CHAPTER 357: WHAT A WORLD WE LIVE IN.

Silence filled the venue hall as every pair of eyes fixed on Lola. Around the chairman’s table sat the Youngs—as tradition dictated—alongside the chairman himself, with Travis as his quiet plus one. No one knew it, but Travis wasn’t officially invited to this event. Celestine, meanwhile, had joined them by virtue of her status, with an extra chair added to accommodate her.

Even so, there remained one seat reserved for the most important guest of the night: Mrs. Bennet.

The seating arrangements may have shifted slightly after the chairman decided to sit elsewhere, but the count remained the same. Every place card was still in order.

"What is she doing sitting in Mrs. Bennet’s seat?" one of the guests whispered. "Oh, boy... this is going to end badly."

"How humiliating when the guest of honor arrives."

"They’d better fix this before Mrs. Bennet gets here," another murmured, shaking his head. "Otherwise, this will be a disaster. Like a diamond turning into stone. The Bennets don’t strike me as people who enjoy drama."

Ironically, he wasn’t entirely wrong—though the Bennets didn’t like being involved in drama, they certainly enjoyed watching it. In fact, one of them had even started a betting pool about tonight’s event, and the rest gleefully enabled her.

"Now I understand the Youngs’ dilemma with their other daughter," someone sighed. "One daughter’s thriving and about to marry into the Lancasters, and the other one is..."

The speaker trailed off, simply staring at Lola’s glowing skirt. "I’d be horrified."

"There’s no such thing as a perfect family," another guest remarked. "There’s always a black sheep. But in this case, it’s a blinking, neon one."

"Her skirt needs a trigger warning," a lady muttered, shielding her eyes. "It’s making me dizzy."

One after another, the guests regained their composure, only to realize the real problem wasn’t just the outfit. It was where Lola was sitting.

"I guess she hasn’t moved on after all," one whispered. "I heard she used to be obsessed with Derek Lancaster."

Derek heard the murmurs, and his face flushed red. He knew Mrs. Bennet would be arriving soon, and thanks to Lola, she was about to walk into a social catastrophe.

"Lola, have you lost your mind?!" Derek barked. "Do you even know whose seat that is?"

"Yeah." Lola fluttered her long eyelashes lazily. "It’s mine."

Derek choked, rage rising to his scalp. Talking to Lola was like talking to a wall. Melissa sighed softly beside him, trying to save what little dignity they had left.

"Lola, please," she said quietly, stepping forward. "I know you want to be here, and I’ll find you another seat. But that one... it’s reserved for someone else."

Winning Mrs. Bennet’s favor was more important than making Lola look bad. Well, Melissa didn’t even have to work hard. Lola was already doing all the damage herself.

Chairman Lancaster frowned, while Travis furrowed his brows. Both men were aware—at least vaguely—of Lola and Atlas’s relationship, inferred through Atlas’s actions. But watching Derek’s ignorance made them exchange a knowing glance.

The Youngs’ confused expressions said it all: they were completely unaware.

The chairman shook his head, choosing to remain silent.

Someone’s about to learn a hard lesson.

"Lola, dear," Jasmine said softly, forcing a smile as she rose from her seat. "Why don’t you take my seat for now?"

"It’s just a seat," Lola replied, cocking her head to the side. "Besides, I told you it’s mine. Why is everyone so angry?"

Her calm tone only fueled the crowd’s irritation.

"It’s not just a seat, Lola," Lawrence gritted out, having a hard time keeping his composure. "Each seat here was carefully arranged for this event. You might not understand that."

Jasmine frowned pitifully. "We know you want to be here tonight, but I told you not to cause trouble. Still, you threatened me. So, I had no choice but to move the date just to avoid this. If you’re angry because of that, please don’t take it out on Melissa."

"When did that happen?" Lola blinked, genuinely—or mockingly—confused.

"Lola, why do you keep lying?!" Derek exploded. His patience had reached its limit, and his embarrassment only worsened as the whispers around them grew louder. "Are you really this desperate to make us suffer because I chose Melissa over you?! Just look at yourself!"

"Pfft—" A few onlookers couldn’t hold back their laughter.

Sure, Lola had once been Derek’s fiancée. But after seeing her now—most for the first time—few couldn’t blame the man for moving on.

"If she’s a failure, the least she could do is keep a pretty face," one woman muttered. "But oh well, I guess her taste is as bad as her luck."

"Goodness," another sighed. "What a world we live in."

Derek’s anger cooled slightly as he sensed the guests’ sympathy shifting toward him. That was all he wanted—to look good in front of everyone and especially in front of the Bennets.

"Grandpa, why are you just letting her sit there?" he demanded, pointing at Lola. "She’s causing trouble for all of us!"

The chairman sighed heavily. "Derek, you’re the one causing trouble. Lola already said she was invited by Melissa and Jasmine. She even has the invitation in her hand."

"That’s a fake one!" Derek roared, turning to Melissa. "Melissa, tell everyone the truth! Let them know you didn’t invite her, because we both know this is exactly what would happen!"

Melissa bit her lip with hesitation. Derek gripped her shoulder, lowering his voice just enough for everyone to hear.

"Stop protecting her, Melissa," he urged. "Tell everyone she’s lying."

Melissa lowered her eyes, then looked at Lola. The latter simply arched a brow, waiting.

"Lola..." Melissa whispered, her voice small but audible in the tense silence. "I’m really sorry."

"See?!" Derek shouted triumphantly.

The guests exchanged knowing looks, taking Melissa’s apology as confirmation that Lola was lying. But what Derek said next made everyone’s blood run cold.

"Lola, how could you cling to me so selfishly when you got pregnant while we were engaged?!" His voice thundered across the hall. "All these years, Melissa and I have taken the blame—silently enduring the criticism and gossip—for your mistake. We stayed quiet to protect you!"

The faint smile on Lola’s face vanished, replaced by stillness. Gasps rippled through the crowd as shocked murmurs filled the air.

"Aren’t you happy with your husband and family?" Derek demanded, his voice shaking. "Why do you have to ruin ours too?!"