Chapter 56

Emily rocked a black strapless dress with a simple shawl, her long hair pinned up with a hairpin from Calliope.

Even with such a simple outfit, Emily looked super elegant and classy, not over-the-top but just right,giving off a unique vibe of luxury.

That plain dress surprisingly made Emily the star of the room.

Veda, on the other hand, was decked out in a gown covered in thousands of diamonds, each one sparkling like crazy. When the liht hit her,all you could see was her blinged-out dress.

"Wow,the Johnsons really went all out for their adopted daughter. She must've cost a fortune from head to toe."

"They don't seem to care much about their real daughter. Good thing she's naturally pretty, or she'd be a laughingstock today."

"Even though the Johnson's real daughter has been living in the countryside for years, she still has that natural elegance. No need for fancy clothes."

As Veda made her way down the stairs, she could hear the compliments getting louder. When she realized everyone was praising Emily,her face went pale.

Sure, Emily was naturally beautiful, but Veda couldn't stand her flaunting it.

Some folks even whispered that Veda was lacking in grace and nobility.

She thought. T've been planning this birthday party forever. Are these

people blind? What's so great about Emily in that black dress?

Deep down, Veda knew Emily looked stunning without any extras.

Suddenly. Veda regretted sharing her birthday with Emily. It felt like a slap in the face. She took a deep breath and quickly pulled herself together.She thought, 'Enjoy your last moment, Emily. Tonight, I'll make sure you fall.

Once she reached the bottom, Veda stopped a staff member and asked, "Is Mr.Smith here yet?"

The staff member shook his head. Veda felt a bit let down and looked down. She really wanted James to show up.

In Emerald City, no one's birthday party could get James to attend. If she could get him to come, she'd definitelymake a splash in high society.

After they left the stage, Mia and Calliope camedown too.

Calliope had never been to the Johnson family's birthday parties before because Veda was always the star.

Calliope would usually throw a small party at home forEmily's birthday.

The young ladies at the event gathered around Veda, whispering,"Didn't you say Mr. Smith was coming tonight? Where is he?"

They were mainly there to see James.

Veda licked her lips and said softly, "Mr. Smith got my invite, and he'll definitely come. Don't worry. He's a busy guy, probably just running late."

Everyone relaxed, thinking Veda wouldn't lie about something like that.

No one dared to mess with James's name.

Everyone crowded around Veda, and soon Emily was pushed out of the spotlight.

Meanwhile,Mia and Aiden were mingling with guests, while Emily and Calliope enjoyed some quiet time.

Calliope gave Emily's hand a comforting pat and whispered, "I should've booked a bigger, fancier hall for you. How can your parents be so unfair?"

Calliope had been by Emily's side forever, loving her since she was a kid.

Emily gently reassured her, "Mom, it's fine."

With Calliope around, Emily already felt warm and loved. Calliope started handing her more gifts.

"Mom, you just gave me some gifts recently..."

Being the emotional and empathetic person she was, Calliope softly said,"Our Emmy deserves the best. I hate to compare, but I can't stand Veda!These are from your dad and grandpa. This headpiece is from your sister;she was worried you wouldn't like it."

John's younger sister had been learning to weave,and this was her first piece.

Emily beamed, "If it's from her, I love it."

But she couldn't fit everything on her head.

Watching Calliope pull out all these goodies from her bag, Emily couldn't help but smile.

It was like Calliope's love easily wiped away the sting of being ignored by Mia.

Finally, Emily and Calliope sat in the rest area. With Calliope by her side,no one dared to bother Emily for a while. But soon, Calliope got called away by a phone call.

Veda, surrounded by people, kept glancing at Emily. They quickly noticed that once Calliope left, a bunch of young, handsome guys started asking Emily to dance.

Emily turned them all down, but more kept coming.

Veda,not impressed by these guys, muttered to herself, "Such a flirt."

Veda hatched a plan. She called out, "Emily."

Emily looked over, curious about what Veda was up to. If Veda wanted to play games, Emily was ready.

As she got closer, she heard Veda and the other girls making fun of her.

"That dress looks so outdated, like it's from years ago."

Veda raised an eyebrow, looking at Emily with a smug expression,and said, "Don't say that. Emily hasn't seen much. It's herfirst time at a party like this, so it's normal not to know what to wear."

"Yeah, she's been back for years, but we've never seen her at any party.Is she a fake heiress or something?"

"She must be a pain at home. Her parents don't seem to care about her.How many people even know the Johnsons have two daughters?"

"Everyone knows Veda, and she's amazing. She's already a designer at Golden Birch Group and will definitely shine internationally."

They praised Veda and put down Emily, their eyes full of disdain.

Veda handed Emily a glass of wine. "Emily, don't mind them."

Veda felt confident because Mia and Aiden were there,and she thought Emily wouldn't dare to cause a scene.