Chapter 111: Wear it


    Upon hearing the news from the maid, Katherine and Vanessa Peters angrily rush upstairs to plot a way to punish Gabrielle. As they go, they see Jta sneaking out of Avery and Evan''s bedroom.


    "Mom, you''re pregnant, why are you running around like this?" Jta asks as her hands fly to her chest in a panic.


    "Howe you''re sneaking out of Avery''s room?" Katherine asks, her eyes narrowed in suspicion.


    Jta nces nervously up and down the hall. When she sees she''s alone with her mother and sister she quickly pulls them into the bedroom and shuts the door behind them. She pulls out her phone and shows them a series of photos she''s taken.


    "I found this in Avery''s luggage," she whispers excitedly.


    Katherine''s eyes widen with surprise as she examines the photos.


    "Is this a divorce agreement?" she asks, "Do you mean to tell me that they have signed a divorce agreement after all? I can''t believe this!"


    "It''s true," Jta whispers in a low, calm voice, "As you can see, their signatures are right here."


    "Do you mean to say this whole act they''ve been putting on, pretending to be affectionate and in love is just a charade for our benefit?" Katherine asks, "Are they already legally divorced?"


    "It''s no wonder Evan made Gabrielle the star of the party over Avery," Vanessa hisses and stamps her feet, "I wonder if he''s interested in Gabrielle now. I should have said that other men were handsome so Evan would get jealous and make me the star. Who knew Gabrielle was so scheming? She finally attracted Evan''s attention."


    Jta smilescently and puts her phone away, but Katherine and Vanessa protest and ask to see the photos again. With a dramatic sigh, Vanessa throws herself onto the sofa and hugs a velvet throw pillow to her chest.


    "Gabrielle can''t be the star of the party," Vanessa whines, "I should be the star. I''m the only one who deserves it!"


    "Evan personally designated Gabrielle as the star, so what can you do about it?" Katherine asks, sitting down next to her daughter, "If you intervene or make a scene, you''ll only annoy and offend Evan and embarrass our family."


    "When did I say I''d intervene?" Vanessa snaps, "I''m not going to do anythingI just think it''s unfair."


    Katherine rolls her eyes at her sulking daughter and turns to Jta.


    "Jta, you should give me the photos," she says with a sly smile, "I think they''ll add some intrigue to our party, don''t you?"


    "Mom, you''re always so thoughtful," Vanessa says, her mood brightening.


    Vanessa is rabidly jealous of her younger half-sisters. She''s a shallow woman, and she''s obsessed with Evan''s good looks and enormous wealth. Though she fancies herself in love with him, she''s not as brave or bold as Jtaon her own she wouldn''t dare to do anything as bold as snoop through Avery''s room or reveal her divorce agreement. Instead, she always follows in her sister and mother''s footsteps.


    Jta purses her lips in thought and sends the photos to Katherine.


    "Although they''ve signed a divorce agreement, Evan still seems to indulge in Avery," Jta says, "Though we can''t be sure of his motivations, I suspect he may still love her. He kissed her in public and announced that she belongs to him, and he was furious to find out she used to photograph other men. Though there are many beautiful women in this house, he seems to only have eyes for herhe looks through the rest of us as if we were made of air."


    Jta can''t understand why they seem so close after signing a divorce agreement. When she thinks about the way Evan held Avery in his arms that morning, she feels a stabbing rage pierce her heart.


    "If Evan really still loved her, he wouldn''t allow the divorce," Katherine says with a shrug, "Though there may be more at y here than we realize. Only a stupid woman would lose a man like Evan Howel, and while Avery may be many things, she''s not stupid."


    "What do you think is happening then?" Vanessa asks,zily lifting her head, "What are their reasons for the divorce?"


    "I suppose we can''t know their true reasons, but it''s been rumored that there are many conflicts between them," Katherine says with a calcting gleam in her eyes.


    "Be careful," Jta warns.


    "I''m not stupid or careless," Katherine smiles mysteriously, "I just n to drop some hints here and there."


    "Mom, what''s your n?" Vanessa asks eagerly.


    Before Katherine can exin her n, the women hear arge group of servants bustling down the corridor. Vanessa jumps up and quietly pokes her head out the door. Arge group of maids is carrying boxes down the corridor and piling them in one of the sitting rooms. Each box is emzoned with the name of a famous designer, and the maids have been unable to resist opening a few. A variety of beautiful clothing, jewelry, and shoes peek out from the open boxes.


    "Oh my god," Vanessa exims, "It''s all gorgeous!"


    Her exmation draws Jta and Katherine to the door.


    "What are we waiting for, girls?" Katherine asks, "Let''s go down and have a look."


    Vanessa eagerly rushes downstairs. Katherine watches her go and then shares a meaningful nce with Jta.


    "I need to find Gabrielle," Katherine says.


    Jta nods and follows Vanessa downstairs.


    "Do you think Evan sent this to us for the party?" Vanessa asks, eagerly unwrapping the boxes, "It''s all so beautiful and in all thetest styles. I''ve seen this designer in magazines beforeusually, he only does pieces for the Duchess of Cambridge and other royalty."


    "Thetest style? It''s just so-so," Jta says cooly, "Look at this box instead. These are truly luxurious evening gowns. Evan really does live in a rich man''s world."


    Vanessa lifts one of the gowns and measures it against her body, "It''s too small!"


    Jta also holds one of the dresses against her body and frowns tartly.


    "The sizes aren''t suitable for us," Jtains, "Do you think all this clothing is for Avery?"


    "Avery is a little taller than us, but she''s not so much thinner," Vanessa snaps, offended, "We can usually wear her clothes, but these clothes are definitely too small for us."


    "Are they for Gabrielle?" Jta asks.


    Katherine enters the room and picks up a pair of shoes. She examines the small, narrow shoes and frowns. She knows the shoes are too small for her daughters to wear. As she examines the beautiful but petite clothing, her face distorts with irritation and rage. It''s clear the clothes aren''t meant for her daughters and she wants to shred them to pieces.


    "Look, there''s another box over there," Vanessa exims, noticing an unopened box buried beneath the discarded wrapping and tissue paper, "Is it another gown?"


    Jta crosses the room to open the box. She notices a string of elegant script scrawled across the top of the box: "If you are willing to wear it..." The message trails off and an arrow points down at the contents of the box.


    Jta quickly tears the lid off and opens the box. A delicate, gauzy white veil sits at the top of the box, but Jta is more interested in what lies underneath. She tosses the veil aside, revealing a beautiful evening gown, embroidered with fine white thread and hundreds of pearls. The pearls are attached to the skirt of the gown to resemble the constetions of the Milky Way.


    "Oh my God, those pearls are so beautiful!" Vanessa gushes, "It''s a pity that the waist is too small. None of us could fit it, except for Gabrielle."


    Among the sisters, Jta and Avery have the most simr body types. They''re simr in height and they have simr figures. From the back and from a distance, it would be difficult to distinguish between the twothough Avery is slightly taller and thinner.


    "I don''t know, I think you could fit into it," Vanessa says, joining Jta by the box, "Would you like to try it on? Perhaps it was meant for you?"


    Jta epts her sister''s ttery and happily puts on the gown.