Finally, Clara left the kitchen through the small door and went to the garden. She walked around, playing with her phone.
While she was playing, a call came in.
It was from her mother.
Clara hesitated for a moment before answering the call.
“Mom…”
“Come home for dinner tonight with Ethan,” Sophia said, her voice commanding.
Clara replied, “Okay.”
Sophia hung up immediately.
Clara frowned slightly.
She didn’t want to go home for dinner.
Her parents never liked her. Now that she was married to Ethan, her mother believed she had seduced him.
But it was her family home; she couldn’t refuse to go back.
After lunch, Ethan and Clara went back to their room.
Clara looked at Ethan.
Ethan looked at Clara. During lunch, Clara had been glancing at him frequently, looking troubled.
“What’s wrong?” Ethan asked.
“Mom wants us to go home for dinner tonight,” Clara said. She looked at Ethan, hoping he would refuse. She preferred to face her family alone, even though she knew what awaited her there. She didn’t want Ethan to accompany her.
“Got it,” Ethan said calmly.
Did that mean he was going with her?
“Don’t you have any engagements tonight?” Clara asked.
She rarely saw Ethan go out for social events in the evening.
But her parents had many engagements every day, especially on weekends. They were hardly ever home.
Ethan raised an eyebrow. “Why? Don’t you want me to go with you?”
Clara quickly replied, “No.”
“I don’t need to attend social events,” Ethan said.
As the vice president of Logan Group, he had plenty of invitations every day. But he attended only when he felt like it.
Because of the dinner at her parents’ house, Clara was distracted all afternoon.
She really didn’t want to go home.
At home, she would see her parents’ angry faces and her sister’s resentful expression. She didn’t know how to deal with it.
But no matter how much she didn’t want to go, she had to.
At four in the afternoon, Clara took a shower, changed clothes, and got ready to go home.
“I’m ready,” Clara said.
Ethan looked at Clara.
She wore a simple white shirt and jeans, old clothes.
“Change into something else,” Ethan said.
Clara was surprised that Ethan had an opinion on her outfit. She looked down at herself. The white shirt and jeans were simple and modest. Why wasn’t he satisfied?
Ethan walked into the closet and picked out a pink dress for Clara.
“Wear this,” Ethan said.
Clara complied without arguing about what to wear. She thought Ethan might find her outfit too casual and not formal enough.
Clara obediently changed into the pink dress.
The pink dress was beautiful, a showpiece from Ditin’s latest collection. While pink could make most people look darker, it complemented Clara’s fair complexion perfectly, making her look delicate and lovely.
She looked particularly appealing.
Ethan then checked Clara’s hands. Both were bare.
“Where’s your diamond ring?” Ethan asked.
“It’s too valuable. I was afraid of losing it, so I put it away,” Clara replied.
“If you lose it, I’ll buy you another one,” Ethan said casually.
Was this how wealthy people thought?
A ring worth over a million dollars, and he’d just buy another if it got lost?
“That’s your wedding ring,” Ethan said. “As a married woman, wearing your wedding ring shows your status. If you don’t wear it, people might think you’re single.”
What did it matter what others thought?
“Put it on,” Ethan said sternly.
Fine, she’d wear it.
Clara obediently took out the diamond ring and put it on.
Finally satisfied, Ethan took Clara downstairs.
“Mr. Ethan, Lady Clara, the gifts are already in the car,” the butler said respectfully.
Clara gave the butler a surprised look.
Gifts?
Who had arranged for gifts?
Was it Ethan?
Clara glanced at Ethan.
“Let’s go,” Ethan said, taking Clara’s hand and leading her out.
—
When they arrived at the Everett family home, Ethan carried the gifts inside with Clara by his side.
In the living room were William Everett, Sophia, and Iris.
“Ethan is here,” William greeted warmly and eagerly approached Ethan with a smile.
“Father,” Ethan greeted coolly.
William nodded with a smile. “You didn’t have to bring anything.”
He signaled a servant to take the gifts from Ethan and then started chatting with him.
From the moment Clara entered the house, Iris’s gaze was fixed on her.
Her sister looked different today-beautiful in a Ditin showpiece that was both stunning and expensive. Iris knew Clara couldn’t afford such clothes herself.
Who bought it for her? Was it Ethan?
Jealousy flashed in Iris’s eyes. When they lived together at the Everett family home, Clara’s clothes and accessories were always slightly inferior to hers. But now, married to Ethan, Clara wore high-end brands that Iris herself hesitated to buy due to their price.
Everything that should have been hers was now Clara’s.
“Clara…” Iris suppressed her jealousy and smiled as she approached Clara and took her hand. She paused when she saw the large pink diamond on Clara’s ring finger-a diamond of at least seven or eight carats worth millions of dollars.
“Is this…?” Iris forced a smile as she asked Clara about the ring.
Clara tried to pull her hand back but Iris held on tightly. “Did Ethan buy this for you?” Iris asked with a strained smile.
Clara didn’t know how to respond. It was indeed from Ethan, but saying so wouldn’t please Iris.
“It’s beautiful,” Iris said with a forced smile while Clara remained silent.
“Ethan is discussing business with Father; let’s go upstairs and chat,” Iris suggested with a smile.
Clara nodded.
Ethan glanced at Clara.
She felt his gaze but didn’t understand why he was looking at her like that.
“Let’s go,” Iris said, pulling Clara upstairs to her room.
Iris scrutinized Clara before asking, “Clara, are you doing well at the Logan family? Are they treating you well?”
Clara shook her head. “No, I’m doing fine.”
Iris seemed surprised by Clara’s response. “Clara, I’m your sister; we’re family. You don’t have to lie to me.”
She wasn’t lying to Iris.
Iris sighed sadly. “Given the circumstances under which you married into the Logan family, how could they treat you well?”
“They haven’t made things difficult for me,” Clara insisted truthfully.
The Logan family hadn’t troubled her at all. She spent most of her time at school and only saw them during meals before retreating to her room. They mostly ignored her but never mistreated her.
To Clara, their indifference was no different from being around strangers; it didn’t bother her. She never tried to win their favor because she believed that eventually, she would leave the Logan family regardless of her current situation with Ethan.
“Really?” Iris asked skeptically.
“Yes,” Clara nodded firmly.
Iris studied Clara’s expression and saw no signs of deceit. She knew her sister well enough to recognize when she was lying. So perhaps the Logan family really hadn’t bullied Clara after all.