Chapter 17 Farce
Three days later, Lyanna Patel's birthday celebration for the Rodriguez family arrived.
The party was held in an upscale banquet hall in the heart of the city, a private reception room designed for lavish gatherings. It was worth noting that the venue belonged to the Anderson Group's portfolio of luxury properties.
Blair wore a soft pink princess gown, her makeup flawless, every detail polished to perfection. She had dressed herself like the heroine of the evening.
Thea was draped in a deep violet evening dress, its fabric heavy with gold-thread embroidery and jade-studded embellishments that caught the light with every movement.
A black limited-edition sports car rolled to a stop at the entrance. The first thing to catch the eye was a pair of long, slender legs stepping out, the sharp click of red-soled black stilettos against the pavement. Bianca removed her sunglasses with a slow, deliberate motion.
She had chosen a perfectly tailored red mermaid gown for the night, a shade that made her skin look porcelain-smooth and highlighted the curve of her figure. Every seam of the dress seemed cut to frame her like a work of art.
The moment Bianca stepped into view, it was as if every spotlight in the room tilted toward her. Conversations faltered, champagne flutes paused mid-air, eyes turned and stayed fixed. The hum of the crowd shifted, drawn irresistibly to her presence.
Blair and Thea, standing near the entrance, froze when they saw Bianca. Their expressions flickered between pale and flushed, a storm of irritation and disbelief.
"Bianca?"
"Wait… what is she wearing?"
Blair's nails dug into her palm. What the hell was going on? Bianca wasn't wearing the dress Blair had sent her days ago. She had gone and chosen something else entirely. Was Bianca ignoring her instructions on purpose?
Bianca, aware of the attention converging on her, allowed herself a calm, unhurried smile. She began to walk forward, but Blair and Thea stepped into her path before she could take more than a few steps.
"Bianca, why are you so late? The party is about to start. Are you planning to make your grandmother wait for you, the youngest in the family?" Thea's voice carried a sharp edge, the accusation clear.
"Apologies," Bianca said smoothly. "Mr. Anderson asked Barry to bring me here, but he had urgent business to handle first. I didn't want to inconvenience him by making him drop everything."
She used Terrence as an easy shield, and both women knew they couldn't press the matter further without risking embarrassment.
Blair's eyes narrowed. "Why didn't you wear the dress I sent you? Instead, you chose something else… and worse, you wore bright red when today is about celebrating Grandma. It looks like you're trying to steal her spotlight. Do you have no sense of propriety?"
Bianca's lips curled into a faint smile, her gaze sweeping over Blair's own elaborate gown, noting the intricate beadwork and subtle luxury stitched into every inch. And Blair had the audacity to lecture her?
"Everyone knows today is Grandma's birthday. No one here would think I'm trying to overshadow her," Bianca replied. "And besides, Grandma loves red. Wearing it is my way of honoring her. We're family—should we really be so formal about colors?"
Blair faltered, unable to find a quick retort.
Thea's brow furrowed in irritation. This girl's tongue was getting sharper by the day. "Bianca, not wearing the dress I gave you… is that your way of saying you have a problem with me?"
Bianca's expression shifted, a hint of wounded vulnerability breaking through her usual composure. "Thea… ever since you and my sister joined the Rodriguez family, I've tried to get along with you. I thought that since you were the wife my father chose, you deserved my respect."
Her voice softened but carried an ache that reached the edges of the room. "But in this house, I've slowly become the outsider. Every time I see the three of you together, I think of my mother.
"If she were still alive, she'd never choose something I hated, never give me a dress that would make me look ridiculous in front of our guests. And if I had worn that dress tonight, wouldn't that have embarrassed Grandma? Is that really what you want?"
Thea's eyes widened, scandalized. "What nonsense are you talking about?"
Bianca's gaze slid to Blair. "Your gown is stunning. If Thea treated me the same way she treats you, I wouldn't have felt the need to choose my own."
She reached into her clutch and pulled out a small, ornate box. In front of everyone, she opened it. Inside lay the dress Thea had chosen for her—garish colors clashing in the worst way, the design hopelessly outdated. Under the banquet hall's glittering lights, it looked even cheaper.
Bianca's voice rang clear, carrying easily to every corner of the room. "I've kept the dress my stepmother gave me safe. But I can't understand why she chose this for me. My sister's gown is exquisite, and this one…" She let the pause hang, letting the crowd's eyes take in every unflattering detail.
A ripple of murmurs spread through the guests.
"My God, the taste is awful."
"That's deliberate… the real daughter gets the glamour, the stepdaughter gets this."
Thea's face turned ashen. She lunged forward to snatch the dress away, but Bianca stepped back, lifting it high out of reach.
Her eyes glistened faintly. "Thea, you say you treat me like your own daughter… but why is it that what you give me always feels like second-rate leftovers? I'm not offended by the dress—it's the way you make me feel."
For a heartbeat, Bianca caught the flicker of panic and spite in Thea's gaze. Without breaking her poise, she shoved the dress back into Thea's arms as if discarding something worthless.
"A gift belongs with its giver," she said lightly.
She moved past them, her shoulder brushing Thea's with deliberate force. Thea staggered, nearly dropping the dress, the humiliation sharp.
"Bianca! Stop right there!" Thea's voice cracked, the veneer of civility gone.
Bianca halted, turning slowly, her face calm. "Thea, do you have more advice for me? Or would you rather I put on this dress here, in front of Grandma and every guest, so you can be satisfied?"
"You… you have no respect!" Thea's hand trembled as she pointed at the dress. "I prepared this for you out of kindness, and instead you twist it into some scandal."
"Kindness or cruelty… everyone here can see for themselves," Bianca said, her tone even, her gaze sweeping the crowd's knowing eyes.
"Enough!" Glenn's voice cut through the tension as he strode over, his expression thunderous. He had heard enough to know the family's image was in jeopardy.
"Bianca, apologize to Thea right now! Then leave. You're embarrassing us."
Bianca looked at him, her chest tightening with cold disappointment. Her chin lifted in defiance. "Why should I apologize? Did I lie? From the time I was a child, has Thea ever given me the same things she gives my sister? Father, do you really not see it?"
"You dare talk back to me?" Glenn's fury boiled over. His hand shot up, ready to strike.
But Bianca's reflexes were faster. She caught his wrist mid-swing, her grip unyielding. Glenn's eyes widened at the strength in her hold.
"Father, you want to hit me? Is it because I tore away the mask you all wear, because I made the Rodriguez family look bad? Or is it because you can't admit you've been enabling them to mistreat your own daughter?"
"That's a lie!" Blair rushed forward, voice trembling with feigned hurt. "Bianca, how can you accuse Mom and me of such things? We've treated you well. Dad is strict because he cares about you! How can you twist it like this?"
"Lies?" Bianca's laugh was cold. She turned to Blair. "Shall we pull up the home security footage? Let everyone see exactly how you and your mother treat me when no one's watching? Shall we show them how you've been planning to push me out of the Rodriguez family?"
Blair's face drained of color.