Chapter 32: Banquet

Amanda Vance hadn’t expected this little drama, but she wasn’t interested in the dirty laundry of wealthy families, so she just gave a noncommittal response.

Harrison Grant glanced at her expression and figured he was worrying for nothing. ’It’s not like there’s been a shortage of men pursuing her over the years. Take me, for instance. I’ve been after her since high school, and she’s never shown the slightest interest. If she won’t even give me the time of day, who else could possibly meet her standards?’

The thought left him torn between joy and sorrow. He was glad she wouldn’t be snatched away by someone else, yet he couldn’t help but shed a bitter tear for himself. ’Life is so hard.’

「The Vance Family.」

Shirley Vance was up at the crack of dawn to get styled. She wore a dress taken from Amanda Vance’s closet. Just thinking about how Amanda had left the Vance family had given her a sound sleep the night before, and she was in exceptionally good spirits today.

Sarah Sullivan examined her daughter carefully, nodding in satisfaction. "Our Shirley is just gorgeous," she praised. "You’ll definitely outshine everyone today and win over President Ford in one fell swoop."

At her mother’s words, Shirley Vance lifted her chin proudly. "That’s a given. As long as that Samuel Ford isn’t blind, he’ll definitely choose me."

"Exactly."

The mother and daughter chatted, their words full of confidence, utterly convinced that the moment Shirley appeared, Samuel Ford would be smitten.

It was just the dress; Shirley Vance felt a bit uncomfortable in it. "Mom, why is this dress making me a little itchy?"

"Really? Let me see. It’s fine, it looks good." Sarah Sullivan felt the skirt, and the fabric struck her as odd. "Isn’t this just regular fabric? Cotton."

Shirley Vance didn’t know anything about fabrics. "This is the latest design from July," she said. "I saw it with my own eyes—it has the July tag." As for the material, she reasoned, "Isn’t everyone all about being eco-friendly these days? Maybe their designers are heading in that direction, too. What matters is that it’s from July."

When buying luxury brands, you were buying the label and the prestige; quality was never important.

That made sense to Sarah Sullivan. "Do you still feel itchy?"

"It’s fine, it’s not itchy anymore." ’Even if it is, I can bear it,’ she thought. ’I can’t very well scratch myself in public. That would be far too unseemly.’

"That’s good. Just endure it for today. Once you marry into a wealthy family, you’ll have endless glory and riches. It’ll all be worth it." Looking around furtively, she whispered in her daughter’s ear, "And then you can grind that little bitch Amanda Vance under your heel forever."

"Mhm!" The thought of Amanda Vance having to look up to her in the future filled Shirley Vance with glee.

Four hours later, her look was finally complete. Staring at the exquisite woman in the mirror, Shirley Vance’s chin lifted a little higher.

Holly Vance saw her and nodded, satisfied. "Shirley, be on your best behavior today. When you become Mrs. Ford, Dad will give you a reward."

’As if I’d care about his reward by then,’ Shirley Vance scoffed inwardly. Still, the thought of besting Amanda Vance in front of him was satisfying, so she smiled and said, "Thank you, Dad." Her obedient demeanor greatly pleased Holly Vance. ’This is how a daughter of mine should act,’ he thought. ’What even is someone like Amanda Vance?’

He dropped them off at the Ford family’s estate, offered a few last words of advice, and then left.

The pair walked inside, and Sarah Sullivan quickly spotted Mrs. Young and made her way over.

Mrs. Young was surrounded by a crowd. Seeing Sarah, she gave a faint nod. "You’ve arrived."

But Sarah Sullivan, oblivious, continued to chat enthusiastically, pulling Shirley Vance forward. "Mrs. Young, this is my daughter, Shirley Vance. Shirley, greet her."

Shirley Vance put on a delicate voice and said, "Miss Young."

Mrs. Young didn’t respond. She glanced at Shirley’s dress, her brow furrowing slightly. "That dress..."

Hearing her mention it, Sarah Sullivan immediately chimed in, "You recognize it! This is the latest design from July. We had to go to great lengths to get it."

