Chapter 37

The race was about to start.

Calliope stood by the sidelines, watching Norton climb into his car. As he settled in, he glanced back at her and flashed a quick hand gesture.

Calliope returned the gesture with a big heart sign, her face beaming with a broad smile.

“Go get ‘em, my dear bro!”

Her voice was loud enough that Valerian caught every word.

The way she called Norton was like nails on a chalkboard to him. He was her actual brother, yet here she was, cheering for someone else with smiles.

A wave of irritation swept over him, especially when someone nearby, clueless about the situation, nudged him and said, “Hey, man, your sister’s cheering for you again? You’re lucky, having two sisters. Think you could spare one?”

Valerian’s expression soured.

“By the way, I just noticed, your sister’s quite the looker. How come I never caught that before?”

“If you compare, she seems even prettier. Lisette may have her makeup on, but she’s missing something.”

“Introduce me next time, will you? You always seem so impatient. Why don’t you ever bring such a pretty sister around?”

Valerian’s scowl deepened.

Truthfully, every time Calliope came to watch him race, he never brought her along to meet his friends.

He always thought she was embarrassing, lacking social graces, and didn’t have the refinement or education he admired. In every way, she seemed inferior to Lisette. And she was always causing a scene, always accusing Lisette of things.

Initially, he considered bringing her to the post–race dinners, but his dislike of her gradually intensified, for she always ended up causing trouble.

Eventually, he only brought Lisette. She was polite, stylish, great at socializing, knew how to handle her drinks, and showcased various talents. Having Lisette by his side always earned him praise. He thrived on that feeling. “Forget it. She’s not what you think. Sure, she looks nice, but she’s got a weird temper, not much fun at all,” Valerian remarked. “She grew up in the sticks, so we’re not that close.”

“Is that so?” His friend shrugged. “Well, Lisette is definitely more entertaining.”

Calliope and Lisette both stood near the track. With Valerian absent, Lisette sidled up to Calliope, a hint of challenge glinting in her eyes.

“Calliope, even if you try to provoke Valerian, he won’t care about you. You should know I grew up with them. In their hearts and eyes, I’m the one that matters.

“My advice, since you’re married, why not just settle down? Nobody at home wants you around. In just a month, it’s going to be my birthday. Everyone’s working hard to prepare a party for me.”

Lisette then let out a small, mocking laugh. “Oops, sorry, I forgot. Your birthday is a day before mine, but it seems no one remembers.”

Calliope turned her head, her gaze icy as she looked at Lisette. She didn’t say a word, merely sizing Lisette up and down.

She curled her lips into a smirk, her stare making Lisette feel a chill creep up her spine.

“Thanks for reminding me. So, your birthday is coming up soon. Don’t worry, I won’t forget to attend your party.

“But you should be prepared. Since everyone’s impression of me isn’t great, I might as well embrace the madness. Sometimes, being a bit crazy is quite liberating, don’t you think?

“Lisette, do you really believe you can hide all the things you’ve done? Can you really keep up this act forever?”