Chapter 773
Wendy excelled at everything she touched, effortlessly claiming first place every single time. No matter how desperately Pepper pushed herself, she could never reach the same level. For as long as she could remember, she had been trapped beneath Wendy’s brilliance.
Their romantic lives turned out no differently. Wendy had Adrian, the wealthy heir who adored her completely. They were each other’s first love, and despite pressure from both families, he had stubbornly chosen to marry her anyway.
Pepper, meanwhile, had only managed to enter that elite social circle because she stayed close to Wendy. After painstakingly finding herself a rich boyfriend and deliberately getting pregnant to secure her position, the man lost everything before their child was even born.
Years of living under Wendy’s shadow had filled Pepper with resentment. She had vowed long ago that one day she would replace Wendy completely and seize everything Wendy possessed.
To make that happen, she had hidden her ambitions for years, quietly scheming and enduring. Yet now, sprawled pathetically at Wendy’s feet, she looked utterly ridiculous.
She could almost feel Wendy staring down at her from above, calm and cutting, as though Wendy had already seen through every scheme she had ever made and was merely waiting for the perfect chance to disgrace her.
Pepper’s vision blurred into darkness. This time, she truly felt close to blacking out.
Her muscles locked tight. She bit down viciously on the tip of her tongue until the metallic taste of blood spread through her mouth, barely managing to suppress the breakdown threatening to consume her.
“Yale, what are you waiting for? Help her up p>
Adrian restrained himself from moving personally and instead barked the order in a restrained voice.
Startled out of his daze, the secretary, Yale, quickly bent down to assist Pepper. Pepper’s complexion had turned deathly white, and sweat soaked the strands of hair stuck to her forehead.
She had deliberately slammed the burn on her stomach when she fell to make the injury appear convincing. The blisters had most likely burst, and the pain was genuinely unbearable.
“Wendy, Adrian… I think my wound reopened. It hurts so badly. Wendy, could you please take me to the hospital? I don’t want this to leave scars p>
Pepper slowly lowered the hands covering her chest and abdomen. Fresh blood had indeed seeped through the expensive silk fabric of her blouse.
“That looks serious. Why are you all still standing here? Take her already p>
Wendy glanced impatiently at Adrian as she spoke.
Then she pulled her arm free from Pepper’s grasp and continued coldly, “I’m not going with you. Adrian can stay by your side. Right now, I need to deal with the people who slandered my son and goddaughter. Since you’re a mother yourself, you should understand exactly how it feels to watch your child get hurt and humiliated. The fear, the anger, the helplessness p>
Wendy saw straight through Pepper’s intentions immediately.
Pepper was dragging things out to shield Gianna. But Wendy was a mother too— even a grandmother.
Why does Pepper think I would abandon my own family’s situation just to worry about a burn injury?
Adrian hesitated briefly after seeing how pitiful Pepper appeared. But Wendy’s words instantly brought him back to his senses.
“Yale, escort Ms. Chalmont to the hospital,” he ordered firmly.
Then he turned toward Wendy, his tone softening immediately. “Don’t upset yourself. I’m coming with you. Steven is my son and the future heir of the Malone family. I would never allow anyone to tarnish his reputation fil call Glanna now and find out exactly what happened p>
As he spoke, he pulled out his phone and dialed Gianna’s number.
Standing nearby, Pepper nearly bit through her tongue from the bitterness rising in her throat.
Only a short while ago, Adrian had still been affectionately calling her Pepper in the lounge. Yet now, standing beside Wendy, he had switched to the distant and formal “Ms. Chalmont p>
The humiliation stung harder than a slap across the face.
“Ms. Chalmont, this way, please. I’ll drive you to the hospital immediately p>
Yale’s polite tone only deepened Pepper’s humiliation, as though he failed to notice the fury frozen across her expression.
Pepper had only pretended to need the hospital in order to delay Wendy and Adrian. Now that she could no longer stop them from leaving, there was no reason to continue the act.
Forcing herself to smile weakly, she turned to Yale. “I think the pain’s easing a little now. Could you go to the lounge and bring me the burn ointment instead? I’ll apply it first and see whether it improves.”.net Yale instinctively glanced toward Adrian and Wendy for confirmation. Seeing neither object, he finally headed toward the lounge, though the disdain in his eyes when he looked at Pepper was impossible to miss.
Even as Adrian’s assistant, he had long ago figured out Pepper’s feelings for his boss.
Over the years, Pepper had also spent plenty of effort trying to win him over. Both openly and behind the scenes, she had repeatedly attempted to curry favor with the secretary closest to Adrian.