Chapter 93:
Unable to maintain her smile, Joanna stood and left the room. Elyse, admiring Jayden, remarked, “You’re incredible. You just drove Joanna away with a few words.”
“She’ll be back,” Jayden predicted. Calmly adjusting his clothes, he glanced at Elyse with disappointment. “You can’t even stand up to Joanna. Could you be weaker?”
Embarrassed, Elyse touched her head. “I wasn’t prepared for her to be so brazen. It took me by surprise. But I’ve learned. I’ll know how to handle her next time.”
“It’s almost time for afternoon tea,” Jayden noted. “I hope you won’t reflect poorly on me.”
“I won’t,” Elyse declared. She went to the bathroom, changed into a silk dress, and returned.
The women were to gather in the greenhouse for afternoon tea, but Elyse knew this was less a social event and more a strategic confrontation. Bolstering her courage, she walked to the greenhouse in her high heels. En route, she encountered Joanna, who had also changed and applied heavy makeup.
Despite her long hair partially obscuring her face, Elyse noticed Joanna’s left cheek was noticeably more swollen than the right. Her brow furrowed in confusion. Joanna had just left their room. Could someone have slapped her so quickly? Who would slap a guest?
Elyse chose to ignore the apparent slap mark and greeted Joanna. “Miss Foster, why persist? Will you be joining the Owen women for afternoon tea?”
“Elyse, haven’t I told you? I’ll be sharing Jayden with you from now on. We share the same man. Why treat me as an outsider?” Joanna responded, batting her eyelashes. “Could you let me in on a secret? What kind of woman does he prefer? I’ll make sure he’s satisfied.”
Elyse offered a faint smile. “He prefers women like me. Would that prompt you to consider plastic surgery?”
Joanna was taken aback; resentment flashed in her eyes.
When they arrived at the greenhouse, the other ladies were already there. Both Elyse and Joanna were late.
As they entered, Joanna rolled her eyes and deliberately raised her foot, attempting to trip Elyse. Unexpectedly, Elyse didn’t stumble; instead, she stepped firmly on Joanna’s foot. The high heel caused Joanna intense pain, leaving her unable to stand.
Hearing the commotion, Tess, who was nearby, impatiently asked, “What’s happening?”
“I’m not sure,” Elyse responded quickly. “Joanna seems to have sprained her ankle.”
“Nonsense! You stepped on me!” Joanna exclaimed in pain.
“No, I didn’t. Why are you accusing me?” Elyse responded, appearing genuinely distressed. Joanna realized she had been set up by Elyse. Still fuming from a recent reprimand, her anger intensified.
As she raised her hand to strike Elyse, the latter dashed toward Tess, panicking. “Joanna tried to hit me!”
Tess saw Joanna’s raised hand. She slammed her teacup onto the table and snapped, “Joanna, where do you think you are? This is not a place for your wild behavior!”
“No, it was Elyse who provoked me!” Joanna protested, her voice filled with anger. Elyse had reached Tess’s side.
Tess glanced at Elyse, her dislike evident. She believed Elyse offered no benefit to the family and couldn’t help Jayden lead the Owens. However, her disdain for Joanna was even stronger, fueled by Enzo’s decision to let Joanna marry Jayden without respecting her family.
In a cold tone, she warned, “Don’t stir up trouble, or I’ll have you removed.”
Joanna, sensing Tess’s hostility, remembered her purpose and reluctantly lowered her head, swallowing her pride.
Meanwhile, Julie and Jessie watched with amusement. Julie provocatively suggested, “Elyse, since Enzo thinks so highly of Joanna, why don’t you just divorce Jayden? You’re young and don’t need to stay with a cripple.”
Tess, overhearing Julie’s remark, slammed her hand on the table in fury. “What are you saying? My son might be disabled, but marrying him is a privilege for Elyse.”
…