The thought made her incredibly smug. ’Nowadays, all the ladies and socialites in the Aethelburg Circle pride themselves on owning something from July. We’re sure to be in the spotlight again.’

She was so pleased with herself that she failed to notice the expressions on Mrs. Young and the others nearby.

The look on Mrs. Young’s face was complex. ’This isn’t from July, it’s clearly a cheap knock-off from a street market. I only gave her an invitation because she seemed pleasant and well-behaved before. I never thought she’d be so stupid as to show up in something like this, and even lie that it’s a new design from July. What an embarrassment.’

This thought made Mrs. Young’s demeanor even more distant. However, she was naturally haughty, so Sarah Sullivan and her daughter didn’t notice anything amiss and continued to chat with her enthusiastically. This only made the others in the group look at them with greater disdain. But since everyone was a person of status, they wouldn’t start a fight in public. Instead, they exchanged knowing glances and discreetly stepped aside to watch the drama unfold.

Mrs. Young was getting extremely annoyed but couldn’t find an excuse to leave, which only worsened her impression of the mother and daughter.

The crowd of guests gradually grew, and it was then that Amanda Vance and Hayden Grant arrived.

"I’m going over there," Amanda Vance said, pointing to a corner. Hayden Grant had wanted to accompany her, but someone approached to speak with him. Unable to get away, he had no choice but to let her go first.

The spot Amanda Vance chose was rather secluded, with few people around. She picked up a glass of champagne, sat down, and casually flipped through a magazine on the table. It happened to be covering the July fashion show. Amanda Vance looked it over and nodded in satisfaction. ’Cecilia is getting better and better.’

Upstairs, Samuel Ford was in the middle of explaining something to Jean Vance. "I’ve told you before, I’m not going to pick a stepmother for you."

"Oh." Jean Vance’s gaze was tinged with mockery. "Then what’s this party tonight for?"

The topic gave Samuel Ford a headache. "Your grandmother organized this. I had already canceled it, but I never expected her to go through with it anyway."

"Hah." Jean Vance scoffed, clearly not believing him. ’Even if it’s true,’ he thought, ’that just means he’s useless. He can’t even handle something like this.’

Sensing the boy’s derision, a vein throbbed on Samuel Ford’s temple. He said coldly, "Felix Ford, I am your father."

"Oh. So what?" Jean Vance met his gaze without flinching and asked nonchalantly.

Samuel Ford stared back at him for a moment before getting up and walking out.

Behind him, Jean Vance scoffed quietly and returned his attention to his book.

Samuel Ford’s head was throbbing. He had never found his son this difficult to handle. The boy’s old crying fits and tantrums were better than his current stubborn indifference.

"Bro!" Someone suddenly popped out from the side, clapping him on the shoulder with a wide grin. "Bro, hurry up and pick a sister-in-law for me, and a mother for Colt! You know how kids are; a mother’s touch will help with his temper."

Samuel Ford whipped his head around to look at him, his eyes narrowing. "This was your idea?"

"Yeah, yeah!" Shawn Ford, oblivious to the danger, blinked and said, trying to take credit, "See? I’m the one who really cares about you. Mom said the party was canceled, so I took it over right away. I invited lots of women—all types, from curvy to slender, sweet to fiery, even the ’good wife and loving mother’ kind. We’ve got them all! I guarantee you’ll find someone you like. So, aren’t I the best? Does this mean we can call it even for me losing your car?"

"’Call it even?’" Samuel squeezed the three words through his teeth. No wonder the canceled party was suddenly happening again. It was all his brother’s "brilliant work."

"Good. Very good," Samuel Ford repeated. "Starting today, all of your cards are frozen. And you’re going to show up and work properly at the company."

Shawn Ford was stunned. Realizing his brother wasn’t joking, he let out a miserable wail. "Nooooo..."

Samuel Ford ignored him and headed downstairs. Shawn Ford scrambled to keep up, showering him with placating words. As they walked, Shawn suddenly spotted someone and let out a sound of surprise. "Amanda Vance?"

’The woman who won his car?’

Samuel Ford followed his gaze and paused, slightly taken aback. ’It’s her?’