At seven o'clock that evening, I appeared precisely on time in the banquet hall on the top floor of the Landing Hotel.
Quincy was surrounded by a crowd in the center of the hall, her pink dress making her look stunning. Griffin stood beside her, speaking to her with a gentle expression I had never seen before.
My appearance caused the laughter and chatter at the door to pause for a moment. Whispering gossip, like mosquitoes, began to swarm around me.
"She actually came..."
"I wouldn't have the face to come. My husband is throwing a birthday party for his mistress and today happens to be my wedding anniversary..."
Griffin saw me, his smile faded slightly, his brows furrowed a little and he led Quincy towards me. “Now that you’re here, behave yourself.” His voice carried an unquestionable command.
“If anyone asks about last night’s bar incident, you know what to say.”
I remained silent, my gaze fixed on the spot where he held Quincy’s wrist. His knuckles were distinct; he had once held my hand like that. Quincy leaned against him obediently, her eyes crinkling as she looked at me, her voice soft and tender.
“Suzy, it’s so good you came. Come play some games with us, everyone’s waiting.”
Empty bottles and cards sat on the table. Everyone around me stared, their eyes filled with the excitement of watching a spectacle.
“Yes, Mrs. Beckham, let’s play together,” a short-haired woman said with a smile. “Quincy lost earlier and when asked about her first kiss, she readily admitted it was with Mr. Beckham.”
A murmur of knowing laughter rippled through the crowd. Griffin didn’t deny it, simply taking a sip of his drink.
Quincy blushed slightly and said coquettishly, "Stop fooling around, whose turn is it?"
The bottle spun on the table, finally landing squarely on me.
"Wow, Mrs. Beckham!" The short-haired woman excitedly pulled out a card. "Let me see, please choose Truth or Dare?"
Everyone looked at me.
I looked at the card, then at Quincy's expectant eyes and said calmly, "Truth."
The short-haired woman immediately cleared her throat, her voice rising, "I heard Mrs. Beckham has a seriously ill mother in bed and a younger brother who almost got arrested for harassing women. And you yourself seem to have trouble keeping your husband's heart. In comparison, Quincy is young, beautiful, successful and perfectly matched with Mr. Beckham."
She leaned forward, asking each word clearly, "Faced with this situation, doesn't Mrs. Beckham feel like a pathetic woman desperately holding onto your position?”
The words fell silent; even the background music seemed to stop. Everyone held their breath, looking at me, then furtively at Griffin and Quincy.
Quincy covered her mouth with her hand, her eyes wide, looking both shocked and... "Hey, how could you ask such a question? That's too much..." she said innocently.
"It's just a game," the short-haired woman chuckled. "Besides, everyone's actually quite curious..."
"Curious about what?" I interrupted her, my voice surprisingly calm. "Curious about why I haven't left yet, is that it?"
Griffin frowned. "Suzy, stop it."
I ignored him, stood up and looked coldly at Quincy. "You think so too, don't you?"
Quincy's expression changed slightly. She opened her mouth, seemingly trying to put on her usual innocent act. But I didn't give her a chance to speak.
"So last night you deliberately dragged my brother into the private room, accidentally spilled wine on yourself and then framed him for harassment? While my mother was undergoing surgery, you deliberately left, worsening her condition? Knowing that my mother urgently needed money for surgery, you still insisted that Griffin use it to buy you a birthday present?"
The words fell silent and all eyes turned to Quincy.
