Married First, Loved Later : A Flash Marriage with My Ex’s "Uncle" - Chapter 177

Chapter 177: That Woman Is Back
“But the woman from four years ago was never you—she’s back now!”

Natalia grew more excited the more she spoke. “I bet you can’t guess who she is. Selina, you’re finished!”

Selina remained expressionless, her voice calm. “You came to find me just to say this?”

“Of course not!” A flash of malice flickered in Natalia’s eyes. “In the past, Old Mr. Carter favored you and looked down on me, but now he’s abandoned you. What right do you have to compete with me?”

Selina gave her a perplexed look. “Compete? Compete for what? Ryan?”

Natalia stated matter-of-factly, “Mr. Reid doesn’t want you anymore, so you’ll definitely come crawling back to fight me for Ryan! Let me tell you now—you better give up! And as for the inheritance, that belongs to me. Don’t even think about it!”

Selina glanced at her. “Has your mom ever taken you to get your head checked? Being brain-dead is a condition—you should get it treated.”

Acting like a complete failure, yet still managing to daydream so much.

“You—!”

Before Natalia could retort, Selina had already turned on her heel and walked away.

Natalia stood frozen in fury, her teeth grinding together.

Katie stepped in, her voice low and warning. “Natalia, don’t bring up this matter again until we secure Victoria’s inheritance.”

Natalia fumed. “I just can’t take it! This was supposed to be my banquet, and Selina just had to show up and steal the spotlight! What makes her so special?”

Katie soothed her. “Be patient, Natalia. Selina won’t be arrogant for much longer—Angelica is back. Just hold on a little longer.”

“I can’t hold on any longer!” Natalia snapped. “Mom, she has Luke backing her now—are you really going to let her trample all over me?”

Katie’s eyes glinted with scheming intent as she lowered her voice. “A little lesson wouldn’t hurt. I have an idea…”

Selina returned to the banquet, her mind still turning over Natalia’s words—the woman from four years ago is back.

Logan seemed to care about this person deeply, and he’d been searching for her for years. Now that she was back… what about her?

“Selina, did you hear?”

Suddenly, Luke interrupted her thoughts.

He whispered in Selina’s ear, “Thomas invited a celebrity to warm up the crowd, but the celebrity stood up the Carter Family. Isn’t that weird?”

Selina wasn’t interested in celebrities, “What’s weird?”

“Standing up the Carter Family!” Luke was shocked. “Although I don’t like the Carter Family, a wealthy family like the Carter Family is not something a celebrity can offend, unless the celebrity has someone backing him up!”

He clicked his tongue and added, “Oh yeah, that celebrity has the same last name as you—Clark.”

Selina’s head snapped up. “Clark?”

There weren’t many celebrities with the surname Clark. In fact, she only knew of one…

Luke continued, talking mostly to himself. “A Clark with connections, enough to make the Carter family take a step back…”

Hmm… in City A, there was only one person powerful enough to make Old Mr. Carter reconsider his position—Logan.

Could it be that that Clark actress was connected to Logan?

“Selina!”

Before she could dwell on it, a sharp male voice cut through the room.

All eyes turned to see James approaching with Katie and Natalia in tow—Katie was sobbing pitifully, tears streaming down her face.

“Selina,” James scolded, his tone dripping with righteousness, “Katie was only trying to be kind, and you still have such a terrible temper? You injured her hand over a disagreement?”

Katie’s wrist was wrapped in bandages, with a faint trace of blood seeping through.

The crowd instinctively turned to Selina, their gazes filled with curiosity and judgment.

She injured Mrs. Clark?

Was the Clark family’s eldest daughter here to make trouble because she still hadn’t gotten over losing Ryan to Natalia?

Selina narrowed her eyes. I injured Katie?

Ah… she understood now.

This mother-daughter duo wanted to frame her for intentional assault to ruin her reputation.

