"That was my personally crafted haute couture wedding dress!"


    Jade red at Giselle on stage, her fingers dancing across the harp like a celestial being, as she spat out her words with barely contained fury.


    M was taken aback, bewildered by the intensity of her great-aunt''s reaction. She hadn''t mentioned that Giselle was the woman Lysander had been cheating with. If Giselle had bought the dress, it was simply a transaction-a buyer and a seller. Why was her great-aunt so upset? Did she have a personal vendetta against Giselle?


    Just as M was about to inquire, Jade spoke again, her voice brimming with anger. Only then did M understand-


    The wedding dress hadn''t been bought by Giselle. It wasmissioned by Lysander months ago for a specific purpose.


    Jade seethed as she recalled-


    "He approached me, asking for a bespoke wedding gown."


    "I remembered that you and he had only gone through a civil marriage without a proper ceremony. When he mentioned a wedding dress, I assumed he was nning a bted wedding for you two. Though I never cared much for him, I thought it was for your ceremony, so I took on the project."


    Her anger grew as she continued-


    "But then you told me yesterday you were getting a divorce. I decided there was no point in mentioning the dress since you weren''t nning to stay with him anyway. But I never imagined it was meant for someone else!"


    "This woman is his mistress, isn''t she?"


    Jade felt utterly disgusted.


    She hadn''t crafted a dress herself in years, usually leaving it to her apprentices and staff while providing only the design and inspiration. For this wedding dress, she had assumed it was for her grand-niece, painstakingly selecting exquisite jewels and personally stitching each lifelike embroidered rose onto the gown. Yet, it was all for naught.


    Her fury was palpable.


    ...


    M''s face turned pale, watching as her great-aunt''s chest heaved with emotion. She rushed over, gently patting Jade''s back and soothing her, trying to help her breathe.


    Though Jade was generally in good health, her age made her vulnerable to emotional upheaval.


    "Great-aunt, please calm down. I don''t care about him anymore. Whatever he does has nothing to do with us. Please don''t be upset..."


    Tears welled up in M''s eyes as she tried to console her.


    As she moved to call an ambnce, Jade stopped her by grabbing her hand.


    "...I''m fine."


    Jade, her face still ashen, instructed M to fetch an ubelled bottle from her purse. She poured out a few ck pills and swallowed them, herplexion improving shortly after.


    M stared at the bottle, her concern evident. "Great-aunt, are you alright?" "Don''t worry, it''s nothing serious."


    Jade waved her hand dismissively. "It''s just my age catching up with me. Sometimes, I get short of breath when I''m worked up, so I got these pills from a doctor to help. I''m fine once I''ve taken them, really."


    Yet M remained anxious, insisting they visit the hospital for aprehensive check-up.


    "Oh, I told you, I''m fine."


    Jade held her back. "I know my body best. I see a doctor regrly. Trust me, I''m


    in better shape than most young people these days."


    How could M rx?


    They went back and forth until Jade finally agreed to a full check-up once the evening was over, allowing M to breathe a sigh of relief.


    "Regardless, this isn''t over!"


    Jade mmed her hand on the wooden table.


    She red at Giselle, who was gracefully exiting the stage to thunderous apuse, her expression icy with eyes like daggers.