Zoe asked Danielle in a cool tone, âDanielle, according to your logic, how should Harlan show that he cares about you?â
Danielle hesitated, caught off guard by the question, and stopped wiping her tears, suddenly at a loss for words.
Keeping her face emotionless, Zoe pressed on, âDo you expect Harlan to cling to you like a husband, never leaving your side?â
Danielle struggled for words.
Seemingly struck deeply, her cheeks quickly flushed, extending to her ears.
After a brief look at
Harlan, she lowered her head.
Oblivious to Danielleâs distressed reaction, Harlan was fixated on Zoeâs blunt words and exclaimed in shock, âZoe, what are you saying?â
His voice was clearly filled with confusion and disapproval.
I looked at Zoe, worried.
Zoe always had a quick temper, and with her temperament, responding to such sharp remarks might lead her to cause a bigger scene.
The restaurant was bustling at this hour and yet to be cleared, so Zoe losing her cool would certainly make us the center of attention.
At that moment, the other patrons were giving us curious looks.
Just as I was about to step in, something unexpected occurred.
Zoe stayed remarkably calm, offered Harlan and Danielle one final look, then stood up and headed for the door without any further explanation.
âZoe!â Harlan, taken aback, quickly stood up to follow her, but Danielle, reacting swiftly, held him back.
âHarlan, please donât go.
â Danielleâs voice was thick with tears, her face streaked with them as she wept, yet her hands held tightly onto Harlan, as if she had seen this moment coming.
To keep Harlan from leaving, she burst into tears again and pleaded, âHarlan, please stay.
The maid has been mean to me.
Are you really going to leave your sister for another woman?â
Before Harlan could say anything, the maid turned white.
She looked at Harlan nervously, worried about his reaction, and stuttered, âSir, I didnât mean to upset your sister.
I just accidentally served the wrong dish, one that she usually enjoysâ¦â
âYouâre lying!â Danielleâs crying grew louder, and she looked utterly wronged.
âYou wicked maid, you must think my brother is ignoring me, so you did it deliberately!â
Then, she sobbed even harder.
The situation descended into chaos.
Caleb and I stood there, helplessly watching the absurdity unfold.
Although we were still hungry, the escalating drama had robbed us of our appetite.
âDanielle, youâre wrong.
â Harlan massaged his forehead, overwhelmed with frustration, yet he tried to calm Danielle.
âThe maid didnât target you on purpose, and I havenât been neglecting you.
Youâre overthinking this.
Besides, Zoe is a kind person, and thereâs no need for you to attack her like thisâ¦â
With that, Harlan resumed his seat, playing the role of the protective brother.
He continued trying to soothe Danielleâs upset feelings while attempting to repair her relationship with Zoe, though it was proving to be a difficult task.