”

One by one, the guests and families began bringing their gifts.

Jason, who was now seated, rubbed his palms over his trousers, occasionally casting a glance at the door, hoping to see anyone from the delivery company. He had hoped the gifts he would present would silence the voice of his mockers,

Faith cleared her throat, her eyes were stained with unshed tears, she brought her mouth closer to Jason's ears and whispered,

“I hope you brought something for Papa. If we don't present anything, Grandmother will roast us and spit us out"

Her voice was like music to his ears, smooth and sweet and Jason smiled before nodding his head and whispering back,

“Yes, I did. Trust me, even the devil will be floored and impressed with my gift”

Faith nearly scoffed but said nothing else, wondering what he could possibly present that would impress her materialistic grandmother, and he didn't seem like one to be able to afford her grandmother’s taste.

At that same moment, Ryan Cape got to his feet, with his hands in his pocket, he strutted towards Sir Stanley and Rita's table, with a small smile on his face, Rita who had seen him approach, smiled widely and spread her arms to receive him with a hug, just as the door barged open, distracting the party and causing everyone to turn in the direction of the door.

As the door flew open, Jason heaved a sigh of relief and Faith, who heard him sigh, turned to him with a raised brow. He slightly shook his head, rubbing at his chest before smiling at her; in return, Faith winced. Jason dabbed at the sweat on his forehead, mentally berating himself for his nerves,

He was a confident man and yet he had been nervous when the delivery person hadn't shown up. Although he had mentally promised himself to prove himself to Faith and to shut her mother up, he couldn't understand the nerves. Jason quickly got to his feet to approach the delivery fellow who was fast approaching Sir Stanley's table, with everyone's eyes on him.