Chapter 167: People are allowed to change their opinions.

"That’s funny," Julianna said with an awkward smile, trying to brush off Hannah’s remark.

There was one person who had despised Clara more than anyone else, and that person was none other than Hannah. At least, that was what Julianna believed. In her eyes, Hannah wasn’t just an easy target; she was also someone who could be used as a pawn against Clara.

Hannah, however, had no intention of playing along.

After seeing Julianna’s true face, she wanted nothing more than to ignore her. Yet Julianna’s desperate attempt to appear friendly only made Hannah more determined to keep her distance.

"No, I’m not joking," Hannah said bluntly. "I genuinely wasn’t expecting to see you here. After your mother humiliated herself online, I hardly thought the Hayes family would still be willing to show their faces in public."

Her words landed like a slap across Julianna’s face.

The smile on Julianna’s lips stiffened, and her fingers curled tightly at her side. Of all the people who could have brought up that scandal, Hannah was the last person she wanted to hear it from.

The incident had happened only a few days ago, yet Julianna had almost forgotten how badly the situation had turned against them. Her mother had intended to humiliate Clara, but the backlash had ended up damaging the Hayes family’s reputation instead.

Still, Julianna refused to let her composure crack.

"There’s nothing to be afraid of," she replied calmly. "And I don’t think my mother was wrong to point out a problem with Clara’s desserts. After all, a customer has the right to criticize a vendor’s products."

Hannah stared at her for a moment before letting out a short, humorless laugh.

"I think you haven’t learned the whole story, Julianna."

Julianna’s expression tightened.

"The video posted online might not have captured everything, but the cameras inside the bakery did. They clearly showed that your mother deliberately placed that strand of hair into the coffee cup."

Hannah leaned slightly closer, her expression almost pleasant.

"If you want, I can show you the footage. Maybe then you’ll finally understand what your mother actually did."

Julianna’s face went pale.

She already knew the truth. There was no need for her to watch the footage. Her mother had admitted what she had done, though Julianna had never expected the incident to become such a humiliating disaster.

"There’s no need for that," Julianna said quickly, forcing another smile. "I believe there must have been some misunderstanding."

"Of course," Hannah replied dryly. "And I suppose the hair magically climbed into the cup by itself."

Julianna’s smile twitched.

Hannah watched her closely, remembering something Grace had once told her. Julianna had previously framed Clara as a thief inside a boutique, pretending to be shocked and concerned when Clara was confronted. But the moment the truth began to surface, Julianna had panicked.

That had been the moment Grace finally saw through her.

For a while Grace had wrongly judged Clara while believing Julianna to be kind, innocent, and well-mannered. But Julianna’s reaction during that incident had exposed the truth. She wasn’t the sweet, harmless girl everyone thought she was.

And now, standing before Hannah, Julianna was wearing that same false expression.

Unfortunately for Julianna, Hannah had already seen what lay beneath her carefully crafted mask.

Meanwhile, Julianna stood there, fuming internally.

Just what is this bitch trying to do? Why is she acting as though she supports Clara?

As far as Julianna knew, Hannah couldn’t even stand the sight of Clara. She had openly opposed Clara’s marriage to Dominic and had tried repeatedly to persuade her brother not to go through with it. In the end, however, Dominic had done exactly what he wanted.

Julianna had assumed Hannah would continue to hold a grudge against Clara. After all, Hannah had never made any secret of how much she disliked her sister-in-law.

So why was she defending Clara now?

Julianna studied Hannah’s expression, searching for some sign that this was merely an act. Perhaps Hannah was pretending to support Clara because the Sterling family had changed their attitude toward her. Or maybe she was simply trying to embarrass Julianna.

Whatever the reason, Julianna didn’t like it.

"I didn’t realize you had become so concerned about Clara," Julianna said, forcing a light tone into her voice. "You used to have quite a different opinion of her."

Hannah raised an eyebrow.

"People are allowed to change their opinions."

"Of course." Julianna smiled. "I just find it surprising."

"Then you should try being surprised quietly. It might be a refreshing experience for you."

Julianna’s smile stiffened.

Hannah didn’t even bother hiding her irritation anymore. She had no desire to explain herself to Julianna, much less reveal what she truly thought of Clara. Dominic had already instructed the family not to draw unnecessary attention to Clara, and Hannah intended to respect his wishes.

