Chapter 5

I stared at my mother as the last tiny shred of hope inside me broke.

For a long moment, I didn’t move.

Like a victorious peacock, Vivian smirked at me and silently mouthed,

“Go ahead. Be angry. You’re still mute. Explain yourself if you can.”

Then she wiped away her tears and softened her voice.

“Mom, Dad, it’s okay. Nora just got a little upset. I’m not angry with her.”

“I only wanted to make things easier for her, but if she doesn’t want my help, I’ll leave it…”

Vivian paused, then murmured,

“I know I’m not your biological daughter. It’s only natural that Nora wouldn’t want my help.”

Wow. Bravo.

I hadn’t expected much from the Bennetts anyway. I recovered quickly and went right back to mentally snarking.

Vivian really is a master manipulator. A few sentences, and somehow I’m the villain.

I sneered inwardly.

If you really want to help, take me to get my throat treated. How is drinking at my engagement party helping? Planning to help yourself to the marriage, too?

My mother didn’t see it that way.

Her eyes reddened. She turned to me, her tone commanding. “Nora, you’ve made enough of a scene. Vivian’s trying to help you. Stop repaying kindness with cruelty!”

I couldn’t even be bothered to sign.

I’d been back for a month, and the Bennetts still couldn’t recognize the sign for “thank you.”

Whatever. It’s just a toast.

Remembering my ultimate goal, I was about to nod.

Then a voice sounded beside me.

“Ahem.”

Ethan frowned at my father and cleared his throat. “Have you all forgotten I’m here?”

“Since when…” He paused, his expression hardening. “Does the Bennett family get to make decisions for me?”

I met his eyes.

Finally. Ethan’s acting like a decent human being for once.

To my surprise, he immediately looked down at me with an odd expression.

I felt like I was forgetting something important.

Before I could work out what, Vivian spoke.

“It’s all right, Ethan. I won’t drink for Nora this time.”

“It’s just…” Regret filled her face. “In the end, I still couldn’t stand beside you and help you through all those toasts. You must be exhausted.”

Pain flashed in my mother’s eyes. “Vivian’s always been too considerate. Ethan, you don’t have to persuade her.”

What?

Sometimes I genuinely wondered if the Bennetts had trouble understanding basic language.

Or maybe I just didn’t understand how rich people thought.

Hadn’t Ethan just turned them down?

I looked at him, trying to figure it out.

He lowered his head and rubbed between his brows before speaking in a deeply exasperated voice.

“Someone made a good point.”

“Do you have trouble understanding words, or is there something wrong with your brains?”

Ethan turned the ring on his left middle finger and said coolly,

“Nora Foster is my fiancée.”