Shock registered on all their faces, except for Anna's.
Aidan flashed Anna a smile, dragged out her chair and helped her sit. Warren snorted in jealousy and folded his arms around his chest, staring pointedly at Aidan.
Sophie dropped to her seat, and finally broke the silence, pointing a finger at Aidan. "You're Anna's husband?"
Aidan spared her a glance, smiled and nodded with pride.
"Oh Goodness! Welcome to the family. Have your seat, please!" Kathryn gave him a fake smile.
Sophie's eyes suddenly sparkled with mischief, and as soon as they were seated, She slowly dragged her leg up the inside of Aidan's thigh beneath the table. The movement was deliberate, slow, and unmistakably flirtatious.
Her foot brushed against his leg, and she held her breath, waiting for the reaction that was sure to follow, as their eyes locked.
Aidan stiffened and Sophie grinned at him.
Sophie's leg pressed higher, inching closer to his inner thigh, her foot now dangerously close to his groin.
Across the table, Anna was oblivious to the exchange unfolding underneath the table.
Unable to keep quiet, Aidan cleared his throat and broke the silence. "Really, Sophie? In front of everyone?"
The words came out louder than he intended, and the entire room seemed to freeze.
The one-sided conversation from Kathryn halted, and for a moment, all eyes snapped to him. Sophie's smirk widened in response, her foot pressing harder against his leg.
She leaned back in her chair, completely unfazed and indifferent. "What? Did I do something wrong?"
Aidan's jaw clenched, his eyes flickering briefly to Anna. Anna leaned closer and without a word from Aidan, she looked down, beneath the table to see Sophie retrieving her leg quickly.
Anna realized what was happening and met Sophie's eyes. "Really? Warren is not enough for you? Now you want him too? Don't be a bitch, Sophia!"
Warren, who had been watching the exchange, stood suddenly, as the realization dawned on him.
"This is ridiculous," he muttered, his voice tight with frustration. "I can't be part of this. I'm out."
Sophie didn't even flinch, unfazed by his outburst. She let the moment linger in the air before turning back to Aidan, her playful tone returning.
"So, tell me," she said, her voice light, "what do you do? You look like a plumber to me, are you a plumber?"
"Yes," Aidan replied rather quickly. "I work for a plumbing company."
A brief pause followed his words. Anna looked shocked too. She hadn't asked him what he did for work and hearing that out in the open now seemed a bit odd.
Then, Sophie burst into laughter, her high-pitched giggles filling the room. Her mother, too, joined in, both of them laughing so hard.
"A plumber? You're really a plumber?" Sophie gasped, her laughter barely contained. "How does that even fit into the picture? You're married to my sister, and you're a plumber?"
"Sophie," Anna warned, her voice tinged with irritation. "Enough. This isn't the time for jokes."
But Sophie was enjoying ridiculing Aidan, since he had rejected her advances by putting it out in the open. She grinned wide and raised her glass of wine in the air. "My sister's husband is a plumber, Mom. He is a plumber!"
She burst into laughter again, throwing her head back while Anna sat rigidly with anger darting down her spine.
"You suddenly got married, you made him a mystery and made everyone become so curious about who you were married to. We all thought he was someone important. Maybe a hidden billionaire, or someone with a professional career, or a Prince, but all you could come over here with was a plumber? Don't be ridiculous, Anna. You're smarter than this. You should have at least gone for a better choice, not a golddigger like this. It's not just about having a fine face, my darling." Kathryn remarked, rolling her eyes in satisfaction.
Sophie brought the glass to her lips, giving Aidan one last teasing look, before flinging the contents of her wine glass directly into his face.
The red liquid splashed across his suit, soaking through the fabric, and the room went dead silent.
Anna gasped and spun Aidan around to see the wine dripping down his shirt.
"Sophie!" she shouted, rising from her seat. "What the hell is wrong with you?"
Sophie, for her part, didn't look sorry.
"What? He had it coming," she said coolly, as though tossing wine in someone's face was the most natural thing in the world.
Anna, now seething, grabbed Aidan's hand and yanked him out of his seat. "I've had enough. We're leaving," she muttered, her voice harsh and clipped. "Now."
Before Aidan could even respond, Kathryn's voice cut through the tension like a knife. She stood up, her gaze directed at Anna and Aidan with a cruel smile curling on her lips. "For your information, Kevin won't come in tomorrow or next. He's on a business trip. You should be able to see him next week or next month. Good luck with getting the company, Anna. Now that we've seen you're truly married….
"...to a plumber?" Sophie shrieked with laughter again.
Her mother smiled. "I guess that's all you need to get the company. Good night, Annalyn," she said, her tone dripping with sarcasm. "And to you too, gold-digger husband, Aidan. I'm sure you both are perfect together."
Anna's grip on Aidan's hand tightened for a moment, but she didn't respond. Instead, she led him out of the door, her eyes burning with unspoken rage.
As they walked outside, the chilly air hit them both. Aidan could see that Anna's anger was barely contained, her chest heaving with each breath. She didn't say anything. She just marched to the car with him trailing behind.
Anna opened the car door, slid into the passenger seat, and slammed the door shut, leaving Aidan to follow.
The car started, and the silence that followed was suffocating. Aidan didn't know what to say to lighten the atmosphere.
Finally, Anna broke the silence, her voice low, still carrying an edge of disbelief. "Aidan, you're really a plumber?"
Aidan turned his head to look at her, though his hands gripped the steering wheel tightly. "Yes," he answered quietly, his eyes on the road. "I am. I work at a plumbing company in the morning and I work as a bartender at night. Is that a problem?"
"Why didn't you tell me?" she demanded, her voice almost a whisper, but the accusation hung in the air. "Why did I have to find out here of all places?"
He paused, unsure of how to explain himself.
"You never asked," he replied simply, his tone almost detached. "I'd have told you if you asked."
"It does matter," she snapped, her eyes flashing. "I had to find out in front of them. I'm your wife, and I had no idea what you do?"
Her anger burned through the words, but Aidan didn't respond immediately. He didn't know how. Instead, he let her vent as they drove through the night, the distance between them growing wider with each mile.
When they got home, Aidan parked the car and turned to Anna, his face serious and his voice steady. "Next time when we're in public and you find out something you didn't know about me before, don't act too shocked. Your rivals will pounce on that opportunity and use it against you."
Anna's eyes widened. "What? What are you talking about? Are you saying there's more…"
"Next time, play along. Don't act shocked, just play along!"
Anna's mouth dropped agape in utter disbelief.