Chapter 111: Wear it

Upon hearing the news from the maid, Katherine and Vanessa Peters angrily rush upstairs to plot a way to punish Gabrielle. As they go, they see Janetta sneaking out of Avery and Evan's bedroom.

"Mom, you're pregnant, why are you running around like this?" Janetta asks as her hands fly to her chest in a panic.

"How come you're sneaking out of Avery's room?" Katherine asks, her eyes narrowed in suspicion.

Janetta glances nervously up and down the hall. When she sees she's alone with her mother and sister she quickly pulls them into the bedroom and shuts the door behind them. She pulls out her phone and shows them a series of photos she's taken.

"I found this in Avery's luggage," she whispers excitedly.

Katherine's eyes widen with surprise as she examines the photos. 

"Is this a divorce agreement?" she asks, "Do you mean to tell me that they have signed a divorce agreement after all? I can't believe this!"

"It's true," Janetta whispers in a low, calm voice, "As you can see, their signatures are right here."

"Do you mean to say this whole act they've been putting on, pretending to be affectionate and in love is just a charade for our benefit?" Katherine asks, "Are they already legally divorced?"

"It's no wonder Evan made Gabrielle the star of the party over Avery," Vanessa hisses and stamps her feet, "I wonder if he's interested in Gabrielle now. I should have said that other men were handsome so Evan would get jealous and make me the star. Who knew Gabrielle was so scheming? She finally attracted Evan's attention."

Janetta smiles complacently and puts her phone away, but Katherine and Vanessa protest and ask to see the photos again. With a dramatic sigh, Vanessa throws herself onto the sofa and hugs a velvet throw pillow to her chest.

"Gabrielle can't be the star of the party," Vanessa whines, "I should be the star. I'm the only one who deserves it!"

"Evan personally designated Gabrielle as the star, so what can you do about it?" Katherine asks, sitting down next to her daughter, "If you intervene or make a scene, you'll only annoy and offend Evan and embarrass our family."

"When did I say I'd intervene?" Vanessa snaps, "I'm not going to do anything—I just think it's unfair."

Katherine rolls her eyes at her sulking daughter and turns to Janetta.

"Janetta, you should give me the photos," she says with a sly smile, "I think they'll add some intrigue to our party, don't you?"

"Mom, you're always so thoughtful," Vanessa says, her mood brightening.

Vanessa is rabidly jealous of her younger half-sisters. She's a shallow woman, and she's obsessed with Evan's good looks and enormous wealth. Though she fancies herself in love with him, she's not as brave or bold as Janetta—on her own she wouldn't dare to do anything as bold as snoop through Avery's room or reveal her divorce agreement. Instead, she always follows in her sister and mother's footsteps.

Janetta purses her lips in thought and sends the photos to Katherine.

"Although they've signed a divorce agreement, Evan still seems to indulge in Avery," Janetta says, "Though we can't be sure of his motivations, I suspect he may still love her. He kissed her in public and announced that she belongs to him, and he was furious to find out she used to photograph other men. Though there are many beautiful women in this house, he seems to only have eyes for her—he looks through the rest of us as if we were made of air."

Janetta can't understand why they seem so close after signing a divorce agreement. When she thinks about the way Evan held Avery in his arms that morning, she feels a stabbing rage pierce her heart.

"If Evan really still loved her, he wouldn't allow the divorce," Katherine says with a shrug, "Though there may be more at play here than we realize. Only a stupid woman would lose a man like Evan Howel, and while Avery may be many things, she's not stupid."

"What do you think is happening then?" Vanessa asks, lazily lifting her head, "What are their reasons for the divorce?"

"I suppose we can't know their true reasons, but it's been rumored that there are many conflicts between them," Katherine says with a calculating gleam in her eyes.

"Be careful," Janetta warns.

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"I'm not stupid or careless," Katherine smiles mysteriously, "I just plan to drop some hints here and there."

"Mom, what's your plan?" Vanessa asks eagerly.

Before Katherine can explain her plan, the women hear a large group of servants bustling down the corridor. Vanessa jumps up and quietly pokes her head out the door. A large group of maids is carrying boxes down the corridor and piling them in one of the sitting rooms. Each box is emblazoned with the name of a famous designer, and the maids have been unable to resist opening a few. A variety of beautiful clothing, jewelry, and shoes peek out from the open boxes.

"Oh my god," Vanessa exclaims, "It's all gorgeous!"

Her exclamation draws Janetta and Katherine to the door.

"What are we waiting for, girls?" Katherine asks, "Let's go down and have a look."

Vanessa eagerly rushes downstairs. Katherine watches her go and then shares a meaningful glance with Janetta.

"I need to find Gabrielle," Katherine says.

Janetta nods and follows Vanessa downstairs.

"Do you think Evan sent this to us for the party?" Vanessa asks, eagerly unwrapping the boxes, "It's all so beautiful and in all the latest styles. I've seen this designer in magazines before—usually, he only does pieces for the Duchess of Cambridge and other royalty."

"The latest style? It's just so-so," Janetta says cooly, "Look at this box instead. These are truly luxurious evening gowns. Evan really does live in a rich man's world."

Vanessa lifts one of the gowns and measures it against her body, "It's too small!"

Janetta also holds one of the dresses against her body and frowns tartly.

"The sizes aren't suitable for us," Janetta complains, "Do you think all this clothing is for Avery?"

"Avery is a little taller than us, but she's not so much thinner," Vanessa snaps, offended, "We can usually wear her clothes, but these clothes are definitely too small for us."

"Are they for Gabrielle?" Janetta asks.

Katherine enters the room and picks up a pair of shoes. She examines the small, narrow shoes and frowns. She knows the shoes are too small for her daughters to wear. As she examines the beautiful but petite clothing, her face distorts with irritation and rage. It's clear the clothes aren't meant for her daughters and she wants to shred them to pieces.

"Look, there's another box over there," Vanessa exclaims, noticing an unopened box buried beneath the discarded wrapping and tissue paper, "Is it another gown?"

Janetta crosses the room to open the box. She notices a string of elegant script scrawled across the top of the box: "If you are willing to wear it..." The message trails off and an arrow points down at the contents of the box.

Janetta quickly tears the lid off and opens the box. A delicate, gauzy white veil sits at the top of the box, but Janetta is more interested in what lies underneath. She tosses the veil aside, revealing a beautiful evening gown, embroidered with fine white thread and hundreds of pearls. The pearls are attached to the skirt of the gown to resemble the constellations of the Milky Way. 

"Oh my God, those pearls are so beautiful!" Vanessa gushes, "It's a pity that the waist is too small. None of us could fit it, except for Gabrielle."

Among the sisters, Janetta and Avery have the most similar body types. They're similar in height and they have similar figures. From the back and from a distance, it would be difficult to distinguish between the two—though Avery is slightly taller and thinner.

"I don't know, I think you could fit into it," Vanessa says, joining Janetta by the box, "Would you like to try it on? Perhaps it was meant for you?"

Janetta accepts her sister's flattery and happily puts on the gown.

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