Chapter 1052: A Pair Of Rings (part two)

You two are going out too?" Leena asked casually but also politely, not noticing their intense gazes on her, not to mention the deep-set hostility and envy in their eyes. Although she was not getting along well with them at the moment, they weren't strangers to her either. They all knew each other, so Leena remembered to be well-mannered. She always treated people with basic politeness, no matter who they were or how much she disliked them. Besides, it would be too inappropriate to completely ignore them and walk by, since they had seen each other already. Otherwise, they would accuse her of pretending not to see them and avoiding them. It was not something she wanted right now.

"So what if we are? Are you afraid that we are going to follow and keep an eye on you?" Claire snapped. She was so jealous of Leena, especially her simple but elegant dressing and makeup. The hostility Claire held for her couldn't be kept buried anymore. Her anger brought upon by Louisa earlier finally found an outlet. Claire's suspicions were out in the open. Looking at Leena now, she felt it was useless to dress herself up and put on the heavy makeup with so much care, as they only made her look stupid. She looked more like a countrywoman than Leena did. Leena didn't need all that to be the brightest star among everyone, or to overshadow Claire and Louisa easily. When standing beside her, the both of them blended into the unnoticed background like green leaves, and it only highlighted Leena as the most salient and beautiful flower.

"Sorry? Keep an eye on me? But why? Keep an eye on me for what?" Leena asked, confused about Claire's reply. She didn't understand why they suddenly decided to go with her. Leena couldn't read the thoughts currently running inside Claire's mind, so she didn't know where the hostility came from all of a sudden. Leena had merely dressed up casually, and she had no idea that her innate beauty could arouse so much envy from others. She had not realized they cared so much about her and her looks.

Well… You will see!" Claire sneered. She raised her chin high as her eyes darted quickly in Leena's direction, pretending to be as proud as a queen who despised her inferiors. Leena was clearly one of them in Claire's mind. She grabbed Louisa's hand and dragged her down the stairs before Leena could take the steps herself. Claire might not look as elegant as Leena did, but she couldn't lose her momentum in front of her.

Upon seeing this childish display, Leena could only shake her head. She felt helpless about Claire's impulsive words and immature mockery. Leena would not say she was a mature lady, sometimes she too was quite childish. However, compared to them, Leena realized that she was mature enough in her dealings with others. Even though she was younger than Claire and Louisa, she knew how to behave herself and exercise basic politeness. She didn't lose her temper with others or react to them with such reckless and impetuous behavior.

"Mom! How can you do this to me? I'm your daughter! Now you're going out with my brother and her without me?" Claire complained as soon as she saw Shannon downstairs. Kevin was Shannon's son, but Claire was her child too. How could Shannon show partiality for him? Plus, she decided to take Leena too, which for Claire was even more exasperating. Leena was only her daughter-in-law; she was not even her real daughter. How could her mother treat Leena better than her own daughter?

"Why? Why should I bring you with me? I don't need you there," Shannon replied. Her tone didn't betray much emotion. Shannon turned to Claire, giving her a cool look when she saw her dress and makeup. She really couldn't understand her daughter. Why was she always putting on so much makeup, which didn't help her look better at all? Claire wasn't an ugly girl, but with so much product on her face, she looked worse than her original self. No wonder she hadn't had a boyfriend in so many years. In all probability, the eligible young men were scared away by her frightening makeup. In contrast, when Shannon looked around to see Leena come down the stairs, she was elated to see her beautiful daughter-in-law. She couldn't describe how disappointed she felt about Claire. Compared to her, Leena's makeup was simple and light, and it suited her perfectly. It was just enough to highlight her beauty and not so heavy that it covered up her elegance and nobility. Shannon knew Leena was more like her in this aspect. Both of them preferred light makeup to a heavy one. Sometimes, Shannon wished that Claire learned that from Leena, or at least chose better suited makeup for herself. Like Claire had said, she was her daughter, so of course Shannon cared for her. But if Claire behaved more lady-like, instead of this wild, uneducated girl she was right now, Shannon would be much relieved. At the very least, she wouldn't need to worry whenever she went out with Claire, about getting accused of being a mother who gave birth to a daughter but couldn't teach or educate her well enough.

"What about my brother and her? You would need them there? This is so unfair!" Claire retorted. Shannon's refusal goaded Claire and made her feel even worse. Normally, Shannon didn't reject her requests so profusely and directly. Today, the situation was different and quite frankly, abnormal. Claire felt that her mother didn't know Leena's true nature, and things might seriously go wrong if Claire was forced to stay at home. Claire didn't realize that even if she went out with them, she couldn't change anything either. But since she couldn't figure out what else to do about Leena, she felt it necessary to keep her tabs on her. The curiosity got the better of her. The less Shannon wanted to bring her with them, the more she wished to go.