Chapter 36

Chapter 36:

Josie and her friends squirmed under the weight of Madisyn’s words, their discomfort evident to everyone present.

Kristine quickly interjected, hoping to salvage the situation. “Madisyn, it seems this was just a misunderstanding. Please, don’t be upset. Thankfully, the ring has been found.”

“A misunderstanding?” Madisyn raised an eyebrow, a smirk forming on her lips. “You were all so sure a moment ago that my friend was a thief. But now that the ring was found with your friend, it’s suddenly a misunderstanding? Sounds a little hypocritical, don’t you think?”

Kristine found herself momentarily speechless. How had things turned out this way? The ring was supposed to be found in Susan’s pocket. Now it had been discovered with Josie’s red-haired friend.

“Okay, I admit my mistake,” Josie chimed in, trying to downplay the situation. “Let’s just move past this.”

But Madisyn wasn’t about to let it go so easily. “You smeared my friend’s name, humiliated her in front of everyone. And now that she’s cleared, you think a quick apology will fix everything? I want to know why you targeted us when we’ve done nothing to offend you.”

Guilt flickered across the faces of Josie’s group, their silence revealing more than words ever could.

The other guests began to pick up on the undercurrent of tension. Josie and her friends were close to Kristine, and it was clear they had tried to defend her in a misguided effort to preserve her place in the family now that Madisyn had returned.

Kristine, always poised and composed, was now seen in a different light. The guests began to exchange glances, their perception of her beginning to shift.

Never before had Kristine felt so exposed, her carefully maintained image unraveling before her eyes. It was the first time she had ever felt this vulnerable.

“Madisyn,” Kristine began, tears welling up in her eyes. “I’m sorry. My friends were just trying to protect me because they thought I might be treated unfairly after your return. I apologize on their behalf. This is all our fault.”

Josie and the others stood awkwardly, feeling guilty but unsure how to fix the situation.

Susan, her voice strong despite the tears in her eyes, spoke up. “I may not come from a rich family, but why did they feel the need to defend you from Madisyn’s return? Do you feel threatened by her being back?”

The sharpness in Susan’s words stunned the group. How could someone so ordinary speak with such conviction?

Kristine quickly shook her head, her distress evident. “No, no, it’s not like that at all. Everything is fine at home. My friends just misunderstood the situation.”

Disappointment flashed in Glenn’s eyes as he addressed Kristine. “Kristine, if you were upset about something, you should have come to us directly. Madisyn has been through a lot, and now that she’s back, I hoped you two could get along.”

His tone wasn’t harsh, but the disappointment in his eyes made Kristine feel as if the ground was crumbling beneath her feet.

She had always been a source of pride for the Johns family. She had worked tirelessly to earn that pride. And now, with one incident, it felt like it was slipping away.

Elaine, too, remained silent, her expression unreadable as she avoided looking at Kristine entirely. The unspoken disappointment in her silence hurt Kristine more than any words could have.

Kristine’s heart clenched painfully. What had she done to deserve this? Was it simply because she wasn’t their biological daughter? Was that why it felt like everyone was turning against her?

“I understand,” Kristine muttered, biting her lip to hold back the tears. “I have no hard feelings toward Madisyn. I’ve always been fond of her, and I’m sure we’ll get along.”

Glenn nodded but said nothing more. Instead, he signaled for the group to move on and join the dinner.

As the awkwardness dispersed and the guests returned to mingling, Josie, still feeling the weight of guilt, glanced over at Andrew and approached him cautiously. “Mr. Klein,” she began, her voice quiet.

Andrew’s icy gaze froze her in her tracks, but she pushed forward. “Kristine is your fiancée. She’s not Mr. and Mrs. Johns’s real daughter, and now that Madisyn has returned, I fear she might be unfairly overlooked. Please, take care of her.”

Kristine, overhearing the conversation, looked toward Andrew with a glimmer of hope. Surely, he would show some concern for her. After all, they had grown up together, practically family.

But Andrew’s reply was cold, his voice cutting through the air like a blade. “Fiancée?” he said, his tone sharp. “Since when was she ever my fiancée?”

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