'A rose that was so captivating. Making one forget that it possess thorns'

Blare thought as Matilda smiled at her. The smile was full of warmth while the eyes held scrutiny and mockery.

"I didn't know you found a man who can support you, my dear step-daughter." Matilda Winterburn said with a high-pitched tone while laughing softly.

Understanding the meaning behind her words, Blare felt a pain in her chest, like a needle was struck at her heart. Even so, anger dominated her emotion.

Even though the woman was in her 50s, her beauty never faltered. Her dark brown hair flowed freely up to her waist. There were some wrinkles but it didn't diminish the woman's charm at all. Blare felt that beauty was a waste to a woman like her.

Matilda Winterburn, Lilith's evil stepmother.

"My dearest stepmother. (smiles) I was just following your footsteps! Last time I heard, you relied on father before you even got married! What a lavish and lazy woman you are!" Blare replied in the same high-pitched tone while giggling.

She was out of character, but Blare didn't care. This college freshman student encountered people like Matilda.

The one she hated the most.

They would shout seemingly innocent words in a cheerful manner. Making the spectators convinced.

'Lecture them, they'll push you more in the wrong. Stay silent, you'll be letting them trample you over and over. Fight back with the same words, they'll shut the fuck up and will begin to feel flustered'

Blare - often being voted as a group leader - had already learned from this. Her own classmates would always complain whenever a task that was "too hard" would be placed on them. Therefore, they would feign praise to her excessively or say inappropriate things in a joyful tone.

In other words, they were sarcastic.

This made other students view her as an arrogant and selfish person.

She rejected being a group leader after that.

But Blare is not a Hawkins if she let the matter slide.

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After many attempts of fighting back, Blare finally found out that the third option would make them unsettled and mad.

It was the perfect way to make the person completely flustered and say nonsense. The only setback is you have to know the person inside and out.

Matilda was taken aback, she stood frozen for a moment. She never thought that Lilith would fight back. After all, when she was always insulting her, Lilith would just lower her head.

Now the woman before her was nothing like the past Lilith.

"Such a sharp tongue you have--"

"I inherited it from you, stepmother" Blare cut her off sweetly.

Ace was watching the two, he was actually planning to help Blare if she can't handle the situation. But his help wasn't needed at all. Until a man that had the same hair colour as Matilda walks up and glared at Blare.

Blare saw the man glared and only smiled instead.

That man was Harry Winterburn. Lilith's step-brother.

"So you've become more vulgar after moving out of the mansion" Harry sneered.

"So you've become more disrespectful after all these years." Blare sneered back.

The guests in the hall were watching the Winterburn family fought like it was a good show. The issue within the Winterburn family was known by these elites. They know that Lilith Winterburn was a mistress' daughter that was taken in because the father pities her. They also know that the woman was shameful because she kept making a scene and would always pester Aiken Charleston and hurt Clara Maiko.

So they were flabbergasted at her sudden change of temperament. A woman who suddenly showed a graceful aura without a hint of her shameful past actions.

Harry was easily ticked off and he was used on insulting Lilith over and over. He felt threatened when she fought back verbally. Before Harry could slap her, Ace quickly caught his wrist and grip to it tightly. The man winced in pain.

Matilda screamed and Ace slowly released his wrist. After that, Matilda and supported his son who staggers backwards.

"What's the meaning of this Mr. LeCoultre?!" Matilda shouted at Ace in anger.

Instead of answering, Ace gestured a waiter. The waiter understood and hurriedly came back with a hand sanitizer. 

Ace nonchalantly poured the contents on his hand that gripped Harry's wrist.

Blare - who was focused on dissing the mother and son - finally noticed Ace's existence. She felt guilty and embarrassed about forgetting that Ace was there. Before she could apologize, Blare trembled at the approaching man who was in his 50s.

It was Harold Winterburn.

For the first time, Blare felt Lilith's emotions through the body. It was disappointment and hatred. But mixed with wanting to be loved.

It was a complicated feeling so Blare unconsciously creased her eyebrows.

"Mr. Winterburn, I advise you to control your wife and son." Ace's tone was said lazily, but his upright posture and stern eyes were perceived differently by the observers.

Harold was steady when he heard Ace. He only nodded and gazed at his wife and son for a second. Then landed on Blare who was also staring at him.

Blare became anxious and looked down. She became afraid of his calm gaze. 

"Lilith" her father called.

Hearing her name made her heart tighten. It was filled with tremendous joy and expectation.

"Harry, apologize to each other. You two were already adults but you kept bickering like a bunch of kids" Harold told them in an angry tone. 

The earlier emotions that Blare had were replaced with sorrow.

Then, the sad voice she heard spoke again.

"Father doesn't love me."