The Malevolence of a Woman Wronged (PREQUEL)

Chapter 31- Unspoken Words

--Angelina POV--

**CURRENT TIME**

"You look beautiful, dear," My mother-in-law complimented.

"Thank you, and so do you," I gestured to her as she giggled, waving me away. 

"We really outdid ourselves with this party, it's beautiful." She sighed, looking around the garden which was cast in a radiant evening glow as the sun had begun to set.

"Yes, I never would have been able to do it alone. Thank you for the help," I went to link arms with her as she laughed, and we walked around the garden.

Lucian was inside, talking to a few business partners of his, and I grasped the opportunity to escape to the garden where I found my mother-in-law.

"You don't need to thank me for anything, I love going out of my way to spend time with my daughter," My chest fluttered at her words.

If only my own biological mother would have given me the same attention...

I was quick to snap myself out of that negative thought process, shaking my head as I went back to smiling at the many guests that turned to look my way.

My mother is trying, and I appreciate that, and I see that. And I'm sure that if she carries on going down the road she's at, I'll be able to be as close to her as I currently am with my mother-in-law.

"I'm thankful to you, dear," She started as we continued to walk.

"Thankful to me? For what?" I asked, confused.

"For making my son happy. Seeing him like this has been a dream of mine for an exceptionally long time. Of course, he had claimed to be happy before he met you, but I don't believe it was truly happiness, he was just content. But now he knows what happiness really is, and I thank you for teaching him that,"

"Oh, I didn't teach him anything at all," I denied, shaking my head.

"Your presence alone is comforting, Angelina, my dear. You've been through a lot in this life. From having your father taken away, and then your company, and ex-husband; to be able to see the kind of person you are today, it humbles me,"

Her words comforted me, they assured me that I wasn't as bad of a person as I had made myself believe I was. She assured me that there was something worth loving in me, and I was truly so grateful for that, I needed to hear it.

"I should be thanking you for your kind words," I breathed out a laugh as she chuckled, placing a hand on my cheek.

"It's just the honest truth," She whispered.

"What are you both talking about in so much depth with so much emotion?" Julia stepped in curiously as I learnt she always did, dispersing the emotional moment.

"Oh, nothing. I was just thanking my amazing daughter-in-law for being so perfect," My mother-in-law laughed, patting my cheek before moving away as Julia gave her a look.

"I bet you would have said the same thing about me," She pointed to herself.

"Oh, hush. I realise now that maybe I had been too demanding of my son to find himself a wife, I was so desperate that I forgot about the simple truth. Not anyone can make you happy, it has to be a certain person, and while you do make him happy, it's not in the way that I want him to be happy, you understand?" She asked as Julia nodded along.

"I'm glad you finally realised," She nodded.

"Now, I'm going to go and find my husband. But you two go and enjoy the party that we all worked so hard to prepare for," She ushered us away as I moved to link arms with Julia, and waving goodbye to mother, we walked off.