Chapter 112: Bonding Moment


    The neckline of the gown is covered in pearls, and the gown itself is so long it trails on the floor.


    "Oh, it''s beautiful," Vanessa gushes, "It''s tailor-made for you. Mr. Howel must have sent it especially for you."


    Though Vanessa is jealous, she tries to ingratiate herself with Jta. She knows that the skirt is for Avery, and she wants to infuriate Avery and curry favor with Jta at the same time.


    "If you wear this skirt to the party, you''ll be the most beautiful woman there," Vanessa continues.


    Jta twirls slowly in the dress to showcase it.


    "The dress is very beautiful," Avery interrupts calmly, "Do you n to give it to me now?"


    Avery stands on the second floor and looks down at her sisters from the balcony. She leans elegantly against the rail as she speaks.


    "How can you prove that the dress belongs to you?" Jta asks.


    She adores the graceful gown and thinks it looks as if it was made to suit her. She loathes to give it back to her sister.


    "My husband sent the dress, so of course it belongs to me," Avery replies as if she''s talking to a simple child, "Why would you think that my husband would send a dress to you?"


    "I think it looks like it was made for Jta," Vanessa insists.


    "Most designers and fashion experts agree that women look fat when they wear white," Avery says with a smirk, "Are you still sure you want to wear it?"


    Jta is shorter than Avery and not as thin, and it''s true that the white gown makes her look bigger than her size. Besides, the dress is clearly slightly too small. It was difficult for her to zip it up, and even now the zipper slightly strains and puckers. Jta feels infuriated and wants to retaliate.


    "Why would you think that Mr. Howel sent the dress to you?" she snaps, "He already sent so much clothing to Gabrielle."


    "You''re right," Vanessa echoes, "Mr. Howel had several boxes of clothes sent to Gabrielle with the instructions to let her pick whatever she likes. Even if the dress was meant for you, it''s just one simple dress. Funny how love results in such strange treatment. Besides, Gabrielle''s clothes are all made by famous designers. Even if the dress that Jta wears belongs to you, it''s just some nameless thing by an unknown designer."


    Avery smiles to herself. She knows that Vanessa is trying to provoke a fight between her and Gabrielle, in the hopes that they''ll turn against each other. Vanessa walks toward Jta and unzips the dress.


    Vanessa looks inside the dress for abel and smiles triumphantly when she sees that there isn''t one.


    "Clearly, the dress was made by hand, and I can see from here that it took a lot of skill," Avery says, "Surely only a master could have done it. Sister Jta, don''t you know the quality when you see it?"


    Jta feels blushed with frustration, unsure about how to answer Avery.


    "Even if the dress was made by hand, it''s clearly for Jta or Gabrielle and not you," Vanessa says.


    Avery smiles with amusement.


    "It''s just like the old days," she thinks, "Now that Evan isn''t here to intimidate them and protect me they''re eager to grab everything they can."


    A maid holding a box of essories interrupts, "Sorry Miss Jta, Mr. Howel ordered the dress for Mrs. Howel."


    Jta scowls at the maid but makes no move to remove the dress.


    "Lady Jta, please take it off," the maid entreats, "If Mr. Howel finds out that we let you wear it, we''ll be punished."


    Jta looks pale as she scowls at the maid in fury. Finally, leave the room to change. In the privacy of the other room, she slowly pulls the dress down and lets it fall to the floor. Then she begins to trample it underfoot, using her high heels to rip the delicate fabric. She reenters the main room carrying the damaged dress.


    "Sister Avery, I''m so sorry," she says with fake guilt, "While I was changing, I somehow tore the dress. It waspletely idental, of course."


    She drapes the dress over Avery''s arm. Avery spreads the dress and finds that it is torn from the chest to the waist. She quickly grabs her phone and snaps several photos of the dress.


    "Mrs. Howel, you can give the dress to me and I can sew it," the maid offers, "It''s such a pity that such a beautiful gown is ruined.


    "You don''t need to sew it, it''s fine," Avery says as she looks around the room. She points at the wall near the TV and hands the dress to the maid, "Nail the skirt to the wall and make sure everyone knows that it can''t be taken down without my orders."


    "What?" The maid asks confused.


    Jta freezes, "What are you doing?"


    "It''ll be like an exhibition," Avery says patiently, "Everyone who enters the house can see how beautiful the dress is, even if it''s ruined."


    "I don''t understand," Jta says, "Do you want your husband to see your weakness? What if he thinks the dress tore because you couldn''t fit into it?"


    "I''m not worried about that," Avery says calmly, "I just want others to see how beautiful the dress was and how tragically it was destroyed."


    "Well, I can ask people to fix it," Jta says, grabbing the dress from the maid.


    "No, you can''t," Avery replies, "Mr. Howel hasn''t seen it yet."


    Jta can''t believe that Avery is fighting back and even threatening her.


    "Fine, then I''ll sew it myself," Jta snaps.


    Avery pretends to consider Jta''s offer and sits down on the sofa.


    "Okay, give the sewing kit to her," Avery orders.


    Jta is used to living a carefree life. She has never poured a cup of water for herself, much less done fancy needlework. Instead, she ordered Gabrielle and Avery to do everything for her. The maid immediately brings the sewing kit and threads the needle with a white, silk thread, but Jta doesn''t know how to start sewing the dress. Painstakingly, she stitches the dress together, but her lines are uneven and the rip is still obvious. She ties off the thread and cuts the needle away and then tosses the dress to Avery.


    "It''s ok now," she says.


    Avery carefully examines the skirt.


    "It''s much better now," Avery says with a sly smile, "If I wear this gown I''ll be the focal point of the whole party, and if anyone asks me why the skirt is sewn up like this, I''ll tell them it''s all thanks to our sisterhood."


    "Sisterhood?" Jta splutters.


    "Does Avery think I''m stupid?" Jta wonders.


    "Yes, this gown perfectly exemplifies our sisterhood," Avery says meaningfully, before adding, "When the younger sister''s skirt is broken, the older sister helps her sew it. What a beautiful symbol of sisterhood! I''d be honored to show it to others."


    Jta res furiously at Avery. She thinks Avery just wants to humiliate her and everyone how badly she sewed the skirt after deliberately ruining it.


    "I''ll do it again," Jta says.


    She grabs the skirt, undoes the old thread and tries to sew it better. However, her untrained work can''tpare with that of the master dressmaker. Though Jta undoes and redoes the stitching over and over, the dress doesn''t look good.