A Beauty With Multiple Masks (Novel)

Chapter 4

There isn’t any exquisite dress she could wear to hide the fact that she was just a foolish country bumpkin! At the same time, Shandie was not afraid that Henrick would blame her for turning Arielle into a laughingstock. After all, she had given Arielle her most expensive dress. She only has herself to blame for not being able to fit into that dress! On top of that, the heels Shandie prepared for Arielle were also four inches high.

I bet this country bumpkin had never worn any heels in her life. She might slip and fall in those stilettos when she walks downstairs later. Ha! Shandie was so proud of her wit that she almost wanted to applaud herself. She could not wait to see all the guests’ reactions when they saw her in that dress.

I want everyone to know that this country bumpkin doesn’t deserve to be my sister! “Hey, Arielle. I’ll be downstairs, okay?” Shandie said, “Dinner’s about to start. Come down once you’re ready!” “Okay…” Arielle replied from the room. Upon hearing her response, Shandie turned around and left. Let’s get the party started so that all the guests, especially Vinson, will have a chance to see how hideous she is!

Shandie hummed a cheerful tune as she made her way downstairs. She seemed to have forgotten how Vinson had embarrassed her earlier. It’s okay. People will forget about it soon. The only thing they’ll remember is how ridiculous Arielle looks! Back in the room, Arielle altered the dress a little so that it would fit her nicely.

Knowing that Shandie would embarrass her by giving her an ill-fitting dress, she found a sewing kit in the living hall and brought it into the room. After putting it on and seeing how she looked in the mirror, she was pleased with the results. The couture dress looked great on her tall and slender body, and her collarbones became even more apparent after spending a week on the island. It fit her like a glove as if it was tailor-made.

Since when is Shandie this kind-hearted? Is she not as evil as I thought she was? Arielle decided to trust her initial gut instinct. She removed the dress and examined it carefully once again. After a five-minute inspection, she did not find anything fishy about the dress. Hmm. That's strange. Arielle put it on, looked into the mirror, and studied the cut of the dress closely. She soon realized how challenging it was for someone to look great in this dress.

The wearer must not only be tall and slender but must also have a nice bust size to accentuate the specific cut of the dress. Any woman with thick arms and large shoulders would not look graceful in it. But if the wearer fulfilled all the criteria, she would look glorious in that dress. A corner of Arielle’s mouth quirked up. So that has been Shandie’s intention all along, huh? Too bad! I exercise regularly and have an ideal body shape that will look amazing in the dress. I can’t wait to see the disappointment on her face later! 

Initially, Arielle wanted to lay low as she did not want to become the center of attention of someone else’s birthday party. But what Shandie did made her realize she had no choice but to do something to stir up a hornet’s nest in this family.

Once the seemingly peaceful family became chaotic, Arielle believed the truth would eventually surface. After putting on the silver heels Shandie had prepared for her, she stepped out of the room. The heels were so high that had she lost focus, she would fall. Shandie decided to start the party early. She turned on all the lamps in the hall that had been extravagantly decorated. All the guests held a glass of champagne in their hands while they listened to Shandie’s speech.

Vinson, who had done sprucing himself up, stood among the crowd too. He was neither interested in the birthday party nor the pretentious socialites around him. He only stayed back to bid Arielle, his savior, farewell. Though he thought the girl he rescued was crude and unsophisticated, it was the right thing to do. Shandie got up the stage and took a glance at Vinson. Upon realizing he was still around, she believed he had stayed for her.

Someone as esteemed as him must be too embarrassed to admit that he’s interested in me. That’s why he pretended he didn’t know me. Oh well, I guess all powerful men are like that. She decided to take the initiative to express her interest in Vinson. She walked up to the mic and tried to make eye contact with Vinson.

“Good evening, Mr. Nightshire, welcome to my birthday party. I’m so pleased to see you here.” A crease appeared between Vinson’s brows when he heard that. Who on earth is this ridiculous woman? Why does she act as if I know her very well? And where is that girl? Why hasn’t she come down yet? A big part of Shandie’s speech revolved around Vinson. It was as if she was trying hard to remind her other guests of his presence here. At this point, a housekeeper walked up to her and whispered, “Ms. Moore is coming down now.”

“Great! Turn on all the lights near the stairs!” I want everyone to turn their attention to the clown! “Yes, Miss!” The housekeeper replied. The stairs were lit up all of a sudden. Anyone who stood there would have been thrust into the limelight. Can’t wait for the clown to take center stage! “Ladies and gentlemen, today is indeed a meaningful day for our family as my sister from the same father is finally home!” With enthusiasm, Shandie spoke into the mic once again.

“Human traffickers kidnapped her ten years ago, and today, she finally returned from the village! I’m truly glad…” Before Shandie could finish her sentence, all the guests turned their heads around and when they heard footsteps coming down from the stairs. Shandie’s face looked distorted as she tried to suppress her sarcastic smile. She raised her hand and pointed at the stairs. “Let us put our hands together to welcome my sister!”

All the guests did not know what was going on but played along by clapping their hands reluctantly. Why should we clap our hands to welcome a girl from the village? They only did what she told them to because they had to show the Southall family some respect since they were one of the prominent families in Jadeborough.

Otherwise, they would not even bother to look at a disheveled beggar! Upon hearing how Shandie introduced her, Arielle raised her brows and smirked. She can't wait for me to make a fool of myself, can she?

Arielle was not someone who took pride in her looks as she knew appearance was just a façade. But under such  circumstances, she wished to take this opportunity to show Shandie how she looked.