Chapter 165: People like me?

The warmth in Clara’s eyes vanished the moment the three Hayes family members approached her.

"Clara, I heard you’re working with the Pristine Group for this charity event," Julianna said, maintaining her pleasant smile. "That’s wonderful. We’re all looking forward to seeing everyone appreciate your work."

Clara’s eyes narrowed slightly.

She had expected Julianna to lash out at her or make some subtle, cutting remark, especially after Alex had told her about their recent encounter. Instead, Julianna was standing before her, wearing the same carefully crafted expression of kindness she had always used.

That only made Clara more cautious.

She let out a faint scoff.

"I didn’t know you were still keeping track of my life, Julianna. After all, your mother did quite a lot to ruin my reputation a few days ago."

Her words were blunt, leaving no room for pretense.

Clara had no intention of holding back. If she had refused to confront the Hayes family in her previous life, perhaps she wouldn’t have allowed her mother’s death to cloud her judgment so completely.

Vincent’s expression immediately darkened.

"Why can’t you be polite for once, Clara?" he snapped. "Julianna is here trying to congratulate you, and you immediately bring up something that was already a misunderstanding."

Clara’s lips curved into a humorless smile.

Before she could respond, Dorothy let out a derisive laugh.

"What else did you expect, Vincent? We took her in after she lost her mother, and she still doesn’t know how to appreciate anything we’ve done for her."

Clara chuckled softly.

If she hadn’t learned the truth behind their so-called kindness, she might have drowned herself in gratitude by now.

But she knew exactly why the Hayes family had taken her in.

It wasn’t out of love.

It was out of fear.

"Well, I never asked you to take me in," Clara replied calmly. "You only did it because you were afraid of losing your business."

Dorothy’s expression stiffened.

Clara continued, her voice sharp but controlled.

"You created a story because it made you look generous. But the truth is, you were only trying to protect your reputation."

Vincent’s face darkened. "You—how dare you speak to us like that? Don’t forget, we’re still your family!"

Clara nodded slowly, a faint smile playing on her lips.

"A family?" She looked directly at him. "A family where my own father refuses to acknowledge me, and my stepmother does everything in her power to defame me?"

The smile disappeared from her face. "That’s quite a definition of family, Dad."

Vincent’s jaw tightened. "Clara, you—"

"Dad."

Julianna stepped forward, gently stopping him before he could say more. She turned toward Clara, her expression still composed.

"Clara, how can you speak to him like that? Whatever they did, they only wanted what was best for you."

Clara stared at her for a moment. Then she let out a short, disbelieving laugh.

"Best for me?" Her eyes turned cold. "He was simply saving his cheating ass from the world, Julianna. That’s all."

The words struck the three of them like a slap. Vincent’s expression turned thunderous.

For a moment, it looked as though he was about to lose his temper completely. But Clara merely stood before him, unfazed, her eyes holding none of the fear or guilt he had once been able to provoke in her.

Edit

"The Sterlings are here."

Someone in the crowd suddenly announced the family’s arrival, drawing everyone’s attention toward the entrance.

The moment Vincent heard those words, his expression shifted from pure rage to nervousness. Remembering Dominic’s warning from earlier, he immediately looked away, pretending he had suddenly become interested in the decorations.

"Fine. I’ll let your rudeness go for now," Vincent spat, lowering his voice. "But don’t think we’ll ever support that cheap business you started. Just looking at it disgusts me."

Clara didn’t flinch. She continued meeting his eyes, her expression calm and unreadable.

Her composure only made Vincent’s jaw tighten. Clearly irritated that she wasn’t reacting the way he wanted, he turned around and walked away without another word.

Dorothy lingered for a moment longer. She glared at Clara, her lips curling into a sneer.

"You’d better remember what you said," she warned before turning on her heels and following Vincent.

Meanwhile, Julianna remained where she was.

For a few seconds, she simply observed Clara, as though studying her next move. Then, when she was certain they were finally alone, the pleasant expression on her face disappeared.

With slow, deliberate steps, she approached Clara and smirked.

"I should’ve known you weren’t easy to manipulate."

Clara’s eyes flickered. So, Julianna had finally decided to drop the act.

Clara folded her arms and looked directly into her eyes.

"I’m glad you’ve finally realized that, Julianna. Because pretending to be stupid is exhausting when the person I’m dealing with isn’t particularly intelligent."

Julianna’s lips twitched.

For a moment, her expression remained composed, but the insult clearly struck a nerve. After Alex had informed her that Clara knew about her secret relationship, Julianna had still wanted to test the waters. She needed to know how much Clara knew—and how much she was willing to reveal.

But now, seeing that Clara was no longer pretending to be unaware, Julianna decided there was no point in maintaining her innocent façade.

"You think everything has changed just because the Sterling family is supporting you?" Julianna asked, letting out a malicious laugh.

Her smile slowly faded as she stepped closer.

"That’s just your imagination, Clara."

Clara raised an eyebrow. "Really? And here I was thinking your imagination was the only thing keeping you interesting."

Julianna’s eyes darkened, but her smile quickly returned.

"You always were good with words," she said, tilting her head. "But words won’t change the truth. Without the Sterling family behind you, you’re still the same abandoned daughter whom no one pity"

Clara’s expression remained calm, though her eyes sharpened.

"Is that supposed to hurt me?"

Julianna’s smile faltered slightly.

"You’re acting confident now because Dominic has chosen to stand beside you. But don’t forget, Clara, people like you don’t suddenly become respectable just because you marry into a wealthy family."

Clara let out a soft laugh.

"People like me?"

"Yes." Julianna stepped closer, lowering her voice. "You came from nothing but an illegitimate daughter. The only reason people are paying attention to you now is because they’re curious about how long your little success story will last."

Clara glanced at the dessert stall behind her before looking back at Julianna.

"That’s interesting. You seem to know quite a lot about my business for someone who claims it’s cheap."

Julianna’s expression stiffened.

"I know enough to understand that you’re being arrogant."

"No, you know enough to be jealous," Clara corrected.

Julianna’s eyes flashed with anger. "Jealous of you? Don’t flatter yourself."

"Then why are you still standing here?" Clara asked innocently. "The event is full of people who actually enjoy desserts. You could go find someone who enjoys listening to you instead."

Julianna’s fingers curled at her sides.

"You think you’ve won because you managed to secure a place at this event? Don’t be ridiculous. The Pristine Group only gave you this opportunity because of Adrian Graham’s interest in your desserts. Once his attention shifts elsewhere, you’ll be forgotten."

Clara’s gaze turned colder. However, she remained silent.