Chapter 162

Chapter 162:

After Susan’s cutting words, she turned and walked away, leaving Giana standing there, lost in thought and weighed down by regret. She had just lost a million dollars and a friend.

Inside the reunion venue, the organizer had reserved a large room. Many of their schoolmates had already arrived, and the attention of the group centered on Jenna and Gilbert, who sat at the heart of the gathering, basking in compliments.

Susan quietly sat in a corner, observing the scene. Teresa, dressed distinctively and exuding confidence, glanced at Susan and sneered. “Susan, why hasn’t Madisyn shown up yet?”

“She’ll be here shortly,” Susan responded calmly.

“Really? I thought she wouldn’t dare to come,” Teresa continued, her voice dripping with sarcasm. “After all, she was a fake heiress who took someone else’s place. Now that she’s lost her status and her fiancé, she must be feeling quite embarrassed.”

Susan shot back, her disdain for Teresa evident. “She was raised in the Chapman family. It wasn’t her choice to be mistakenly taken there. And fiancé? Madisyn has better options.”

Ł@ŧëşŧ ÇĦ@þŦèŕş íń 𝑔𝑎𝑙𝑛𝑜𝑣𝑒𝑙𝑠.𝑐𝑜𝑚

“Better options? Do you mean Dane? That’s ridiculous. Madisyn must be delusional to dream of marrying into wealth,” Teresa mocked.

The others joined in, whispering scornfully. Back in high school, Madisyn had been the most admired girl, praised for her beauty and charm. Now, everyone was eager to see how she would present herself at the reunion.

Jenna, playing the part of the kind friend, interjected, “Teresa, let’s drop it. Madisyn is probably already feeling bad. We haven’t seen each other in so long—let’s just enjoy today.”

“Okay, Jenna. You’re always the kind one,” Teresa replied, her envy thinly veiled as she admired Jenna’s custom-made dress, which oozed sophistication.

“Jenna, your dress is stunning. It must have cost a fortune!”

Jenna smiled modestly. “Only about five hundred thousand dollars.”

The others gasped in awe. “Oh my God! Five hundred thousand dollars! I’m so jealous. I don’t think all my clothes combined would add up to that much.”

“Jenna and Gilbert are such a perfect match—she’s beautiful, and he’s handsome.”

“A wealthy young man like Gilbert deserves a woman of equal beauty and class,” one person remarked, adding to the flattery that fueled Jenna’s glowing smile.

As nearly everyone had arrived except Madisyn, Teresa couldn’t resist another jab. “Why hasn’t Madisyn shown up yet? Does she not have the courage to face us?”

Just then, the door opened, and Madisyn stepped in.

She wore a long black dress that hugged her slender figure, and her minimal makeup only served to enhance her striking natural beauty. Her long black hair flowed elegantly, and she moved with a regal grace that immediately drew everyone’s attention.

Suddenly, Jenna’s extravagant outfit paled in comparison to Madisyn’s understated elegance. It was as if Madisyn had stepped out of a painting, her presence commanding the room. The quiet murmur of admiration in the air didn’t escape Jenna’s notice, and fury surged within her as she realized she had been outshined.

Feigning surprise, Jenna smiled warmly. “Madisyn, you’re here. You’re still so beautiful—no wonder men are so drawn to you.”

Her words jolted the crowd back to reality. Yes, Madisyn was beautiful, but they quickly remembered her fall from grace, associating her beauty with her presumed ambition to marry into wealth.

“Of course, everyone prefers beautiful people over someone as ugly as you,” Madisyn said, casually seating herself next to Susan.

Jenna’s smile instantly vanished. Madisyn’s sharp response cut through the tension like a knife.

Gilbert, who had been observing Madisyn with conflicted admiration, frowned. Her aggressiveness irritated him. “Madisyn, you’re a lady. Couldn’t you speak a bit more gently?”

Madisyn shot him a cold glance. “And you’re a man. Should you really be arguing with a woman?”

Gilbert was left speechless, his frustration bubbling beneath the surface.

Teresa scowled, trying to diffuse the situation. “We’re just looking out for you, Madisyn. Why do you have to be so hostile? We’re here for a reunion, to have a good time.”

Madisyn leaned back in her seat, unbothered. “I’ll enjoy myself when I’m happy. Jenna started mocking me the moment I walked in. How can I be happy with that?”

Caught off-guard, Jenna felt a flush of embarrassment but quickly tried to play innocent. “Madisyn, I was only complimenting you. You’re overreacting.”

Madisyn’s eyes flashed with a calm yet deadly resolve. “I just said you were ugly. Isn’t that the truth?”

The room fell silent, and Jenna’s face turned red with humiliation.

.

.

.