Chapter 230 - 228: Next Time, I’ll Still Come

"Cecilia Sterling!"

Lisa Upton completely ignored everyone else and looked at Cecilia Sterling, raising an eyebrow. "How about you take a look for Hector?"

Anxious, Hector Mason squeezed Lisa Upton’s hand with a little force, signaling for her to stop, but it was clear Lisa had no regard for his feelings whatsoever.

Cecilia Sterling saw the provocation in Lisa Upton’s eyes. She knew Lisa was deliberately trying to disgust her, or perhaps, trying to force Hector Mason to publicly declare his loyalty to her in front of all their classmates, cementing her status as the victor.

’How boring, childish, and pathetic!’

The next second, Cecilia Sterling shook her head and looked at Hector Mason with a calm expression. "Forget it, Hector. I know your writing style all too well. If it’s still at the same level as the love letters you wrote me back then, it’s a far cry from being a ’writer.’ Aren’t you a science major? It’d be better to focus on your own field."

In an instant, the temperature in the private room dropped to a freezing point. Everyone subconsciously held their breath.

Cecilia Sterling actually...

Right in front of Lisa Upton and everyone else, she had openly revealed that Hector Mason used to write her love letters.

But just as everyone thought Cecilia Sterling had lost her mind, and as they struggled to figure out how to react, she dropped another bombshell!

She looked at Lisa Upton with a puzzled expression. "Lisa, why are you even asking me? You should know that Hector Mason’s literary skills are basically nonexistent! Don’t tell me he never wrote you any love letters?"

Everyone:

Lisa Upton’s pretty face flushed red.

Seeing this, Maya Marshall was the first to jump to her feet. She glared at Cecilia Sterling and cursed, "Cecilia, have you no shame? You know perfectly well that Lisa and Hector are together now, yet you deliberately bring this up. You’re obviously just trying to disgust her!"

"Call you a dog, and you really start barking," Cecilia Sterling said, her expression hardening as she leaned back slightly. "Lisa Upton was the one who asked me to critique Hector Mason. Now that I’ve actually done it, you’re all unhappy?"

She hadn’t originally intended to hurt Hector Mason; after all, he had genuinely liked her for two years.

’But Lisa Upton just wouldn’t stop trying to drag me and Hector Mason into this mess. She’s willing to throw her own boyfriend under the bus just to embarrass me, so why should I feel sorry for him on her behalf?’

As a guy, Hector Mason couldn’t hide his embarrassment. He subtly pulled his hand out of Lisa Upton’s grasp and said in a low voice, "That’s all in the past. Our classmates already know about it, so there’s nothing to hide."

He was smart. Since things had gotten to this point, it was better to be magnanimous and save everyone the awkwardness.

After all, their classmates did know about it. Trying to deny it would be pointless, like burying one’s head in the sand.

Lisa Upton felt her hand go empty, and her heart sank with it. Her mind raced, and she quickly tried to save some face for Hector Mason. "Cecilia Sterling, I don’t think you understand Hector. He’s a very hardworking person. The publishing environment for physical books is terrible right now. A lot of people are unrecognized talents."

Cecilia Sterling sneered internally at her words. ’This woman is such a phony. First, she tried to use her boyfriend as a pawn, and when that failed, now she’s going to put him on the spot.’

Unexpectedly, Hector Mason was actually touched by Lisa Upton’s words and looked at her with deep affection.

"First of all, I don’t need to understand him. I have nothing to do with him," Cecilia Sterling said mercilessly. "Secondly, what’s the essence of being an ’unrecognized talent’? Is it possible he never had any talent to begin with? If he never even conceived any talent, then he’s not an unrecognized talent. He’s just creatively sterile!"

"Cecilia Sterling, you—!"

Cecilia Sterling raised a hand, calmly cutting off the blushing, furious Lisa Upton. "I don’t understand Hector Mason, but I understand men. Men are like balloons—a little bit of hot air and they float away."

"I don’t think you should blindly praise a man like that, letting him waste his life on empty compliments only to end up with nothing to show for it."

She looked at Hector Mason, her gaze the most sincere it had been all night. "My words might be harsh, but I truly believe from the bottom of my heart that this isn’t for you. Wouldn’t it be better to take fewer detours and do what you’re actually good at?"

Hector Mason stared into Cecilia Sterling’s eyes, slightly stunned. His heart skipped a beat.

Sensing this subtle shift in Hector Mason’s emotions, Lisa Upton was instantly consumed by jealousy. She insisted stubbornly, "He is very good at writing, and he will definitely make it! Hector, you have to believe in yourself! You’ll succeed! If worse comes to worst, I’ll have my dad pay to get your book published!"

That last sentence tumbled out without any thought, and it was precisely this sentence that stepped right on Hector Mason’s biggest landmine!

His handsome face turned cold. Even though no one else showed any negative reaction, in that instant, he felt as if everyone saw him as a "kept man."

He stared at Lisa Upton and said coldly, "I don’t need anyone’s help. Especially not yours!"

With that, he rose angrily, snatched the coat from behind him, and stormed out the door.

Hearing the door slam shut, Cecilia Sterling raised an eyebrow slightly.

Seeing Cecilia’s nonchalant attitude, Lisa Upton’s rage became uncontrollable, and she finally exploded, "Cecilia Sterling! Are you satisfied now?"

"Me, satisfied?"

Cecilia Sterling glanced around at the varied expressions on her classmates’ faces and shook her head with a speechless smile. "What does this have to do with me? Weren’t you the one who tried to use Hector Mason to get under my skin? You lifted a rock only to drop it on your own foot, and now you’re blaming me?"

"I said I wasn’t coming, but my dear ’good friend’ here accidentally told you I was back."

At this, Cecilia Sterling looked toward Vivian Sheridan, who was sitting diagonally across from her. Vivian avoided her gaze and lowered her head, but Cecilia had no intention of letting her off the hook. She stared at her and said, "Vivian, a slip of the tongue? You just saw what a real slip of the tongue looks like with Lisa Upton. How careless do you have to be with your typing to send the four words ’Cecilia Sterling is back’ to someone?"

"Cecilia, I really didn’t do it on purpose," Vivian Sheridan said, her face a mask of apology.

Cecilia Sterling snorted, completely ignoring her feigned remorse, and turned to the others. "Everyone in the group chat was so enthusiastic about inviting me, so I came. But what happens? I’m standing at the door and I overhear you all gossiping and bad-mouthing me. If I’d listened a little longer, would the slut-shaming have started?"

"That being the case, what kind of pleasantries did you expect from me?"

Finally, Cecilia Sterling looked at Lisa Upton. "You insisted that I come, and you know best what you were really thinking. You loved to bully me in high school, so did you think I’d still be the same person now, silently letting you humiliate me?"

With that said, Cecilia Sterling slowly rose to her feet. She gave the lavish spread of food and drinks on the table a sweeping glance and sneered, "How ridiculous. I came to a class reunion and didn’t even pick up my chopsticks, because the very sight of you all makes me sick."

"But thanks for the invitation. If you invite me next time, I’ll be there!"