Chapter 4

"Nonsense!" Celia exclaimed, behaving like Nadia had just stepped on her tail. She screamed at the top of her voice, "Clive will be absolutely delighted after finding out that I'll replace you as his bride! "I'm only not telling him now because I want it to be a surprise at the wedding! So, you'd better keep your mouth shut about it if you know what's good for you!" "Don't worry about that. I have absolutely zero interest in the love life between you and your new fiance," Nadia said. This time, she only wanted to be herself for the rest of her life. However, Nadia was still dragged along to the cocktail party against her wishes that night. Champagne glasses twinkled under the multiple dazzling chandeliers hanging off the ceiling, reflecting the glow of a thousand shining stars on the guests' attire. Nadia had chosen to wear a red bareback dress that contrasted significantly with the pure white gown Celia had chosen for herself. When it was time to dance, Clive's gaze hovered between Nadia and Celia before he offered his hand to Celia instead. A murmur immediately rose from the crowd. "Wait, isn't Ms. Nadia Mr. Gibson's fiancee? Why did he choose to dance with her sister instead?" "Isn't that obvious? Of course it's because Mr. Gibson favors Ms. Celia more than her!" "That makes sense. Ms. Celia is very elegant and proper. She's smart and talented too. As for Ms. Nadia… Well, she is very pretty, but she's just too wild and unruly. She certainly doesn't deserve to be the lady of the Gibson household, who's known for their strict household etiquette." Clive pretended that he never heard a word that the guests were whispering among themselves. He looked at Nadia and explained calmly, "You don't know how to waltz properly anyway. This is the time when you should learn from Celia." Then, he held Celia's hand and walked toward the center of the dance floor. Clive and Celia looked good together. Their dance was beautiful and elegant, and they drew everybody's attention as they waltzed across the floor. Nadia watched them dancing under the dazzling lights and found it annoying and frustrating. However, she didn't feel an ounce of jealousy at all. She couldn't be bothered to watch them anymore. She just headed over to the hors d'oeuvres table and picked a few snacks before heading out to the balcony outside the hall for a breath of fresh air. The night breeze was cool and soothing, easing some frustration of the night. However, not too long later, a figure appeared and walked up to her. It was Celia. Her face was still slightly red from the blush while dancing earlier, and there was a triumphant look in her eyes. "What are you doing alone out here in the night breeze, Nadia? Was it because you couldn't bear to continue watching me and Clive dancing anymore? Was that why you wanted to hide?" she asked. She walked up to Nadia and began to gloat. "I told you. Anybody would always choose me over you, including Clive, because I'm more elegant and presentable than you." She paused for a moment and continued in a low voice, sounding cold and cruel, "But come to think of it, you're such a pitiful being, aren't you? Your mom lost out to my mom, too. And now, you're also losing out to me. I bet this has to be a generational failure of some sort. Don't you think so?" If Celia had only simply made fun of her, Nadia would never have batted an eye. However, Celia should never have touched a nerve—and that was humiliating Nadia's mother, who'd passed away a long time ago. Nadia's originally calm eyes turned sharp immediately. She whipped her head to the side and landed a hard slap on Celia's face at once without warning. Celia got slapped so hard that her entire face was forced to the side. A glowing red handprint was left on her face. She nursed her face and stared at Nadia in disbelief. "How… How dare you slap me?" "So what if I slapped you?" Nadia said, taking heavy steps toward her. She was furious, and the fierce look on her face was both icy and frosty as she glared at Celia. "That's not the only thing I dare to do to you. I even dare to kick you to your death!" She grabbed Celia by her collar and yanked her over to the edge of the balcony. "Who gave you the courage to try and challenge me when it's only the two of us out here? Did you forget that I took multiple self-defense classes since I was young, Celia, and that a bitch who only knows how to act weak like you will never be my match?" Celia looked at the ground far beneath her. She was angry and frightened. Her voice shot a whole octave higher as she squealed, "You'd never dare, Nadia!" "I'll show you now if I dare," Nadia said, raising her high-heeled foot and kicking Celia off the balcony. Celia's shrill scream shot into the night as she lost her balance. She fell heavily against the decorative balustrade on the balcony that broke at once before landing on the ground.