Where Petals of Vengeance Bloom novel Chapter 195

The rhythmic clacking of high heels against the polished floor was sharp and urgent, like the pounding of an angry drum.

Mrs. Foster, flanked by a group of affluent women, stormed towards Claire.

Without a word of explanation, Mrs. Foster raised her hand, aiming to slap Claire.

Claire frowned, bewildered, as she didn't recognize this woman.

Stepping back to dodge the slap, she calmly said, "Ma'am, I think you've got the wrong person."

Seeing Claire evade her blow only fueled Mrs. Foster's anger further, contorting her once beautiful face into a mask of fury.

"You shameless little harlot," Mrs. Foster spat, her voice dripping with venom. "You must be quite the tease in bed, playing innocent now."

The entourage of well-dressed women behind her glared at Claire as if she had seduced their own husbands, their faces twisted in disgust and disdain. Insults flew at her like poison-tipped arrows.

"Just look at her, the little seductress," sneered a woman in a shimmering gold evening gown, her voice sharp and piercing. "Who knows how many beds she's crawled into, flaunting herself like a cheap floozy."

Claire was certain they had mistaken her for someone else.

She took a deep breath and tried to reason with them, "I've never done anything like that. You really have the wrong person."

"Oh, aren't you quite the actress," another woman with voluminous curls scoffed, folding her arms across her chest. Her jowls quivered with each word. "I've seen your type before, dirty little trollop who can snare a man with just a finger."

An overweight woman pushed her way forward, jabbing a pudgy finger near Claire's face, her voice filled with malice.

"Dressed to the nines, all funded by selling yourself, no doubt. You think you're young and pretty, but you're nothing but a used-up tramp."

As the insults continued to rain down, some of the women began to shove Claire.

The insults grew increasingly vile.

Brian stood nearby, watching with cold detachment.

Claire had only recently been released from prison, and since then, she had been either with the Linwood family or in the hospital, without any opportunity to flirt with men. He knew Claire's character well enough to be sure she wouldn't engage in such behavior. Yet, he made no move to intervene.

Claire's stubborn nature needed tempering, and perhaps a little hardship would soften her inflexible resolve.

Meanwhile, Vanessa feigned concern, stepping forward to clasp Mrs. Foster's hand. "Sister, she's my sister Claire. Surely there’s some misunderstanding?"

Mrs. Foster's fury only intensified upon learning that the woman who supposedly seduced her husband was her friend's sister. Vanessa often mentioned how her sister bullied her, adding fuel to Mrs. Foster's fire, who already harbored a deep dislike for Claire.

Moreover, she knew Andie.