Chapter 153
Chapter 153
Vivian used to fall for this kind of act–she was always charmed by Arianna’s sweet words, and the more she saw of her, the more she lived he
But now that the filter of a future daughter–in–law had been lifted, Vivian had lost all interest in Arianna’s familiar, well rehearsed nattery. She forced polite smile and asked, “What have you been busy with lately?”
Arianna, as if completely oblivious to Vivian’s indifference, gave her a sweet smile and looped her arm through hers. She looked just as affectionate as ever and said, “I’ve been recording songs and shooting a few commercials. That photographer you recommended last time he’s amazing. He shot the cover for my new album. Really professional work.”
Vivian responded with a lukewarm attitude, “As long as it works. He’s a junior from my university days and is very talented. Work well with him, and he’ll give it his all.”
“Thank you, Mrs. Walker.” Arianna smiled sweetly before moving on to greet the other ladies in the room. She was natural and confident–clearly not
someone like Valerie, who was meeting them for the first time.
Valerie observed quietly from the side, smiling gently without arrogance or unease.
The moment Valerie saw Arianna, she knew that no matter what, Arianna was going to find a way to shift the spotlight onto herself today.
Sure enough, after the opening ceremony, as they all walked into the banquet hall, Valerie spotted a familiar face.
When Valentina saw Valerie, she didn’t look the least bit surprised. In fact, she seemed genuinely pleased and walked right over, calling out, “Valerie!! didn’t expect to see you here. Are you here for a beauty treatment too?”
The new salon was offering a grand opening promotion, so the turnout was large. Still, not just anyone could get through the door.
The moment Valerie saw Valentina, she knew things weren’t going to be simple.
She glanced back at Arianna, and sure enough, there was a flicker of unmistakable provocation in her eyes.
Valentina approached Valerie, eyes fixed on her glowing complexion and increasingly graceful figure. Envy twisted in her heart as she thought, ‘It’s all thanks to me that Valerie gets to live so well now!
‘She’s been pampered by that man so much, even her skin and aura have changed completely. All because she married Aiden.
‘But those things–they were supposed to be mine!
‘If I’d known Aiden was this good, I would’ve married him myself. Now, Valerie got everything for free while I’m stuck with Brody.’
The bitterness in Valentina’s heart flared for a moment, but she quickly smiled at Valerie and said, “You’ve really blossomed since you married in my
place.”
“What?” Arianna’s voice shot up in pitch, her face full of shock. “What do you mean? She married in your place?”
Valentina looked startled and immediately covered her mouth, stepping back like she had just let a huge secret slip. She looked absolutely horrified almost convincingly so.
Arianna couldn’t believe it. She stepped closer, demanding, “What are you talking about? Say it clearly–what do you mean Valerie married in your place?”
Valentina looked mortified as she stammered, “…”
Valerie watched the little performance with a cold expression, her face unreadable.
But behind her, the other ladies were already exchanging glances and beginning to gather around. They murmured, “What’s going on?”
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Chapter 153
“What’s with all the fuss?” Lucianna frowned, her tone annoyed–though her face looked relaxed, as if she were in a good mood. She asked, “y happened? Speak clearly.“.
Arianna looked utterly stunned and said, “This woman just claimed that Valerie married Aiden in her place. What… what does that even meant
Valerie let out a silent laugh.
It was clear Arianna and Valentina had come prepared. Their back–and–forth was more dramatic than a stage performance under a bridge.
“Is that true?” Lucianna’s face lit with curiosity. She turned to Vivian and asked, “Did you know about this?”
Vivian’s expression darkened as she looked at Valentina and demanded, “What’s that supposed to mean?”
“You didn’t know either?” Lucianna looked genuinely shocked and pressed her further.
Off to the side, Stephanie Williams–who had always been close to Lucianna–suddenly spoke up, stating, “Actually, I heard something interesting recently.”
Lucianna played along and asked, “What did you hear?”
Stephanie explained, “There’s a family whose biological daughter went missing. The parents were devastated, but no matter how hard they searched, they couldn’t find her. In their desperation, the young couple did something drastic. Do you know what it was?”
Her tone carried a sense of surprise, but more than that–it hinted at disapproval.
As expected, the surrounding women perked up and turned their attention toward her.
Pleased with the reaction she’d stirred, Stephanie continued, “They adopted a girl from an orphanage who looked a lot like their daughter. But a few years later, the real daughter was found. Unable to accept that someone else had taken her place, the parents decided to bring their biological daughter home and quietly asked the adopted one to leave.”
She took a sip of her drink, glanced meaningfully at Valerie, and added, “But the adopted girl felt wronged. She thought, ‘This wasn’t my fault, so why should I suffer for it?‘ So she threw tantrums, threatened suicide–just to return to that wealthy life. Then she set her sights on the biological daughter’s
fiancé.”
Vivian had heard this story before. A heaviness settled in her heart.
She fell into deep thought, ‘Last time I heard this tale, it was Wesley Walker and his family who brought the Clarks around. They hemmed and hawed, but in the end, didn’t say much of anything. Later, I learned the Clarks and Wesley’s family had grown quite close–especially Brody. Word was he’d gotten involved with one of the Clark girls, Valentina–the very one standing here now.
‘And now the story’s surfacing again. Considering how greedy that branch of the Walkers is, they wouldn’t cozy up to the Clarks unless they saw something to gain…‘
Lucianna scowled, “That’s unbelievably ungrateful. The adoptive parents didn’t owe her anything–how could she throw fits at them? And to have the nerve to steal someone else’s man? Shameless!”
“Exactly,” Arianga said, glancing at Valerie with a gloating expression and a look of righteous outrage. “Some people are just that shameless. It’s disgusting. Whoever marries someone like that is really unlucky.t feel terrible for the real daughter–imagine losing even her fiancé to someone like that. That’s tragic!”
As she said it, she turned a face full of sympathy toward Valentina.
Valentina’s eyes had already gone red. She lowered her head and started to sob quietly, casting a tearful glance at Valerie.
And just like that, Valerie once again became the center of attention.
- 108 17 Jun
