Chapter 7 Birthday Cake

• At the sight of Eileen, Vera was at a loss for action. She tucked her hair to the back of her ear and walked over to Eileen before handing the gift in her hands to the latter. “Happy birthday. This is a gift from me. I hope you like it.”
• On the gift box was a thin transparent covering. Eileen could distinctly see that a necklace was in it, and it was Swarovski to boot.
• Sure enough, it was exactly the same as the previous life.
• Eileen actually did not like wearing jewelry, much less one given by Vera.
• However, it was necessary to keep up appearances. Thus, she smiled, the corners of her eyes crinkling. “Thank you. I love it. When did you come back? If there's anything you need, just say the word.”
• In the previous life, Vera's death had something to do with her, so Eileen wanted to compensate her as much as possible in this life.
• Shocked, Vera cautiously glanced at Eric as though seeking his help.
• It was only natural for her to be suspicious, for Eileen had never been courteous with her. If it were in the past, Eileen would have thrown the gift onto the ground and grabbed her hair, ordering her to get lost.
• “She only came back today, and it so happened to be your birthday. How about going shopping with us tonight to buy some necessities for her?” Eric interjected mildly.
• Us? He's speaking of himself and Vera together while I'm just an outsider in his eyes. Oh well, that's to be expected. They grew up together since childhood, whereas I'm nothing more than his enemy's daughter.
• Smiling, Eileen replied cheerfully, “No, it's okay. You both go ahead, Eric.”
• After all, there was no reason for her to tag along and be the third wheel. It was her birthday that day, and she wanted to enjoy her time alone.
• Eric looked at her dubiously, trying to discern something from her calm expression. But the look on her face was so plain that he could not figure out her game.
• Sensing his probing scrutiny, Eileen was a touch nervous. She only wanted to play a well-behaved and adorable sister, no longer interfering in his relationship with Vera.
• Unfortunately, Eric was suspicious by nature, and she was not sure whether she could fool him.
• A moment later, Eric nodded. Without saying anything, he brought Vera upstairs to put her things away.
• Eileen breathed a sigh of relief. Then, she quickly ran to the kitchen.
• Sharon was washing the vegetables. At Eileen's approach, she was somewhat surprised. “You're hungry, Ms. Eileen? Didn't you eat the bread and milk I prepared for you?”
• “I did. I'm here to look for something.” Eileen casually opened the cabinet and rummaged around. “Sharon, where's the equipment I use to make dessert? I want to bake a cake myself.”
• A light bulb went off in Sharon's head. She opened the cabinet below her and said, “It's here, Ms. Eileen. I've kept them all in one cabinet.”
• Delight flooded Eileen. Yay! Flour, butter, eggs, and whipping cream are all available at home. There's also a cherry tree in the yard, so I can pick some cherries and make a cherry-flavored cake.
• As she was thinking about it, the sound of an engine roaring to life sounded outside the window.
• She looked out through the kitchen window and saw a black Bentley driving out the gates.
• It looks like they've left. Eric has brought Vera out, and Will isn't yet back from his business trip. In other words, Sharon and I are the only ones in the mansion today, so I can do anything I want!
• She turned to Sharon and instructed, “Please help me take out the ingredients, Sharon. I'm going to the yard to pick some cherries!” After saying that, she sprinted out at lightning speed.
• Eileen hurried to the garden in the backyard. Sharon had previously told her that the cherry tree was personally planted by her mother when the latter was still alive. Right then, it was already even taller than the fence.
• The cherries on the tree were so heavy that they were almost breaking the branches, and the sweet scent of the fruit wafted in the air.
• Standing below the tree, Eileen jumped a few times. Alas, she could not reach the branches and had seemingly overestimated herself. Left with no recourse, she could only carry over a ladder from the storage shed. While at it, she snagged a basket.
• As she picked the cherries, she casually wiped a few and tossed them into her mouth. Sweet and sour juices filled her mouth, and unprecedented joy suffused her.
• When the basket was full, she climbed down the ladder and skipped back to the kitchen.
• By then, Sharon had already taken all the equipment out and washed them. Eileen placed the basketful of cherries under the faucet and rinsed them, humming happily.
• She separated part of the cherries, planning to make some cherry jam. Subsequently, she mixed the batter for the cake while the jam was cooking before placing it into the oven to bake. As she waited for the base to cool, she started whisking the whipping cream.
• Seeing that she was in a good mood, Sharon did not disrupt Eileen but went about her own work.
• After bustling around for almost two hours, Eileen placed the last cherry on the cake, and her birthday cake was finally done.
• All of a sudden, the sound of glass shattering rang out from the adjacent mansion, accompanied by a young man's furious voice. “Get out of here! Scram!”
• Eileen leaned close to the window in curiosity, searching for the source of the sound.