“Mrs. Walton, you did yell for somebody to stop, but you did not mention anybody’s name. Besides, it didn’t sound like how an elder would behave toward the younger generation. Well, excuse me, I wasn’t aware that you were asking me to hold up, Mrs. Walton,” Myra retorted calmly without backing down.
Shelly was rendered speechless by Maya’s response and her chest started to heave in anger.
“Well, don’t you have a smart mouth? However, I heard that your mother passed away early in life, so I suppose this is expected since she couldn’t educate you well. In any case, as this is a banquet by the Hart Family, you should take note of your behavior, Miss Stark. Please know your place because things will turn ugly if you were to stir up trouble.”
Myra hated it whenever others mentioned her mother in such a condescending tone. Hence, her expression darkened immediately. She had been in a foul mood from the beginning and her mind was now in a mess, so she answered harshly, “My mother passed away when I was young, but you are still alive, Mrs. Walton. Therefore, you should keep an eye on your own daughter. Even if I were to cause trouble, what does it have anything to do with you, Mrs. Walton?”
“How dare you!” Shelly held a significantly superior position among the wealthy ladies. Hence, she was used to others surrendering to her; nobody ever had the guts to openly challenge her, forget about a young woman in her twenties. Her expression twisted in anger. “Miss Stark, I am merely reminding you out of the kindness of my heart. Is this how you speak with me in return? The Walton Family is connected with the Hart Family. Miss Stark, you should not embarrass yourself!”
Myra lost the last shred of patience she had to talk with Shelly, so she answered indifferently, “Whatever.” Then, she walked past Shelly to leave the place.
Shelly’s expression fell and she viciously grabbed onto Myra’s arm. “You better stand right there! I am not done speaking with you!”
“I don’t think we have anything else to chat about, Mrs. Walton.” Myra scowled at the spot where Shelly had grabbed her.
Myra had already sensed Shelly’s animosity from the start. I am generous enough toward the Waltons by not digging up what Gemma did to me in the past. However, it is obvious that Mrs. Walton isn’t here to speak nicely with me.
“Miss Stark, I know that you are a woman from an average family, so it is your utmost honor to have associated yourself with the Hart Family. Under these conditions, you will not let go of Tony, but you should think hard and long about it!” Shelly did not release Myra’s arm; instead, she increased the force of her grip as she glared at Myra sharply. “You have to think hard and long about it! How could you possibly nail a man like Tony? Forget about the vast differences between your families; I bet you have no idea what a good family can bring to the table for the Hart Family! Tony might find you refreshing now, but what happens after the novelty wears off? There are numerous abandoned women among the wealthy families. Miss Stark, are you prepared to join the crowd of abandoned women?! Well, if you know what’s best for you, Miss Stark, I can agree to one of our terms. Be it money or career—take your pick. Your younger sister is with my son now, so I will support the Stark Family with all that I have.” Shelly sounded full of herself.
Myra was at a loss for words when she heard that. First Gemma, and now Mrs. Walton. I finally understand where Gemma’s personality comes from. Hence, she gazed mockingly at the wealthy lady in front of her. “Mrs. Walton, do you have anything else to say?”
Shelly was stunned into silence and she frowned slightly. “Miss Stark, what do you mean by that?”
“Mrs. Walton, if that is all, please release my hand. I am not related to you, Mrs. Walton, and we can’t even call ourselves friends. I suggest you spend your kindness on others.” Myra coldly stared.
“Myra, I am advising you out of the goodness of my heart, but you do not appreciate it. I am more well-versed with issues within this social circle than you are. You will have nowhere else to vent your despair when the time comes!” Shelly’s tone took a sharp turn and her already shrill voice sounded awful, causing Myra to scowl in response.
“I’ll look into it when the time comes.” Myra brushed Shelly off while trying her best to pry away Shelly’s fingers off her hand.
A nearby Gideon led Kris toward them. He had an unreadable facial expression whereas she noticed that Shelly seemed to be in an argument with Myra. Hence, she spoke to him, “Gideon, it seems like Myra is bullying Mrs. Walton.”
He mumbled in acknowledgement and something flashed through his eyes when he caught Myra’s eyes. After that, the two made their way there, but it happened that a woman holding a flute of champagne was walking toward the rest area too. She most probably wanted to take a short break along the way.
Kris maintained a blank expression when she suddenly stepped on the hem of the woman’s skirt. There was a tearing sound and the woman screamed in shock before she fell forward.
The woman coincidentally fell in Shelly’s direction.
Shelly shrieked loudly after the woman had spilled champagne on her. The next thing she knew, an unknown person knocked against her and she felt her body sway unsteadily.
Shelly was wearing a cheongsam with a high slit on her thigh today. Hence, she would be embarrassed if she were to fall down and suffer from a wardrobe malfunction. As she started to panic, she saw Myra, who was about to leave. A blaze of anger flashed through her eyes and she immediately held onto Myra’s arm.
Myra already had her back facing Shelly, so she wasn’t aware of what was happening. She merely heard a surprised shriek followed by a scream. Initially, she wanted to turn to have a look, but before she could do that, she felt a huge force dragging her body downward.
There was a huge crash and the beverages on the table spilled on the floor, which led to a chaotic disaster.
After Myra was yanked to the ground, she felt an excruciating shooting pain radiating from her stomach. It was so painful that the color drained from her face. She couldn’t make a sound while she clutched her hands over her stomach.
At the sudden ruckus, those who were chatting nearby turned to look at them. They would have noticed who had fallen onto the ground because there were shouts of surprise all of a sudden.
Shawn, who wasn’t too far away, was the first to notice this incident. He frowned when he realized that Myra had fallen down, so he beckoned Tony hastily. Tony was initially chatting happily with someone at that time. However, when he turned to look in the direction that Shawn pointed at, he apologized and hastily excused himself. Then, he ran toward Myra,
Tony’s expression darkened along the way as he approached closer toward her. If it is just a usual fall, Myra wouldn’t be struggling to stand up. She is covering her belly now and her face is pale…
His expression slightly changed and he carried Myra in his arms. “What is it? Where have you hurt yourself?” he asked urgently.
Before Myra could answer him, Shelly, who was just by the side, started to howl loudly. “It hurts! Tony, quickly help me up too.”
Since Shelly had her back facing Gideon, she didn’t notice that he was approaching her. In fact, she was upset because Myra had Tony’s full attention. The man did not even notice Shelly’s existence.
Tony didn’t even glance at her; instead, he glared at the other woman who had fallen onto the ground.
The woman from earlier felt the skin behind her neck stand as he was glaring at her frostily. Hence, she tried her best to explain in a stutter, “I-I am s-so sorry… I am not sure who stepped on the hem of my skirt earlier, which caused me to knock into Mrs. Walton. Then, she held onto Miss Stark…”
“Mom, are you alright?” Gideon finally broke the silence whereas Kris crouched down in concern to slowly help Shelly to her feet.
