Chapter 8 If Stanley Didn't Help Us Then Who Did?

• The next day at Luther's mansion…
• The Luthers were together in the dining room, having breakfast that morning. Maids in uniforms loomed around, serving them respectfully. The table was filled with varieties of exquisite and palatable meals and everywhere was quiet until Grandma Penelope spoke.
• "Where is Adrian now?" She asked, and the rest remained mute. Obviously, they were shocked that she could start a discussion about Adrian out of the blue.
• "Ur.. Granny. We have no idea about him. He decided to end his relationship with Valerie, and he never cared to ask about you. Isn't he nothing but a proud loser? Good for nothing, yet, he feels he's special." Scott, the eldest of the two Luther brothers, scoffed over his meal.
• "That's unlike Adrian. When you guys told me about his decision to end the marriage, I found it doubtful until I saw the divorce papers. Since then, I haven't even gotten a chance to see him or even speak to him." Grandma Penelope said, her face etched with suspicion and curiosity.
• Ever since the betrayal and divorce that was orchestrated by Mr Luther, Adrian hadn't stepped foot in Luther's mansion. Grandma Penelope wasn't in town when all of those incidents happened. It was only when she got back that she learned of Adrian and Valerie's divorce.
• "I'm glad they got divorced, Grandma," Claus added, dropping the fork on his plate which was filled with crabs and a lot of seafood.
• "We discovered Adrian had bad intentions towards us. He was never sorry for trying to damage our reputation. Even after engaging in drugs, he only pretended to be grateful that we bailed him from jail. He became resentful towards us because we never stood up for him when he was termed a druggie by the police."
• Scott maintained his gaze with Grandma Penelope and continued speaking, "He got mad at Valerie and insulted her for not standing up for him. They got into a brawl and after that, he decided to divorce her. I believe Adrian hates us now. He even thinks we framed him for the whole druggie scheme."
• Claus's statement, which was full of lies, caused Grandma P to nod a little. Claus had a way of making those claims seem true even when they were nothing more than fabrications.
• "Oh! Adrian. I just wished I could see him one last time and understand why he did all of this." Grandma P muttered to herself and ended with a sigh. Claus had managed to convince her with his lies.
• "Granny, you have to forget about Adrian now. He has demonstrated to us that he is unworthy of being your grandson-in-law. I'm glad Stanley and I are together, and I know he will be a better son-in-law than Adrian." When Valerie eventually spoke, her mother, Daphne, grinned and nodded in agreement.
• Daphne cleaned her mouth with the white serviette before turning to face Grandma P. "You always loved Adrian because you believed he was more responsible than your own grandchildren. Even after everything you and Gerald did to him, isn't it heartbreaking that he tarnished the Luther's reputation and still divorced our daughter. He was no match for her in the first place , and I'm so glad we don't have him with us anymore."
• Grandma Penelope lost her appetite after hearing all their statements. It was unbelievable to her that Adrian could become such a person.
• She finally turned to the maid beside her and said, "Take me to my room. I'm no longer interested in eating. I need some rest."
• "As you wish, ma'am." The maid said respectfully with a bow and held her before escorting her to her room.
• The rest of the family members grinned and chuckled after Grandma Penelope left. They were so happy that they managed to fool her with their false claims about Adrian.
• "I love the way you cooked up those lies, Claus," Scott admitted after chuckling.
• "You kept adding those words and I could feel it striking her."
• Valerie dropped her glass after drinking and said, "You know, the person who did a great job the most was mother. She concluded with a really touching statement that even caused grandmother to lose her appetite. I'm sure the little space she kept for Adrian in her heart must have been replaced with bitterness and regret."
• "Let's all have a toast," Scott suggested, and they all grinned before raising their glasses and clinking them on a toast.
• "Where's Telsa? I haven't seen her since that incident." Scott said, folding his arms and resting his back on his chair.
• "Her father called, so she left for Chicago yesterday." Valerie admitted with a mouthful of pasta.
• "I'm quite appreciative that the problem was resolved. If not, Donald's strong influence would have caused her father's business to collapse. The fact that Donald was able to come and apologize to Joseph seemed miraculous. It's startling, so every time I consider it, my confusion grows." Mrs Daphne said and the rest nodded in agreement except for Valerie.
• "It's the work of Stanley, mom. He must have helped us out." Valerie added and her mom's expression lit when she heard her statement.
• "Whoa! I am in awe of him and am eager for him to become my son-in-law. When you do get married to him, I'm confident you'll have the best days ever." Mrs. Daphne reassures her daughter, her grin growing as they lock eyes.
• ****
• Stanley invited Valerie to dinner that evening. He was in his cream suit and yellow tie, looking handsome and stunning. He sat beside a huge glass window in the restaurant which revealed the busy beautiful streets of New York.
• While he waited for Valerie to arrive, his eyes were fixed on the butt of a chubby lady who passed beside him.
• "Hi Stanley!" Valerie's voice jolted him from his reverie and he turned in her direction.
• "Oh, Valerie. Good to see you," Stanley admitted as he stood to give her a hug.
• Like a gentleman that he was, he dragged a chair backward, signaling for her to sit with a smile. "Have a seat." He said as he flashed her that cute smile that often melted her heart.
• "Thanks!" Valerie said before sitting and they both placed their order.
• The two love birds smiled while eating and Valerie could not help but tickle Stanley's cute nose as they chatted.
• He gave her a spoonful of his food while she did the same in return.
• "I heard that the issue has been sorted out. How is Telsa now?" Stanley said with a mouthful of steak.
• "She's fine now,"
• "I'm so grateful for what you did, Stanley. I'm happy you helped us with it." Valerie admitted, flashing a loving smile at Stanley.
• "What did I do?" Stanley asked, getting confused.
• "Urmm. Weren't you the one who helped us by sorting things out with Henry and his father, Donald Walter?"
• "Me? No, I, I never did that. I am as shocked as you were when I heard the issue had been sorted," Stanley confessed, and the faint smile on Valerie's face faded off completely.
• Her expression was replaced with shock and confusion after hearing Stanley's confession.
• If Stanley hadn't helped them, then who on earth was it?