Chapter 560 Pathetic
Downstairs, Nathaniel was helping Lillian pick out wedding dresses while Freya had already been sent back to the car by Larkin. Lillian, bubbling with excitement, pointed out several gowns for the staff to fetch, disappearing into the fitting room with a flurry of fabric.
Nathaniel settled himself outside, glancing up just in time to see Darian descending the stairs, impeccably dressed and carrying Cecily in his arms as he strode confidently out of the bridal shop.
Nathaniel shook his head, chuckling to himself. "What a well-dressed beast."
"What was that?" Lillian's voice piped up from inside the fitting room.
"Nothing, keep going," Nathaniel replied casually.
As Darian placed Cecily in the car, he instructed the staff to buy every conservative wedding dress in the shop, including the one Cecily had just tried on.
Once in the car, Cecily slumped against the seat, covering her face with her hands, refusing to move.
Darian laughed softly and tugged at her gently. "What's wrong?"
"I must be out of my mind for going along with you in there…" Cecily's voice was muffled, her embarrassment palpable.
Darian, in contrast, seemed to be in high spirits, a satisfied grin lighting up his handsome face.
"What was that back there, Darian?" Cecily peeked through her fingers, eyeing him warily.
"Looked like what?" he replied, feigning innocence.
"Like two people having an affair," she shot back.
Darian chuckled, shaking his head. "Don't be so hard on yourself."
"Sorry, I meant to insult you," Cecily said, her expression serious.
Darian wrapped her in his arms, unbothered. "No big deal."
Cecily pushed against him. "Mr. Fitzgerald, can you please be serious for a second? I'm trying to discuss something important."
He raised an eyebrow, his gaze steady on her. "What's not serious about this?"
Sighing, Cecily pushed his handsome face away. "I need to ask you something. Did you have anything to do with Percy's car accident?"
She couldn't shake the feeling that there were too many coincidences at play. Percy's accident today felt a little too convenient.
Darian raised an eyebrow, a hint of acknowledgment in his expression. "Honestly, it wouldn't be hard to make him disappear."
Cecily didn't deny the truth in his words; a simple accident could easily take someone's life. Yet the Lockwood family wasn't just Percy—there would be consequences for such actions. They wouldn't let it slide easily.
Rather than risk Percy's life and invite endless vengeance, Cecily preferred to gather evidence to expose his hypocrisy, ensuring everyone saw his downfall as deserved.
"You didn't actually kill him, did you?" she asked, concern etching her brow.
"If I had, you wouldn't have to marry his son. Believe me, I'd love that."
Cecily glared at him, her voice firm. "Don't be reckless. We just need to wait five more days, and this will all be over. But with him in the hospital, it does make things a bit easier for me."
The only snag was that the crucial evidence was likely locked away in Percy's safe, and she had no idea of the code.
In hindsight, she regretted not installing a hidden camera instead of just a listening device; it would've made things so much simpler. But that was too risky, a thought she quickly dismissed.
As she was lost in her thoughts, her phone suddenly rang. It was Vivienne.
"Mom?"
"Cecily, aren't you at the bridal shop anymore?" Vivienne asked, her tone curious.
"I just left. Why? You're not coming to find me, are you?"
"Karen just told me she had to leave early and didn't want to leave you alone at the shop. I was thinking of taking Aurelie out to clear our heads, so I'm on my way."
"Aurelie's coming too?" Cecily shot upright in her seat. "You really shouldn't! Nathaniel and Lillian are still at the bridal shop."
"It's too late for that. I was just about to tell you—we've already arrived."
Cecily fell silent, her heart racing at the thought of the impending encounter.
Inside the bridal shop, Vivienne and Aurelie had just arrived, but Cecily was nowhere to be found. As Vivienne ended her call, they spotted Lillian in a wedding gown, with Nathaniel waiting patiently nearby.
Aurelie locked eyes with them, and the atmosphere instantly grew tense.
Aurelie's already pale complexion turned icy. "Cecily went home. Let's leave," she said, gripping Vivienne's hand and trying to pull her away.
"Hold it right there," Lillian called out, her voice cutting through the air. "Miss Miller, we're old friends, aren't we? You can't just waltz in and leave without saying hello." Aurelie halted, and Lillian sashayed over, her gown swishing dramatically as she approached, a smug smile plastered across her face.
"Miss Miller, you arrived just in time! What do you think of this dress? I'm planning to wear it as my main wedding gown for my big day with Nathaniel. Do you think it suits me?" Lillian's eyes sparkled with mischief.
Aurelie clenched her fists, the blatant provocation too hard to ignore. She didn't want to engage, but Lillian was relentless.
"Cat got your tongue? Not feeling too happy today?" Lillian blinked innocently. "You know, you were supposed to be the one standing next to Nathaniel in a wedding dress, but look at you now—he chose me instead."
Lillian raised an eyebrow, her laughter ringing out like a bell. She reveled in the thrill of stealing someone else's spotlight. She didn't harbor a deep-seated grudge against Aurelie; her real resentment stemmed from the time she stood before Nathaniel at the hotel, completely exposed, only to be met with indifference. He had even told her he had a girlfriend.
