Chapter 54



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As the future couple appeared at the same time, many people gathered around, including college classmates who were deliberately invited by Michelle. Two of those classmates used to be Hayden’s roommates back then.

Without changing her expression, Michelle stood calmly beside Kingsley arm in arm, as if declaring her ownership over him.

“Kingsley said you’d refuse to come, so he asked me not to invite you. He’s too narrow-minded. In the past, we were all close friends, how could you not come and bless us at our engagement ceremony?”

Hayden sketched a wry smile and looked at her, “Of course.”

Kingsley, however, frowned, trying to pull his hand away from Michelle’s. “All right. We should go greet the other guests, let’s go.”

“What’s the rush? It’s not time yet.” Michelle tugged him to stop. She intentionally raised her voice and asked, “Hayden, why didn’t you bring your boyfriend?”

“Her boyfriend? Who?”

Behind Michelle, a questioning voice rang out. At the same time, a pretty figure in a tailored Chanel dress appeared. She wore her hair neatly styled, pulled back, with a diamond necklace sparkling around her neck, quite dazzling. She was dressed in a style that showed how rich she was…she was none other than Chelsea.

Only then did Hayden remember that the West Family seemed to have maintained a good relationship with the Downey Family. For Kingsley’s engagement banquet, it was only natural that Chelsea would attend on her father’s behalf.

“Chelsea, don’t you know?” Michelle looked puzzled, “How come you don’t know that your little sister has a boyfriend, she didn’t tell you?”

Chelsea held up a glass with a disdainful look on her face, “My little sister has always been alone. She doesn’t even come home. How could she tell me about her philandering?”

“It’s okay for her not to tell you when she’s dating another man, but that’s Joseph Beckham.” Michelle raised her eyebrows and her tone was exaggerated, She added, “He’s the CEO of the ST Group how could he not tell you such an important affair.”

As soon as she finished speaking, an uproar arose in the crowd.

Joseph Beckham, the CEO of ST Group, had a reputation for not being interested in women. How could he be Hayden’s boyfriend?

Hayden clutched his wallet tightly, looking annoyed.

The last time they’d met Michelle and Kingsley, she’d had to make up a lie at that critical moment. Fortunately, Joseph had cooperated with her at the time, but she had never expected Michelle to bring it up now, when Chelsea was also present.

Indeed, Chelsea had a smirk on her face when she heard what Michelle said.

“This could be considered the biggest joke I’ve heard lately. Hayden Downey, you’ve overrated yourself, you didn’t even finish your undergraduate studies and you stayed abroad for five years, now what? As soon as you came back, you wanted to find a rich man to support you, didn’t you? Why don’t you look in the mirror? You wanted to be the stepmother of Joseph’s son, but don’t you know that Joseph has already set the date for his wedding with Violet. I found out a few days ago.”

As soon as the last syllable fell from the tip of her tongue, the uproar grew louder. Some gossiped about Violet and Joseph’s ambiguous relationship over the years; others said Violet was actually the mother of Joseph’s child; some chided Hayden for being too vain and flattering herself too much. All the onlookers exchanged gossip among themselves.

“Anyway, you’re my little sister. Don’t humiliate yourself here, if father finds out that you’re so eager to be a stepmother, that you’ve even lied to others about your relationship with a man without his permission, it might kill him with rage.” Chelsea’s tone was cold and sounded very mean, as if she wasn’t talking to her sister.

Most of the guests only knew Chelsea, but few had met Hayden. They thought it was all about squabbling within a wealthy family, so they guessed lightly that Hayden was the illegitimate daughter of the lord of the Downey Family and a woman outside the family. Hence no one took her side.

“I’ve never heard of Miss Downey having a sister – who the hell is this woman?”

“Who knows? The Downey Family is rich and powerful. No wonder their lord has an illegitimate child or two on the outside.”

Hayden could tolerate any word, but to call her an illegitimate child was to absolutely confuse right and wrong, which also reminded him of the sadness of the past.

She clenched her fists and blurted out in a cold tone, “Chelsea Downey, in public, who do you think you are to lecture me?”

“Why? I’m the first daughter of the Downey Family, your older sister. Of course I have rights.”

Hearing this, Hayden grimaced. Then he said unhurriedly, “Only after your name has been written on the official family tree.”

His words contained deep meaning. Chelsea’s face turned livid. Unable to stand it any longer, she raised her hand and retorted, “Stop talking nonsense!”

“That I’m talking nonsense can’t be proven by your slap.”

A man’s deep voice suddenly rang out. Hayden’s shoulder was grabbed by an arm and she was pulled into the man’s arms immediately. Before Chelsea’s hand fell, she was grabbed by him in mid-air.

“Joseph Beckham?”

“Why is he here?”

The onlookers argued louder.

Hayden looked up in confusion, only to see Joseph’s cold face. In the bright light reflected from the crystal chandelier, he looked extremely calm.

“Joseph Beckham?” Both Michelle’s and Chelsea’s expressions changed.

They had made a plan to cooperate with each other and act to humiliate Hayden in public. After all, Chelsea heard with her own ears that Violet said she was going to marry Joseph, which meant it was totally untrue that Hayden said she was seeing Joseph, even though Michelle personally heard it in the elevator that day.

However, no one had expected that Joseph would actually come here.

“Are you Mr. Beckham from the ST Group?” Chelsea couldn’t help but want to confirm, looking rather annoyed.

Joseph was extremely cold. “Do I have to show you my ID?”.

“No, I didn’t mean that.” Chelsea was quick to shake her head.

“I’m not interested in what you meant. I’m interested in why you wanted to slap my fiancée in front of so many people. What did you mean by that?”

“Your fiancée?” Chelsea’s whole face went rigid. She blurted out in disbelief, “How can that be, she’s your fiancée?”

Hayden was startled, too. He never expected Joseph to say that in front of so many people.

“Why not?” Joseph held Hayden’s shoulder, looking calm and decent. “If she’s not my fiancée, are you?”

Chelsea pursed her lips. She asked reluctantly, “Then why didn’t you explain it to me a moment ago?”

At that moment, Hayden came to. Immediately, he mockingly replied with derision, “Did I have a chance to explain? You and Michelle went out of your way to embarrass me in front of so many people. Would you give me a chance to explain myself?”

“It wasn’t my idea. I didn’t mean to do it.” Michelle interjected anxiously, as if she feared Joseph would take his anger out on her.

However, her denial instantly revealed something. Chelsea glared angrily at Michelle.

With Joseph as backup, Hayden felt safer.

“Joseph got here later because he was busy, but you two took the opportunity and insulted me so aggressively. I wondered what kind of grudge you had against me, you even deliberately sent me the invitation. You wanted to embarrass me on purpose, didn’t you? One of you was my best friend, and the other is my older sister. How lucky I am to have met them.

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