Chapter 415 - 418: An Embarrassing Loss of Composure

The light from the crystal chandelier fell upon the gilded plates, refracting into a thousand dazzling fragments.

The low murmur of conversation, the crisp clinking of silverware—melodies that were once pleasant now sounded blurred and noisy in Wren Sutton’s ears, as if filtered through a thick layer of mist.

She pressed her temples, trying to suppress the nauseating wave of dizziness.

But the tightness in her chest grew heavier, her breathing became labored, and the double vision worsened, blurring everything into a swirl of distorted colors.

Wren Sutton fought through the pain, her back ramrod straight. She couldn’t lose her composure at such a festive and warm occasion—not when it would ruin everyone’s mood and bring shame to her mother-in-law and the Lancaster family.

After holding on for a few more moments, she knew she couldn’t take it anymore. Seizing a lull in the conversation around her, she slowly rose to her feet. With deliberate, quiet movements, she murmured to Claire Sterling, "Mom, I’m going to the restroom."

Wren Sutton appeared as poised and proper as ever, so Claire Sterling, smiling warmly, didn’t notice anything amiss. "Go ahead," she replied gently.

Wren Sutton left the main table and walked, step by step, toward the exit of the banquet hall.

Her high heels clicked steadily on the polished marble floor.

Only she knew that each step felt like treading on cotton—weightless and weak. She was moving on willpower alone.

Finally, she rounded a pillar in the corridor, completely hidden from the eyes in the banquet hall. The tension holding her together snapped, and she could no longer hold on.

Her body went limp, and she sagged weakly against the cool wall. In an instant, she crumbled, her face pale and a fine sheen of cold sweat beading on her forehead.

Dizziness washed over her in an overwhelming wave, leaving her utterly powerless, her limbs like jelly.

Other than that, there were no other uncomfortable symptoms.

’The red wine tonight has a stronger kick than I expected,’ Wren Sutton thought.

She had drunk red wine before and had felt tipsy, a feeling similar to this current light-headed weakness.

But today’s "tipsiness" felt much heavier, far beyond her expectations.

Wren Sutton leaned against the wall for a good while, but the dizziness didn’t subside. In fact, it grew more intense.

Her limbs felt weak, her vision was hazy and unfocused, and she still felt like she was walking on clouds.

Biting her lip, Wren Sutton tried to force herself to take a few steps toward the restroom to compose herself.

She had only taken two steps when her high heel slipped. Her body instantly lost its balance, and unable to support herself any longer, she stumbled and collapsed to the floor.

The hem of her exquisite dress fanned out in a messy pool on the smooth marble. Strands of hair fell loose around her temples, her face pale and haggard...

All her previous poise, dignity, and grace had vanished without a trace.

Just then, a few high-society wives, chatting and laughing together, happened to round the corner of the corridor and came face to face with Wren Sutton’s pathetic state.

In terms of family background, presence, and influence within their social circle, these women were all overshadowed by Claire Sterling.

Intimidated by the power of the Lancaster and Sterling families, they could only ever be polite to her face, never daring to show the slightest anger or dissatisfaction, and had accumulated a great deal of resentment.

Now, seeing Claire Sterling’s daughter-in-law in such a state—sprawled on the ground, clearly unable to hold her liquor and embarrassingly drunk—was a sight to behold.

A flash of long-suppressed schadenfreude crossed their eyes. After a moment of feigned shock, all that remained was an unconcealable amusement and mockery. They had finally caught a golden opportunity.

They had no intention of helping Wren Sutton up. Instead, they formed a semicircle around her, their gazes brazenly fixed on her disheveled dress and her pale, vacant face.

One of the wives covered her mouth in mock surprise, her expression exaggerated.

"Oh my, isn’t this the Lancasters’ Madam Lancaster? Why aren’t you sitting at the main table? Why are you sitting here? Isn’t the floor cold?"

Someone immediately chimed in, "She’s like a completely different person from the elegant and dignified woman in the hall earlier. What an eye-opener."

"She always acts so high and mighty, like the perfect, legitimate young madam of a prestigious family. Turns out she’s this pathetic in private."

"It’s just a hundred-day celebration, yet she got so greedy with the wine she can’t even walk straight. And to fall in the corridor in public, where are her manners and upbringing?"

"I’ve said it before. Some people come from a common background. Even if they marry into the Lancaster family and squeeze into high society, their true character and conduct are still unpresentable. They can’t carry the weight of a noble status."

"Mrs. Sterling usually praises her daughter-in-law to the heavens, treating her like a goddess. Well, look at this. Making such a fool of herself in public. I bet Mrs. Sterling’s reputation is in tatters."

