Due to amnesia, she knew nothing about what had happened in the past five years and was afraid she might have done something foolish.
“One more thing, sister.” Thelma continued, “It seems Ava doesn’t know I’m married.”
Otherwise, if Ava knew she had married Sam Noah, how could she still dare to belittle her in the restroom?
Samantha replied, “She really doesn’t know. After you cut ties with them, you haven’t had any contact. Plus, your wedding with Noah was held abroad, and Noah has kept your privacy well, so they don’t know about your marriage.”
Thelma nodded, understanding now.
Thelma stayed there until the afternoon, then went to pick up the child. Not long after getting home, Sam Noah returned.
“I thought you would stay at your sister’s place today.” Sam Noah said, his tone carrying a hint of joy.
Thelma replied, “Just catching up a bit before coming back; I still have to pick up the child.”
She felt a bit embarrassed, saying the last part very softly.
Dinner was already prepared, and they didn’t talk much as they sat down to eat.
“There’s been a problem at the Maplewick distillery; I need to handle it. I might be gone for several days. Do you want to come with me?” Sam Noah suddenly said as they were finishing their meal.
Little Tyler raised his hand eagerly, “I want to go, I want to go!”
Sam Noah then looked at Thelma.
Maplewick? Thelma thought of the mother-in-law with whom the relationship didn’t seem very good. But since her son was willing to go, she would go along with him.
So she nodded, “I’ll go too.”
Sam Noah was somewhat surprised, but it wasn’t too obvious. He quickly smiled, “Great, we’ll set off tomorrow.”
The next morning, the three of them boarded Sam Noah’s private plane to Maplewick.
Thelma felt a bit anxious about this trip. Before getting on the plane, she asked him, “Do I need to buy any gifts?”
Sam Noah replied, “No need; the gifts are already prepared.”
Once on the plane, Thelma asked again, “What family members are there in Maplewick? Can you tell me a bit?”
“There’s only my mother among the elders, and I have a stepbrother and a stepsister. They are biological siblings. After my father passed away, my mother married my stepfather, but he has also passed away.”
Thelma nodded, realizing that his family was also a blended one, quite similar to hers.
When they arrived in Maplewick, two cars were already waiting for them.
The drivers were an older man and a younger one. The older one looked to be in his fifties, very cheerful, with a kind and honest appearance. Sam Noah introduced him, “This is Fernando; he’s basically in charge of the affairs at the Maplewick distillery. He’s an old hand at our distillery and is Josie’s father, the girl you met last time.”
Thelma remembered; Sam Noah had mentioned that both Josie’s grandfather and father worked at their distillery, and he and Josie’s brother were good friends.
So he was Josie’s father. Fernando was very warm and immediately smiled at Thelma, “It’s rare for Thelma to come here; everyone is very happy to know you’re coming and has prepared a table full of delicious food.”
Whether he was telling the truth or not, it sounded pleasant, and Thelma smiled back, “Thank you.”
Sam Noah then introduced her to another young man, a man in his twenties who wasn’t particularly handsome but looked quite pleasant. He was also very friendly, but unlike Fernando, he gave off a clever vibe, making people feel he was quite shrewd.
“This is Orion; he’s Josie’s husband. He also works at the distillery and is a capable hand there.”
Josie’s husband? So Josie was already married? She recalled the subtle hostility Josie had shown her last time at home. Did she overthink it?
Thelma snapped back to reality and exchanged simple greetings with him.
The drive from Maplewick Airport to the Sam family took over an hour. Thelma sat in the car driven by Orion with Little Tyler, while Sam Noah rode with Fernando, discussing distillery matters.
Orion was very talkative, introducing the fun things in Maplewick along the way, but Thelma listened absentmindedly.
The Sam family lived in a standalone villa, less than two kilometers from the distillery. There were many servants working at the Sam family. As they got out of the car, they saw a crowd standing at the entrance of the villa from a distance.
It was quite a grand scene. Thelma was a bit nervous since it was her first time here, especially since she had to face Sam Noah’s family, with whom her relationship wasn’t very good.
