Brenna was older and much more experienced than Natalie and sensed the hostility in her tone immediately. She retained her calm composure. “It was Draco who shirked the responsibility. What does it have to do with Mandy?”
The ladies tried to warn Natalie. “Yes, Natalie, you are mistaken. Everyone knows that Brenna is close to Mandy.”
“Their families have been friends for generations. Mandy has always respected Brenna. It is impolite to suggest otherwise.”
Natalie understood that Brenna had hostile intentions. But if she didn’t fight back now, W Marks’ reputation would be ruined. After thinking it over, Natalie smiled and said firmly, “I have evidence.”
The ladies stared at each other, embarrassed and surprised. Finally, they all looked at Brenna. Brenna felt nervous.
Natalie played the video in her phone. In the video, Mandy’s assistant, Ivy, was shouting, “Move all Miss Hamilton’s things away. Move faster and leave nothing behind!”
The video ended and Brenna’s face darkened.
The atmosphere became frosty. Brenna’s fingers tightened around her wine glass.
Natalie smiled. “Mrs. Olson, you should keep your eyes open when you make friends. Mandy is not as sweet and obedient as you believe.” Brenna was annoyed but couldn’t afford to lose her temper, so she simply forced a smile.
“Mandy is a good girl, if a little hot-tempered. She probably did that because the designers in your studio bullied her.”
“Mandy is your good friend. We would not dream of bullying her. Perhaps she was upset that we corrected her error?” Natalie suggested gently. “But I understand that you love and support her. She’s your friend. It makes sense. I only wanted to reassure the ladies present of the integrity of W Marks. If they want beautiful dresses designed for them, they need professional designers, and Mandy is too easily swayed by her emotions. She is used to a wealthy lifestyle. Unfortunately, this affects her professionalism. She is not the most able designer.”
Several ladies covered their mouths and chuckled. Brenna used her husband’s position to control her friends. They hadn’t seen Brenna look so depressed in a long time. Her distress gave them pleasure.
Hearing the faint laughter, Brenna frowned. She wanted to end the discussion as soon as possible. Today was a party to celebrate outstanding talents in town. Her husband was the host, and she could not be rude.
Brenna forced a smile and said, “It seems that there is a deep misunderstanding between you and Mandy, Mrs. Larson. I will ask Mandy to explain it later. We should not allow these trifles to affect W Marks.”
The ladies looked at each other and whispered,
“See? She’s finding an excuse to back down. What a powerful woman Natalie is! She can force Brenna to eat her words.” Everyone knew Brenna was lying. They snickered secretly.
To save Brenna’s face, Natalie held her hand and said, “Let’s sit over there and chat. I’ve read a lot of articles about you, Mrs. Olson. I heard that you recently returned from London, a city I like very much.”
Brenna understood and left the crowd of ladies with Natalie. “I loved London. When you go there again. I’ll introduce you to some of the best local restaurants.”
When they were out of sight of the ladies, Brenna shook off Natalie’s hand.
“I didn’t expect you to be so scheming at such a young age,” Brenna said sarcastically, resenting Natalie’s attack and her assistance. After straightening her dress, Natalie said gracefully, “I’m sorry I offended you. I behaved recklessly. I may have been invited as Brandon’s wife, but I am also a designer at W Marks. To preserve the good reputation of the Larson Group and my dignity as a designer, I am willing to do anything.”
Brenna sneered, “Don’t blame me when it blows up in your face. As the wife of Brandon, you should stay away from Draco. Mandy told me about your affair. Be careful or I’ll tell your husband.”
“Mrs. Olson, I didn’t expect you to believe those spiteful rumors.” Natalie became sullen. She hadn’t expected Mandy to spread such gossip to Brenna. She had gone too far.
With a fierce look in her eyes, Brenna said, “I would still know it even if Mandy hadn’t told me anything. Everyone knows what happened between you and Draco.”
“What little schemes are you two ladies cooking up? You are as thick as thieves,” a deep male voice boomed behind them.
Brandon and Brenna’s husband, Ewing, stood close by.
Natalie smiled at Brandon. “Nothing.” Patting Natalie’s back gently, Brandon looked at Brenna. The smile on his face faded. “Mrs. Olson, I trust my wife. I hope you don’t believe those ridiculous rumors either or try to drive a wedge between us.”
Brenna gritted her teeth. She felt dangerously close to losing her temper, but the calm presence of Ewing reminded her to keep her composure.
“Watch your mouth in front of Brandon,” her husband warned quietly.
“Natalie started it,” Brenna whispered in Ewing’s ear.
Ewing gripped his wife’s wrist. His voice was calm and even as he said, “Don’t make trouble. I organized this dinner for Brandon.”
“You…” Annoyed, Brenna shook off his hand and marched away.
“I’m sorry. My wife is not in good spirits. I’ll speak to her later. Mr. Larson, please go on and enjoy the party. It’s an honor to have you here.” With a wry smile, Ewing trotted after Brenna.
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“Don’t be reckless. Don’t you know what all this is for?” Ewing said unhappily. He tugged her sleeve and spoke in a gentle, consoling tone, “You frequently espouse the value of generosity. Why spoil it with pettiness now?” Normally, Brenna didn’t hold grudges. She was the wife of a diplomat and famous for her magnanimity.
However, Natalie had embarrassed her in front of so many rich ladies; Brenna could still hear their laughter.
She couldn’t just forgive Natalie. “Do you think I do this for myself?” Brenna sounded aggrieved. “I must avenge Mandy. You have no idea how brutally she’s been bullied by Natalie. She always comes to me, crying.”
Frowning, Ewing asked, “Why does Mandy always come to you? We won’t discuss this tonight. You are the hostess. Brandon represents the outstanding talents we are celebrating, and Natalie is his wife. We don’t want to become their enemies. Don’t forget how much Brandon loves his wife. If you bully her, you will bring the force of the entire Larson Group against us!”
Brenna understood what he meant, so she followed him back to Brandon.
Brandon looked angry, and the atmosphere in the house became tense. “You have disrespected me. In the future, I will avoid attending any event that has Ewing Olson on its guest list.”