That didn’t mean she had to be pleasant toward someone she disliked.

Julianna folded her hands in front of her, pretending not to notice Hannah’s hostility.

"I only meant that Clara has changed quite a lot recently. Perhaps marriage has made her more confident."

"Or perhaps she finally stopped allowing people like you to control her," Hannah replied.

For a moment, Julianna’s expression froze.

Hannah watched the reaction carefully, then smiled faintly.

"Don’t look so shocked. You’re not nearly as good at hiding your intentions as you think you are."

Julianna’s fingers tightened against one another.

She had approached Hannah believing she could use their former dislike of Clara to her advantage. Instead, every word out of Hannah’s mouth seemed designed to push her back into her place.

And that irritated Julianna more than she cared to admit.

"I think you’ve misunderstood me," she said smoothly.

"Maybe," Hannah replied, glancing around the venue. "But I’m not interested enough to find out."

With that, Hannah turned away, leaving Julianna standing there with her smile still fixed on her face and anger burning behind her eyes.

Her lips twitched as she watched Hannah blatantly ignore her. Her grip tightened around the champagne glass in her hand.

This bitch. Just who does she think she is?

Julianna was about to turn on her heels when someone suddenly bumped into her from behind. The champagne in her glass spilled, splashing across the front of her expensive dress.

"Are you blind?" Julianna roared, staggering back as she stared at the stain spreading across the fabric.

Hearing her outburst, Hannah stopped and glanced over her shoulder.

A few feet away stood Penelope, who had somehow managed to lose her way again. The little girl looked up at Julianna without the slightest hint of fear or guilt.

Julianna glared down at her.

"You!" she snapped. "Watch where you’re going. Do you have any idea how expensive this dress is?"

Penelope tilted her head, studying the woman’s stained dress with mild curiosity.

"Aunty, you turned around without looking," she replied calmly. "I was only trying to find my way."

Julianna blinked, clearly not expecting such a straightforward response.

"What did you say?"

"I said you turned without looking." Penelope pointed toward the direction she had been walking. "I was standing here first."

Hannah pressed her lips together, already sensing that the situation was about to become entertaining.

Julianna’s expression darkened.

"Don’t talk back to me, little girl. Where are your parents?"

Penelope glanced around, then shrugged.

"I don’t know."

Julianna stared at her. "You don’t know?"

"No."

"Then where is your mother?"

"I don’t have one."

"And your father?"

"I don’t have one either."

Julianna’s mouth opened, but no words came out.

Penelope continued looking at her with the same calm expression, as though they were discussing something as ordinary as the weather.

"Do you have a problem, Aunty?"

"A problem?" Julianna repeated, her voice rising. "You spilled champagne on my dress!"

Penelope looked at the stain again.

"Oh."

"Oh?" Julianna echoed furiously. "That’s all you have to say?"

Penelope nodded. "Would you like me to wipe it?"

Julianna’s face twisted. "With what?"

Penelope glanced at the champagne glass still in Julianna’s hand.

"Maybe with that. There’s still some left."

For a moment, the surrounding noise seemed to fade.

Hannah’s shoulders began to shake. She tried to hold back her laughter, but the sight of Julianna standing speechless before a child was too much. A loud laugh escaped her.

Julianna whipped her head toward Hannah.

"What’s so funny?"

Hannah covered her mouth, though her eyes were sparkling with amusement.

"Nothing," she managed to say. "Please, continue. I’m very interested in hearing how you plan to win this argument."

Julianna glared at her, humiliated.

Penelope, seemingly unaware of the tension, tugged lightly at Julianna’s dress.

"Aunty, if you’re finished shouting, can you tell me where the children are? I think I’m lost again."

Julianna stared at her in disbelief.

Hannah finally burst into another fit of laughter.

"Well, little girl, I can help you with that," Hannah suddenly offered.

Penelope turned toward her, studying her with curious eyes.

"Is that so?" she asked.

Hannah nodded, holding out her hand. "Yes. Come along. Let’s find your friends before you get lost again."

Penelope glanced back at Julianna, who was still standing stiffly with champagne staining her expensive dress.