Chapter 251 You Won't Be Arrogant for Long
Erica shot a look at Wendy's smug face, her hand itching to slap her again. "Who do you think you are to question me?" she snapped.
Wendy, after taking two slaps, stared back. "What's wrong? Did I hit a nerve? Was there something big when you first met Susanna? I heard the Jones family heir went missing and was found in an orphanage. Did you know Susanna back then, maybe at the same orphanage?"
Erica's face changed instantly. "Wendy, do you think anyone will believe your wild guesses?"
"Ms. Jones, want to know how I found out? Easy. I showed your photo to the old orphanage director. She remembered you because you look just like you did back then."
A crazy glint appeared in Wendy's eyes. "Ms. Jones, or should I say, you're not the real Jones heir, Susanna is !"
Erica turned pale. "You're talking nonsense, Wendy. Spread any rumors, and I'll kill you! You know I have the power to do that, right?"
Wendy laughed. "I was just guessing, but your reaction tells me I might be right. This feels like a novel—swapped lives turned real. Erica, you stole Susanna's life, didn't you?"
"Shut up! Didn't you hear me?" Erica looked at the bodyguard. "Come over and teach this bitch a lesson. Show her what it means to mess with me!"
Even as the bodyguard roughed her up, Wendy kept her eyes on Erica, smiling defiantly. "I know your biggest secret, Erica. You'll never get rid of me."
"You've lost it!"
Erica's anger simmered until she couldn't resist kicking Wendy's shin. "You messed with the wrong person. An orphan like you, if something happens, no one will stand up for you, especially since you're about to be expelled. If you die, people will just think you committed suicide!"
Wendy was gripped by fear. "You can't do this!"
With a cold stare, Erica ordered the bodyguard, "Lock her in here and tell the staff this room is my private space. Don't let anyone in until this is sorted out."."
As she left the room, a storm of emotions raged within Erica. She wanted to unleash her fury on Wendy, regretting her own carelessness that had let Wendy uncover her secret.
The secretary approached. "Ms. Jones, the event is about to start. Should we handle Wendy's situation as a suicide?"
"Wendy still has some value, so we can't act rashly. I just wanted to scare her," Erica said, exhaling to calm down. "Is Edward and the team here yet?"
"They arrived a while ago," the secretary replied.
A small grin appeared on Erica's face. Grabbing her designer handbag, she walked out confidently. Outside, she saw a crowd of students in the auditorium, but none of the VIPs had shown up yet.
Didn't they say Edward and the others were here? Why haven't they shown up?
Just then, Elaine rushed over, excitement on her face. "Erica, Edward and the others are here. Why are you still here?"
"Where are they?" Erica asked.
"They're backstage in the dressing room. I thought you were back there getting ready, but I guess I was wrong," Elaine said, looking puzzled.
Erica's face looked a bit off. "I had some stuff to handle, so I missed Edward's WhatsApp message."
Elaine eagerly linked arms with Erica. "Come on, Erica, let's go. You should've seen the scene when your six brothers stepped out of the car. Every girl was swooning," she said, eyes sparkling. She couldn't decide which brother she liked best—they were all so handsome.
Erica's expression turned smug as she glanced at Elaine and casually pulled her hand away. "Elaine, I want to talk to my family alone. I'll introduce you to my brothers later."
Elaine's smile vanished, replaced by an awkward nod. "Erica, what do you mean? You promised to introduce me to your brothers. You said you'd marry into the Abbott family, and I'd marry into the Jones family."
"I did say that, but Aaron's been cold to me lately, so I've been a bit lax. I need to discuss some things with Edward and the others. It's not appropriate for you to be there," Erica said.
"Fine," Elaine reluctantly agreed, frustration simmering beneath the surface. If Erica had introduced her to the Jones brothers, she would've spilled Susanna's secret. But Erica had brushed her off!
So, no need to tell Erica so much. What if Susanna's family also had handsome brothers?
Erica walked away, feeling content, silently telling Elaine that if she didn't vouch for her in the Abbott family, she wouldn't support her either.
As she approached Edward and the rest, Erica couldn't shake off the dread of Elaine discovering her impending expulsion from the Abbott family. The thought of facing life in Lindwell without their support weighed heavily on her.
Meanwhile, in the dressing room.
Susanna put on the dress Aviana had bought for her. Looking at herself in the mirror, she couldn't help but think of the dress Erica was wearing earlier. It looked similar to hers! "Could it be a coincidence?" she wondered.
She hesitated and asked the stylist, "Will this dress clash with someone else's?"
"No, this dress is a limited edition. There's only one in Lindwell! If it does clash, it must be a knockoff or a fake!"
Susanna didn't expect the dress to be so popular! Recalling Erica's impeccable taste, she reasoned that Erica wouldn't settle for anything less than authentic. Maybe it was just a shared fashion sense. Not dwelling on it, she exited the changing room, only to find neither Edward nor Aviana in sight.
As Susanna stepped into the makeup room's lounge, the bustling scene caught her attention. Amidst the flurry of activity—with girls applying makeup, changing outfits, and actresses getting their looks perfected—a few curious glances were directed her way. Her presence had sparked some interest.
One girl looked at her dress with envy. "Is that the latest limited edition? I heard there's only one in Lindwell."
"Yeah, I heard even actresses wanted to buy it but couldn't. It's so beautiful!"
Susanna smiled as she lifted her dress. The buzz around the garment surprised her. When she bought it, Aviana had played it cool but hinted her family was loaded. Straightening her posture, Susanna responded, "Thank you for the compliment!"
"It's just a fake. What's there to compliment?"
