CHAPTER 391: HOW UNFAIR IS THAT?

"Oh, dear. Melissa, I’m not cruel, so I’ll pretend you didn’t just declare what you did. However, I’m not too sure about everyone else who heard you."

Celestine took a step forward and lowered her head slightly, her eyes glinting as she drawled, "But I suppose that’s the least of your problems... because the Chuns aren’t the type to let things slide."

With that, Celestine straightened and smirked at Melissa before walking past her.

"Let’s go, boys," she hummed, gliding ahead with elegant ease. "Tonight is a good night."

Justin snorted as he followed, casting Melissa a look full of disdain. Derek, however, paused before passing her.

"I’ll be watching that live broadcast, Melissa," he muttered, his tone sharp. "You don’t want to be perfect, right? I guess starting with the hair is a good first step. Good luck."

After saying his piece, he walked on without another glance. One after another, the guests following the Lancasters handed their invitations to the guards. None of them spared Melissa a shred of sympathy; instead, they gave her looks of pure judgment.

"Gosh. Did she really think she could get in by lying?"

"I can’t blame the Lancasters for breaking off the engagement. This woman’s just something else."

"Probably because she’s the daughter of a mistress."

"I always knew something was off about her. Even when everyone said she was nice, I never trusted her."

Snickers and whispers surrounded Melissa mercilessly as each guest passed through the entrance without issue. The guard beside her simply said, "Miss, please step aside and don’t block the way."

Melissa should have run. She should have walked away and questioned everything later. But her feet wouldn’t move. Her mind was blank. Her entire world had come to a standstill.

What’s going on?

How could Renny not be on the guest list?

As her thoughts spiraled, a faint whiff of perfume reached her nose. The scent was warm and captivating—strong enough to make anyone turn their head. When she looked up, her already wide eyes dilated further.

Standing before her was Slater.

Unlike everyone else, he said nothing as he handed his envelope to the guard. He didn’t even glance at her as if she wasn’t there.

Melissa gulped and turned away, only to find the media still taking photos of her. The first flash made her flinch, her breath catching in her throat.

Then Slater’s voice came from beside her.

"Ah..." He paused as his invitation was verified. Turning toward her, he called, "Melissa Young."

She hesitated before looking back at him.

Slater smiled. "My sister has a cat at home. A big black one," he said casually, eyes narrowing into slits as he chuckled. "He’s even registered as a member of our family. And she also has this tiny old white cat."

He took a deliberate step closer, leaning slightly toward her. "We call them... Renny and Chunchun."

The moment the words left his mouth, Melissa felt as though a bucket of ice-cold water had been poured over her. Her breath hitched. Her pupils trembled. Her face went from pale to ghostly.

"You, Melissa Young, don’t deserve my big sister’s mercy," Slater said quietly. "Thank her—because I could’ve done worse. But this little act of mine? It actually saved you from my sister’s wrath... or my big brother’s."

Then, just like that, his expression shifted back to a charming grin.

"Oh, and by the way, everything I sent you?" He laughed softly. "All from a thrift shop. Good luck! Bwahahaha!"

His laughter grew louder as he walked away, each step echoing like cruel punctuation marks. Melissa could only stare at him, her ears ringing as the background noise faded into nothing. Her vision spun. Her world was collapsing ever so slowly.

And yet, it didn’t truly sink in until another familiar figure stopped in front of her.

"The world is round, and life has its highs and lows," Aileen said, her lips curling into a smile that never reached her eyes. She tilted her head, giving Melissa a knowing look. "Life’s unpredictable, you know?"

Aileen shrugged and strutted past the guard without even showing an invitation. Yet the guard immediately stepped aside to let her through.

"Ah..." Aileen paused mid-step, turning back with a light laugh. "Melissa, you’re right. I don’t work for MEG Fashion."

She chuckled. "I am MEG. And I’ll tell you once more—this isn’t the place where you belong."

With that, Aileen’s smile finally reached her eyes as she continued walking. But just as she crossed the security line, she raised her voice.

"Please remove Melissa Young from the area. She’s starting to bother the other guests."

"Yes, ma’am."

The guard bowed respectfully before facing Melissa. Another joined him, and together they approached her, standing tall before wordlessly grabbing her arms.

"Wait—!" Melissa yelled, finally snapping out of her daze as they began dragging her away. Her shouts echoed through the venue, though no one stopped to help. Every scream, every plea, was perfectly captured by the flashing cameras.

"How could you drag me away?! That woman shouldn’t even be here! Why would you let her in and not me?!"

But all she received in return was laughter from the onlookers and cold silence from the guards hauling her out.

Meanwhile, Lola stood off to the side with Izu and Baby, watching the entire spectacle unfold from start to finish.

They silently watched Melissa humiliate herself, yelling that Aileen was the daughter of a maid, only to be hit with the truth that the so-called maid’s daughter was actually the head designer and owner of MEG Fashion.

Quietly, Baby raised his hand beside Lola.

"Gosh..." Lola sighed, reluctantly pulling a folded bill from her handbag and slapping it into his palm. When she turned, she found Izu standing there too — hand out, eyes expectant.

"You guys... this is unfair, you know?"

Still, she handed him another folded bill. She had, after all, lost their bet.

"How could that girl torment me for years, only to fall this hard this fast?" Lola clicked her tongue. "I should’ve gone out there too! Everyone got their turn except me!"

She groaned dramatically. "How unfair is that?!"