Reborn, She's Back for Revenge novel Chapter 42

Chapter 42

Sunlight flooded the living room as dawn broke, spotlighting Hallie.

She wore a custom pink gown–layered silk that radiated luxury. Pearls, diamonds, and a jeweled crown completed the look, making her shine like the Lovett family’s prized treasure.

“Stunning, Hallie.” Karen beamed, admiring her daughter like a priceless painting.

Edith descended the spiral stairs just then. Hallie glanced up, her gaze instantly locking onto Edith’s face.

Last week, Edith stumbled into Sunspire from the sticks looking like gutter trash. But now, she was shining like a polished gem. She outshone Hallie even when Hallie was in her finest.

“Edith.” Hallie forced sweetness into her voice, hiding the envy in her eyes. “Why aren’t you dressed? We leave in ten minutes.”

Edith’s reply was ice. “Go ahead first. I have homework.”

Karen didn’t want Hallie and Edith to show up together. She jumped in, relieved. “Hallie and I will greet the early arrivals. Get ready properly. Be there by eleven.”

Karen and Hallie swept out in the family’s shiniest car, leaving Edith alone.

Edith was eating breakfast at the table. Dallas presented her pressed dress. “Ms. Lovett, your gown is ready.”

She eyed the purple fabric–an outdated style, at least two years old. Sunlight revealed faded patches, making it look cheap.

The dress was mid–tier–barely a thousand bucks. She’d worn it to her 18th birthday party in her previous life. In this circle, clothes screamed status. Wearing this told everyone the Lovetts didn’t value her.

That birthday should have been her moment, but Hallie stole it all.

She’d never wear that dress again/Besides, it held a secret. She caught a faint, lingering scent as she pushed it aside.

After breakfast, Edith marched upstairs and shoved Zachary’s door open. He slept late for Sunday. She tossed a seventh–grade math workbook onto his pillow. “Today’s task. Solve three problems.”

She left without another word. But Zachary bolted awake. He stared at the workbook beside him. ‘Seriously? It’s Sunday. Throw extra homework at me today?‘ he thought in disbelief.

He grabbed it, ready to rip the pages, but then froze. He flipped to the first problem. ‘Nonsense… yet the solution clicks instantly. How?” Zachary wondered and scrambled out of bed, workbook clutched tight.

The Harmonia Hotel, Sunspire’s premier venue, hosted Edith’s party. High society packed the ballroom.

At 11 AM, luxury cars choked the hotel drive. Edith stepped from her ride and walked toward the entrance.

Karen and Hallie stood welcoming guests with polished smiles. Karen’s smile vanished when she saw Edith. “Edith, what are you wearing?”

Edith wore her morning clothes–a crisp white tee under a beige cardigan, faded jeans, and worn sneakers. Her casual student look clashed violently with the glittering ballroom.

Yet Edith outshone Hallie. Society matrons who remembered Melinda Lovett caught their breath.

Melinda was always stunning in the crowd, and Edith possessed her mother’s legendary beauty–perhaps even surpassing it. She radiated effortless elegance, looking every inch the elegant heiress, utterly reserved.

Karen tracked the admiring glances around. Her eyes turned flinty, though her voice stayed soft. “Edith, this party is for you. You must dress appropriately. Where’s the gown I prepared? Why didn’t you change?”

Edith lifted a garment bag. “The strap snapped when I tried it on. I attempted repairs at home but ran out of time.”

A ripple of silence spread. Whispers ignited like dry tinder.

“Karen set her up for humiliation.”

“Bad trick. If the strap failed during the party, she’d never show her face again.”

“She’s not blood. She was shipped off for six years, and now Karen schemes the moment she returns.”

“With a stepdaughter like Edith? I’d watch my back. That face commands attention even in rags.”

“True Lovett grace shines through, regardless.”

“Karen rose from mistress to Mrs. Lovett. Why even bother tormenting Edith?”

Karen’s composure cracked. The dress was flawed–but not the straps. Her attacks aimed to destroy, not wound.

She met Edith’s openly mocking gaze, thinking, “This bitch did this deliberately.‘

Rage boiled inside Karen. She took a deep breath. “Hallie has a spare gown. Go change now.”

Edith curled her lip, about to say no, but then she froze–Dodo darted through the crowd in the ballroom.

‘He followed me here, she thought angrily, and then bolted after him without a word.

Chatter resumed, sharper now.

“Edith’s gown looked like last season’s clearance rack. Barely a thousand bucks, I remember.”

“Hallie’s ensemble costs at least a million dollars. But Edith’s? Pennies. Pathetic.”

“No wonder Mrs. Larson cut ties with Mrs. Lovett.”

Karen endured the stares, knuckles whitening. After tonight, Edith will get scrubbed from my world. Then the whispers will stop forever, she thought to herself.

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