Chapter 4 I'm Not Your Sister

"How dare you!" Ginny tore up the photos.

She snatched the photos from the others except for Benjamin. She didn't dare to touch him. Ginny shredded the pictures and threw the pieces on the floor.

"Let's see how you can publish them now!"

Victoria stared at Ginny, who seemed to have gone mad. "I have plenty of photos. You can tear all you want. If it's not enough, I'll have someone send more over!"

Rushing up to Victoria, Ginny pointed at her with reddened eyes. "Don't you know that doing this will ruin Lettie? If you dare to do that, don't ever expect me to acknowledge you …"

"Shut the hell up!" Victoria interrupted Ginny. She jeered, "Mrs. Jameson, you are overestimating yourself. When did I ever say that I want to be your daughter?

"I have no interest in being your daughter whatsoever! Before I came here, I prepared hundreds of copies of these photos. Those photos will be shared with major newspapers and online if something goes wrong here.

"If you keep bothering me, the whole of Danube City and even Youngville will know about this and the fact that your precious daughter is actually a fake and a mistress who stole her own sister's fiancé!"

Nicole gave Victoria a meaningful look. She had underestimated her. Colette's and Zachary's reputations would be ruined if these photos were leaked.

Also, Mr. Harper Junior, who set up this marriage, would be unhappy with Zachary.

Nicole looked at Victoria. Then, she snarled, "You've crossed a line by dragging the Harper family into your schemes! Are you underestimating the influence of the Harper family?"

Benjamin fiddled with the rosary beads in his hands and sat down on the other side of the sofa. "This happened due to the lack of proper parenting on your end. Do not drag the Harper family into this."

That voice …

Victoria found his voice familiar. She looked at Benjamin, and her doubts vanished.

He was such an attractive and distinguished man. If they had met before, she would have remembered him.

Speechless, Nicole choked up at his retort.

Colette turned to Benjamin. She expressed with a hurt tone, "Uncle Benjamin, matters of the heart can't be controlled or coerced. Forcing an arranged marriage without love would only hinder both parties' happiness."

"Mom and I are only doing this for my sister's sake. I am willing to bear the consequences, but I didn't expect to drag you and the Harper family into this mess. I didn't mean to anger you!"

Ginny suppressed her urge to curse at Victoria and complained, "Yes, I put so much thought into this. Yet, she doesn't appreciate it at all. She is even rebelling against me!"

Benjamin had a disdainful smile on his face. "Are you mocking me? You mean to say that I haven't been in a relationship before, so I know nothing about matters of the heart?"

Bewildered, Colette stared at Benjamin. She tried to explain, "I didn't mean that, Uncle Benjamin … I …"

Wasn't he supposed to be furious at Victoria for threatening the Harper family? Why was he questioning her instead?

Benjamin said coldly, "Address me as Mr. Harper. Even your father, Roman, would show me that respect."

Biting her lip, Colette apologized, "I'm sorry, Mr. Harper."

Victoria was puzzled. Colette should be apologizing to her, right?

As if reading her thoughts, Benjamin pointed to Victoria. "You should apologize to her, not me."

Apologize to Victoria? Colette didn't want to.

"Are you unwilling to?" Benjamin pressed on in an impassive tone.

Colette was startled by Benjamin's words and muttered reluctantly, "I'm sorry, Victoria. It's all my fault. It is wrong of me to fall for Zachary since childhood.

"Even though I knew that both of you were engaged, I followed my heart and loved Zachary. I made the mistake of thinking you had no feelings for each other.

"I accept it willingly if you want to scold or beat me up. However, how could you threaten Uncle Benjamin and the Harper family? They are not involved in this."

Victoria couldn't help but chuckle at Colette's apology. "This is the first time I've heard someone describe being a mistress in such a refreshing manner! Besides, I'm not your sister. I don't want to be related to someone who would degrade herself to being a mistress!"

Colette glared at Victoria. If looks could kill, Victoria would be lying in a pool of blood right now.

She suppressed her anger and nodded silently. Tears rolled down her cheeks. She acted like she had been deeply wronged.

"My poor Lettie." Ginny felt sorry for her daughter and pulled Colette into her arms. She glared at Benjamin and Victoria. "Isn't that enough?"

"What do you think?" Benjamin asked.

Victoria paused for a moment. Then, it dawned on her that Benjamin was asking her a question. She had assumed that Benjamin would be on Colette's side. She was prepared to confront him, but things took an unexpected turn.

When a rare opportunity to ride someone's coattails arose, it would be a sin to let it go to waste.

Victoria mimicked Colette's coquettish manners. She whined, "I'm still feeling very sad, angry, and wronged!"

"Victoria, that's enough!" Ginny roared in a warning tone.

On the other hand, Benjamin smiled and indulged Victoria. "Then, what do you suggest?"

Smirking, Victoria swept her mischievous gaze over everyone in the room. The cunning look in her eyes made her seem like a fox.

Victoria pointed at Colette first, then at Zachary. "Colette, repeat this phrase twenty times, 'I am a two-faced bitch'. Zachary, you keep count!"

"Victoria, you …" Zachary couldn't take it anymore. He was about to burst into expletives when he caught a warning gaze from Benjamin. With that, he didn't dare to speak any further.

"Do it!"

A tense standoff ensued.

Victoria looked troubled. "Are you not going to do it? Then, I will reveal these photos to the public. After all, I've painstakingly come up with those headlines. It's not much trouble for me, really."

Nicole's face was red with fury. However, Benjamin was on Victoria's side, so she had to hold herself back. She nudged Zachary in secret.

Zachary went over to Colette, guilt evident on his face. "Lettie, I'll keep count. You should just say it."

As a man, news of his promiscuous flings was not a big deal. Compared to his affair with Colette, he was more worried that his friends would find out about his engagement to a country bumpkin like Victoria.

Colette's face was drained of color. Squeezing her eyes shut, she steeled her resolve and shouted, "I am a two-faced bitch!"

After repeating the phrase twenty times, Colette slumped to the floor, crying bitterly.

Victoria stared at her and added fuel to the fire. "Hopefully what happened today will put you in your place. Keep up the good work."

Zachary grew even more disgusted with Victoria. The thought of marrying her felt worse than death.

"Now that we did what you asked, you should hand over the film negatives and the engagement token."

Victoria refused with righteous indignation. "It is natural for a mistress who seduced another woman's fiancé to apologize and compensate the victim. You have no right to negotiate terms with me!"

She turned to Colette and sighed. "You could have found other single men to hook up with. Why did you have to find an attached man?

"It's fortunate for you that I am the victim of this incident. If it were some other woman, she would have dragged you out on the streets and given you a few tight slaps."

Colette cried even louder. She was boiling with hatred for Victoria.

Zachary was outraged. "Victoria, you've gone too far. I will never marry a woman like you!"

Victoria smiled contemptuously. "You have no say in the Harper family. Of course, I will call off the engagement. However, it is because I will not marry you and not the other way around. After all, I'm not interested in second-hand goods. Nonetheless, I am the injured party in this …"