Rebirth

Chapter 285: Turning Black into White

Margaret’s eyes darted around the room, lingering on the closed doors. She sighed. “Mrs. Sharp, I know Lillian spoke out of turn today, and I’ve been apologizing for her. But Lillian has already angered Patricia and Christine. I truly can’t handle this situation anymore. Please, be understanding.”

“Shifting blame?” Natasha sneered. “Are you saying everything today was Lillian’s doing and has nothing to do with you?”

Margaret stood and bowed. “I am at fault. If I had been able to restrain my aunt, things wouldn’t have escalated. As for the betrothal ceremony, I left it to the servants, which was my oversight. Such an important matter should have been handled by me personally.”

Everyone was stunned by Margaret’s words. Although Lillian had been criticizing the Langley family, Margaret hadn’t refuted her and had even nodded occasionally. Didn’t that mean she agreed with Lillian? So why was it suddenly all Lillian’s fault?

Natasha’s sharp gaze swept across the room. “I’ll ask all of you: were your families arranging a marriage, would you strictly follow customs and traditions? Would you send roosters for the betrothal ceremony? Would you leave out betrothal cakes and livestock for the betrothal gifts?”

This question left everyone speechless. If it were their own family’s wedding, they would follow every detail meticulously. How could the betrothal cakes be missing? That would be like cursing the bride’s family to be cut off from their relatives. The betrothal cakes were meant to be distributed to the bride’s family and friends. You couldn’t expect the bride’s family to buy their own. As for the livestock, that was even more essential. For a family like the Valen family, it should at least include pigs, sheep, and cattle. Only smaller families would use chickens as a substitute. These were the basics. And how could the gift box be missing lotus seeds and lily bulbs? These were important symbols, blessing the couple with early fertility and a harmonious marriage. The omissions were too deliberate.

Earlier, everyone had been quick to gossip and criticize without considering the facts. Now, discussing the matter seriously, they realized how unreasonable the Valen family had been. No wonder the Sharp family was angry. The stronger party won, and public opinion shifted accordingly. Natasha, having worked in the business world, understood this principle. She had first pressured Margaret, and now the outsiders naturally switched sides. During the confrontation, she needed these people to speak up.

“Ashley has arrived!” A servant’s voice rang out.

The servant, seeing the situation turning against them, had hurried to seek help. With no one else available, Ashley was the only one who could calm the situation. So the servant rushed to invite her. Ashley was Margaret’s adopted daughter, so when the servant said Margaret needed her, she couldn’t refuse. But when she arrived at the door and saw the dozen or so soldiers, her heart sank. It seemed she was being used as a pawn. She wasn’t foolish. She had already seen what kind of person Margaret was—ineffective and unwilling to put in effort. Such a person was unreliable. Moreover, after spending a few days in the residence, she knew Pablo no longer favored Margaret. So, upon learning that Natasha was inside, she quickly formed a plan. Unlike the others, she didn’t believe the Sharp family was inferior to the Valen family. Pablo had once served under Garrett. Soldiers valued loyalty, tradition, and respect. Even though Pablo now held a high position, he would never disrespect Garrett.

Thus, when she entered, she first greeted Natasha. Natasha stood to return the greeting. “So you have arrived. I apologize for not greeting you properly.”

“Mrs. Sharp, please don’t stand on ceremony. Take your seat!” Ashley said with a smile.

The other ladies also stood to greet her. As a concubine, Ashley didn’t need to return their greetings, but since she was now the adopted daughter of the Valen family, these were her relatives. So, she gave a slight bow.

The servant who had brought her in said, “Ashley, there’s been a misunderstanding between the Valen and Langley families. It’s nothing serious. Could you act as a mediator and help both sides discuss this calmly?”

Margaret looked at Ashley and said, “Since Ashley is here, there’s no need to invite Pablo. Mrs. Sharp, what do you think?”

Patricia glared at Margaret. By bringing Ashley in as a mediator, if Natasha refused to give Ashley any face, it would be seen as disrespecting the King. But if Ashley suggested smoothing things over, the Sharp family would only have half-vented their anger.

Natasha remained silent, but Ashley smiled. “Margaret, you are joking. How can I give an opinion on the marriage between two families? Mrs. Sharp is the most senior here. Let’s listen to her first.”

Natasha smiled. “Thank you, Ashley, for your consideration.”

“Mrs. Sharp, you’re too kind.”

Margaret clenched her teeth, almost wishing she could slap Ashley.

The servant’s interruption, with Ashley’s arrival, had given Margaret a moment to collect herself. Since Pablo had to be called, she would stick to her story. She had made a mistake due to the rush, but the Langley family had thrown them out. She had already instructed the gift bearers to stick to the same story. If the Sharp and Langley families wanted to drag this out, so be it! Even if I suffer, I won’t let you have the upper hand!

So, her expression darkened, and she said sharply, “Enough! Mrs. Sharp, I respect your seniority, and you are Pablo’s master’s wife. That’s why, when you entered, I protected the Sharp family’s reputation by saying it was all our fault. I even wronged my aunt by hiding the fact that the Langley family threw us out. I wanted to smooth things over, but you’ve gone too far. If you don’t believe me, go ask the people who delivered the betrothal gifts today. See how your daughters-in-law treated me and my aunt.”

Natasha had already sent someone to invite Pablo, so she wasn’t worried. She said calmly, “Don’t worry. I’m here today to get to the bottom of this. The Langley family won’t suffer losses, and we won’t let you be wronged for nothing.”

Patricia, who had been worried earlier, now felt reassured. She said lightly, “I must thank you for caring so much about the Sharp family’s reputation. As for asking your gift bearers, why not ask the people in the Langley family? Would your servants dare to tell the truth instead of lying for you? Since you claim that everything was done properly today and that we threw you out, let’s wait for Pablo to return and sort this out. After all, there were so many people here earlier listening to your contradictory statements. It’s quite amusing.”

Margaret said coldly, “I’ve already said that earlier, I took the blame to protect your family’s reputation. Since you’re so ungrateful, fine. Let’s settle this properly. I refuse to believe that you can turn black into white.”