Chapter 50 Being bridesmaid?

The memory of that night remained buried, unspoken and unwanted by both of them. Emma, as she looked into Caleb's anger-filled eyes, decided not to push the issue any further. Having spent several years with him, she knew that the more she pushed, the angrier he would become. And in his anger, she stood to lose more than she gained. She wasn't foolish and understood the boundaries of what she could and couldn't do. On this trip to Oklens, she had to maintain a higher position than Alina.

Oklens, the international capital of design, was renowned for its prestigious awards in the industry. As soon as Alina and the others arrived, they were whisked away to their hotel. While at the hotel, Alina received a call from Andre, his voice carrying a gentle tone. "How are you doing? Are you tired?"

"I'm okay. Are you in Shirling now?" Alina asked.

"Yes, I'm here in Shirling with Penny," Andre replied.

Alina missed Penny dearly. However, whenever she traveled, she avoided listening to Penny's voice, fearing it would tempt her to drop everything and return to her daughter's side.

"Do you want to talk to her?" Andre offered.

"No," Alina declined.

"Mommy!" Penny's voice rang out from the other side of the phone.

"Penny, I miss you," Alina said, her voice filled with affection.

"When are you coming back?" Penny asked with sweetness in her voice.

"In a week, my love. Wait for Mommy, okay?"

"Okay. Come back as a bridesmaid, will you?" Penny suggested.

"What bridesmaid?" Alina chuckled, realizing how knowledgeable kids are these days.

"Playing the bride and groom game with Rhys," Penny patiently explained.

Alina smiled. Despite the mess her own marriage had become, she hoped Penny could still find happiness. However, she also understood that marriage was a delicate matter, one not easily protected by outsiders.

Setting aside her heartache, she spoke gently into the phone, "Okay, how about helping Mommy prepare the bridesmaid dresses?"

"Okay!" Penny exclaimed happily at the suggestion.

After ending the call, Julia burst into the room with a cheerful smile, hopping onto Alina's bed in her pajamas.

"Be careful," Alina warned.

"Alina," Julia started.

"Yeah?"

"I envy you so much," Julia admitted.

"Envy me? For what?" Alina was surprised by Julia's statement. Apart from Penny, she felt like she had nothing for others to envy.

"For your financial freedom. Unlike me, I have to seek approval from my mom for everything," Julia muttered, expressing her envy.

Alina chuckled, knowing that Mrs. Collins showered her daughter with generous pocket money every month, yet Julia still complained. Everyone in the Collins family was aware of Mrs. Collins' love for her daughter.

"If I had as much money as you do every month, I wouldn't be able to spend it all," Alina teased.

"I'm at a point where I need money, and you have no idea how stingy my mother can be," Julia grumbled.

Julia was the only one bold enough to say anything negative about Mrs. Collins. Suddenly, she changed the subject, saying, "By the way, my mom is coming over."

"Coming here?" Alina was taken aback, not entirely convinced by Julia's words.

"Yeah, she booked her plane ticket for three days from now. She said she wants to accompany you to the competition."

Alina looked at Julia in disbelief, finding it hard to believe her words. "Really?"

"Of course! When has my mother ever told a lie?" Julia replied. Although Julia's nature wasn't pleasant, she was certainly not a liar.

Alina had a headache, wondering if this would lead to another confrontation. "Is she really coming?" she asked again, still skeptical but starting to consider the possibility.

"What you're worried about, Alina, I know," Julia said. "But my mom is doing it on purpose."

Knowing that Mrs. Collins was intentionally causing trouble, Alina was at a loss for words. It was hard to imagine the elegant and noble Vanessa deliberately targeting Emma.

Before Alina could respond, Julia continued, "You have no idea how ruthless she was. She directly ruined Emma's face."

Alina froze, realizing that Emma still had scars on her face. "Did Mrs. Collins do it herself?" she asked in shock.

"Yes," Julia confirmed. Alina couldn't believe that Vanessa would stoop so low. She knew Vanessa could be fierce, but she never imagined she would personally disfigure Emma's face.

"Then your brother must be heartbroken," Alina remarked.

"I don't know, but when my mother ruined Emma's face, she cut off all ties with him," Julia explained.

"Things went that bad?" Alina asked, genuinely concerned.

"Yeah, Grandpa even wanted to disown him when you fell into Hasnan three years ago." Julia had initially found it difficult to accept, but now that time had passed, it didn't matter anymore. Especially since Caleb had gotten involved with Emma, which only deepened the Collins family's disdain for him.

While Alina and Julia continued their conversation in the room, Stella's expression turned serious. "I recorded everything you just said, and I'll give you my answer after the Oklens competition," she declared.