The Ex and Her Riches

Evelyn excitedly showed Gwendolyn several evening gowns she had chosen off the costume rack.

She said, “I think all these look great, Gwendolyn. Which one do you think suits me more?”

Gwendolyn’s lips curled into the ghost of a smile while she replied, “Well, you have to try them on to see if they suit you.”

“Oh yes, you’re right.” Evelyn immediately turned to a female sales attendant and instructed, “Please send these gowns to the dressing room. I’d like to try all of them.”

“Of course.” The sales attendant carefully gathered the gowns Evelyn had picked out and headed to the dressing room.

Once the sales attendant left, Evelyn hooked her arm through the crook of Gwendolyn’s elbow affectionately and beamed at the latter. “It’ll be difficult for me to put on the gowns on my own. Can you come to the dressing room and help me?”

Gwendolyn did not accept or reject Evelyn’s request.

Evelyn took her silence for consent and dragged Gwendolyn into the dressing room.

She had no qualms about undressing before Gwendolyn at all, making it seem as though the two had been bosom friends for years.

Gwendolyn leaned against a wall and stared coolly at Evelyn. She demanded, “You didn’t summon me here just to select a gown for you. I don’t like to beat around the bush, and since we’re alone now, why don’t you get straight to the point?”

Evelyn’s hand froze momentarily in the middle of picking up a gown, though she quickly composed herself and continued to dress herself elegantly.

“Gwendolyn, I bet you’ve been dying to know about the patron who has supported my meteoric rise in the entertainment industry since my debut at nineteen years old.”

Evelyn continued cryptically, “Actually, two patrons have been helping me at the same time. That gave me a tremendous amount of power in the industry.”

Gwendolyn remained silent.

silence hardly bothered Evelyn, who added, “You might have forgotten this, but I remember our first encounter. You were fifteen. We met in an alley, and you decided to care for me because you took pity on me. I liked you a lot too,

furrowed in recognition; she had heard the exact

alone. When you let your guard down, I stabbed the syringe in the back of your neck and pushed

a recording device here?” Gwendolyn asked as she clenched

a minx. She boasted, “Of course not, or I would never have told you all of that! Think about it. Would Dad and

dealt the final blow by adding, “In fact, our dear brother knew all about it from the beginning, and

She suppressed her anger and willed herself to

whispered into Gwendolyn’s ear,

expression appeared on Gwendolyn’s

the mirror and made several poses,

the trust of your beloved brothers, hmm? But what can you do? They’ve wholly accepted me into the family. Asher covered up my identity as an illegitimate daughter to help me become the true heiress of the Harris family, and Kieran is always checking on my well-being. Even Treyton accompanied me

absolutely bursting with

saying these things to agitate me? Well, you’ve achieved your goal,

she spoke, Gwendolyn suddenly stalked ahead and yanked Evelyn’s hair with her left hand,

Slap!

utterly dumbfounded. Her

strict diet since entering the entertainment industry to manage her weight. Her frail figure was

well-being of my baby? Hmph! You’re way off-mark. I’m not one to swallow all these indignities quietly. Who cares if you’re some precious princess? If you

a couple more slaps to get the point

up in pain but could not escape Gwendolyn’s grasp. Eventually, she shrieked,

sneeringly, “That man outside is the brother who has doted on me for over twenty years,

suddenly filled Evelyn with a sense of

minutes later, Treyton charged into

moment he pulled open the dressing room curtain, Gwendolyn shoved Evelyn away

“Kiddo!”

did not even glance at Evelyn as he flew to Gwendolyn’s side and pulled