Chapter 160
Calliope stumbled upon the news online. She skimmed through the comments, noting how some people called her a drama queen, while others expressed envy. Of course, some tried to compare her with Lisette, desperately trying to pit them against each other.
Upon seeing the negative remarks, Portia went ballistic in their group chat of four. Archie joined in with Portia, adding fuel to the fire. Mavis, however, remained relatively calm, advising them to stop. She assured them that everyone would realize just how incredible Callie was one day.
But Calliope wasn’t particularly bothered by the insults.
“People can say what they want,” she thought. “Their words don’t affect me.”
Her mind was more occupied with the thought of Lisette’s birthday party that evening. She decided she had to dress to impress, even if it meant outshining Lisette.
Every year, Lisette would steal the spotlight with her dazzling outfits, while Calliope’s mother, Zelda, insisted she keep it low-key. As a result, they never seemed like they were celebrating together. It was like they weren’t even sisters.
Zelda would parade Lisette around and introduce her to everyone, while Calliope was often left to linger in the corners and told to stay quiet so she wouldn’t reveal her lack of worldly experience. Sometimes, Zelda would proudly have Lisette perform some song or display her artistic talents. As a child, Calliope had wanted to shine, too, but Zelda always dismissed her.
“You’re just not good enough,” Zelda would say. “Don’t embarrass us.”
In Zelda’s eyes, Lisette was the epitome of excellence, the one to bring pride to the family.
Calliope narrowed her eyes. If they didn’t want her to be the belle of the ball, she’d do exactly that–outshine Lisette. She no longer cared about what that family thought of her. She could do as she pleased.
Calliope smirked. She had planned to have someone prepare a dress for her, but to her surprise, Silas had already taken care of it. Fagan delivered a dress to her, complete with matching jewelry.
“Mrs. Myers, here’s the stylist’s number. Call him when you’re ready, and he’ll come and get you all dolled up.”
“Oh, and Mr. Myers has some business to attend to later, so he might not make it to the party on time. You can head over first. He mentioned you could take Damien and the others with you. They’ll keep you safe.”
Calliope nodded. “Got it. Let him know it’s no big deal if he can’t make it.”
Calliope understood that a party like Lisette’s wasn’t prestigious enough for someone like Silas. So, he didn’t need to be there. She would make a statement, and dragging Silas along wasn’t necessary.
After Fagan left, Calliope examined the dress. It was another creation by the famous designer K. It was not quite the same style as the one from yesterday, but equally eye-catching and luxurious, and the fabric screamed opulence. Ordinary dresses would pale in comparison to this masterpiece.
Calliope was thoroughly pleased with it. She didn’t need to worry about finding anything else.
Meanwhile, Lisette was surrounded by her three brothers.
She asked eagerly, “Is it true, guys? I get to wear a dress by K, too?”
“Yep, we’ve convinced Callie,” Valerian said with a fond smile. “She agreed to gift you one. With Silas’s resources, getting a K dress is a breeze, so Callie had no problem with it.”