"Look at her, what a mess. She’s so weak she can’t even get up. If word of this gets out, the entire high society of Aston will laugh at the Lancaster family for marrying a Young Madam who has no manners and gets shamelessly drunk."

The women chimed in one after another, their tones harsh and contemptuous, showing Wren Sutton no mercy.

They made no effort to lower their voices; in fact, they were quite loud, as if hoping to attract everyone from the banquet hall.

When that happened, the look on Claire Sterling’s face would surely be a sight to see.

Just the thought of it was enough to make them ecstatic.

Sure enough, the commotion attracted several young socialites with exquisite makeup and beautiful gowns.

In the past, every one of these young ladies had adored Adrian Lancaster, viewing him as the perfect Prince Charming, the man of their dreams. They all wanted to marry him.

But against all expectations, Adrian Lancaster ended up marrying the unremarkable Wren Sutton. From the bottom of their hearts, they saw Wren Sutton as a thorn in their side, their number one rival.

Normally, intimidated by the Lancaster family’s authority, they wouldn’t dare to openly target Wren Sutton. But now, seeing her in such a pathetic state, how could they pass up the chance to mock and ridicule her?

"My god, I never thought the famous Mrs. Lancaster could look so wretched. She always acts so high and mighty, so secure in her position as Madam Lancaster. I thought she was something special."

"She acts so condescending just because she married well. Now look at her, drunk and making a fool of herself in public. It’s ridiculous."

"It’s such a shame for a remarkable man like President Lancaster. How did he end up marrying a woman with no self-control, who can’t even handle a simple social event? I feel so bad for President Lancaster."

"If you can’t hold your liquor, you should drink less. No one forced her. She just had to show off at the main table, trying to get attention by toasting everyone. Getting this drunk is what she deserves."

"Hah, this is what you call overestimating yourself. She clearly doesn’t know her own limits."

"Well, now everyone has seen your ugly side. Let’s see how you can keep up your act in our circle from now on. Mrs. Lancaster, I’m embarrassed for you."

From the crowd, a young lady in a couture gown, known for her spoiled and arrogant nature, stepped forward.

This person was a very good friend of Maya Marshall.

She had long felt indignant on Maya Marshall’s behalf and couldn’t stand the sight of Wren Sutton.

Seeing everyone mocking Wren Sutton now, she was secretly delighted and stepped forward without hesitation, her gaze sharp.

"This Mrs. Lancaster isn’t just drunk and disgraceful. Her origins are shady to begin with. She’s a master of disguise—looks harmless, but her methods behind the scenes are filthy."

Her voice was shrill and piercing, deliberately loud enough for everyone to hear.

"Do you know how Wren Sutton married into the Lancaster family and became Mrs. Lancaster? Just talking about it disgusts me."

At these words, the surroundings fell silent for a moment before people began whispering to each other, even more excited than before.

Having said this much, the young lady decided to go all out. Holding nothing back, she began to publicly berate Wren Sutton.

"If she hadn’t schemed her way in and used dirty tricks to steal Adrian Lancaster, why would my good friend Maya Marshall have left Aston?"

"Adrian Lancaster’s first love was Maya Marshall! Their relationship was stable and sweet, and they were already talking about marriage."

"But that’s when Wren Sutton showed up! She destroyed Adrian Lancaster and Maya Marshall’s relationship. She’s nothing but a homewrecker!"

"She schemed her way to the top and usurped the position that should have belonged to Maya Marshall. Now she’s making a scene in public. This is what you call having no virtue to match her status. She has utterly disgraced the Lancaster family!"

"She pretends to be gentle and elegant, but in reality, she’s just a cuckoo who stole someone else’s nest, snatched another’s marriage, and took the title of Mrs. Lancaster. Does she deserve any respect?"

"The way I see it, her pathetic state right now is heaven’s punishment. She brought this on herself. She deserves it."

The rebukes echoed in the corridor, every word a dagger to the heart.

The word "homewrecker" landed on Wren Sutton’s heart like a heavy sledgehammer.

Already dizzy and weak, now being publicly mocked and insulted, her face grew even paler, and her body ached with even greater discomfort.

But she was too weak to stand, with no strength left to defend herself.

Instantly, embarrassment, humiliation, and anger surged through her. Her eyes stung, her body trembled, and she wished the ground would swallow her whole.

Not far away, Claire Bennett took in the entire scene, a triumphant, sinister smile playing on her lips.

This was exactly the effect she wanted: for Wren Sutton to lose her composure in public, be disgraced and slandered, so she could never hold her head high in Aston’s high society again.

"Wren Sutton, let’s see how you’ll get out of this one!"