Balfour couldnât believe that Clara was without her wits. If she was planning something against Ivy, it was undoubtedly well-thought-out.
Yet, now she was sending these kinds of photos to him, and that had to mean she was up to something.
[I donât want anything from you. I just want you to see whatâs become of your beloved. Sheâs not so pretty anymore. Do you still love her?]
Balfour pondered her words, unsure of the kind of answer she was fishing for.
Clara sat next to Ivy, phone in hand, eager for her to see Balfourâs response instantly. She even propped Ivy up against the wall for a better view.
âJust you wait. I want to see if this guy really loves you for you, not just for your pretty face.â
She was like a kid conducting a science experiment, full of anticipation.
âWhat would you even gain from this? Why canât I have my slice of happiness?â Ivy asked softly, inhaling sharply as if her wounds ached Without a second thought, Clara retorted, âYou? Deserve happiness? I havenât got any, so what makes you think youâre entitled to yours? Save your breath. Youâll need it in case his answer breaks your heart.â
âWhy are you so confident Balfour only loves my looks, not me?â Ivy wondered, trying hard to trace the root of all this animosity. Before now, there had been no bad blood between Balfour and Clara.
âOf course, Iâm confident. Heâs got his old flame,â Clara said with a sly grin. âYou donât know, do you?
Itâs Maraâs sister, Victoria Lewis! Victoria died trying to save your man. Sheâll always be in his heart, which means youâll never measure up!â
To Claraâs surprise, Ivy barely reacted to this bombshell.
âArenât you shocked? Donât you want to know more?â
Claraâs face fell quickly; she had expected Ivy to beg for more information, but this response was unexpected.
âHow do you know about Victoria? Are you in touch with Mara?â
Clara lifted her chin proudly and laughed. âSo you do care a bit, donât you? Let me spell it out for you:
Balfour loved Victoria. But oh, the irony! She had a wicked sister. To have Balfour all to herself, Mara killed her own sister.
Haha! Balfourâs true love is long gone, and no matter how much he claims to love VOL dead.â
Ivy didnât believe Mara would be so recklessly spreading her secrets, but how else would Clara know?
She also couldnât fathom Clara clever enough to figure all this out by herself. âAre you making all this up? Without proof, donât talk nonsense!â
Pretending disbelief, Ivy immediately enraged Clara, who grabbed her by the throat and hissed, âAre you questioning my intelligence? You donât have a clue, so stop acting so high and mighty. I canât stand that smug look on your face; it makes me sick.â
âCough, cough, cough- Without proof, why should I believe you?â
âWho says I donât have proof?â
Clara roared. She herself couldnât believe the results at first, but whether it was testimony or physical evidence, she had it all.