Chapter 255

Cynthia pondered for a moment and said, "The day after tomorrow is Naomi's birthday. I already have plans."

Cynthia wasn't lying. It was Naomi's birthday, and Naomi had invited her to a villa party at Azuregaze Mountain.

At the other end of the line, Selena was cautiously hopeful. "Alright, then we'll reschedule. Is that okay with you?" Cynthia hummed in agreement.

After Selena hung up, she sighed. Justin quickly asked, "So, did she agree?" Selena shook her head.

Justin's face fell. "What's wrong with you? It's been so long, and you still can't handle such a small matter? If Cynthia doesn't go, how do we have an excuse to visit the Xenos family? Haven't you seen how Velorix's stock is dropping? How can you not be concerned?"

Selena's temper flared. "Do you think I'm not worried about the company's current situation? But will worrying help? Is the stock crashing my fault? Justin, all the major decisions have been yours over the years. When Shirley took Cynthia's competition spot, you approved it. Now you want to blame everything on me? What's your deal?"

Justin knew his wife well. He came from a modest background but was well-educated and charming in his youth, falling in love with Selena at a dance. Marrying Selena was more like him joining her family than vice versa. So, for his entire life, he'd let Selena have her way, mainly because he built his success on the Yao family's assets, and Selena always controlled the family finances.

Justin looked at his wife, whom he'd tolerated for half his life, and felt a deep-seated irritation. But eventually, he gave in out of habit. "I'm just feeling anxious," he said. "The Xenos family is our only hope. I've spent a lot of money and favors to secure a meeting with them. It's rare that Kay Xenos still remembers the gemstone gift from years ago and has invited us to their family dinner. This is a once-in-a-lifetime opportunity. If Cynthia doesn't go, then what's the point of us going? They specifically requested to see the child from back then and the gemstone again."

Neither spoke. They couldn't change the Xenos family's schedule. Additionally, they were rumored to be in Roncrity for only two days to pay respects to their ancestors. Missing this opportunity would be devastating. But Cynthia had clearly refused. Selena remembered it was Naomi's birthday that day. Naomi was Cynthia's childhood friend, as close as a sister. Selena guessed Naomi's return to Roncrity was probably for Cynthia. Cynthia valued Naomi's birthday more than her own, so she couldn't let Naomi down.

The couple was at a loss when Shirley stormed into the room, her face full of indignation. "Dad, Mom, who is your real daughter here? Why do all the benefits always go to Cynthia instead of me?"

Seeing Shirley, Justin's blood pressure spiked. "How dare you ask? If it weren't for your plagiarism incident with Miss Y that embarrassed us worldwide, would the Jones family be in such a mess? Our stocks have plummeted, and now our family is on the brink of bankruptcy, all thanks to you!"

Justin muttered, "What did I do in a past life to deserve a daughter like you? Sometimes I think it would have been better if you had stayed away. You're just here to collect a debt from us."

Hearing this, Shirley felt angry and wronged. "Dad, how can you say that? You gave birth to me and then…" she trailed off. "I grew up in such harsh conditions while you gave all the love and resources that should have been mine to Cynthia. If I had been raised with the same advantages as Cynthia, I'd definitely be more successful than her. Conversely, if Cynthia lived in the environment that was originally meant for her, she'd be a hundred times worse than me."

Every time Selena heard Shirley say such things, it felt like a knife to her heart. She used to feel guilt, pity, and affection for Shirley, wanting to make up for everything. But now, Shirley's accusations had been repeated countless times, and Selena's feelings had changed.

"Shirley, you've been back for over three years. Have you made any progress?" Selena asked calmly. "When you were switched, it wasn't something we wanted or orchestrated. It was an accident, fate's decision. Are you going to use this excuse for your failures your whole life? In these three years, we got you an etiquette teacher, planned to send you abroad, and placed you in the company to learn management. Yet you sold company stock worth 300 million dollars for just 6 million."

Selena continued calmly, "People can change. Now you have everything, but you haven't made any progress at all. You're just not like Cynthia. Three years ago, she lost everything—wasn't that devastating for her? It was worse for her than it is for you. Falling from the sky into the mud is much more painful than always struggling in the mud. But look at how she's played the hand life dealt her over these three years. Do you know what makes you different? It's because she never complains; she only looks ahead."

Shirley yelled, "In the end, you all think Cynthia is perfect just because she married into a rich family, the Bennetts. But what's the good of her being their daughter-in-law if she's not going to help the Jones family in a crisis? Do you really think Cynthia still cares about you? She remembers every little thing you did to her in the past three years. To Cynthia, you're strangers now. When times get tough, the only person you can rely on is me."

Selena was disheartened and didn't want to say another word. However, Justin seemed a bit moved. He thought, even though he gave Cynthia twenty percent of the shares, she hadn't used them to help the company. Her attitude toward the Jones family and Velorix was indifferent. She wasn't the same as before.

But Justin scoffed, "Rely on you? What do you have that we could possibly count on?"

Shirley said, "Cynthia found a strong connection; I can do the same. Introduce me to the Xenos family, and if I can form ties with them, I'll support the Jones family wholeheartedly and help make Velorix a top luxury brand worldwide."