An Understated Dominance - Chapter 128

That afternoon at the Nicholsons’ house, James excitedly asked Dahlia, “Are you going to Miss Hummer’s birthday party this evening? Can I come with you?” He noticed the invitation on the table and got excited. After all, Miss Hummer was the daughter of Edwin Hummer, the richest man in the country. It would be great to meet people like that.

“I’m going to the party, but the invitation only allows two people. Julie already claimed her spot,” Dahlia said, dampening James’ excitement.

“Her?” James frowned as he glanced at Julie, who was sitting on the couch, putting on makeup.

“Dahlia, I’m your brother! Why would you take her instead of me?” he complained.

Julie shot him a look and replied, “And what can you do at the party? Everyone there will be important and wealthy. A high school dropout like you would just make a fool of himself.”

“Hey, what do you mean? You think you’re so much better?” James retorted, feeling irritated.

“Better than you, at least,” Julie shot back confidently.

“Ugh, you!”

James was about to explode in anger when Florence stepped in, “That’s enough. Julie is our guest, so you should be nice. It’s a good chance for her to make connections at the party since she just graduated from college. Let her go with Dahlia.”

“Did you hear that? If I can befriend Miss Hummer, I’ll be on my way to success! And I’ll make sure you benefit from it too!” Julie said proudly.

“Ha! You? I’d rather rely on myself!” James declared, feeling even more upset.

He flopped onto the couch, clearly annoyed. Ever since Julie arrived, all the attention seemed to be on her. He felt like he was being pushed aside.

“Ah, right, Dahlia, I nearly forgot,” Florence said, suddenly remembering something. She dug around in her bag and finally pulled out an intricate jewelry box.

“This is a present that Matt gave you two days ago. Since you’re going to the party today, I think you’ll find it useful. Take a look!”

As she spoke, she opened the box to reveal a stunning pair of ruby earrings. The earrings sparkled beautifully in the light.

“Wow! They’re amazing!” Julie exclaimed, her eyes shining as she jumped up. She leaned closer to the jewelry box for a better look. “Aunt Florence, these must cost a fortune!”

“I heard Matt say these are Pandarum earrings, custom-made and the only pair in all of Swinton. They cost millions,” Florence said proudly.

“Really? That’s just like Matt to give the best!” Julie grinned as she picked up one of the earrings and put it on. “Aunt Florence, how do I look?”

“You’re a natural beauty, Julie. They look magnificent on you,” Florence replied.

“Thank you, Aunt Florence!” Julie said cheerfully. She quickly put on the other earring, clearly planning to keep them for herself.

Florence was taken aback. “Julie, those are your cousin’s gift from Matt. It wouldn’t be right to wear them tonight,” she chuckled nervously.

“What’s wrong with borrowing them for the night? I’ll give them back,” Julie shot back.

“But…” Florence started to argue, but Julie interrupted her.

“Aunt Florence, we’re family. You can’t be so stingy!”

“Julie Amberson! These are my—”

“Those are my sister’s earrings! What right do you have to wear them?” James finally couldn’t hold back any longer.

Julie claimed she was just borrowing them, but the truth was, she had never returned anything she borrowed before!

“This is just plain stealing!”

“Why are you yelling at me? They’re just earrings! You’re being selfish!” Julie slammed her hand down on the table.

“I’m selfish? Do you even realize how greedy you look right now? Aren’t you ashamed?” James shouted back.

“How dare you talk to me like that? Aunt Florence! Did you hear what James said? If I’m not welcome here, I can leave!” Julie snapped, getting ready to walk out.

But before she could take a step, Florence grabbed her arm. “What are you doing, Julie? You’re always welcome here! It’s just a pair of earrings. I’ll lend them to you!”

“Mom! You—”

“Enough!” Florence turned to James with a fierce look. “You’re her older cousin! Why do you keep starting fights with her? Can’t you be a little more generous?”

“Fine! Keep defending her then. See if I care!” James shouted in frustration and stormed out, slamming the door behind him.

Dahlia frowned. It wasn’t the earrings that bothered her; it was Julie’s bossy attitude that she didn’t like.

“Dahlia, you don’t mind if I wear your earrings, do you?” Julie asked with a smile as she gently touched the earrings.

“It’s up to you,” Dahlia replied, uninterested in continuing the conversation.

She was already uncomfortable with the gift Matt had given her.

“Thanks, Dahlia!” Julie said happily as she went back to putting on her makeup.

That evening at the Kingdom Hotel, a black…

A sleek Mercedes-Benz pulled up to the main entrance. The door swung open, and out stepped Dahlia and Julie.

Dahlia kept it simple, wearing a black dress and matching black heels. Her accessories were minimal, letting her natural beauty shine through.

In contrast, Julie went all out. She looked vibrant and flashy, almost like a peacock. Dressed in dazzling jewelry from head to toe, she sparkled under the lights. To highlight her stunning ruby earrings, her hair was elegantly styled in a chignon. She was ready to be the center of attention.

“Wow! What a stunning lady! She looks like a celebrity!” one guest exclaimed.

“I think she looks even more attractive than any celebrity! Her charm and elegance are out of this world,” another added.

As they stepped out of the car, several guests at the entrance turned to admire them. Most of the attention, however, was on Dahlia. Despite Julie’s extravagant outfit, she didn’t draw much attention.

It was clear that Dahlia outshone her in every way, from her looks to her figure. Julie realized that her flashy attire couldn’t make up for what she lacked.

“Hmph!” she thought, feeling frustrated. She had prepared for the birthday party all week, hoping to impress everyone with her beauty. It never crossed her mind that Dahlia would steal the spotlight.

“Those men are so blind! How could they pay attention to a woman who has been married before?” she fumed silently.