Chapter 204: The Powder Room Trap
He added, “It’s just a dress—what’s the big deal? She can wear whatever she wants; it’s her choice.”
Someone else spoke up, using Jackson’s name to persuade Taylor. “Today is Mr. Jackson’s birthday. Ms. Taylor, you wouldn’t want to upset him, right?”
Sensing the shift in momentum as the crowd began siding with her, Elsie lifted her hand and gently wiped away her tears, her lips curling into a victorious smile.
Taylor saw it—of course she did—but she couldn’t explode, not with Jackson’s reputation at stake. What she really marveled at was Elsie’s manipulation. Play the victim, and you win the crowd. Elsie had it down to an art. She wore a fake dress and stole the spotlight, yet with a few tears and Paul’s defense, she was the one painted as aggressive and overbearing.
Taylor had once thought Yunice was too much of a pushover; now, caught in a trap herself, she finally understood what Yunice had been living through.
Taylor curled her lip into a cold smirk and shot Elsie a look. “I won’t forget this.”
After Taylor and Paul walked off, a few gentlemen politely offered Elsie tissues. She accepted with practiced grace, dabbing at her tears with delicate fingers. When she looked up again, her expression had transformed into a demure and elegant smile.
She’d actually managed to best Taylor tonight. Unbelievable. So what if Taylor came from an elite family? That didn’t make her invincible. But the gown…
Elsie wasn’t stupid. She knew it couldn’t be a coincidence that she showed up in the same dress as Taylor. If Yunice had been the one wearing this gown, I would have been the one humiliated just now.
Elsie couldn’t figure out why Wyatt would do this. She began scanning the crowd for any sign of Yunice. Is she even here tonight?
“Yunice!” Elsie turned her head and, through the crowd, spotted her. Yunice wore a princess-cut gown, her pale skin glowing under the lights as she stood quietly among the guests. Smiling softly, she set down her champagne and gracefully made her way toward the restroom. She went alone. No one followed her. Elsie’s eyes darkened. She followed immediately—she had questions, and she wanted answers.
The restroom was at the end of a quiet hallway, tucked away from the main bustle. Hardly anyone passed through there.
Yunice turned a corner, and Elsie, lifting the hem of her dress, rushed to catch up. But the moment she stepped inside the restroom, the door slammed shut behind her.
Startled, Elsie spun around—only to see several well-dressed women standing at the entrance, arms crossed. Yunice was nowhere to be seen.
“Where’s Yunice?” Elsie realized she’d been tricked. But as she looked at the group of women, their upscale fashion made one thing clear—these weren’t Yunice’s type of friends.
Timidly, she asked, “Are you friends with Yunice? Or…with Taylor?”
“You still have the nerve to call her Taylor?” One of the women exchanged a look with the others—and they all burst into laughter.
When the laughter died down, the woman in front straightened her face. “That sweet little act of yours only works on men. We’re not buying it.”
Another rolled up her sleeves. “What I can’t stand are women who throw themselves at married men. You’re a disgrace.”
Clearly, they hadn’t come to talk. Elsie stumbled backward, tearful and pleading. “Ladies, you’ve got it all wrong. I knew Paul first—he only married Taylor because he had no choice. I’m the victim here…”
They weren’t interested in her excuses. They lunged forward and stripped the dress off her. Left in only her underwear, Elsie crouched on the floor, sobbing and hugging herself.
“If you ever mess with our girl again, we’ll strip you every time we see you.”
“Ugh! Trash like you doesn’t deserve to wear the same dress as her.” One of them snatched up the gown and walked out with it.
The women strutted out of the restroom and hung a “Maintenance in Progress” sign on the door. Until the party ended and the guests left, naked little Elsie wasn’t going anywhere.
Only after everyone had cleared out did Yunice emerge from the shadows. She had heard it all—Elsie’s faint voice still echoed from inside, “Hello, is anyone out there? Can someone help me?” Yunice ignored her. She quietly nudged the “Maintenance” sign a few more feet down the hall—just to make extra sure no one wandered by. Good deed done, she headed back downstairs.
Standing at the railing on the second floor, she calmly scanned the crowd below. Once she located her target, she started down the stairs with a quiet purpose.