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."

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