Chapter 291: The Guise Of Bullying

Judy arrived without anyone noticing, and she was clearly not impressed.

She stepped directly beside Isobel and slipped both arms around her sister’s, drawing her close in a gesture that was as affectionate as it was protective.

Her husband, Pierce, stood beside her, his handsome features composed but his eyes carrying a hint of amusement.

Judy tilted her head toward Gertrude.

"That’s certainly a nice way of saying your daughter is a bully."

The smiles of several nearby guests froze.

Sophia’s expression immediately darkened.

"Judy Foster! What are you talking about? When have I ever bullied anyone?"

Yet before she could finish her indignant protest, her gaze drifted toward Pierce.

For a fleeting moment, admiration softened her features.

The Fiorenzan was undeniably handsome, with striking blue eyes and the kind of refined appearance that attracted attention without requiring any effort. His tailored suit accentuated his broad shoulders, while his composed demeanor gave him an air of effortless elegance.

Sophia’s eyes lingered a moment too long.

Then she noticed Judy standing intimately beside him, her arms wrapped around Isobel while Pierce remained close at her side.

The admiration in Sophia’s eyes curdled into jealousy.

Of all the things Judy possessed, why did she always seem to have something Sophia wanted?

"What are you saying, Judy?" Sophia demanded, forcing her attention back to her cousin. "When did I bully anyone?"

"Just now." Judy’s smile was sweet enough to be mistaken for friendliness by anyone who didn’t know her. "You’re bullying my sister."

Sophia rolled her eyes.

Was that even bullying?

A few sarcastic words and a refused handshake? That was all?

Judy had to be joking.

Had she forgotten what real bullying looked like?

Because Sophia certainly hadn’t.

Their childhood had been filled with countless incidents that she would probably prefer to forget—or, more accurately, pretend had never happened.

Whenever their grandparents gave Judy a present, Sophia would find some excuse to take it away even if she had a similar one. Their grandparents were after all people who hated playing favorites.

If Judy received a beautiful doll, Sophia would snatch it from her hands and insist that it belonged to her. If Judy was given a box of chocolates, Sophia would demand half of it, only to end up eating everything herself.

And if Judy protested?

Sophia would burst into tears.

She would stomp her feet, throw tantrums, and accuse their grandparents of being unfair.

"You love Judy more than me!"

"Why does she always get the better things?"

"It’s not fair! You never give me anything good!"

Her complaints would grow louder until their grandparents, desperate to restore peace, would give in to her demands. They would later gave Judy something of similar value.

But Sophia’s cruelty didn’t end there.

Sometimes, when no one was watching, Sophia would deliberately hurt herself or stage an incident to make it appear that Judy had attacked her. Then she would run to their grandparents with tears streaming down her face, claiming that Judy had pushed or hurt her.

Sophia was such a convincing actress that their grandparents could find no evidence to disprove her accusations. Worse, the visible injuries seemed to support her claims.

Judy would desperately insist that she hadn’t done anything. She would explain, plead, and swear that Sophia was lying, but her words fell on deaf ears.

After all, Sophia was the one who was hurt, while Judy appeared perfectly unharmed.

In their grandparents’ eyes, the evidence was obvious. Sophia was the victim, and Judy was the culprit.

And no matter how desperately Judy defended herself, she was always the one who ended up being punished.

On more than one occasion, Judy had been forced to kneel for hours as punishment for something she had never done.

Her knees would ache, her legs would tremble, and tears would blur her vision, yet she had to remain there until their grandparents finally decided she had learned her lesson.

It was a good thing that Morgan was always there. He would argue with his grandparents that Judy would never do such a thing and that she was being unjustly punished.

Meanwhile, Sophia would watch from the sidelines, sometimes wearing a look of quiet satisfaction.

She had learned early that tears could be a weapon, innocence could be performed, and the person who cried first often won.

Those memories had never truly faded.

Judy also remembererd the humiliation of kneeling on the cold floor while Sophia stood nearby, pretending to be the injured party.

So no, she hadn’t forgotten.

Not for a single day.

And now Sophia had the audacity to stand in front of Isobel and act as though a few cutting remarks were nothing.

Judy’s smile widened, but there was no warmth in her eyes.

If you think you can bully my sister the way you bullied me, you’ve picked the wrong person this time.

She tightened her hold on Isobel’s arm and turned to face Sophia squarely.

"Or have you forgotten how you used to make me kneel for hours because you couldn’t stand seeing me receive something you wanted?"

For the first time since approaching them, Sophia’s expression faltered.

The people standing nearby exchanged glances.

And Judy, who had spent years being painted as the troublesome one while Sophia played the innocent victim, had no intention of letting her cousin rewrite the past.

Not this time.

"Cousin, that happened a long time ago. We were just children back then. Why bring up the past at a joyous family gathering like this?" Sophia asked gently, her lips curving into a seemingly helpless smile.

Her voice, however, was loud enough for the surrounding guests to hear.

With a few carefully chosen words, she effortlessly turned the tables, making Judy appear petty and vindictive for bringing up an old childhood grievance on such a happy occasion.

Sophia had always been good at that. She knew how to make herself look innocent while making others appear unreasonable.

Judy let out a derisive snort.

She had no interest in wasting her breath on someone who had perfected the art of playing the victim. Instead, she turned to Isobel and took her arm.

"Come on. Let me introduce you to our other cousins. I’m sure you’ll enjoy their company much more."

Without sparing Sophia another glance, Judy led Isobel away, leaving the others behind.

With the two women gone, only Julian, Theodore and Pierce were left.

Julian was soon summoned to the stage by the magician, who needed him to participate in one of his tricks. With the birthday festivities in full swing, Julian had little choice but to oblige.

Theodore, meanwhile, spotted several business associates across the hall and excused himself to join them.

Within moments, Pierce and Sophia were the only two people left in that corner of the room.

Sophia’s eyes immediately brightened.

The resentment that had twisted her features moments earlier disappeared, replaced by a dazzling smile. She subtly straightened her posture, allowing the shimmering blue fabric of her mermaid gown to accentuate her figure.

Then she turned toward Pierce, her gaze lingering on his handsome face.

"Hello, Pierce." Her voice softened into a honeyed sweetness.