Chapter 44 A Disgraceful Heiress
Chapter Forty-Four
The crowd murmured amongst themselves as they eyed Aria, whispering behind their palms while staring at her with derision.
“She’s the country bumpkin. I heard she married Lucian in his comatose state.”
“What a pitiful little thing! Thank God, she’s not my daughter. This would have been such a disgrace!”
“She does look very graceful in that dress though. Not at all like a country bumpkin.”
“What are you talking about?! Who cares about her dress? Her bad manners overshadows everything!”
“You’re right! You can’t really take the uncultured behavior out of a girl raised with pigs!”
“What a shame! I see why the Beaumont family does not want her anymore.”
“She’s Isabella Beaumont’s daughter, right? Why, they look so much alike! The eyes and the hair…it’s like Isabella in the flesh!”
“Who cares?! I’m sure Isabella would be turning in her grave if she discovers her daughter is this uncultured!”
“Yes, that’s right. The first daughter of the Beaumont family is such a disgrace! Nothing like her mother!”
“Selena Beaumont is more fitting as the Beaumont’s family heiress.”
“Yes, she’s more composed and graceful than this hickey here.”
The crowd continued speaking amongst themselves in loud, unpleasant voices. As though they wanted Aria to hear what they were saying.
Clara and Selena stood to the side, smiling in satisfaction at what the crowd was saying.
The words which filtered round the hall was pleasing to their ears, and they eyed Aria with contempt, the corners of their lips stretched with evil little smirks.
Clara especially loved how Aria was degraded in comparison to her own daughter, Selena.
This was what she’d always wanted and she thought it was very fitting for Aria.
When they had been younger, she had been compared to Isabella Beaumont for a long time, and Clara never had her own spotlight when Isabella was alive.
She had been rather plain looking and had tagged alongside the much more exquisite and graceful looking Isabella.
Her envy grew daily and had bred a burning hatred that belied every other thing in her relationship with Isabella Beaumont.
When Isabella had married the dashing George back then, and gave birth to an equally stunning daughter, Clara had been beside herself with rage.
“But as fate would have it, the bitch died early,” she thought, her smirk becoming crueler, “And her throne became mine.”
She had quickly seduced the weak George and married him a few weeks after Isabella’s death.
When Selena was born a few months after the marriage, questions were raised about the timing.
It would seem George and Isabella were already having an affair before the death of Isabella.
Clara ignored the rumors and focused on making her daughter the only shining star in the Beaumont family.
She had the little Aria shipped to the countryside, and had almost convinced George to strike her name out of the family registry but George hesitated.
Clara was content with that back then, and had focused on denying Aria the basic things of a comfortable life, that should have been accorded to a daughter of such family.
Aria did not even have the most basic of education, nor was she trained in the ways of society, or brought up in lessons to take over the family business.
Clara had sworn to make Isabella’s daughter’s life a nightmare, and it seemed like her plan was working.
“Your daughter will never outshine mine, Isabella,” She thought, raising her nose haughtily at Aria, “Till the day I die, she will be nothing more than a doormat for my own daughter.”
The murmurs of the crowd grew louder and more fiercer, but through it all, Aria remained calm, her eyes filled with a silent contempt for them all, as though they were all beneath her.
Her calm defiance and indifference shocked everyone in the room, most especially Clara and Selena.
Minister Lee could not believe that Aria could still dare to look at him boldly in the eye.
She was nothing but a country bumpkin!
“Apologize to my daughter, at once!” He barked, pointing at her in fury.
Aria stared him down, her gaze bored and contemptuous, “I will do nothing of the sort.” She uttered calmly, crossing her arms across her bosom, “Your daughter is spoilt rotten and quite uncultured. She dared to insult my husband as a guest in his home!”
A hum arose from the crowd at those words as everyone continued murmuring.
The Minister blinked in shock and his brows came down in a frown. It was totally disrespectful to insult a host in his own home, and especially one whose family was as powerful as the Graves family.
He turned to look at his daughter by his side, his gaze questioning.
Jane shook her head, pouting all the more, “Dad, she’s lying! She’s just trying to make her way out of this!”
The Minister trusted his daughter with everything in him. He nodded grimly and turned back to Aria, “My daughter doesn’t lie. She would never do something like that. She’s is the purest and most innocent child I know,” he uttered, taking Jane’s hand in his and glaring at Aria, “You are the one at fault here!”
Aria laughed in disdain, “Oh you make me laugh,” she uttered, her green eyes blazing, “I don’t care what angel you think your daughter is, but she must apologize for what she said about my husband. Or I’m teaching her uncultured ass a lesson she’ll never forget!”
Jane was furious, “You dare to call me uncultured?!” She hissed fiercely, “Do you think I am like you?!”
Selena stepped forward stubbornly, “Aria Beaumont, stop making excuses.” She hissed, “No matter what Jane had said earlier, it’s the truth and you know it.”
Aria advanced on Selena, her eyes blazing with cold fury as well. “Say that one more time, and see if I won’t slap your teeth down your throat!”
Selena stumbled backwards, cowering behind her parents, her eyes wide with fear, “Mom, Dad! Save me!”
Clara quickly stepped forward, “Aria Beaumont, you worthless thing!” She yelled in Aria’s face, “How dare you even think of touching my daughter?”
“Who dares to insult my daughter-in-law?!”