I Quit Being a Stepmother (Cypress Gem) novel Chapter 357

Chapter 357

Rhea continued, “I forgive you for making up lies out of thin air and sending Carter to my house to stir up trouble. I also forgive you for throwing away 20 years of our friendship and twisting the truth in front of everyone, just so you could get the man you wanted.”

Her gaze was icy as she looked at Kate. “Kate, you’ve truly surprised me.”

Upon hearing that, the crowd no longer had any doubts.

Kate was duplicious!

The so–called refined young lady from a scholarly family turned out to be skilled in scheming and backstabbing her best friend.

It turned out that the Pearsons‘ upbringing was truly shameful.

Liora tried to ease the tension. “Alright. That’s enough. The banquet’s about to start. Let’s all take our seats.”

Only then did the guests remember that they were there to celebrate Abbie’s birthday. People began to drift away, but not without their whispers.

Kate kept her expression composed, though her jaw ached from clenching her teeth.

Never in her life had she been the subject of such gossip, nor had she ever felt so many gazes cut into her like knives.

And now, because of her, the Pearson family might become a laughingstock.

Maeve slipped her arm through Rhea’s. “Babe, let’s go in. Liora said that she had a newly developed dish prepared for our table, so we could be the first to try it.”

“Yeah!” Evelyn and Carolyn snapped out of their dazes and approached Rhea.

They glanced at Kate as if they wanted to say something but chose silence instead. In the end, they left with Rhea.

For the first time in her life, Kate found herself excluded.

She forced a smile and turned to her parents. “Dad, Mom, I’m sorry. There has been a misunderstanding between Rhea and me. She didn’t see that I meant well, and I’ve also realized that what I did was unnecessary. It won’t happen again.”

Evie was quiet for a long time. Nonetheless, she still felt bad for Kate. “Oh, Kate. Why do you always go out of your way for others when it only leaves you unappreciated? Silly girl. Come on. Let’s sit at another table.”

At the banquet hall, when the Pearsons sat down, the ladies sharing their table forced polite smiles but said nothing.

Experiencing neglect for the first time, the Pearsons didn’t look too pleased.

At the neighboring table, it was a different story. Young ladies flocked to greet Rhea, the older women stopped to chat with Ruby, and the flow of guests never seemed to end.

The contrast was painfully clear.

Then someone announced, “The Sniders have arrived.”

Steven and George entered, exchanged a few words with friends, and then took their seats.

George didn’t join his parents. He took the seat right beside Rhea, the one Liora had deliberately left for him.

“What just happened in there?” asked Ella McIntosh, Liora’s mother, as she sat beside Ruby.

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