Chapter 695

Arianna was taken aback and quickly denied the accusation.

"What?! Of course not! It's obvious your fan planned this. Why would I do this? Besides—"

"Drop the act!" Eloise's gaze remained fixed on Arianna as she shook her head. "Do you think I'm blind? That woman had been staring at us since we entered. She only approached when you winked at her. Even if she were a fan, would she be so bold as to demand autographs and be so rude? She even harassed the other guests. My fans know the rules. If you truly had nothing to do with this, she must be new and unfamiliar with them!" Eloise paused. "Then again, her ID doesn't belong to any newcomer. Ari, I know you're trying to be kind, but this is unnecessary. I'm old; there's no need for all this."

"I can't win with you!" Arianna sighed, shaking her head. "I can't hide anything from you! Why do you let yourself be treated this way with your intelligence? Are you going to let a low-life like that woman walk all over you?"

Eloise shook her head. "It's not that I'm letting her walk all over me. To your father, she's the mother of his son. They're obviously more important. You have no idea how much he prioritized sons over daughters. His son is his life. If he had to choose, I believe he'd cut me off before siding with us."

"If he won't stand by us, why should we give him the choice?!" Arianna turned Eloise to face the mirror. "Mom, look at yourself. You're still so beautiful! If you returned to the industry, you could still win Best Actress! Why be afraid of a nobody? Aren't you unhappy? Today could be a happy day for you!"

Through the mirror, Eloise saw Arianna's scheming eyes and was stunned. "Ari, what are you planning?"

"Nothing. Just sit back and enjoy the show!" Arianna smiled, taking Eloise's arm. "Let's go somewhere else."

They left the store, but Eloise stopped a few steps later. Her eyes fell on a luxurious storefront. A woman stood across from the cashier with an arrogant air, surrounded by three assistants laden with shopping bags. Despite trying to ignore it, Eloise recognized the woman; her husband's mistress, Elizabeth, the mother of his illegitimate child, Damian. Elizabeth, younger and impeccably groomed, looked like the wife of a wealthy man, far from the image of a mistress.

"Mom, look at her!" Arianna, noticing Eloise's gaze, said softly. "You're fuming while she's shopping. Those things must cost millions." She paused. "Where do you think she got the money? She hasn't worked in years. Do you think she's using Dad's credit card?"

"Enough!" Eloise snapped. Arianna was pushing her too far.

As Eloise turned to leave, Arianna stopped her. "Mom, where are you going? Don't you want a good show?"

"Ari, what are you trying to do? Are you here to watch her, or to watch me suffer? Am I supposed to wait for her to flaunt her purchases, bought with your father's money, in my face?"

Eloise refused to stay and be humiliated.

(To be continued…)