Later, when Aurelie showed up, Lillian had caught a glimpse of panic in Nathaniel's eyes—a fleeting look that told her he cared about Aurelie.
Lillian's engagement to Nathaniel was a matter of family arrangement, something she didn't like to discuss, but she knew the Kensington family was pushing him into this marriage. It meant Nathaniel wasn't exactly eager to be with her.
At that moment, Lillian couldn't help but feel a surge of injustice. She thought, 'Why should Nathaniel, who has spent ten years in prison, get to choose someone else over me Why should I be the one treated like a second choice?'
With every rejection from Nathaniel, her feelings of imbalance grew, turning into a simmering resentment. She wanted to destroy him, to ruin the man who had once turned his back on her, as well as the woman he had chosen—Aurelie. Lillian felt trapped in a dark abyss, and she was determined to drag them both down with her.
As for the idea of donating Aurelie's uterus, Lillian knew it required matching compatibility, but she didn't care. The ability to bear children was insignificant to her. All she wanted was to see the person Nathaniel cared about suffer, to become incomplete like her.
It was a twisted sense of justice, a way to balance the scales in her mind. Nothing more.
"So, feeling pretty proud of yourself, huh?" Aurelie finally broke the silence, her patience wearing thin as she met Lillian's gaze.
Lillian nodded, her smirk widening. "You bet I am! Why wouldn't I be? I've gotten everything I wanted, while you're just crawling around like an ant. By the way, I still have that video of you getting bullied by Barbara yesterday. Want to take a look?"
Aurelie regarded Lillian with a blank expression, her face devoid of any emotion. She merely let out a cold laugh. "You're really pathetic."
"Pathetic?" Lillian's laughter faltered for a moment, but then she burst into a louder fit of giggles. "The pathetic one here is you! You're the one who's lost everything."
"And what have you gained? Finding satisfaction in hurting others to fill your own emptiness? Taking pleasure in someone else's misfortune? That's what makes you happy? You really think that's not sad?" Aurelie's gaze was steady, her eyes glimmering with scorn.
"Also, you want me to donate my uterus to you, but I did some digging. Turns out, finding a match isn't exactly a walk in the park. So, there's a good chance we won't even be compatible. Yet, you're so eager for me to sign that agreement. Do you really want my uterus, or is it just that you want me to be as incomplete as you are?" Aurelie shot back, her voice steady but laced with disdain. "You think you're suffering, so you want everyone else to feel the same pain. That's the only way you can find balance in your twisted little world. Tell me, doesn't that make you the real pitiful one, Lillian?"
Lillian's eyes blazed with fury, her fists clenched so tightly that her knuckles turned white. She was trembling with rage.
Aurelie regarded her coolly. "Cat got your tongue? What happened to all that bravado? Did I hit a nerve? You're the one who's truly pathetic."
"Shut your mouth!" Lillian yelled, raising her hand to slap Aurelie hard across the face.
But Aurelie was quick; she anticipated Lillian's move and seized her arm mid-swing. "So, you're just going to throw a tantrum because I called you out? That's all you've got?" Aurelie retorted, effortlessly tossing Lillian's hand aside.
Caught off balance, Lillian stumbled back a couple of steps, her eyes burning with rage as she glared at Aurelie. The anger bubbling inside her felt like a volcano ready to erupt, and she wanted nothing more than to tear Aurelie apart.
"What gives you the right to look down on me, you pathetic little worm? Yes, I'm exactly what you say I am, but so what? I'm still the winner here. I can crush you beneath my heel. You owe two hundred million dollars, and you'll come crawling back to me for help. I'm just biding my time until that day comes," Lillian spat, her voice dripping with malice.
Aurelie remained calm, her demeanor a stark contrast to Lillian's explosive rage. "Let me make this crystal clear: the money is Joshua's debt, not mine. I won't be paying it back. If you think you can use that to break me, you might as well give up now."
She had endured being pinned down and humiliated by Barbara and Nicole; what else could they throw at her that she couldn't handle? She thought, 'They want to dump their debts on me? Not a chance. They think they can use that money to crush me? Not happening. I won't give them the satisfaction.
'After living my life for others, it is high time I started thinking about myself.'
"You really are heartless, but trust me, you can't escape this. I'll make sure of it," Lillian sneered, trying to step forward again, but someone grabbed her from behind, pulling her back. She didn't even get close to Aurelie.
Lillian turned in frustration to see Nathaniel standing there, his expression calm.
"Don't get worked up; it'll just give you wrinkles, and nobody wants that," he said, his tone almost teasing.
Lillian gritted her teeth, her anger boiling over. "You're helping her!"
"Come on, I'm clearly trying to help you," Nathaniel replied coolly, his grip firm around her, preventing her from getting anywhere near Aurelie.
"Helping me?" Lillian scoffed, her mind racing. 'Do they really think I'm that gullible? I can see right through Nathaniel's intentions.'
With a sudden burst of defiance, Lillian shoved Nathaniel away and pointed an accusatory finger at Aurelie. "Fine! If you're really on my side, then I want you to prove it. Go on, give her a slap!"
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