James continued his act, his voice full of moral authority. “Selina, even if you’re a friend of Reid’s youngest master, I have to say—you’ve gone too far this time!”

Selina nearly laughed aloud. This level of acting—did he take classes for it?

Luke paused for a moment before realizing that Mr. Clark was putting on a show for him.

Playing along, he feigned confusion. “Oh?”

James let out a theatrical sigh.

“Reid Young Master, you may not know this, but Selina lost her mother at a young age. Katie raised her as her own daughter. But instead of being grateful, she has constantly given her trouble…”

James shook his head with an expression of helplessness. “Selina, what will it take for you to get along with everyone?”

Luke: “…?”

Oh hell no, now I’m mad!

A scumbag father flaunting his mistress and illegitimate daughter in front of his firstborn, then demanding she be the one to “get along”—was he serious?

Luke clenched his fists, ready to unleash a tirade, but before he could speak, Selina suddenly chuckled.

Tilting her head slightly, she looked utterly innocent. “Dad, what are you talking about?”

If it was a contest of playing the victim, Katie wasn’t the only one who could do it.

James visibly stiffened at the word Dad, momentarily losing his composure.

“Selina,” he quickly recovered, adopting a pained expression. “I know you don’t like Katie. You hit her and insult her all the time, and she’s never complained—because she’s just a stepmother. She never held it against you.”

“But today, you cut her wrist with a knife! She nearly passed out from blood loss! How could you be so cruel?”

Katie’s eyes welled with tears as if she had suffered a grave injustice.

“James, let it go,” she murmured weakly. “It’s just a little cut… I’m fine, aren’t I? Selina is still young. Everyone knows how hard it is to be a stepmother. If you keep this up, Selina will resent me even more.”

She looked every bit like a long-suffering woman used to being bullied.

“I don’t hold grudges. I just want peace in the family,” she added, her voice choked with emotion.

James’s face was filled with heartbreak. “You want peace, but Selina doesn’t even see you as family! This won’t do. She must be held accountable! If she dares to hurt someone today, what’s stopping her from committing murder tomorrow?”

Katie and Natalia clung to each other, sobbing pitifully.

The guests at the Carter family banquet were all shrewd socialites. With Natalia soon to become the future Mrs. Carter, Katie would naturally be considered a part of the Carter family. No one wanted to offend them—on the contrary, they sought to curry favor.

One by one, they voiced their support.

“The eldest Miss Clark is so ungrateful. Clark Madam has been married to Mr. Clark for twenty years—why is she still acting like this?”

“Clark Madam was abused by her own stepdaughter, and she still thinks about her well-being. Clark Miss, stop making trouble! Where else could you find such a good stepmother?”

Selina quietly observed their performance, taking in their impeccable theatrics before speaking with a calm smile.

“Dad, I understand you don’t like me, but there’s no need to frame me for a crime.”

James’s tone hardened. “You need to be disciplined! Your Aunt Bryant is injured! Do you think I’m falsely accusing you?!”

Selina blinked, lowering her gaze as if she were deeply hurt.

“Dad, Mrs. Bryant claims I cut her hand. Is there a witness? Any physical evidence? There’s nothing—so why are you already punishing me?”

Katie’s expression faltered for a moment.

“Besides,” Selina continued, her tone patient, “from the start of this banquet until now, I’ve been with Reid Young Master the entire time. When exactly did I have the chance to meet with Mrs. Bryant alone?”

Luke was horrified.

Why did Selina’s voice sound so aggrieved?

Why were her eyes turning red?

She—she wasn’t about to cry, was she?!

Had this family of scumbags bullied Selina into tears?!

Without hesitation, Luke stepped in. “That’s right! Selina has been with me the whole time. What’s your point? Are you suggesting that Mr. Clark thinks I am in on some grand conspiracy to help her frame Katie?”

Luke scoffed, then sneered. “And what exactly would I gain from it? Watching Katie sob her eyes out and ruin my mood?”