THE DIVORCE GAMBIT From Dumped Wife to CEO's Forever novel Chapter 293

As soon as Caitlin spoke, the entire room fell silent.

Who—who ever said Caitlin couldn’t speak French?

That didn’t sound like someone who couldn’t speak French at all! Her words flowed smoothly, and her accent was so crisp and authentic—pure Fairhaven, to the point where she sounded even better than a news anchor.

Amanda and Ann were both dumbstruck.

Caitlin could speak French?

Wasn’t she just a small-town girl with no real skills? How in the world did she learn French?

Ann’s face turned ghostly pale. She’d meant to upstage Caitlin, but now, not only had she failed, she’d ended up handing Caitlin the spotlight instead.

Damn it. Damn it!

Ann’s eyes practically blazed with fury.

Mrs. Andie looked equally stunned, her eyes wide with disbelief. “Miss Gonzales, you—you speak French?”

“Yes, I do,” Caitlin replied with a subtle nod.

Mrs. Andie pressed on, “Then why did they say you couldn’t?”

Of course, “they” meant Amanda and Ann.

Amanda was the first to recover, quickly flashing a smile. “Oh, Freya, darling, why didn’t you say so? If you could speak French all along, why keep it to yourself? I simply assumed you couldn’t, and that’s how all this confusion happened.”

Amanda was no stranger to high society. With a light laugh and a few casual words, she shifted all the blame onto Caitlin, implying that Caitlin had intentionally kept everyone in the dark and orchestrated the misunderstanding.

Anyone else facing Amanda’s veiled accusation might have panicked or stumbled over their words. But Caitlin wasn’t just anyone.

She smiled gently, a faint dimple appearing at the corner of her mouth. “But Auntie, you never even asked if I spoke French. You just had Ann step in to greet Mr. Slime and Mrs. Andie for me. I thought you were trying to make me the laughingstock of the party.” She paused, her tone light but every word landing with quiet force. “Looks like I misunderstood.”

Amanda, listening to the murmurs around her, could barely keep her composure. Her gaze narrowed—she’d underestimated this so-called country girl.

Ann looked ready to collapse. How was it possible that a girl from the backwoods could speak better French than she could—when she’d started lessons at the age of eight?

Amanda’s smile didn’t falter in the slightest. She kept her tone gentle, still playing the part of the doting aunt. “Freya, you’ve really surprised me today. I owe you an apology. I only asked Ann to help because I thought you might be nervous. Who could have guessed you’d be so talented?”

“Thank you for your kind words, Auntie,” Caitlin replied sweetly. “I’ll do my best not to disappoint you. I promise to inherit the Gonzales family legacy and lead Gonzales Holdings to even greater success.”

Amanda was left with nothing to say—she could only swallow her frustration.

That damn country girl. Just wait. The night was still young, and Caitlin’s moment of embarrassment would come soon enough.

Mr. Slime turned to Caitlin, curiosity lighting up his eyes. “Miss Gonzales, your French is flawless—indistinguishable from a native. Did you ever live in Fairhaven?”

“I’ve never lived there,” Caitlin said serenely, “but I’ve always loved it.”