Chapter 47 A Flurry of Slaps
“Not only have you made a fool of him, but you’ve also driven a wedge between us! What are you doing here? Trying to repulse everyone?”
Lydia knew Charlotte had never liked her. She had always seen Charlotte as the quintessential high-society matron, someone who carried herself with an air of superiority. Even if Charlotte looked down on her, Lydia thought it would be nothing more than a frosty reception. She never expected Charlotte to lash out physically. Caught completely off guard, Lydia didn’t have time to react as Charlotte’s hand connected with her face, delivering two sharp slaps that left her cheeks stinging and swollen.
Charlotte’s eyes were bloodshot with rage, her chest heaving as she glared at Lydia. The sight of her made Charlotte’s blood boil. She thought, “What makes you think you’re worthy of marrying my son?”
Lydia’s manipulative little games were transparent to Charlotte. She had dealt with countless women like Lydia around her husband before, all of them gold diggers looking to climb the social ladder by snagging a wealthy man. Charlotte had fought tooth and nail to maintain her status as a high-society wife, keeping her husband, Morton Aniston, away from women like Lydia for years.
Now, just when things had finally settled down, here came another opportunist, eyeing her son Dalton. Charlotte was a force of nature, and she wouldn’t tolerate any nonsense. The sight of Lydia had been the last straw, making her think of the recent standoff with Dalton over Lydia. For years, Dalton had always respected her wishes, but this time, he had blindsided her by switching his engagement from Meryl to Lydia without so much as a heads-up. And to make matters worse, she was the last to find out. The thought of losing her son to this woman made Charlotte’s blood boil.
As a fellow woman, she could see through Lydia’s facade. Did Lydia truly love Dalton, or was it just his status she craved? The calculating glint in Lydia’s eyes was a dead giveaway, starkly contrasting with Meryl’s genuine affection.
“Gold digger! How dare you think you’re good enough for my son? You’re not even fit to carry his shoes!”
Ignoring the onlookers from the second and third branches of the family, Charlotte lunged at Lydia, unleashing a flurry of slaps. “You think you can just swoop in and become a princess? Who do you think you are?”
By the time anyone could react, Charlotte had Lydia pinned to the floor, raining down blows. Lydia was utterly unprepared for this onslaught. She had come here hoping to win over the Aniston family, eager to secure her engagement to Dalton. With Charlotte being the elder, Lydia didn’t dare fight back, and Cate joined in, throwing punches and kicks. Lydia was in agony, unable to escape the barrage, her mouth agape as she screamed for help.
Dalton’s eyelids twitched at the chaos. He sprang from the hospital bed, yanking Charlotte and Cate away from Lydia with all his might. “Enough! Stop it right now!”
The force of his intervention sent Charlotte stumbling backward, nearly losing her balance. With Cate’s help, she managed to steady herself.
“Lydia didn’t do anything wrong! Mom, calm down! Just look at you—this isn’t how you should be acting!”
Charlotte’s anger flared at the sight of her son defending Lydia. “You’re siding with her?”
Dalton’s temples throbbed as he gestured for Lydia to hide behind him. “My injuries have nothing to do with Lydia. I’m the one who decided to announce the engagement.”
Lydia’s hair was a mess, her cheeks marked with angry red handprints, and blood trickled from the corner of her mouth. She looked utterly defeated. Yet in front of the Aniston family, she couldn’t afford to cry, fearing it would only make things worse. Instead, she kept her head down, trying to blend into the background.
Charlotte’s fury turned to bitter laughter. “So you want to protect her, huh? Dalton, do you even see me as your mother anymore?”
With that, Charlotte lunged at Lydia once more, grabbing a fistful of her hair, intent on dragging her out of the room.