Chapter 163 Showing Weakness to Gain Sympathy
After watching the video, the guests immediately understood the situation. Sophia, furious, stomped her foot but still needed to save face for Anna, so she quickly apologized. "I'm sorry, Ms. Taylor. I misunderstood you. I will certainly improve our employee training. I will immediately dismiss that security guard."
In name, she was apologizing, but in reality, she was shifting all the blame onto the security guard.
Emma smiled without saying anything, and the other guests, well aware of what was happening, adhered to the social principle of not speaking out of turn. They only complained in their hearts while maintaining a calm exterior.
Levis, hearing Sophia's words, panicked. He relied on this job to support his family. Without it, how would he survive?
"Why should I be dismissed?" Levis immediately rushed out. Sophia tried to cover his mouth, but it was too late. Levis continued to shout, "It was Ms. Anna Stuart who told me to do this! I was just following orders. What does it have to do with me?"
Anna?
The scene erupted in an uproar. No one had expected that the unspoken truth would be exposed by the security guard.
Anna's scheme was out in the open, and she wished she could disappear, but the crowd's eyes were like daggers. She had nowhere to hide and could only play the sympathy card.
Anna suddenly stepped forward, looking all sad, tears welling up in her eyes, ready to spill any second.
"I didn't want to stop Ms. Taylor, I was just scared she would hurt me!" Anna said.
People started whispering, clearly taken aback by Anna's sudden shift.
She went on, "I know everyone thinks I'm being unreasonable, but you don't know how deep my feelings for George are. Ms. Taylor has been seducing him, and she's been trying to win over my son Lucas! I'm really afraid of being replaced by her!"
"Ms. Taylor wants to take away my beloved George and Lucas! I just want to protect myself and my family." Anna's voice got more emotional, and tears finally streamed down her cheeks.
Some folks started to feel for her, whispering among themselves.
"I didn't want her to enter the exhibit because I was afraid she would do something to hurt me here." Anna kept crying, her voice trembling, "I know what I did might be wrong, but I really had no choice. I hope everyone can understand my situation. I'm just an ordinary woman, facing the threat of my family being torn apart. I'm really scared."
People around began to empathize with Anna, expressing their understanding. Some women whose husbands had cheated even started to stand up for her, thinking Isabella's behavior was over the top.
"I just want a peaceful life, not to be overshadowed by her." Anna's voice gradually calmed down, her eyes glistening with tears, "And Ms. Taylor never revealed her identity. How was I supposed to know she was the chief designer of the Miss Lady brand?"
After saying this, Anna even started to cry while holding Emma's leg. "Ms. Taylor, you're so talented and beautiful. You can have any man you want. Why do you have to take George from me? Please, let us go, okay?"
Seeing Anna cry so miserably, Sophia felt distressed. As a mother, she would never let Anna be blamed.
"I hope everyone can see clearly that the real victim is Anna, not Isabella. My daughter just wanted to protect her family. What's wrong with that?" Her gaze was firm, looking directly at the people around, filled with a desire to protect and support Anna.
"If your daughter were Isabella, would you defend her like this?" A gentle and pleasant male voice suddenly joined the conversation. It was Michael.
"I won't have a daughter with such low morals!" Sophia snapped. "I actually feel sorry for Ms. Taylor's mom. How tragic it is to have such a disgraceful daughter!"
Every word from Sophia was like a knife to Emma, but she didn't care anymore. Over the past three years, she'd not only changed her identity but also toughened up. Words like these didn't faze her.
Three years ago, she'd faced way worse. Right now, she wasn't angry or sad; she found it kind of funny. So, the guests saw Isabella suddenly smile in the middle of Sophia's rant. She was used to Sophia's jabs and felt a weird sense of relief.
"I grew up without a mom," Emma said with a small smile. "And I turned out fine. If my mom was like Mrs. Sophia Stuart, twisting the truth, maybe I'd have ended up like Ms. Anna Stuart."
Emma's words caused a stir among the guests. Even though everyone knew about Anna's antics, they only gossiped about it in private. No one had dared to say anything out loud until now. No one expected Isabella to be so bold, openly mocking Anna and Sophia!
"What are you trying to say, Isabella? Just because you're Miss Lady's top designer, you think you can do whatever you want? This is Lakeside Haven, not Country F!" Anna shot back angrily.
"Calm down, Ms. Anna Stuart. I'm just sharing my thoughts. It's because I don't rely on anyone that I'm truly free. Attacks from others only make me stronger and more determined. So, even if you keep accusing me of being George's mistress, as long as I know I'm innocent, your words won't affect me." Emma said.
The crowd's attitude shifted. They went from being curious to feeling sympathy, and now they admired Isabella.
They saw that Isabella wasn't just a simple woman; she was a fighter who thrived in tough times. It was this resilience that allowed her to create such beautiful jewelry for the Miss Lady brand.
Sophia's face darkened. She realized her insults hadn't hurt Isabella; instead, they made her look even stronger in front of everyone.
Their argument was at its peak, neither willing to back down. It seemed like the fancy jewelry exhibition was about to be ruined by Isabella, and Sophia's eyes were filled with hatred for her.
At this moment, Henry stepped in to smooth things over. He first had someone take the security guard away and calm him down, then apologized on behalf of Anna. "Ms. Taylor, I apologize on behalf of my wife and daughter. For the unpleasantness caused to you today, I am willing to bear any cost and take full responsibility."
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