Chapter 2458
Clara sat there with her arms crossed, giving off a ‘keep out’ vibe like she was some kind of celebrity.
But Ivy? Ivy was the picture of ease and confidence, sitting across from her, forcing Clara to admit that she was outclassed.
Ivy’s makeup was minimal, her lipstick barely there, and she was dressed in what looked like a high school costume for some low-budget play. Yet she didn’t seem the least bit out of place.
“You seem to be doing well.” Ivy said. Her hands were clasped casually on the table, her demeanor as relaxed as ever.
Well, of course, she was at home here, in this set, while Clara was the outsider.
Clara twirled a brand-new designer watch around her wrist, a smug smile playing on her lips. “Aren’t you going to ask why I came here today?”
One of Ivy’s eyebrows arched as she said, “If you have something to say, you’ll say it. See, you already can’t wait, am I right?”
That composed smile on Ivy’s face was like a red flag to Clara. She hated how Ivy always acted so nonchalant!
Clara’s temper flared, and she yanked her sunglasses off, slamming them down on the stone table.
“Cut the act, Ivy. It’s not like I don’t know you.”
Ivy’s eyebrow quirked again; she knew her sister all too well. Just a bit of patience and Clara’s true colors would show.
“And what is it that you think you know about me?”
Clara snorted. “The internet is blowing up over you. Surely even you can’t be oblivious to the fact that you’re like the town pariah everyone loves to hate!”
Ivy nodded thoughtfully. “I’m aware of the drama. And I also know that my dear sister here has been fanning the flames while I’m getting dragged through the mud!”
Clara felt a chill run down her spine. Ivy was still calling her ‘sister’-this was definitely not a good sign.
“I was just riding the wave of the scandal to get a little spotlight for myself. It’s not like I started the rumors!”
Clara leaned back in her chair, a calculated look in her eyes. “And let’s be honest! If you hadn’t given me the ammunition, how could I have seized this opportunity? Thanks to you, my endorsements have gone through the roof!”
“But how do you plan to face the backlash now? Some of the things you’ve pinned on me were your doing. I know you’re an old hand at this game, but playing the victim? That really turned my stomach.”
In the past, such accusations from Clara would have sent Ivy reeling with shock and anger.
But now, Ivy could talk about it all with a calm detachment. Their parents, Tessa and Finn, always believed their elder daughter could do no wrong.
Clara acted as if Ivy’s words meant nothing.
“What are you talking about? The damage is done. What’s this about playing the victim?”
Ivy scoffed internally, saying, “No one else is here. Why keep up the facade? Haven’t you done this for years? Apart from putting on a pitiful act, what else can you do?
But then again, Finn and Tessa are blind when it comes to you. You cry, and they believe every word.”
Clara’s smile held a touch of triumph. “Do you know why they believe me when I cry? Because they love me more. Oh, sister, did you think I was oblivious to what you care
about the most?
What a shame that you, poor little thing, will never get the love you crave. Just keep hiding your corner, envying me.”
in
Had Ivy heard those words before Tessa’s arrival, she might have been hurt. That kind of wound, inflicted by one’s own parents, never truly heals. It festers, hidden beneath the surface, a gap that could only be filled with even more love.
But now, Ivy didn’t need the love of such irrelevant people. She no longer needed their affirmation to know her worth.
