Chapter 432
After the engagement party began, Zoey took the stage to thank her relatives. When she mentioned her mother, Yara's eyes sparkled. She was just about to step forward when Yvette kindly held her back. "The Lane family invited Gemma Zelnik, her biological mother."
Having helped to organize the engagement party, Yvette was familiar with the ceremony's proceedings.
Yara's expression instantly changed with those words. Zoey had told her yesterday that Gemma wouldn't come and that she would be introduced to everyone as Zoey's mother.
Yara thought Yvette was lying, but then she saw Gemma, who had short hair and was dressed in a standard dress, stepping into view and walking toward Zoey.
Gemma had average looks, but her whole demeanor exuded competence and intelligence. Those were qualities that Yara, who had lived a life of luxury, lacked. Gemma was also somewhat famous internationally. Upon Gemma's arrival, Zoey's eyes filled with admiration and pride. Compared to the insincere treatment she gave Yara, she regarded Gemma as her only true mother.
"Mom, I knew you would come," Zoey exclaimed, immediately hugging Gemma.
The bond between the mother-daughter duo on stage was evident. Meanwhile, Yara, who had just been telling everyone that Zoey was her daughter, now had a particularly bitter expression. People began to whisper.
"Isn't Zoey's father Lawrence Yandell? In that case, Yara Cadwell's her mother, right?"Property belongs to Nôvel(D)r/ama.Org.
"Yeah, she just told us she's Zoey's mom."
"You don't know anything. Yara is Zoey's stepmother. Zoey calls her 'Mom' out of respect for her father. Did you really think she was her mother?"
"What now? We just gave the gifts meant for Zoey's mother to her. Should we take them back?"
"Of course, we should take them back. We're here to butter up Zoey and her mother, not her stepmother..."
The crowd's murmurs only intensified Yara's embarrassment. Standing beside her, Yvette felt a twinge of sympathy as she saw Yara getting humiliated.
Yvette asked, "If I wasn't hearing-impaired when I was born, would you have treated me the same way as Zoey?"
Yara snapped out of her thoughts and looked at Yvette with a conflicted expression.
She had to admit that Yvette had always been outstanding-no less than Zoey. If it weren't for her own actions, Yvette wouldn't be inher current situation.
After all, Yvette was respectful and sensible. She had always tried toz make Yara happy when she had been younger. She had even told all her classmates that Yara was her mother.
She wasn't like Zoey, who only pretended to appease her while secretly arranging for her biological mother to come. But...
Yara clenched her fists. "You and Zoey can't compare."
Yvette thought she had become numb to such remarks. However, hearing this still caused her a pang of pain, as if a cold wind had suddenly pierced her chest. After Yara finished speaking, she saw Zoey coming down from the stage. She immediately strode toward the latter to get some answers.
Yvette watched from a distance as
Yara stood beside Zoey, appearing more like a mother-daughter pair than Zoey did with Gemma. Zoey then turned to tidy up Yara's hair before returning to the banquet.
After Yvette took only a few steps, Terrence blocked her path. "Yvvy, have you thought of a way to get back our family's money?"
Yvette couldn't believe he had the nerve to ask her. She retorted, "Do you think anyone would return your money after you give it to them?"
Recently, she had assigned Matthew the task of investigating Terrence's foolish actions from years ago. She still hadn't received any updates from him.