The Bride Widow
Chapter 36: Ch 36: Ignorant People - Part 2

Chapter 36: Ch 36: Ignorant People - Part 2

Anabella was having fun playing in rotation with her two friends. The alphas were competitive, but not to the point they overwhelmed her.

At last, not toward her.

They were creaming most of the crowd with their skills earned through vigorous hours of arcade practice, and it was finally Anabella’s turn to face off against Noah in a classic battle of DDR.

Just when she finished her round, her phone buzzed to life.

She would have ignored it, but then it rang again and again. Finally, when it rang for the fifth time, she checked out the caller.

It made her wish she had not checked her phone because now she felt obligated to pick up the phone and call her mother back.

"Is it an urgent call? Do you need me to take it and tell the person you are busy?"

Clair asked in an almost concerned voice when she noticed the flinching expression on Anabella’s face.

The alpha’s offer was tempting, and Anabella almost took it when she remembered where she was and who the caller was.

"No, it’s fine. It would be better if I picked up the call. I will return in a minute or two once I finish here."

Anabella promised to take the call before she went out. She felt she couldn’t return to the game once she was done.

She went out all alone and picked up the call. Her mother did not even give her time to ask or greet her before she spoke in a harsh voice.

"Why did you not tell me about the new housekeeper Daniel appointed? Did you think I would not know if you did not say a word to me about it? How can you allow that woman to step into your house?"

Anabella always knew that her stepmother had a loud voice, but she had not realized just how loud and annoying it could be before now.

Hearing that loud voice gave Anabella a headache, and she almost cut the phone before she remembered where she was and which person she was talking about.

"I understand your frustration, Mother, but I did not know about this before today either. This was not a decision that Daniel made while consulting me."

Not that her husband ever consulted her about anything. But this was a decision Anabella had not seen coming.

It did not matter to her, but she knew that her mother was a different case.

As expected, the older omega had some choice words for her lack of attention to what was happening and for how she was losing her husband’s favor.

Frankly, Anabella could not care less. But she had to pretend to care and listen to her mother to make her happy. It was as annoying as it sounded, and Anabella tuned out headlong before she realized that her mother had finished lecturing her.

’Already? Wow! That sure was quick. I wonder what else I will have to hear from Mother.’

Those words must have jinxed Anabella because her mother insisted on covering over for dinner the next thing she knew.

Her mother had never insisted on coming over for dinner before to her house. At most, the older woman had attended family get-togethers and private dinner parties hosted by their family.

"Mother, this is not a good idea-"

Anabella tried telling her mother this, but there was no way to change the omega’s mind once she had made it.

"My dear Anabella, I am done listening to you and our excuses. It is clear to me that you won’t be able to charm your alpha on your own. So, as your mother, it falls on me to show you the right way."

That was when Anabella knew her mother would not listen to her, no matter what she said. So, she gave up and allowed her mother to come over.

If the older omega was going to make a mess, then Anabella would let her. After all, it won’t be her responsibility anymore from then on.

"Alright. I will inform Daniel that you will be coming over for dinner today-"

"I won’t be alone. Your father and your brother will be joining us as well. Make sure you are a good host to us all."

Now, that was a disaster waiting to happen.

Her father was one thing, but Jackson was a huge walking red flag waiting to erupt. He was a bad choice to bring into her house, especially because he refused to control his pheromones and ended up stinking the whole place up.

"Mother, about Jackson..."

Anabella did not know how to bring up this topic, but she knew she had to. Daniel was possessive about his primary, and James was heading that way. They won’t appreciate having an unknown alpha in the mix.

"Oh, come on! Your brother is fine. I would appreciate it if you stopped bad-mouthing him and focused on your family’s integrity instead. Whatever happens, there is your fault, and you need to fix it as soon as possible."

With her mother’s last words being those, Anabella knew there was no point in speaking to the older woman anymore.

So, she allowed the older omega to cut the call on her terms before she sighed and got ready for another annoying day.

Anabella did not call Daniel but left him a voice and another written message.

Her mother’s call cut her day short, and she quickly looked for her friends to tell them the news.

When she returned, the last thing she expected to see was Noah having lost his cool and holding someone by their throat and almost unliving them with his grip.

Clair’s lack of action was no better, and it made Anabella aware that she needed to do something fast, or someone would die here.

"Noah, stop! You will end up killing him at this rate. Clair, what are you doing just standing at his side. You need to stop him right now before he makes a mistake."