Chapter 6

Lydia POV

After leaving Adrian's line of sight, I drank alone, both dejected and full of resentment.

After greeting Adrian, Clara came to provoke me, her tone contemptuous.

"Drinking alone? In a bad mood?"

"Get lost."

I had no pleasant expression for Clara.

Clara and I were the same age. Every time I saw Clara, I couldn't forgive my father's infidelity.

This meant that when my mother was still pregnant with me, Marcus had already betrayed her.

Clara dropped her earlier obedience in front of Adrian, becoming supremely arrogant and unbridled.

"Lydia, I totally understand your terrible mood. But sorry, from now on you'll have plenty more occasions to feel depressed."

Clara's raised brows were full of mockery toward me.

"I'm warning you, Adrian is mine. Don't you dare set your sights on him! Dad won't take your side. With your stinking reputation, what man would want you? Let alone someone like Adrian."

Clara's words enraged me, instantly igniting a flame of fury.

"My bad reputation-you know perfectly well who's been working behind the scenes to create it."

I detested Clara's hypocritical face.

Clara was so obedient and sweet in front of the elders, but privately before me she was utterly arrogant and unbridled.

"Do whatever you want. Anyway, Lydia, you remember this-whatever belongs to you, I'm going to destroy it all. Just like your mother's company and assets-everything that originally belonged to you, I'm taking it all."

Clara's eyes were full of viciousness.

"Whatever you have, Lydia, I'll destroy it. If you want to latch onto Adrian, you don't have a chance. You're notorious-Adrian would never be interested in you."

I was furious, unable to tolerate her any longer.

"Damn it, pretending in front of Dad, showing your vicious side to me-someone like you, you think Adrian would be interested? Dream on!"

Clara couldn't stand being provoked. The next second, she viciously splashed the wine in her hand at me.

"Who the hell are you to say whether he'd be interested? You bitch..."

The dress I'd carefully selected was now stained with a wet patch from Clara's splash.

I flicked the water droplets off my dress with my hand.

Clara became even more arrogant.

"Want to hit me? Lydia, I know you're ruthless."

"Since you know I'm ruthless, you still provoke me? Looking for death."

I couldn't bear it and slapped Clara across the face.

Clara's peripheral vision caught sight of Marcus approaching in the distance. She immediately dropped her earlier arrogance.

"I'm sorry, Lydia. I didn't mean to. Let me help you clean it. Please forgive me..."

Regardless of why Clara's attitude changed so rapidly, I spoke without restraint.

"Still pretending? Bitch, you're as shameless as your mother."

"Lydia, stop it! Aren't you ashamed of making a scene!"

Marcus rushed forward to intervene, grabbing my wrist just in time.

The moment my wrist was seized, sparks flew.

"Blaming me without knowing the truth-no wonder those two bitches have you completely fooled. The Reed family falling to this state today-you deserve it."

These words immediately turned Marcus's face green.

"You wretched girl..."

"You've never treated me like a person. You tried to set me up with a disgusting old man older than you, yet you're pairing Clara with Adrian. We're both your daughters-why treat me this way!"

I completely disregarded how many people were watching this spectacle, my emotions somewhat out of control as I shouted.

Clara added fuel to the fire, apologizing humbly and pitifully.

"I'm sorry, Lydia. It's my fault. I was too careless. Let's go to the restroom together. I'll change clothes with you-just please don't be angry with me anymore."

Clara's pitiful appearance immediately drew murmurs from the onlookers.

"Isn't that the Reed family's eldest daughter? She's exactly as the rumors say-shrewish and violent."

"It was just an accidental stain on her clothes. Is it necessary to strike out like that? So uncultured."

"No wonder her father doesn't like her. Who would like a daughter like that?"

Voice after voice of contempt for me entered my ears. I knew I'd been tricked.

Because of my momentary loss of composure, everyone was now pointing fingers at me.

I could even imagine this was deliberately staged by Clara for Adrian to see...

Marcus still defended Clara.

"Lydia, be reasonable, will you? Can you stop targeting Clara at every turn? Clara treats you, her sister, so well. How can you be so heartless toward her..."

"Fine, consider me heartless then. So while I'm still speaking nicely, hand over the Reed company. You three have been occupying what belongs to my mother-don't you have any shame?"

My hatred for Marcus couldn't be extinguished. The more I thought about it, the angrier I became, and the angrier I got, the less I could forgive him.

Hearing this, Marcus looked around at the surrounding crowd of onlookers, feeling utterly humiliated. He lowered his voice to scold me.

"Haven't you made enough of a scene? Isn't the spectacle big enough? Get home right now..."