One man laughed and chimed in, glancing around before playfully pushing Laura in front of Darren. "Laura, don't worry. It's all just for fun. Darren is still yours. Who would dare to compete with you? After all, no one's courage is as big as yours. Your mom worked so hard to marry into this family and if you marry him, wouldn't that be incest..."
Before he could finish, Laura, flustered and panicked, quickly interrupted. "No, I don't have a blood relationship with him. I... I and he..."
"Ah!" Melanie let out a loud gasp.
Her movement just now caused the glass on the table to fall and smash onto the floor.
Since the floor was tiled, the fragile glass shattered instantly and a shard sliced across the ankle of the closest person, Laura.
She felt a sharp pain in her ankle and looked down to see bright red blood flowing out, staining her slippers, which she had failed to change in her rush.
At that moment, she felt like a joke, with nothing but a buzzing sound ringing in her ears.
"I'm sorry, Laura, are you okay? I was just trying to get up and make room for you, but I didn't expect my movement to knock over the glass."
Darren pulled Melanie's hand back and spoke in a low voice.
"Don't move, Melanie, there's broken glass everywhere. Be careful not to get hurt."
But in the next moment, his gaze shifted to the crimson stain on Laura’s body. His hand tightened slightly, then slowly relaxed. In the end, he just irritably tapped the table.
"What are you doing here, Laura? Are you here to make a fool of yourself? Get out!"
Laura opened her mouth, but her throat felt dry, unable to speak.
“I... I'm sorry..."
She couldn't understand. Why was he always so gentle with Melanie, yet when it came to her, all he showed was disdain?
If it was because of the misunderstanding from before, she had already explained everything.
Laura was truly exhausted. She knew that the incident from back then was like a thorn lodged between the two of them. If either of them took a step forward, they would be pierced and bleed.
***
Her mother, fearing her own aging and fading beauty, obsessed over money. From the moment she married into the Bill Family, she constantly reminded Laura.