Chapter 571
Caitlin returned the embrace, smiling warmly. “It’s good to see you too.” Looking at Celia, she could tell her recovery was nearly complete. “You seem to be doing very well, Miss Palmer p>
“I am,” Celia nodded, her smile radiant. “I had a check-up at the hospital, and all my levels are normal. Thank you, Miss Gonzales p>
A collective gasp swept through the room. No one could believe what they had just witnessed. Celia had completely ignored Ann to embrace Caitlin. What on earth was going on? More importantly, Celia seemed to know Caitlin far better. Otherwise, why would she have snubbed Ann so pointedly?
Ann’s arms were still raised in an aborted embrace, frozen awkwardly in mid-air. She looked both comical and tragic, her mind struggling to process the scene. A roar filled her ears, and she felt the blood drain from her face. Humiliation, shame, and fury churned within her, making her unsteady on her feet.
*Does Celia have any idea what she’s doing?* she thought frantically. *I’m her good friend, so why is she hugging Caitlin? By ignoring me like this, she’s destroying my reputation p>
No, she had to calm down. Celia must have mistaken them. Westerners often thought all Asians looked alike. That had to be it. Celia had mistaken Caitlin for her. Yes, that made sense. Why else would she have come to a tea party hosted by her?
Taking a deep breath, Ann forced a smile and turned to Celia. “Miss Palmer, I’m Ann. I think you might have the wrong person p>
Celia finally released Caitlin and turned to Ann, her eyes icily cold. “I haven’t made a mistake. Miss Gonzales is the one I came to see p>
Because of Ann, Celia had nearly offended a person as important as Caitlin. She felt no need to be polite.
Ann’s eyes widened in disbelief. Celia hadn’t been mistaken. “But,” she stammered, “but didn’t you come to attend my tea party p>
“Attend your party?” Celia let out a cold, mocking laugh. “Ann, who the hell do you think you are? What makes you think you’re worthy of my presence at your pathetic little gathering p>
The words hit Ann like a physical blow. The blood in her veins turned to ice, and panic seized her. What was wrong with Celia? Just twenty days ago, she had been fawning over her, desperate to get closer to her brother, Tammie. Now, she was like a completely different person. Why the sudden change? Had she given up on pursuing Tammie?
Celia wasn’t finished. “If Steward Lowell hadn’t told me Miss Gonzales was here, do you think I would have ever bothered to show up? You should take a long, hard look at yourself!” she sneered. “Or does the Templeton family not own mirrors? If not, surely you can find a puddle to see your reflection p>
If her previous words were an insult, these were a deliberate demolition of Ann’s dignity. And Celia had no intention of stopping. Given her personality, the fact that she wasn’t having Ann physically removed was amiracle Her goal was twofold to present the token to Caitlin and to utterly humiliate Ann.
A wave of shocked and delighted murmurs rippled through the crowd. Who would have thought that Ann, who had been the center of attention just moments ago, would be brought so low? It turned out she wasn’t Celia’s friend at all. Caitlin hadn’t been bluffing; Ann was the real liar.
“How shameless! If I were her, I’d find a hole to crawl into and never come out p>
“Exactly! And she had the nerve to claim Miss Palmer was giving the token to her p>
“This is the best drama I’ve seen all year p>
Standing beside Ann, Sheila’s face was a mask of horror. She had just gone out of her way to belittle Caitlin to curry favor with Ann. If she had know Ann meant less than nothing to Celia, she never would have opened her mouth. Now, because of that idiot, she had offended someone truly important. Sheila wanted to slap herself. She was filled with regret.
Ann had never been so publicly humiliated. Her face was as white as a sheet. Why? Why was this happening? Why was Celia doing this to her?
Before Ann could recover, Celia turned back to Caitlin. “Miss Gonzales, thanks to you, I have been given a new lease on life. To express my gratitude, my mother had this gift sent from Valerium p>
An assistant stepped forward,
respectfully presenting a brocade
box. Celia took it, opened the lid, and displayed its contents for all to see.
“This is my family’s jade token. The
holder of this token can ask the Palmer family to grant three wishes, anytime, anywhere. Furthermore, the owner is granted the status of nobility in Valerium. Now, in front of everyone, I, in the name of my ancestors, present this token to
Miss Gonzales p>
“Please, accept it p>
Celia’s words were like a bomb exploding in the ballroom.
“Oh my god! I thought Miss Palmer was just here to see Miss Gonzales, but it
turns out Miss Gonzales is her actual savior p>