Before the tea party, Lola had considered what Celestine wanted from her. She had Amala do some digging on Celestine’s current business ventures, revealing a wide range of investments. Since Celestine was always present in the fashion industry, Lola didn’t suspect it would be this.
So, as a safety net, she even persuaded Atlas to provide some "help," which he gave without question. Who would have thought it would be this easy?
"I’ll see you all at the show?"
The women gasped, almost in disbelief at how effortlessly Lola had secured invitations. Celestine nodded in satisfaction, impressed but not surprised. This was the power of the Bennets, and Lola had just proven her worth.
"Mrs. Bennet, you didn’t have to invite all of us!" one lady said, waving dismissively. "Isn’t that a little too much?"
"If you don’t want to go, that’s fine too. No hard feelings," Lola replied. "But twelve invitations aren’t excessive."
Everyone tried to suppress squeals, stunned at how easily they’d earned a spot at this exclusive fashion show. Heaven knew how much effort they had made before and failed. Their excitement and admiration for Lola grew considerably.
Melissa, seated far from Celestine, watched the scene silently. Her mouth opened, but no words came. She tried interjecting occasionally, but no one noticed.
Are they just ignoring me?
She frowned, glancing toward Lola. From the start, Lola had only greeted her once. It didn’t feel good, especially as everyone else displayed intense interest in her. She was expecting to display her relationship with the said lady, but with this, she was being shoved away to the side.
Her smile vanished as she chugged her tea, trying to calm her growing frustration. But she pulled the cup away too quickly and jumped from her seat.
"It’s hot!" she exclaimed, spilling the tea onto her hand. The cup tipped over onto the lady next to her.
"Ah!" the lady jumped back, staring at her white skirt.
"I-I’m so sorry!" Melissa reached out apologetically, but her hand was swatted away.
"Melissa!" the lady shouted, her voice uncharacteristically loud. "Why would you chug tea knowing it’s hot?"
Melissa froze. This lady was normally gentle and soft-spoken, yet she was almost screaming at her face.
"I didn’t... mean it," Melissa muttered, eyes wide as she scanned the other ladies. "I’m really sorry, Anne."
They all frowned, displeased with her behavior. Even Lola watched silently, her expression unreadable. Melissa bit her lip, holding her hand in front of her and lowering her head.
"I didn’t really mean it—"
"It doesn’t matter now!" the lady hissed. "Look at my skirt! It’s white, and now it’s stained! Ugh! This is so upsetting!"
Melissa kept her head low, hiding her shock. "Sorry."
"Tch."
"Anne," Celestine called calmly, her gentle voice cutting through the tension. Anne froze, reminded that she was at a tea party with Mrs. Bennet. Slowly, she forced a sophisticated smile.
"I’m sorry for losing my temper," she sighed. "It’s just that it’s not just the dress, but the tea touched my skin. It surprised me and hurt me."
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