Chapter 7 Willa's Plot
858 Words
Quentin's voice, laced with an unquestionable air of authority, echoed through the spacious dining room. "You rascal! What did you just say?"
He abruptly rose from his seat, his walking stick trembling slightly with fury, his weather-beaten eyes fixed intently on Ivor.
"I said, I will not marry Cassia." Ivor stood his ground, unflinching, his gaze equally resolute, even carrying a hint of imperceptible determination.
Every word landed like a heavy hammer, striking the hearts of everyone present.
"You... Are you trying to be the death of me?" Quentin's face instantly turned ashen. He raised his walking stick as if to strike but, remembering that this was his grandson, he ultimately couldn't bring himself to do it.
Still, the tightness in his chest lingered.
Willa hurried to Quentin's side and gently patted his back to help him calm down. "Mr. Parker, Ivor has always been a headstrong one. He must have his reasons. There are so many breakups and makeups among our generation. Don't take it too hard, Mr. Parker. I'm sure Ivor can handle it himself."
Quentin sighed and looked at Cassia with sympathy. "Forget it. It's just... poor Cassia."
"Mr. Parker, it's alright." Cassia forced a smile, seemingly comforting Quentin.
She hadn't expected Ivor to be so blunt. It seemed his disgust for her had truly reached its peak.
The lively atmosphere returned to the dinner table, but the undercurrents were apparent only to themselves.
After dinner, Cassia excused herself to the back garden. She feared that if she stayed any longer, she would reveal her true feelings in front of Quentin.
She and Ivor couldn't possibly feign the appearance of a long-time loving couple. She hoped that when Quentin learned the truth, he would forgive her white lie.
Unexpectedly, she bumped into Willa there.
A sense of foreboding washed over Cassia. She wanted to turn and leave, but Willa blocked her path.
"Stop!"
Cassia ignored her and walked straight ahead.
"I told you to stop, didn't you hear me?" Willa stood in Cassia's way. "You wretch. I'm warning you, stay away from Ivor. And I believe you're a smart woman. Know your place and don't covet what doesn't belong to you." Willa's voice was sharp and piercing, a far cry from her usual delicate flower persona.
Cassia sneered. "I have no idea what you are talking about. I have something to attend to. Please excuse me."
"Cassia, don't think you can act recklessly just because you have Quentin backing you. The Green family is finished. You're nothing but an orphan now. And that good-for-nothing brother of yours, who knows where he's gallivanting, leaving you behind. Do you really think the Parker family would take in someone as dirty as you?"
"Say that again. I dare you." Cassia's eyes narrowed. Her family was her bottom line; she wouldn't tolerate Willa's insults.
"I said..."
Slap!
Before Willa could finish, Cassia raised her hand and slapped her across the face. The sound was crisp, indicating the force behind it.
"That's to teach you to watch your mouth."
Willa clutched her cheek, looking at Cassia in disbelief. "You... You dared to hit me?"
Slap!
"And that's for using your filthy mind to judge others."
Cassia rubbed her hands together, a strange sense of satisfaction welling up within her as she looked at Willa's reddened, swollen face. As expected, symmetrical beauty was the best kind.
Willa, caught off guard by Cassia's actions, was momentarily stunned.
'This woman... How dare she!' she wondered, '
Very well, then don't blame her for being ruthless.'
Willa, regaining her composure, shot a glance into the shadows. Soon, Cassia felt a sharp pain in her shoulder. Before she could
understand what was happening, she blacked out.
If she could look back, she would have seen a young man standing behind her.
He was in his twenties, tall and slender, with a sickly pallor, as if from excessive indulgence.
At this moment, a lewd smile played on his lips, and his eyes held a look of unconcealed anticipation.
"Mark, she's all yours. Make sure to entertain her well." Willa folded her arms and spoke to the man before her.
She stared venomously at Cassia in Mark Parker's arms, sneering inwardly, 'Cassia, oh Cassia, you'd never imagine you'd end up like this. I wonder what Ivor would think if he knew what you'd been up to?'
"Don't worry, Willa. With a beauty like this, I wouldn't dream of mistreating her." Mark licked his lips, unable to contain his excitement. "Though I never expected you, with your innocent act, to be capable of something like this."
Mark, with one arm around Cassia, reached out to Willa with his other hand.
"Don't you dare touch me. Just take her and go." Willa swatted his hand away, her face a mask of disgust.
'How could this kind of man be worthy of touching me?' she wondered.
"Fine."
Mark glanced at the unconscious woman in his arms, swallowed hard, and avoiding the other guests, carried Cassia back to his room.
Willa watched them leave with a satisfied smirk, gritting her teeth as she muttered to herself, "This is all your fault."
- Writer
