Chapter 30 Neutrality Becomes Complicity
"Let's all do me a favor and drop this matter. No dress is worth dampening everyone's spirits at such an important occasion. Creating drama at an event like this would be terribly unseemly."
Laura's gracious, diplomatic demeanor quickly won over the crowd's approval.
In comparison, the argumentative Zara appeared petty and calculating, while Isabella's insistence on settling the matter made her seem unreasonably stubborn.
"Who brought this woman as their date?"
"She was from Summit Holdings Corporation. I heard she used to be just some entry-level office worker. Surprising to see someone with such class."
This was a power player's networking arena for business deals and a social battlefield for high society women.
Zara's thoughtless behavior had created quite the spectacle. While she believed she'd successfully shifted blame to Isabella, in everyone else's eyes, she was the obvious instigator, not someone they'd want to associate with.
People like her, with nothing but beauty to offer, simply couldn't survive in these circles.
Isabella couldn't care less about others' opinions of her.
After divorcing William, she'd never have to navigate these social waters again anyway.
That made it even more pointless to do things she despised, like pandering to these fake, superficial people.
Isabella turned toward Laura, who'd just been praised for her diplomatic sensibilities, "Since this lady is your companion and you're so eager to offer compensation, why don't you cover my gown as well?"
"After all, my dress is also a haute couture runway piece, worth at least a hundred and fifty thousand dollars."
Though Richard had covered the dress expenses, after this incident, it was completely unwearable.
Isabella naturally couldn't let Richard absorb that loss.
Upon hearing this, Zara immediately bristled, "You're the one who crashed into me! You should cover all damages. Laura's being generous by not holding you accountable and even offering to help. How can you have the nerve to ask her to pay for your dress too?"
"If you can be shameless enough to try it, why can't I? If everyone followed your example, randomly staging accidents to extort money from people, we might as well forget about conducting business and just run around throwing wine at each other."
Isabella had always been someone who stood firmly on principle. Zara's arguments weren't convincing enough to sway her, leaving Zara trapped in a war of words with Isabella.
Throughout their exchange, Zara kept trying to get Laura's support.
But Laura had committed to maintaining her magnanimous persona tonight. Her forced smile was becoming increasingly strained as she remained silent, refusing to back up Zara with even a single word.
"Everyone saw clearly that the wine glass flew out of your hand! If we'd just bumped into each other lightly, our dresses wouldn't have gotten stained!" Zara stubbornly defended her twisted logic.
Isabella actually laughed at this absurd reasoning, "If you think the wine is to blame, why don't you tell the organizers they shouldn't serve drinks or desserts at all?"
Events like this featured carefully curated wine and dessert selections chosen by the organizers.
Zara's comment essentially insulted the hosts' planning decisions.
It was tantamount to pointing at their faces and telling them they shouldn't have provided wine.
Zara quickly found herself speechless, her mouth opening and closing without producing any sound.
Laura pressed a restraining hand on her arm, desperately trying to control the situation.
But Zara wasn't easily contained—her emotions were running high, and she insisted on continuing her debate with Isabella over right and wrong.
"You crashed into me while holding something, then dared to demand compensation from me? Even robbers don't operate with that kind of logic!"
Zara spoke with righteous indignation, completely oblivious to the complex expressions on the faces of their audience.
She'd brought her street-smart tactics into an elegant gala, expecting widespread support, yet most people simply stood by as silent observers, showing no intention of getting involved.
First, this was a business networking event—if this woman happened to be a business partner's date, speaking up and offending potential collaborators could damage their own interests.
Second, Zara's public display of such tactics revealed her limited intelligence and emotional awareness. She'd inevitably be expelled from these circles sooner or later.
"Stubbornly refusing to acknowledge your mistakes will only magnify them. Denial won't solve anything. I saw exactly what happened—you came running from over there for no apparent reason and crashed into this lady."
Someone in the crowd suddenly spoke up in Isabella's defense.
All eyes turned toward the speaker, each gaze reflecting confusion.
Speaking up at this moment was clearly asking for trouble.
And Laura had the backing of Summit Holdings Corporation!
Isabella also turned around to see a young woman in a deep emerald dress with a mesh veil headpiece looking back at her.
Isabella shot her a grateful look. Their eyes met briefly, and both women saw mutual appreciation reflected in each other's gaze.
With someone stepping forward to help, Isabella turned back with renewed confidence, "How does Ms. Jenkins plan to pay? Mobile transfer right now?"
The commotion in one corner of the ballroom quickly spread through the air and sound waves.
From the other side of the venue, both William and Richard hurried over simultaneously.
They emerged from the crowd, one positioning himself beside Isabella, the other showing concern for Laura.
Zara rapidly recounted the incident, embellishing details and adding her own spin to the narrative.
In William's presence, she suddenly displayed a shrewdness and cunning that seemed foreign to her usual character.
"Laura was just trying to help out of kindness. Why do you always interpret other people's good intentions as schemes against you?"
After hearing the full story, William lifted his eyelids with cool detachment, shooting Isabella a cutting look.
He seemed unable to comprehend why Isabella insisted on making such a big deal out of this.
Richard arrived without saying anything initially, but after hearing William speak, he delivered a pointed retort, "When someone does wrong and others fail to intervene, neutrality becomes complicity."
Isabella met William's gaze, letting out a derisive laugh before confronting him, "Then please tell me, exactly what did I do wrong? Ms. Jenkins saw me standing here and deliberately crashed into me. Should I have encouraged her insurance scam instead?"
"Am I really the one in the wrong here?"
Her two consecutive rhetorical questions left William momentarily speechless.
Speaking purely factually, Laura and Zara were indeed the ones at fault.
From Isabella's perspective, she didn't care whether William thought she was right or Laura was right, because everyone had their own choices and different ways of thinking.
But what she found truly despicable was immediately criticizing her without considering the facts.
Seeing herself losing ground again, Laura sniffled and put on a wounded expression, opening her small evening purse to retrieve her phone.
"Isabella, if you insist on this, I can't stop you. What exactly did your dress cost? I'll transfer the money right now."
Laura had already opened her phone, seriously pulling up the transfer screen.
A hand snatched her phone away as William said expressionlessly, "No need to pay anything!"