Chapter 313 Why Not Come with Me
Lydia shot Winona a playful scold. "Tell me, how long has it been since you last came home? Do I have to get sick and hospitalized just to see you?"
"Mrs. Bailey," Winona said, holding her hand, her eyes welling up. "I've been so busy lately. I'm sorry."
"Now you don't even want to call me Mom?"
"Zachary and I are divorced. Calling you that might cause misunderstandings," Winona explained, still holding Lydia's hand. "Titles are just labels. In my heart, you'll always be Mom."
"Then let him call me Mrs. Bailey, and you still call me Mom. That stubborn fool doesn't know how to cherish you!" Lydia said, suddenly snapping out of the joy of the reunion. "Who did you come with?"
Just as Winona was about to answer, Eva walked over with a drink. "Mrs. Bailey, I invited Winona. I saw a crown that had been stolen from our country and sunk in the sea at an auction abroad. To prevent it from falling into the wrong hands, I bought it and donated it to the Dreamopolis Museum. Winona is the restorer responsible for it. We hit it off immediately and even found out we like the same celebrity. Isn't that a coincidence?"
Eva's patience and the power of the Turner family made it easy for her to ruin anyone.
She had seen the scene clearly just now. One second, Eva had been saying Lydia was her future mother-in-law, hinting that she and Zachary were close to getting married. The next second, she had been completely ignored by Lydia, probably so angry she could grind her teeth to dust.
But now, standing in front of Winona, she looked like a deep-bonded sister.
Lydia smiled and nodded. "Our Winona is truly amazing."
Eva was speechless.
'Logically, shouldn't I be the one being praised? What's wrong with this old lady? Does she have any emotional intelligence? Does she know how to handle things?' she thought.
Eva forced a stiff smile. "Mrs. Bailey, an idol from the entertainment industry is here today, in the garden on the north side. Winona said she wanted to meet him. Should I take her there?"
She didn't mention it was her cousin, mainly because Ian was very flirtatious and had a bad reputation. Although the Turner family always cleaned up his messes, it never reached the public. But if Lydia had heard any rumors, she might think Eva was the same.
Winona listened in amazement.
In awe, Winona absorbed this deft manipulation at play, acknowledging the artistry behind such insidious tactics. Fangirling over a celebrity like Ian certainly wouldn't bode well with someone like Lydia, a paragon of propriety amid wealth and fame.
Lydia's expression contorted into a frown. "These so-called idols are just glitzy packaging. Most ain't worth a dime. Winona, let's skip this shindig. If you're that into him, we'll bring him over one day to perform at the house. You can have your fill then."
Winona smiled. "Okay."
Eva was even more furious, her smile becoming more and more forced. "Today's idols aren't like the stars in the old days. You can't just invite them to your house to perform."
"What's the fuss? It's just a gig. Pay up, and they'll show up anywhere. Heck, those Broadway actors who sweat for years for a shot at the stage deserve more respect," Lydia shot back, her presence commanding. "Miss Turner, no job holds more weight than another. Don't put one industry on a pedestal."
Eva had been doing a lot of good deeds lately to impress Lydia, but she hadn't heard much praise. Now, for an offhand remark, she was getting scolded.
She clenched her fists, thinking of Zachary, and swallowed her anger. "Mrs. Bailey, you're right. I misspoke."
After that, she didn't have the face to stay any longer and found an excuse to leave.
Once Eva was gone, Lydia ran into an acquaintance. She wanted to take Winona with her when she mingled, but Winona declined.
Lydia didn't insist, just told her not to wander off.
After Lydia left, Winona headed to the dining area to grab some food.
Just as she reached out, she bumped into someone.
"Isn't this Miss Sullivan? Using the excuse of getting food to throw yourself at men?"
A condescending voice came down.
The lazy, annoying voice sounded familiar, but Winona couldn't place it.
She took a step back and looked up.
Tall, with a surgically altered face, small eyes, sunken cheeks, and prominent cheekbones.
Ugly, yet dressed flamboyantly, in a dark red suit with black slim-fit pants and shiny shoes.
Winona remembered him—William Simmons.
Back in school, he had pursued her. After being rejected, he got angry and started harassing her. When she was borrowing money to pay off debts, he often humiliated her with lewd remarks and even held out a wad of cash, wanting her to kneel down and lick his shoes.
Winona had immediately turned hostile and slapped him hard.
In the eyes of those rich kids, she was quite something. After all, it was rare to witness someone hounded by loan sharks still holding their head high.
Only Winona knew that her firm rejection had nothing to do with pride. It was because he offered too little.
The hole of debt was so big, those few stacks of money couldn't even fill a fingernail. Since that was the case, she might as well vent her anger.
"Mr. Simmons," Winona curled her lips, her mocking gaze scanning him up and down. "Didn't you get enough of a beating last time? Want some more now?"
William's face turned green with anger. Being slapped by a woman in front of so many friends was humiliating, and he had been ridiculed for it ever since.
He already looked like he had weak kidneys, and when he got angry, his facial features contorted into a grotesque shape.
"Winona, you're just a woman Mr. Bailey got tired of and kicked out. What right do you have to be arrogant in front of me?" Tonight was, after all, the Turner family's event. Although William was a brainless rich kid, he understood basic etiquette and spoke in a low voice only they could hear.
As he leaned in, his suit pocket opened slightly, and Winona's gaze fell on the room key card casually placed inside.
She frowned, the question she had for hours resurfacing in her head. Why prepared a resting room for just a few hours of the banquet?
Winona glanced at the hall and met Eva's gaze. Eva smiled at her.
"Still hoping Mr. Bailey will back you up?" William reached out to touch her face. "Since you've been kicked out, forget it. Why not come with me? As long as you please me..."
A foot landed squarely on his groin, and William screamed in pain, clutching himself and bending over.
His face turned from white to red, then from red to green in an instant.
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