Chapter 52
Despite her smile, Cynthia exuded an icy aura. She stood there unafraid, looking at them with the contempt usually reserved for the weak as if they were inferior to her. That attitude nearly caused an uproar,
The crowd started encouraging Shirley to teach Cynthia a lesson, but Shirley hesitated. She knew not to underestimate Cynthia. After all, Cynthia had been boxing since childhood, and there were rumors that she was highly skilled.
Although Shirley had never witnessed Cynthia’s full ability, their past encounters had made it clear that she could not defeat Cynthia. Even if they all ganged up on Cynthia, the outcome was far from guaranteed.
Shirley was not foolish; she was not about to ruin the meticulously planned birthday party by getting into a fight, She glanced at the time, thinking to herself, ‘She should be here by now‘ Just then, Shirley spotted a figure approaching in the distance.
Shirley’s eyes gleamed with malice as she smiled at Cynthia and said, “Cynthia, if my shoes are broken, it’s not a big deal. I have plenty of custom designer pairs worth several hundred thousand dollars. Why should I hold that against you?”
The crowd couldn’t comprehend Shirley’s sudden change of attitude until they noticed her waving at the approaching figure and calling out, “Lilian, over here!‘ Cynthia’s frown deepened at the mention of Lilian’s name.
Shirley’s heart swelled with satisfaction. Her plan had worked. She was not foolish enough to confront Cynthia directly. She
I can use thought to herself, ‘If I want to hurt Cynthia, I have to strike at her mind. Lilian is certainly the sharpest weapon against Cynthia.
Meanwhile, Lilian was already making her way over. Shirley walked past Cynthia and hurried to Lilian, linking arms with her affectionately as they returned to the crowd. “Everyone, let me introduce you to Lilian, my best friend who has just returned from studying abroad,” Shirley announced.
Unaware of the truth, the crowd assumed that Lilian and Shirley were close and showered Lilian with compliments. In reality, Lilian and Shirley had hardly any contact with each other.
Lilian had received an unexpected invitation to Shirley’s party, and after a brief conversation, they quickly realized they shared the same goal–ruining Cynthia’s reputation. As the saying goes, the enemy of my enemy was my friend.
Besides, Lilian had her own agenda–she wanted to ensure Cynthia divorced Filip. So, she was more than willing to join Shirley’s plan. Lilian greeted everyone sweetly, and when she reached Cynthia, she said, “Happy birthday, Cynthia.” Someone in the crowd noticed the unusual situation and questioned, “Ms. Sheppard, do you and Ms. Cynthia Jones know each other?”
Shirley smiled and said, “Know each other? They are very close. Shirley’s joy deepened as she saw Cynthia’s expression darken. She thought, “As expected, Lilian is the only one who can really hurt Cynthia. Tonight is just the beginning of the real show!
Shirley placed her hand on Lilian’s belly and asked, “Lilian, why did you come here alone when you’re pregnant? Where’s your boyfriend? Then, Shirley turned to the crowd and added, “Lilian’s boyfriend is Filip, the heir to Yates Construction”
The crowd’s attention shifted, their eyes filled with envy and admiration. Yates Construction was one of the top companies in Roncrity and was well–known throughout the country.
Someone remarked, “So, you’re Filip’s future wife? Ms. Sheppard, my grandpa’s company, does business with Yates Construction. I’m counting on Mr. Yates to take care of us in the future.”
Another person added, “Ms. Sheppard, you are so lucky! I’m so jealous!”
Everyone began to shower her with compliments, and Lilian responded with polite humility, though she could not help glancing at Cynthia. Someone asked, “Ms. Sheppard, how many months is your baby?”
Chapter 32
“Almost three months,” Liliaq replied.
Shirley chimed in. Three months is not very stable, Lilian. You really need to take care of yourself, especially with so many people wanting to be in your shoes as Mrs. Yates. She shot Cynthia a sharp look, and the crowd began to sense the tension.
The Jones and Yates families were two of the most prominent in Roncrity. They had been close for generations, and rumors suggested that they had even arranged a betrothal in the past.
However, it was evident that the Yates family would never accepic Cynthia into their fold. As the daughter of the Jones family for 20 years, Cynthia was likely well–acquainted with Filip–perhaps even harboring feelings for him.
On the other hand, Lilian was Filip’s girlfriend. The situation turned into quite a spectacle. It was no wonder Cynthia’s expression changed when Lilian arrived. The crowd’s flattery was intended to provoke her, but she remained indifferent and turned to leave.
Just then, Lilian’s voice rang out, “My boyfriend is here.”
Everyone turned to the banquet hall entrance as a sharply dressed, handsome man walked in–it was Filip. Tall and distinguished, he immediately drew admiration from the crowd, though many could not help but feel disappointed that he had already been taken.
As Filip–approached the entrance, he felt that something was off. He hadn’t realized it was Shirley’s birthday party. Although the Yates and Jones families were close, Henry and Pamela had always favored Cynthia. In the past, even when Shirley invited him to her birthday parties, he had never attended.
Filip preferred to celebrate Cynthia’s birthday at home. That year, however, things were different. Cynthia had left the Yates residence, and when Pamela suggested a birthday celebration for her, Cynthia mentioned she had other plans. Pamela did not press the issue, and Filip did not think much of it–until now.
Now, he found himself at a party where Lilian, Shirley, and Cynthia were all present. Lilian had called him earlier, asking him to accompany her to a friend’s birthday party, and he had agreed without a second thought. He had never expected Lilian’s friend to be Shirley.
Filip made his way through the crowd, and Shirley, always calculating, nudged Lilian toward him. Then she said, “Filip, Lilian was just talking about you, and here you are.
Filip’s expression darkened as he looked at Lilian, who looked a little guilty. She had tricked him by conveniently leaving out the fact that it was Shirley and Cynthia’s birthday party. Now Lilian was unsure how angry he would be.
In the past, Filip would have shrugged it off or even publicly acknowledged Lilian as his girlfriend. Unlike Cynthia, who had always stayed in the background as his wife, Lilian proudly took center stage–just as she had at Royal Golf Field, where he introduced her as Mrs. Yates in front of everyone.
Today, however, Filip seemed different. His presence was imposing, and his gaze was icy. As he scanned the room, his eyes finally landed on Cynthia.
SEND GIFT
