Chapter 2 Confrontation

The instant Natalie caught sight of Eileen, the smile on her face stiffened.

A trace of alarm flickered through her eyes, but she buried it almost at once.

"Eileen? You are out of prison?" she asked.

"Today was the day Eileen got released. I happened to run into her on the way here, so I drove her back. She is still part of the family, after all."

Jason rushed to explain, worried Natalie might get upset.

"Eileen, you've gotten so thin in prison. I'm sorry..."

Natalie's voice shook faintly, and her eyes were quickly filled with tears.

Eileen looked at her and gave a scornful laugh.

Natalie still wore that same weak, pitiful look. She had fooled everyone with that act.

Beside them, Jason's expression hardened at Eileen's mocking laugh.

He shot her a glare. "Eileen, Natalie is speaking to you. Why are you not replying to her?"

Natalie lightly pulled at Jason's sleeve. "Jason, please don't speak to her that way..."

Without warning, she stepped forward and flung herself into Eileen's arms, sobbing.

"I've missed you so much all these years. Every single day, I worried about how you were doing in there..."

Eileen fought down the impulse to shove Natalie away. The costly perfume clinging to Natalie was in cruel contrast to the coarse clothes rubbing against Eileen's skin.

All around them, the guests began murmuring, their voices growing louder by the second.

"So she's the Hewitt couple's real daughter, and she actually went to prison?"

"Seriously? You didn't know? That whole thing caused a massive scandal back then. They said she pushed the Wade couple's daughter down the stairs. The girl nearly died."

"But she looks so pretty and kind. It's hard to imagine her doing something like that."

Every whispered word landed in Eileen's ears. Each one cut into her like a knife driven straight into her chest.

After four years behind bars, she had already turned into a laughingstock among Oraland's upper class.

A bitter ache surged through her, but she forced it back down.

She eased Natalie away from her and stared straight into her eyes.

"You were worried about how I was doing in prison?" Eileen's voice was not loud, yet it brought the entire room to an immediate hush. "Natalie, do you truly care about my life in prison? During those four years, why didn't you come see me even once?"

Her voice remained calm, but every word sliced clean through Natalie's lie.

Natalie went still for a beat. Panic flashed across her face before she put on that wounded expression again.

"Eileen, I thought seeing me would only make you feel upset. It was all my fault..."

Eileen gave a cold laugh. "You're right. It was all your fault. If not for you, I would never have gone to prison."

Her eyes swept over every member of the Hewitt family, sharp as a knife. "Not one of you dared to visit me because you couldn't face the person who took the fall for Natalie. You were scared I might change my testimony."

Her words landed like a bomb.

The whispers around them instantly grew louder.

"What? Did she really take the blame for Natalie?"

"No way. Natalie is such a kind person. She has to be lying!"

"Enough. All of you, stop talking!"

Jason's voice slashed through the noise, his irritation impossible to miss.

He stepped in front of Natalie, shielding her, and glared at Eileen.

"Eileen, you just came back, and you're already making a scene? Today is Natalie's birthday. I already warned you in the car."

Eileen looked at him coldly. "It's also my birthday today. Do you still remember that, Jason?"

Jason looked caught off guard for a moment, but his face quickly turned stern again.

"Even so, you have no right to falsely accuse Natalie in front of everyone. She may not be related to you by blood, but she is still our sister. What happened back then is in the past. The evidence was clear. The court already gave its verdict. There is no reason to drag it up again now."

"Eileen, if I've upset you, I'll apologize with a piece of cake. Please don't be angry..." Natalie turned and walked over to the dessert table. She cut a small, delicate slice of cake and held it out to Eileen.

To anyone watching, she looked thoughtful and sweet. But Eileen caught the faint smugness hidden in her eyes.

A rush of fury surged up from inside Eileen, nearly breaking through her restraint.

Under everyone's stunned gaze, she took the cake. Then, she threw it straight onto Natalie's head.

A strange, fierce satisfaction spread through her.

For the first time in four years, she had finally gotten back at the person who had made her suffer, but this was far from enough...

White cream slid down Natalie's hair, destroying the careful styling she had spent so much time on.

"Ah! My hair!"

Natalie stood there in a daze, frosting all over her, looking utterly disgraced.

At that very moment, a young, striking man rushed in from outside.

It was Landen Hewitt, the third son of the Hewitt couple and now a famous young actor.

He had specially made time to come to Natalie's birthday party. He had never expected to walk in on a scene like this.

"You ex-con, how dare you do this to Natalie?"

At the sight of Natalie being humiliated, Landen clenched his jaw and swung a hand toward Eileen's face.

Eileen reacted at once, shifting aside and dodging the slap with ease.

Four brutal years in prison had taught her how to defend herself.

Landen's strike missed. He froze briefly. Then, his face darkened with rage.

"You... you actually dare to dodge? I'll teach you a lesson on behalf of the Hewitt family today!"

"So you still think I'm someone you can push around whenever you please?"

Eileen looked him right in the eye, her voice thick with sarcasm and disappointment.

Landen parted his lips, but no words came out. He turned instead to Natalie and gently wiped the frosting from her face.

"Natalie, are you okay?" he asked in a gentle voice.

Natalie nodded and held back her tears. "Landen, I'm fine. Eileen just got out. It's only natural that she's upset with me. This is my fault, but I truly meant well..."

Eileen let out a cold laugh. What a flawless little performance.

"That's enough," Jason said at that moment.

His expression turned grim, and anger flashed in his eyes. "Eileen, if you have complaints, take them out on me. The Hewitt family will make it up to you for those years in prison, but don't let your emotions upset Natalie-"

"No need to say anything else," Eileen interjected evenly. "If my presence here makes everyone so uncomfortable, I'll go."

She turned to leave, but Landen caught hold of her arm to stop her.

"Go? You humiliated Natalie today, and now, you think you can just walk away? No way!"

Eileen looked at him with cold contempt. "Let go of me."

"I won't!" Landen snapped. "You owe Natalie an apology!"

Eileen did not say another word. She simply wrenched her arm free with force.

Jason stepped between Landen and Eileen, his face growing even darker.

The Hewitt family had already been embarrassed tonight. With so many guests watching, this should never have become such a spectacle.

Jason lowered his voice, and the threat in it was unmistakable. "If you keep this up, don't blame me for showing you no mercy."