When my birthday came around, neither of them even wished me a simple “Happy Birthday”.
Looking back, the signs had been there from the beginning.
I changed into my dress and walked to the villa’s entrance to join my mother in greeting the guests.
The people attending the engagement party were all local dignitaries. Once they learned that our family was about to form an alliance with Maltimum Enterprise, they were eager to butter us up, each gift they brought seeming more expensive than the last.
After all, who wouldn’t want to climb aboard the Maltimum Enterprise ship?
Of course, there were also those who didn’t like me, gossiping behind my back.
“Trish is suddenly getting engaged to the heir of Maltimum Enterprise… Could it be a shotgun wedding?”
“Wasn’t she always hanging around with Zeke and Hendrick? How did she change so quickly?”
“With her looks and background, it’s a miracle that Edmond even noticed her. My daughter’s prettier than she is!”
“I bet Edmond’s just playing around with her. They’ll probably be divorced within a few months!”
“Ha! Let the Chambers enjoy themselves today. They’ll be humiliated soon enough!”
My cousin, Payton Hilburn, who had grown up with me, couldn’t stand it and was about to rush over to confront them, but I stopped her. “Let it go. A clean conscience has nothing to fear. Let them talk.”
It turned out that those years I had spent tangled up with Zeke and Hendrick were seen as scandalous in the eyes of others.
I could only blame myself.
