Chapter 8 Meeting with Joyce

Ben went to work.

Gabrielle did not expect to start work right after the interview. She was worried about the kids at home. She called her best friend when no one was around.

"Ella, I can't go home now. Can you check on the kids for me? I'm concerned that the babysitter can not take good care of the six of them."

"Gabrielle, don't worry. I'm off today. I'll go now."

Ella Carter's tender voice sounded from the other end of the line.

"Gabrielle, I failed to welcome you yesterday because of something urgent. Let's have dinner for our reunion tonight. Come back early."

"Okay!" Gabrielle had to say in haste when she heard someone coming outside, "Ella, look after the kids. I have to go now. See you tonight!"

A few seconds later, the housekeeper came in to inform her that Rachel was back.

Gabrielle was confident in handling children. She smiled and walked out with a tray of cute cartoon snacks.

"Rachel..." The smile on Gabrielle's face was frozen when she saw the woman next to Rachel.

Joyce...

She was not prepared for the abrupt meeting with Joyce after four years.

The picture that Ben looked at Joyce with a nervous expression in the hospital four years ago flashed across her mind. It was the source of all pains which haunted her all these years like a nightmare...

Gabrielle stood still, lost in her painful memory.

"Mommy!"

Rachel's voice brought Gabrielle back to reality.

"Rachel..."

"Mommy!" Rachel ran to hug Gabrielle's legs with a look of surprise and delight on her face, "Why are you here? Are you missing me?"

Rachel was so cute that Gabrielle felt her heart softened.

"Rachel, we meet again." Putting the tray on the coffee table, Gabrielle squatted down to touch Rachel's face, "Are you feeling better?"

"Mommy, I feel great..."

"Mommy?" Joyce said in surprise.

Gabrielle stiffened slightly before she turned around and stood up with Rachel.

She faced Joyce in a composed manner.

At the sight of the woman in front of her, Joyce's eyes flashed with a hint of amazement which was immediately turned into a dark look. She scoffed, "Tom, when could those unscrupulous women come in and out of the Imperial Garden at will? How shameless she was of tricking Rachel into calling her mother. "

Gabrielle involuntarily tightened her fists.

Joyce was the same as ever. She was mean and cruel towards Gabrielle. But when it came to Ben, she put on a tender and miserable look, able to fill her eyes with tears in a second.

The housekeeper explained at once, "Miss Smith, this is Miss Zane, the senior nutritionist Mr. Rachel hired for Miss Rachel, not..."

What he meant was that Gabrielle was not the kind of woman Joyce referred to.

"Bad woman! Don't talk about my mommy like that!" Rachel took Gabrielle's hand and glared at Joyce with her head held high.

Feeling warm at Rachel's words, Gabrielle wondered why Rachel was so protective towards her and willing to call her mother instead of Joyce...

"Rachel!" Joyce's face flushed with anger, but she managed to quell the flame in her heart and said gently, "How can I be a bad person? Your father loves me... We will be a family sooner or later."

"No way! I don't want you to be my family!" Rachel turned her eyes away and ignored Joyce.

The smile on Joyce's face was frozen. She took a deep breath and glared at Gabrielle sharply, "Your last name is Zane?"

Gabrielle was engrossed in pondering while listening to the conversation between Joyce and Rachel. Why had Ben not married Joyce after four years? Why did Rachel dislike Joyce? Did she not know Joyce was her mother?

"I'm asking you!" Overwhelmed with fury, Joyce could not refrain from slabbing the beautiful woman who seemed to ignore her again, "You dare to ignore me! Bitch!"