"I''ve never heard of Yvonne knowing anyone like Mr. Cooper. If she did, my mother wouldn''t have been waiting years for a dress she still hasn''t received," Queena muttered, her voice just loud enough for everyone to hear.


    "Yvonne, when did you meet Hobart?" Teresa asked, equally confused.


    The Spencer women''s doubts began to sway the other guests.


    "The dress is probably a fake."


    "Besides the Thompsons, Istra''s most powerful family, who can actuallymission Mr. Cooper?"


    "These knockoffs are so convincing these days."


    Whispers spread through the room.


    A flicker of triumph crossed Queena''s face as she waited for Yvonne''s impending humiliation. The idea of a country bumpkin shamelessly boasting about knowing Mr. Cooper was just too amusing.


    "Mr. Cooper uses a unique tailoring method. If you don''t believe me, you can open up a seam and see for yourselves," Yvonne said, addressing the skeptics.


    Hobart was indeed difficult tomission, but Yvonne''s mother, Monica, had been a gown aficionado and had a rather special connection with him. Yvonne knew exactly how to handle the entric old man.


    Verna hesitated, her hand clutching the gown. What if it was real? What if she ruined it?


    "Verna, let it go," Queena said with false sympathy. "Yvonne is your brother''s fiancée. Imagine how embarrassed she''ll be if everyone finds out she gave your mother a fake."


    As expected, Queena''s words had the opposite effect. Verna called for a maid.


    "Gina, bring me a pair of scissors. I''m going to expose Yvonne''s lies right here and now."


    "Verna, stop this nonsense!" Mrs. Gonzalez snapped, her face cold.


    But before she could intervene, Verna had already taken the scissors from the maid and snipped open a seam of the gown.


    "Mrs. Turner, you have a good eye. Why don''t you tell us if this gown is real or fake?" Yvonne prompted.


    Mrs. Turner examined the stitching carefully and dered, "I said from the beginning this was Mr. Cooper''s handiwork, and I was not mistaken! Oh what a shame. Such a beautiful gown."


    "A skilled tailor might be able to mend it, but it will never be perfect again," anotherdy added mournfully.


    Mrs. Gonzalez stared at the


    damaged dress, her heart aching


    with frustration. She wanted to p


    some sense into her idiotic


    It


    daughter was painfully obvious that Queena had used her as a pawn.


    "Verna, look what you''ve done!"


    "How was I supposed to know it was real?" Verna whined, her face a mask of indignation.


    "She''s just impulsive, that''s all. Mrs. Gonzalez, don''t be too hard on her, Queen interjected thoughtfullying to Verna''s rescue. "It''s your birthday. Let''s not let a smal thing like this spoil the mood."


    "Exactly. It''s just a dress. Yvonne can just ask Mr. Cooper to make another one," Teresa chimed in.


    Yvonne almostughed out loud. If it''s so easy, why don''t you go order a dozen of them wholesale?


    "Verna, apologize to Yvonne," Mrs. Gonzalezmanded, her face stern. She was a reasonable woman and knew her daughter was in the wrong.


    "S-sorry," Verna mumbled, lowering her head under her mother''s re.


    Forced to apologize to the country bumpkin she despised in front of everyone, Verna felt utterly humiliated. The second the word left her lips, she turned and fled. "Verna!" Queena tried to use the opportunity to slip away, but Yvonne grabbed her


    arm.


    "Did I say you could go? You ndered someone. Don''t you think you owe them an apology?" Yvonne''s grip on Queena''s wrist was like iron, her gaze sharp and unforgiving.