Chapter 45 They Actually Adored Her!
Chapter Forty-Five
A loud voice resounded around the hall, causing everyone nearby to jolt in shock.
They turned to watch Madam Graves and the Chairman advance towards them, their faces etched with fury.
The crowd parted as they walked up to Aria and the rest.
“What’s going on here?” The Chairman asked, his eyes narrowed with anger.
George Beaumont, who had been silent all along as everyone berated his daughter, quickly stepped forward and bowed low before the Chairman.
“Chairman sir, I know that it must be hard having Aria in your household,” he said, still bowing, “She’s not well brought up and tends to behave in a rash manner. I hereby ask that you deal with her as you see fit.”
Madam Graves could not believe her ears, “What?!”
“Yes, Madam Graves “ Clara chimed in, always tagging along after her husband, “We know that Aria is a Beaumont daughter but she’s married to Lucian now. She’s the Graves family problem now.”
She exchanged a sly look with her husband, “We hope this will not in anyway influence your decision to support the Beaumont Empire.” She continued, her smile sickening, “We have nothing to do with Aria’s problem now. She’s married to the Graves family.”
“Oh my god!” Madam Graves uttered in disbelief. She held her head in her hand, her anger almost causing her a headache, “Mr and Mrs Beaumont, what did you just say to me?!”
Clara and George thought Madam Graves was furious about Aria’s behavior and they could not help but glare at her in anger.
But Clara and Selena were secretly pleased.
“If the Graves family abandoned her as well, it would be so thrilling,” they thought, smiling at themselves as they exchanged sly looks.
“Yes, Madam Graves,” Selena spoke up, raising her head high, while staring at Arianna disdain, “When the Beaumont family married Aria off, we washed our hands off anything that’s concerning her matter.”
She crossed her arms and smirked, “Aria is so uncultured that she’s brought disgrace to the Graves family in a few weeks and at such an event,” she uttered, waving her hands around in disbelief.
Pointing at Jane with her mascara streaks, she continued, “She dared to slap Minister Lee’s daughter, Jane Lee! How could she do that?! She’s such an uncultured hickey!”
“Don’t you dare say that about my daughter-in-law!” Madam Graves thundered, causing everyone to jolt in shock once more.
Selena stumbled backwards with a loud gasp, her face twisted with shock. She glanced back at her parents who also had twin looks of confusion in their eyes.
“You dare to call the Graves family daughter in law, uncultured?!” It was the Chairman speaking now.
He was so angry that he was trembling, “Do you know what blessing she has brought to us? How dare you disrespect her in her own home?!”
These words caused another round of murmuring amongst the guests.
“Did you hear that?! The Graves family values her!”
“How could that be? Does this mean the Beaumont family has thrown out their jewel?”
“They already abandoned her. Didn’t you see that George Beaumont was only worried about the investment for the Beaumont Empire?”
“What crappy parents! Poor girl, I’m sure if Isabella had been alive, they would not have dared to treat her this way!”
The words which floated around the room from the crowd, only caused Clara to boil in rage.
“How could this happen?” She thought bitterly, “Why was the Beaumont family supporting this country hickey?!”
Even Selena could not stand it. She was breathing hard, glaring at Aria with hatred and envy.
Aria stared back at her, her head raised high from her secured position between the Chairman and Madam Graves.
Clara narrowed her eyes at them.
This was not just a mere tactic by the Graves family to save face.
They actually adored Aria Beaumont!
She could not stand for it. She gritted her teeth and stepped forward, “Chairman, Madam Graves, forgive me but your anger is directed at the wrong person.” She uttered, with a tight polite smile, even though her hands was clenched in fury, “Aria Beaumont is the one who caused all this trouble and ruined the party.”
Madam Graves stared her down with disgust, “Aria is my most thoughtful and well behaved daughter in law.”
At those words, Monica scoffed in disbelief and anger while Clara went pale with shock.
Madam Graves continued, facing the Minister, “She would never have acted that rashly without reason.” She looked round at them all, “Did you all even bother to hear her side of the story?!”
Minister Lee cleared his throat anxiously, as he tried to summon courage, “Chairman, Madam Graves. It’s not like we did not hear her side of the story.” He started, “But what on earth can warrant such a treatment on my daughter? Look! her face is all swollen!”
Jane sniffed, gingerly touching her cheek which was indeed reddened. The crowd hummed in disbelief and even Madam Graves blinked in surprise, then turned to Aria.
Aria stepped forward, her green eyes icy with contempt, “She insulted my husband!” She uttered, turning to Madam Graves, “Mother, she mocked Lucian repeatedly, calling him a vegetable!” Her eyes hardened like ice, “You’re lucky I did not slap you hard enough to get another cheek implant!”
Jane had had enough of Aria’s effontery. She could not believe she was still being insulted by Aria even after everything.
She knew that Aria was being protected by the Graves family now, but her anger blinded her.
Aria had slapped her and now had even mentioned that she’d work done on her face.
She swore to get even with Aria, no matter the consequences.
“You!…” She spluttered in rage, as she looked around in fury and grabbed a glass of wine from off a waiter’s tray.
“Just go to hell!” She yelled as she chucked the entire thing at Aria’s face.
The crowd gasped loudly, and Aria flinched. She stumbled backwards but she knew it was hopeless.
Her eyes closed automatically, as she expected the glass to crash into her and the splinters to tear into her skin.
But there was only the distant sound of the glass crashing into something solid. A firm hand appeared at the small of her back, steadying her.
“Aria, are you okay?” Lucian asked, his voice laced with panic.