Realizing the gravity of the matter, Alia flew into a fluster as she tried to explain, "Mr. Giblo, my daughter acted too impulsively. She did not intend to create trouble for you. We're willing to apologize and compensate you in any manner you want."
"Yes, that's right. Mr. Giblo, you're a big-hearted man. Please just forgive her this once, " Simeon pleaded after he heard what had happened.
Zayn could not be bothered with them and looked at Lena instead. "You're the victim here. What do you think?"
"This is the first time anyone has humiliated me like that ever since the day I was born." Lena was fuming mad, but she tried her best to control her emotions. "But as this is Mr. Giblo's function, I won't kick up a fuss… "
She then paused and asked respectfully, "Mr. Giblo, may I hand her over to the police? I intend to get my lawyers to sue her."
"Please don't, Miss Brown… " Alia pleaded anxiously. "We can compensate you however you want. Please don't alert the police. Everyone here is either rich or powerful. Besides, this function is hosted by Mr. Giblo. It wouldn't look good on anyone if the matter is being blown up."
Alia was clear that Lola was the wife of Harry Stayton and represented the Staytons. No matter how the woman embarrassed herself that night, it would still be kept within the inner circle.
After all, it was Zayn's function and a closed-door event. No one would dare to circulate gossip about what had happened.
However, it would be a different situation altogether if the police got involved. If Lena approached the media and exaggerated the story, Lola would definitely hit the headlines of major newspapers and be
the top search on the internet. The woman would become the butt of the joke of the entire country…
By then, it wouldn't just be Harry – the other elders of the Stayton family, too – who would hate Lola!
No matter how dumb the woman was, she still understood that.
As such, at that moment, Lola dared not even breathe loudly. She was waiting for her parents to settle the problem for her.
That had been the case ever since she was born…
"Well, that reminds me." Lena arched her brows and continued, "The auction is still ongoing. How can we spoil everyone's moods? However, how should I punish you other than going to the police?"
"We can apologize and offer compensation… " Alia immediately suggested.
"What a joke! Would I need your compensation?" Lena bellowed. "All you are going to do is apologizing after slapping me? If that's the case, can I slap you ten times and say ‘sorry' ten times too?"
"I… "
"I think that's a good idea, " Zayn suddenly spoke up. "An eye for an eye!"
With the man's support, Lena said right away, "If you don't want me to go to the police, fine! Then I'll have to slap you back. For every one slap you gave me, I'll slap you ten times. That sounds fair to me!"
"Lena Brown, don't go overboard… "
Before Lola could finish her sentence, the first slap from Lena had already landed on her face.
Lola's cheeks flushed red immediately after being hit. Shaking with anger, she glared at the woman in rage.
Alia no longer dared to speak. Even though her heart was aching for her daughter, she could only surrender to the situation…
"This is one slap, " Lena counted and raised her hand, preparing to strike again.
"Why are you doing such a thing yourself? Doesn't it hurt your hand?" Zayn suddenly asked.
"Oh, right! Thanks for the reminder, Mr. Giblo." Lena turned to Alia, saying sweetly, "Aunt Alia, I'll have to trouble you, please!"
The woman looked at Lena incredulously and replied, "You… You want me to do it?"
"Why? You can't bear to?" Lena cocked her brows and said, "If that's the case, I guess I'll have to ask my bodyguards to do it instead. Don't say I didn't warn you, though. They are quite ruthless. They won't go easy on her just because she's a lady…"
"Where are my bodyguards! Come here now!"
"Wait a minute… " Alia stopped Lena at once and said, "Fine, I'll do it! I'll do it!"
She then lifted her trembling hand as she spoke and slapped Lola gently…
"That one's not counted!" Lena shouted angrily. "I have to hear the slapping sound and see the red mark on her face. Otherwise, the slap will not be counted."
"You… " Even though Alia was fuming with rage, she had no choice but to slap her daughter with all her might.
"Mom!" Lola burst into tears.
"Why are you crying? Your mom isn't dead yet!" Lena beamed with delight. "Good job, Aunt Alia! Carry on!"
Alia shut her eyes and landed another slap on her daughter's face.
"Two!"
"Three!"
"Four!"
Lena carried on counting.
Simeon also felt agonized as he helplessly watched the scene. However, he could only keep quiet and lower his head in submission, praying for the whole ordeal to be over soon.
The guests gathered around to see what all the fuss was about. "Why would he marry such a woman?" one said. "What a disgrace!" said another. People started to gossip about them.
Meanwhile, Carla remained silent. She knew Zayn was avenging her.
Alia's hand was tingling from slapping Lola repeatedly across her already swollen face. The mother-daughter duo hugged each other as they burst into tears.
Shortly afterward, Alia wiped off her tears and asked, "Miss Brown, are you happy now?"
"Off you go." Lena waved her away.
Simeon went up to help them, but Zayn stopped them from leaving. "Did I say you can go?" he asked in an icy voice.
Lola shuddered. "What else do you want from me?" she wept.
"Zip it." Simeon tried to stop her from making another scene.
"Fine." Alia took a deep breath, approached Carla, and executed a deep bow. "Miss Wigston, I'm sorry for raising my hand at you last time. Please, let me atone for my rudeness."
She slapped herself continuously as punishment.
"Mom!" Lola bawled as Wenoma grabbed her hand. "Mrs. Stayton, stay out of it. You'll make it worse."
She could only watch and weep in despair at her mother's suffering.
Carla's eyebrow knitted into a frown. Although she had no wish to see Alia in such a plight, she couldn't forget how the woman had mistreated her children.
"Enough!" Simeon couldn't bear to see his wife in pain. "Carla, do me a favor. I'm pleading for your mercy. Please spare her."
His earnestness somehow appealed to her. "I think we should just let it slide, " Carla uttered softly.
"All this time, did she ever have mercy on you?" Zayn shot her a glare to shut her up.
A loud thud punctuated the silence. Simeon gasped in shock when he saw Alia lying on the ground.
"Alia!" He hurriedly pulled her into his arms.
"Mom! Wake up! Mom, don't scare me!" Lola shook her shoulder to wake her up.
"Send her to the hospital!" someone shouted.
Simeon immediately picked Alia up with Lola following closely behind.
"Mr. Giblo, Miss Wigston, please excuse me." Wenoma left.
There Alia goes again! Playing the same, old disgusting trick whenever she is in unfavorable conditions.
Carla turned around. The bystanders looked at her. They seemed to blame her for what happened.
It suddenly dawned on her. It was human nature to feel empathy for the weak, even Lola, despite her rudeness and arrogance.
They blamed Carla because she had talked Zayn into punishing the mother-daughter duo which put a strain on Alia and caused her collapse.
People would have rebuked her, saying she was the wicked witch and Zayn was not to blame for that incident.
The auction was still ongoing. Everyone returned to their seat.
As Zayn and Carla prepared to leave, she saw the pink diamond ring under her feet. She bent down, picked it up and passed it to Lena.
"Thanks, " said Lena with a smile on her face before she returned to her seat.
Carla stared at her while she walked away. It reminded her of how they used to fight over Harry back then. Lena was utterly fearless and bold, which sometimes would get on her nerves. However, Carla had never hated her.
After all those years, they finally met. Although they didn't have a chance to catch up, Lena hadn't uttered an unkind word to Carla. On the other hand, her cousin, Lola who was more like a sister to Carla tried to set her up repeatedly.
I guess that's human nature.
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