AVA'S POV:
I frowned at the lady who snorted, "Fine, so who is paying for my outfit?"
I clenched my fist tightly. After she insulted my daughter, she still expected me to pay for her outfit.
I signaled that the kids stand up, which they did, so I picked up my purse and turned to the lady, "Do you expect orphans to pay for your dress?" I scoffed as we got out of the restaurant and into the car before I drove out.
"Mother, I am sorry," Lily said, and I shook my head in denial; it really wasn't her fault.
"I thought you were talking to our dad, so I wanted to invite him to join us," she added, and I frowned. Why will I want to invite him?
"Tomorrow after school we will have dinner with him," I said. I hope this makes them happy and they don't feel like I am trying to keep them away from their dad.
"Really?" Ryan asked in an excited tone, and I nodded, even if Fred didn't display it. I could tell he was happy.
I hope Yan was right when he said he wanted us to have dinner because of the kids. I hope he really cares for them as much as they did for him.
-
The next day quickly arrived; I didn't go to work as my supervisor had told me not to. The kids returned from school with a lot of excitement as they hurried and had their baths.
When they were done freshening up, they came to my bedroom, and their frown turned upside down.
"What?"
"Why are you in jeans, mother?" Lily asked, What else was I supposed to wear?
"It's a formal dinner, mother; shouldn't you put on heels and a gown?" She asked again, and I snorted, Why will I do that?
"If you say one more word, then we won't go anymore," I warned, and she stopped talking as we hurried downstairs; there was a driver waiting for us.
He had to show us Earlton's special card before we believed it was the driver sent by Yan, and we got in.
"Hey, when we get there, can you kids not talk much?" I had a pleading tone; the other members of the Earltons will be there, and I knew my kids were fun of criticizing anyone who didn't like them or who spoke badly to me.
"What do you mean, mother?" Lily wondered.
"You see, we are guests, so we should act like one," I tried to break it down for them.
"No, we are not guests. We are Earltons as well; didn't you get married to our dad? Doesn't that make us legal children?" Fred asked with his smart mouth.
There was no need for me to waste my time trying to explain things to them; soon the car parked in front of a mansion.
Of course this could only belong to the Earltons; I walked down the car and helped the kids down.
"Wow," Lily ran inside as Ryan followed her.
"Hey…stop," I went after them as we arrived in the sitting room and everyone's gaze was on us.
My gaze was focused on the woman who called Lily an orphan at the restaurant yesterday; she stood up angrily.
"These kids, what are you doing here?" She scolded, and I swallowed the lump in my throat. Couldn't we really escape trouble?
"Back off, Issa." Yan's tone echoed from upstairs as he walked towards us. Lily and Ryan hurried to him.
"The house is so big, can we go look around?" Ryan asked.
I was about to stop them when Yan said, "Of course, go on."
They hurried upstairs and dashed away; the woman was confused as she walked towards me.
"Who are you?" She asked. Behind her were a girl and boy in their early twenties who looked like twins.
"She is my wife," Yan butted in, and I could see the shock on their faces.
"I am not," I frowned. He had married me without my approval, so I was never going to accept the union.
"Do you want me to show them the papers?"
"What's this noise for?" An old man asked from the door; he walked in with Fred behind him.
"Mother," Fred walked to me.
"Mother? Are those kids yours?" the young girl behind asked in mockery.
"Did my stepbro get involved with a woman who already has three kids?" the male twin asked as he burst out in laughter.
And so what if I had three kids? It was my life, and I was able to care for them; that was all that matter.
"Yan, is that true?" his dad asked and he nodded and wrapped his hand around my shoulder.
"This is Ava, my wife…and this little one is Fred, the others are Lily and Ryan" he introduced before he stared at me.
"I got the names right?"
He was so irritating, I pushed his hand away from my shoulders.
Lily and Ryan hurried downstairs towards me "Mother, we saw a pool from the window…we will go outside and check" Lily said but i held her hand with that of Ryan.
"Can you stop?" I gave them a warning glare before they nodded.
"Yan, why do these kids look so much like you?" his dad asked after he had a proper look at the triplets.
Yan chuckled "I didnt even need a DNA test" he laughed, the old man's eyes glimmered.
"These triplets, they are my grandkids" he held his stick and found his way to them.
"You are the mom?" he asked and i nodded.
"Ava Wood" i introduced, i never expected him to be excited about the kids, i expected rejection.
"Yan said you were his wife, so how come you are Ava Wood?" he scolded me.
"Yan, did you both get married?" he turned to Yan who confirmed it.
"Good, good…my son has made me proud" he clapped his hand happily and the other three in the room had shocked and bitter looks.
"These are my grandkids, they are my heirs" the old man added when the other twins hurried to him.
"What are you saying father? How could you call these kids your heirs?"