Chapter 181: Chapter 181: Such Double Standards
Since Master Nathanâs birthday was this weekend, Mr. Sterling and Vera Xavier arranged for her to pick it up from his house at nine a.m. on Saturday.
Once they had settled the details, Mr. Sterling hurried away with the Chicken Blood Stone, eager to get home and start carving.
Vera Xavier watched him go and chuckled softly. âAnother workaholic.â
Vera Xavier felt a weight lift from her shoulders now that she had sorted out Master Nathanâs birthday gift. The whole ordeal had taken so long that it was nearly dark, so she rushed home. On the way, she couldnât shake the feeling that a pair of eyes was watching her. Yet, whenever she turned to look, she saw nothing. A seed of suspicion began to sprout in her mind.
When she arrived home, Cara Preston was beaming as she chatted with Rona Langdon. A rare, cheerful atmosphere filled the house. It was worth noting that the Preston family home hadnât felt this pleasant in a very long time.
The moment she walked in, Rona Langdon and Cara Preston exchanged a look. Cara stood up and said with a smile, "Sister, what kept you so late today? Did the class president ask you out?"
Cara wasnât blind, after all. She had seen Vera Xavier and Shane Caldwell laughing and chatting during class, and her heart filled with contempt for Vera.
In fact, she had once set her sights on Shane Caldwell herself. His family was quite well-off, his parents held fairly high-ranking government positions, and he himself was exceptional.
But Shane Caldwell was undoubtedly a cut below Nathaniel Nathan, so he was no longer worthy of her consideration.
But even though she looked down on Shane Caldwell now, she couldnât stand the thought of him getting together with Vera Xavier.
Caraâs voice had barely faded when Rona Langdon shrieked, "What? Vera Xavier, youâre already dating? How can you be so shameless, seducing your class president at school!"
She was so loud that the next-door neighbors could likely hear every word.
Vera Xavier knew exactly what was going on in Rona Langdonâs mind. She didnât get angry, but replied unhurriedly, "Mom, what nonsense are you spouting? What do you mean Iâm âalready datingâ? A little while ago you were trying to marry me off, and now youâre accusing me of dating too young. Are you serious with these double standards?"
Her words left Rona Langdon completely speechless. Vera then turned to Cara Preston. "You said the class president asked me out. Pray tell, which of your eyes saw that happen?"
Cara Preston was taken aback for a moment before retorting, "You were whispering with the class president all through class today, and now youâre back this late. If that wasnât a date, what was?"
Vera Xavier sneered. "By that logic, you were coming home late every single day not too long ago, chatting with a different boy each time. Does that mean you were on a date with a different boy every day?"
Cara Prestonâs face instantly flushed crimson. "Sister, how could you say that about me? You know perfectly well I was going to Yiyiâs house every day to study and do homework."
"Right. The more you two âstudiedâ together, the worse your grades got. I get it." Vera gave her a knowing smile, not bothering to waste another word on her before heading upstairs with her schoolbag.
Looking utterly aggrieved, Cara Preston turned to Rona Langdon. "Mom, look! Sister is getting meaner and meaner! How could she say that about me! Sheâs trying to ruin my reputation!"
Rona Langdon snorted. "Why are you even bothering with her? Someone like her will never get married, while you have a brilliant future ahead of you."
Cara Prestonâs expression finally brightened. Thinking of the Lady Painting that Rona Langdon had brought home today, a smug look crossed her face as she eagerly anticipated making a grand impression on Master Nathan.