Chapter46 This Is My Apology
Miranda scoffed internally. When she looked up again, the bitterness was completely gone, replaced by icy detachment.
She curved her lips into a faint smile and spoke flatly. "Is that right? Well, I hope things work out for you two soon."
Then, a playful glint entered her eyes, and she shot back, "But seriously, we’ve been divorced for ages. Why haven't you managed to lock him down yet? Is it possible Harrison just doesn't want to marry you?"
At her words, Ariana's face twisted.
She had dropped hints more than once, but every time, Harrison dodged the issue with excuses like, "I just got divorced; I'm not ready for another serious relationship right now."
The thought that Harrison might still have feelings for that bh Miranda drove Ariana crazy with jealousy.
She gripped the wine glass tightly, her knuckles white. Staring at Miranda's calm, composed face, an impulse surged through her: to throw the red wine right into that annoying face!
But the moment she raised her arm—
Miranda seemed to anticipate her move, acting faster to precisely block her wrist.
Splash—
With a clear sound, the glass tilted, and the crimson liquid poured entirely over Ariana's own expensive white dress!
"Ah!" Ariana shrieked, staring blankly at the ruined wine stain spreading across her chest.
Just then, a low, displeased male voice sounded behind them.
Harrison returned from the restroom and saw the scene, his brows locked in a deep frown.
"What is going on here?"
Ariana's eyes immediately reddened, tears welling up. She looked at Harrison pitifully, her voice trembling.
"Harrison, I saw my cousin celebrating and I just wanted to come over and say congrats. Who knew—"
She choked back a sob, weakly lowering her head as tears rolled down her cheeks. "Who knew my cousin didn't want to see me at all and threw wine on me."
She made herself sound completely helpless and wronged.
Hearing her story and seeing the glaring red stain on her chest, Harrison's eyes, fixed on Miranda, filled with a mix of displeasure and disappointment.
"Miranda," he demanded, his voice cold. "What has gotten into you? Ariana was being nice, coming over to congratulate you. Even if you don't appreciate it, you shouldn't throw wine. That's really classless."
Classless?
During their three years of marriage, she had always been gentle, thoughtful, and accommodating around him. What did she get for it?
Nothing but his comment that she was "boring."
Now that she was acting like herself, he called her "classless."
It was ridiculous.
Before Miranda could speak, Lisa couldn't hold back. She jumped up, glaring at Harrison. "You got it wrong! She was trying to throw the wine on Miranda! Miranda just put her hand up to block it!"
Ariana immediately countered, "You're my cousin's employee, so of course you're taking her side. Harrison saw it all with his own eyes—my cousin threw the wine at me. Would I really lie and badmouth my cousin right in front of Harrison?"
Harrison thought back to what he'd just seen. Miranda's hand was definitely raised, and then the wine spilled all over Ariana.
His disappointment in Miranda deepened, and his expression grew colder. "Miranda, look at the people you're associating with now! They're full of lies!"
His gaze turned to Lisa, cold and openly threatening. "Lisa, I'm warning you. If you dare lie and slander Ariana again, I won't hesitate to sue you for defamation!"
"You wouldn't dare!"
Miranda stood up, pulling Lisa behind her. Her cool eyes stared directly at Harrison, a fire burning within them.
"Harrison, my employees and I were having a quiet dinner. You two are the ones who came over here to cause trouble! What gives you the right to threaten my friend?"
She gave a chilling laugh and looked around. "This restaurant has great security. I'm sure it won't be hard to pull the surveillance footage to see who started this. If you press charges, I'll be the one suing you first for harassment and attempted assault."
Ariana's heart jumped. She quickly held onto Harrison's arm and, before he could speak, cut in with a show of understanding. "It's okay, Harrison, don't be mad. I'm not going to hold a grudge against my cousin or her employees."
She looked down at her ruined dress, her face showing regret and sadness, and sighed. "It's just a shame about this dress. I was thinking about what to get my cousin as a congratulatory gift, so I guess this dress can be my peace offering."
She looked up, her voice full of feigned regret. "This was a limited-edition runway piece. I probably won't be able to find it again."
The speech made her look magnanimous, highlighted the dress's value, and implied how much she'd suffered.
Harrison's heart softened. Seeing her willing to put up with it, and contrasting her with Miranda's aggression, his loyalty fully tipped toward Ariana.
"Ariana, you don't have to sacrifice for her." He patted her hand to reassure her, then turned his icy gaze back to Miranda. "Miranda, and your employee here, apologize to Ariana right now."
"We won't apologize." Miranda refused flatly, her eyes unyielding. "You defend Ariana, and I will defend my employees and friends. The truth is exactly what Lisa said. We did nothing wrong."
"Fine. You're unbelievable." Harrison was furious at her defiance. He took a step forward, closing the distance between them, his voice dangerously low.
"Miranda, don't think just because you got the loan your company is safe. I'm telling you, if I want to shut your company down, I have a hundred ways to do it. You better apologize right now. Otherwise, your company might not even open its doors tomorrow!"
As he finished, a flash of undeniable triumph crossed Ariana's eyes.
Miranda looked at the pair playing their roles and felt utterly disgusted.
Apologize?
Sure.
She suddenly curled her lips into a smile, but it was cold as ice.
The next second, she raised her hand without warning—
SMACK—!
A sharp, resounding slap landed squarely on Ariana's face.
The noise of the entire restaurant seemed to stop at that moment.
Ariana's head snapped sideways. She was completely stunned, the searing pain on her cheek the only thing confirming what had happened.
Harrison was also frozen, a look of shock in his eyes. He hadn't expected Miranda to resort to violence.
In his memory, Miranda had always been the submissive, enduring, almost overly compliant woman. When did she become so assertive and sharp?
Miranda slowly lowered her hand, rubbing her wrist, and looked coldly at Ariana's rapidly swelling, red cheek. Her voice was level and calm. "There. That's my apology. Are you satisfied?"