Chapter 79
Avery’s comment had been casual, tossed out without much thought. But for Valeria, it landed awkwardly.
She didn’t think she looked anything like Wendy. Wendy was the picture of high society- immaculate makeup, sharp features, and that kind of quiet arrogance that money and status carved into a person. And she smiled with effortless grace.
“I agree, Ms. Neal and I seem to have a bit of a connection,” she said. Of course, this was just a polite remark.
After all, Martha had clearly taken a liking to Selena, especially knowing she was in the same class as Leo. Naturally, Wendy wasn’t about to go against Martha.
She took another glance at Valeria. Valeria was fair and delicate, with a quiet, gentle presence.
Martha smiled and looked back and forth between them. “Isn’t that something? Even that mole on the tip of their noses is in the exact same spot. You’re both such beauties.”
Hearing that, Valeria offered a polite smile, choosing not to read too much into it.
That small mole on the tip of her nose had only appeared during her pregnancy. And just a little foundation would cover it right up.
Running into the Grants at the hospital had just been a brief detour in her day. But later that night, lying in bed, Valeria opened her phone and saw Gabriella trending.
With over ten million fans and her next world tour stop set for Slate City, the buzz was everywhere. Pre-sale ticket reservations had already passed the one million mark.
Valeria couldn’t help but think back to her high school days. She hated running into people from that time. Those memories weren’t exactly pleasant.
In fact, she’d done everything she could to move forward, desperate to leave the past behind.
The sudden ring of her phone cut through her thoughts. It was Margaret calling.
“Riri, your cousin’s getting engaged this week. Thomas said he couldn’t reach you. Do you have time to come out for a meal?”
Valeria leaned against the side of Selena’s bed. She glanced down at Selena, who had already drifted off to sleep. Then, moving carefully and quietly, she got up and stepped out, gently closing the door behind her.
“Granny, I won’t be attending,” Valeria said softly.
A few days ago, she’d received a text from Thomas saying her cousin, Ivy Crane, was getting
engaged.
Ever since Thomas and Jennifer had used the old video of Gabriella stealing money to blackmail Alexander and Wendy just to secure a spot for Ivy at Grant Group, Valeria had distanced herself from all of it.
To be fair, Ivy had worked hard. In seven years, she’d climbed from a junior staffer in the advertising department of Grant Group’s southern branch to branch manager, and she had recently been transferred back to Slate City to manage the advertising project division.
That much, Valeria only knew from what Margaret had mentioned. Apparently, the groom’s family held some sway in Slate City.
Thomas and Jennifer were clearly feeling proud of themselves, finally getting their moment in the spotlight.
Margaret knew what Valeria’s phone number was, and Valeria had asked Margaret not to share it with Thomas’ family.
Since that incident years ago, she had almost completely cut ties with them. Seven years in the same city, and they hadn’t crossed paths once.
Even though she had told Margaret not to, Valeria still got a message from Thomas. Clearly, Margaret had given him Valeria’s number.
Valeria could understand why Margaret did that. But that was as far as it went.
She knew Margaret was getting old. After losing both her husband and her daughter, all the woman wanted was peace in the family. And Thomas, after all, was still her son.
So, whatever Margaret said, Valeria just listened.
After all, it was Margaret who had raised her.
But listening didn’t mean agreeing. She wasn’t going to attend Ivy’s engagement party. She could skip Ivy’s big day, but she couldn’t skip visiting Margaret.
So she carved out time over the weekend. Originally, she had planned to bring Selena along, but the round trip was nearly 60 miles. In the end, she asked Lucy to watch Selena for the day.
She picked up some supplements and took a two-and-a-half-hour bus to Cranary in Verdanci
District.
That was where Valeria had grown up.
At the village entrance, several familiar elders were sitting around, but none of them recognized her. They stared at her like she was a total stranger, gossiping away about anything and everything -like they had to comment on every single person who walked by.
She still remembered all of them. Back then, whenever she came home for the weekend, they’d put on friendly faces and greet her cheerfully, calling her “Riri”. But once she was a few steps away, their voices would rise with laughter.
“Margaret’s granddaughter is getting fatter every time.”
“I heard she got good grades.”
“So what if she’s smart? Once she hits 18, she’ll still have to get married like every other
woman.”
“She’s so chubby now. If she lost a little weight, I might even set her up with my nephew.”
“Isn’t your nephew the one with cerebral palsy?”
They all knew the truth-that she had gained weight from taking heavy doses of steroids for her grandfather’s bone marrow transplant. They had watched her grow up. They knew she hadn’t always looked like that.
But still, those older women, who should’ve known better, always had the harshest things to say, picking her apart like she was nothing more than gossip fodder. She was just a high school girl back then, and yet they judged everything about her.
And now, some of those gossipy old folks who used to crowd the village entrance weren’t around anymore.
Over the years, a few had passed away, one after another. The old ones died, and the new ones took their place.
