Yvonne''s gaze was fixed on something behind Lydia. Lydia instinctively turned and saw her son, Thomas, approaching with champagne.


    "Mom, what are you doing here?" Thomas asked, frowning slightly.


    Yvonne, in her high heels, walked over to Thomas'' side, took the champagne from his hand, and swirled it casually. "Mrs. Taylor just came up and said a lot of things to me, something about knowing my ce and not being delusional... It was all very strange. I had no idea what she was talking about."


    Yvonne took a sip of champagne, her face a mask of innocent confusion.


    Thomas'' expression, however, darkened instantly as he shot his mother a cold look.


    Lydia felt a pang of guilt. Just as she was about to defend herself, she saw her younger sister, Emma, the hostess of the banquet, enter the hall.


    "Thomas, Emma''s here. Come with me and say hello."


    Yvonne''s back was to the entrance, but she turned instinctively and saw a


    bejeweled Emma walking in, with Bet naturally by her side.


    And besides Bet, Ynda was with them as well.


    That thirty-million-dor, limited-edition lc gown Yvonne had seen was being worn by Ynda.


    The saying ''clothes make the woman'' was certainly true.


    Dressed in thirty million dors'' worth of couture, Ynda looked much more


    elegant, her five-out-of-ten looks elevated to a seven.


    Ynda clung intimately to Emma''s arm, mingling with guests alongside her, looking for all the world like the half-mistress of the Thompson family.


    Lydia dragged Thomas over to greet them.


    Emma and Lydia had always been close. They chatted andughed, and Lydia, knowing what Emma wanted to hear, showered Ynda withpliments.


    Yvonne knew she wasn''t wee, so instead of trying to join the crowd, she picked up a couple of delicate pastries and found a quiet corner to eat.


    She had rushed out that morning without breakfast and had been starving ever since. She was ravenous.


    Yvonne just wanted to eat her pastries in peace, but that wasn''t to be. Not far away, Teresa and Marcia approached, arguing in low voices as they walked.


    It was no wonder the James family had been in decline for years. Both sons were mediocre and, instead of working together, were consumed by infighting. If things continued, it wouldn''t be long before the James family was pushed out of the top tier of society.


    ???


    Marcia had never gotten along with Teresa. She was already stewing over the fact that Steven had rejected her daughter in favor of a blind date with Teresa''s, so seeing Teresa now, she was dripping withs sarcasm.


    Yvonne couldn''t be bothered with them, but Marcia wasn''t content with just taking


    jabs at Teresa; she had to turn her vitriol on Yvonne.


    "I don''t know what got into Mr.


    Hughes, rejecting my Letitia for a


    country bumpkin. Yvonne''s adoptive parents are in jail her biological


    father is in fail... Is she cursed or


    something? Everyone who gets


    involved with her meets a bad end."


    Marcia finished, covering her mouth in mock concern. “Oh dear, I hope she doesn''t jinx Mr. Hughes intonding in prison too... Ah!"


    Before Marcia could finish, Yvonne had doused her with champagne.


    "Yvonne, what are you doing?!" Marcia''s expensive gown was soaked. Worse, it


    was a low-cut silk dress, and the wet silk had be nearly transparent, clearly revealing her bra underneath.


    Marcia was about to lose her mind with fury.