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I was utterly speechless.
She had started putting on an act all by herself.
Since returning to the Sinclair family and being confirmed as the true heir, I’ve been studying with private tutors.
Recently I’ve also been going to the company early and returning late to learn the business. Where would I have time to be jealous of her?
I had glanced at her business proposal this morning too – it was childishly simple stuff that I couldn’t even be bothered to comment on.
But she had used all of this to her advantage.
Hearing this, Ethan looked at me with disappointment:
“How can you still not change your small–town bad habits? Lazy, jealous, telling Ivy to die – aren’t you afraid of karmic retribution?”
But I’ve been standing here the whole time, not doing anything at all…
Ethan continued lecturing me: “Quickly kneel down and kowtow to apologize to Ivy. Otherwise, don’t blame me for breaking off the engagement!”
C
When I first arrived, I had fallen for Ethan who was kind to me then, and confessed to him.
But later, with Ivy’s repeated crying and accusations, he became convinced that I was just a stupid and vicious small–town woman.
Since then, he has used my love as leverage, forcing me to apologize to Ivy again and again.
Kneeling, kowtowing, admitting my faults – I was young then, and thought this would keep his affection.
But he only used this love to manipulate me for five whole years.
Now that I see through everything, his love has become as cheap as air to me.
This time I just gave him an indifferent look:
“She banged her own head. I didn’t force her to do it. Let her apologize to herself in the mirror.”
It was the first time Ethan saw me refuse to give in, and he felt like he lost face.
He angrily pointed at me: “You dare to talk back? Small–town people really are vicious!”
Oliver Lawrence suddenly snapped his fingers and said:
“You must have found out we let Ivy try on your Alifilos wedding dress, and are deliberately torturing her, right?”
Zach Johnson also frowned: “Small–town people are so petty, not understanding the beauty of sharing.”
Hearing this, my expression turned cold: “My wedding dress?”
Chapter 3
Alifilos means “wings of the clouds” in Latin.
When Father found me, he had joyfully commissioned this luxurious wedding dress for me in Switzerland.
It also symbolized my position as the heir of the Sinclair family.
But now they’re saying this meaningful, once–in–a–century wedding dress was tried on by Ivy Chen first.
I looked at Ethan. He was in charge of having the wedding dress flown back from Switzerland.
Ethan looked a bit guilty under my gaze, but quickly straightened up and said to me:
9:24 AM
“Can’t you be less petty? Ivy was raised in luxury, but as soon as you came she was labeled as the fake heiress. She’s been mocked and insulted by you so many times. What’s wrong with lending her the dress to try on and satisfy her love of beauty?”
He sighed, closing his eyes as if making a painful decision:
“Fine, I’ll agree to the engagement party! I’ll let you have your wish of wearing that dress and getting engaged to me. Satisfied now?”
Hearing him say this, Oliver Lawrence and Zach Johnson complained on his behalf:
“No way, that’s exactly what that evil Aria wants! Why give in to her?”
“Now Aria’s going to be smug about getting her way. What a shame, sigh.”
Even Ivy Chen leaned into Ethan’s arms, tenderly caressing his face:
“Ethan, you don’t need to make such a big sacrifice for me…”
I stood watching them, my heart bitter. I was also a young girl longing for love, yet they despised me to this extent.
I held back my tears and said to Ethan:
“Don’t worry, I will never marry you.”
Hearing this, Ethan looked at me as if he saw through me: “What trick are you trying to play now?”
Oliver Lawrence and Zach Johnson beside him looked at me warily, as if afraid I would reject Ethan and choose one of them instead.
At this moment, Ivy Chen suddenly crawled over and kowtowed to me:
“I’m begging you, sister. Stop torturing these three men. You’ve already taken away my inheritance rights and my father. Do you have to drive away the few friends I have left?!”
She kowtowed forcefully, making her already bloodied forehead even more battered. Ethan and the others were frightened and quickly went
to hold her.
The group of them huddled together glaring at me, pushing me to the opposing side.
I held back the tears of grievance about to fall and turned to leave. But Ethan grabbed my hand:
“I said I’m willing to marry you. You’d better not think about hurting Oliver and the others!”
“You say you won’t marry me, but do you really have the guts to reject me at the engagement party? The fact is, besides me, who else would want a small–town girl like you!”
I slowly pried his hand off mine and looked at him:
“I, Aria Sinclair, always do what I say. No need for Mr. Grant to worry.”
I strode forward, still able to hear Ethan’s voice behind me trying to persuade me not to throw a tantrum.
He spoke with exasperation and loudly, as if I had exhausted him.
I didn’t see them again until the engagement party.
When the party started, I was surprised to see Ethan appear with a cold expression.
How strange, I clearly didn’t invite them,
Yet somehow these people all showed up uninvited to my engagement party.
