He Gave Me Hearing, Then Taught Me What Silence Really Means novel Chapter 251

She took a deep breath, turning the corner from the corridor into the main hall, which was still filled with glamorous guests and flowing champagne.

But she couldn't shake the feeling that something was off. Vague, lingering stares kept landing on her.

She hadn't drawn any attention when she first walked in, so why the sudden shift?

Just as the thought crossed her mind, a voice called out nearby. "Juniper."

Juniper turned her head, her eyes narrowing. It was Lydia Thorne, and she was wearing the exact same dress.

Lydia feigned a look of surprise, her lips curving into a shallow smile. "I didn't expect us to be on the same wavelength. Though, if I recall correctly, there's only one of this dress in existence. Are you wearing..."

She didn't finish her sentence, but the implication was loud and clear to everyone in earshot: Juniper was wearing a knockoff.

At a gala like this, wearing a fake was a supreme humiliation, guaranteed to spark endless gossip.

Juniper had no intention of throwing Caleb Xavier under the bus, nor did she care to prove whether her dress was authentic. She simply leaned into the accusation. "Yeah, it's a fake. I just didn't expect the knockoff to look exactly the same on me as the real one does on you. I guess it's true what they say—wearing the same outfit isn't scary; it's only embarrassing for the one who looks worse in it. Standing next to me, you're the one who looks like you're wearing the counterfeit. What a disaster for the brand."

Lydia's expression morphed instantly. She had been trying her hardest to ignore the undeniable fact that Juniper was breathtakingly gorgeous.

She gritted her teeth. Out of the corner of her eye, she noticed a few people whispering and nodding after Juniper spoke, clearly agreeing with her.

Lydia's original goal had been to mock Juniper for wearing a fake to a high-society event, but now she had backed herself into a corner.

Her hands clenched into tight fists. "Wearing a counterfeit to an occasion like this is a bit inappropriate..."

"Ms. Thorne, my financial situation is what it is. Besides, how was I supposed to know it was a fake before I bought it? I don't follow luxury brands. Are you suggesting I track down the original designer every time I buy a piece of clothing? I think your condemnation should be directed at the merchants selling knockoffs, not the unsuspecting customer who accidentally buys one. I'm a victim here too. After all, this dress cost me twenty bucks."

"And honestly, I only realized it was a fake after you pointed it out. I'm completely innocent."

Lydia decided to deflect the conflict. Didn't Felicity absolutely despise Juniper? Given a chance to humiliate her, Felicity surely wouldn't pass it up.

She took a deep breath and called out toward Felicity. "Felicity, you're here tonight too? Didn't Juniper cut you with glass last time?"

Felicity jolted. She wanted to spend the rest of her life avoiding Juniper.

She had just pushed her way through the crowd upon hearing the commotion, but the moment she saw it was Juniper, she wanted to bolt.

Yet, at this critical juncture, Lydia had called her out.

Felicity felt a chill run down her spine. Her mother had already warned her, and this Juniper woman was legitimately unhinged. When she snapped, she was the type to go for someone's eyes. Felicity had zero desire to provoke Juniper again; she was genuinely terrified of her.

So, in response to Lydia's question, she hastily dodged it. "You're remembering it wrong. I accidentally cut myself on the glass, not Juniper. I don't know why you'd say that. I don't know her well, and I have no intention of getting to know her. Please don't drag me into this."