Chapter 6 Embarrassment

"I'm his wife." The two men were stunned, taking her in from head to toe. "You ... " "My name is Lysander Thorne, Josiah's wife. Would you like to see our marriage certificate?" This time, they were speechless. Lysander smiled and asked, "Is it not allowed to bring family members to your get-together today?" "Oh, that's not the issue." "Then I'll go in first." With her bag in hand, she walked into the bar, noticing how crowded it was. Josiah, the center of attention, was surrounded by a group, talking to several people. Lysander didn't want to mingle, so she found an empty booth and sat down. The noise in the bar was overwhelming. Josiah, feeling a bit hot, removed his suit jacket and draped it over his arm. But Lysanne quickly took it from him. "Let me hold it for you." He shifted slightly, avoiding her hands. "I'm fine. I can hold it myself." She smiled softly and said, "Look at all these people. They won't let you leave until you're drunk. Just give it to me, so you can focus on handling them." Josiah hesitated for a moment but didn't argue. Lysanne took the jacket from his arm, holding it instead of putting it down. Then, she gently tugged at his sleeve, signaling for him to lean down. Josiah leaned in slightly, lowering his head to her level as she whispered something in his ear. A glimmer of understanding flashed in his eyes, and he smiled before nodding. "Hey, what's all the whispering about?" With her usual cheerful demeanor, Lysanne spoke up, "Just a heads-up—Josiah's under my protection. Therefore, everyone should behave appropriately and limit their alcohol intake." "Oh, Lysanne, feeling sorry for him?" Her face flushed a little. "Oh, stop it!" Josiah frowned slightly. "Quit messing around. Lysanne is married. Can't you tell she's pregnant?" The other classmates appeared to be intimidated by him. As soon as he spoke, the joking stopped, and everyone became more cautious. A man beside Josiah interrupted, "Alright, that's enough. Don't let a few drinks get to your head. Josiah and Lysanne's friendship is solid." "Exactly. Even if they shared a hotel room, it would only be for the purpose of playing games. People love to gossip." At that moment, Lysanne subtly passed Josiah a wine decanter filled with a liquid that looked like white wine. But Lysander caught on. Taking advantage of the conversation, Lysanne had quietly swapped the white wine with mineral water. Josiah picked up on her plan, took the decanter, and filled his glass. "Let's make a toast." "To our school days!" "To youth!" The group chatted about their school years, reminiscing about the naive and sometimes silly moments of their youth. In the end, everyone was a little tipsy, except Josiah, who looked mildly flushed but still sharp and composed. He unbuttoned his shirt collar, rolled up his sleeves, and secured his biceps with dark blue sleeve garters. Adjusting his gold-rimmed glasses, he moved with quiet elegance, his posture tall and regal. But then, he suddenly frowned, looked around, and locked eyes on a male classmate nearby. He walked over and gave him a gentle kick. "Put that out. Lysanne is pregnant." The man froze for a second, then quickly snuffed out his cigarette, tossing it in the trash. "Sorry, Josiah, I forgot." Josiah shot him a stern look. "Keep it in mind next time." The man nodded quickly, bowing with a smile. "Of course, I will." "Have you ever seen Josiah like this?" Out of nowhere, a person appeared at the booth across from Lysander, sitting down without her noticing when he had arrived. She glanced at him—he looked to be about Josiah's age, probably a classmate. His slightly long hair and black-framed glasses complemented his scholarly yet friendly demeanor. "Who are you?" "I'm Miles." Lysander suddenly realized who he was. He must be the person the others had been talking about. "Miles Rangel?" Miles smiled lightly and lowered his head. "Do you know me?" "I overheard your name earlier," Lysander said. "Why aren't you drinking with them?" He shrugged. "Josiah's there." "What's wrong with that?" Miles sighed and chuckled a little. "Back in school, Lysanne pursued me." Lysander quickly put the pieces together. He was the one her mother-in-law had mentioned—Josiah's old friend. "You're Josiah's wife, right?" "Yes." "Josiah is truly lucky. You're beautiful and graceful." Lysander smiled faintly but didn't respond. "Josiah has changed a lot. He was incredible in school—every guy admired him." "Really?" "Well, most girls like tough guys. He was popular, except for Lysanne." Lysander raised an eyebrow. "Lysanne liked you." "She liked me?" Miles let out a self-deprecating laugh as if there was more to the story. "Maybe not in the way you think." "What do you mean?" Miles, a bit tipsy, raised his glass and stared at the clear liquid inside. "Mrs. Guerra, do you think there can be pure friendship between men and women?" He glanced toward Lysanne and Josiah as he asked.