Chapter 37
Chapter 37
Lydia’s remark turned every head in the room. Emily stood there in cheap jeans, a faded T-shirt, and a worn-out hoodie.
No one had expected the once-glamorous fashion icon to show up looking like this. The sight stunned them, yet a few hid smirks as they saw untouchable Emily look ordinary at last.
One girl wrinkled her nose. “No wonder it reeks in here. Did someone crawl out of a dumpster?”
Another added, “God, how can she even wear that? Doesn’t she care about hygiene?”
A third chimed in, “Emily, did you forget how to dress for a party while you were gone?”
Everyone looked disgusted. Some even fanned the air in front of Emily’s face.
Emily didn’t flinch. Her expression remained unreadable, as if their words meant nothing at all. The crowd waited for a reaction-shame, anger, anything-but she gave them nothing, and soon, the laughter sputtered out.
Lydia stepped in with performative concern. “Okay, that’s enough. I never actually said it was formal, so of course she dressed casually. Blame me for that.
“Emily’s outfit is rather inappropriate. It seems quite disrespectful to everyone here. But of course, if she’d known the party was for her, she would’ve dressed better.”
Seeing Lydia take all the blame onto herself, Sean quickly cut in. “Don’t blame yourself, Lydia. Emily did this on purpose.”
He shot Emily a cold smirk. “Everyone knows how much she loves dressing up for parties. She wore that just to embarrass you.”
Lydia bit her lip, feigning hesitation. “Emily wouldn’t do that, would she?”
“Of course she would,” Sean scoffed. “She bullied you before. And since she was sent away, she’s just gotten sneakier about it.”
He turned his glare on Emily. “I heard they sent you to St. Gabriel’s to straighten you out. Doesn’t look like it worked. You’re still the same bully-just better at hiding it.”
Emily, who had been listening to their exchange with detached indifference, suddenly paled. She turned to Sean and snapped, “How do you even know where I’ve been?”
The Bennetts had hidden the secret well-so well that even Charles couldn’t track her down. It was absurd Sean knew the story behind it.
Sean didn’t pick up on her turmoil. His grin stayed put. “After you pushed Lydia down the stairs, Lucas told us everything. You brought this on yourself.”
Emily’s gaze shifted to Lucas, who’d remained silent. She’d thought herself long past caring about the Bennetts’ attitude, yet the sting of betrayal still found its mark.
There was a time when Lucas would have defended her to his last breath, but that boy was long gone. This version of him- the one who’d personally dragged her to that hellhole and then laughed about it with the others-was a stranger.
Back then, even a sideways glance at Emily would send him charging in, fists raised, snarling, “Say one word against my sister and I’ll shut your mouth permanently.” Now every syllable that left his lips dripped with contempt.
The hurt in her eyes was unmistakable. Lucas glanced away, suddenly unable to meet her gaze. He knew better than anyone how soft her life had been before and how every rule at that godforsaken place must have scraped her raw.