My Cousin Faked Illness to Steal My Boyfriend, He Turned the Tables Chapter 10

My Cousin Faked Illness to Steal My Boyfriend, He Turned the Tables Chapter 10

The tears on Iris’s face stopped instantly.

A hush fell over the audience.

I turned the cuff of the garment outward.

“This original design wasn’t meant to be a finished piece. It was a practice sketch for Savannah’s wedding dress. The missing stitch in the pattern is there because that was the day Savannah heard her ex accompanied you to the hospital.”

“The needle pricked her finger, and blood stained the sketch. She cut that corner out, and when I later filled in the pattern, I purposefully left out a single stitch.”

Savannah stood at the edge of the stage, her expression perfectly calm.

Iris gripped the armrests of her wheelchair tightly.

“If you stayed up so many nights working on this design,” I continued, “why didn’t you know about that missing stitch?”

She parted her lips, stammering, “It’s been too long. I forgot.”

Ms. Frost walked out from backstage.

She held an old registration logbook. “Hadley submitted the original sketches ten years ago. I have the archive records right here. She wrote down the specific reason for every single modification.”

Whispers broke out among the audience.

Aunt Nova cut in sharply, “Of course you two would back each other up. You’re mentor and apprentice!”

Ms. Frost glanced at her. “Then let’s see her do it right here, right now.”

She signaled the staff to bring out a sewing stand and some thread.

“Since Miss Hardee claims this is her work, please come up and complete this pattern.”

Iris sat frozen in her wheelchair, making no move to touch the needle.

“I’m not feeling well today,” she murmured.

Greyson suddenly let out a low laugh. “What a coincidence. Every single time you’re asked to prove your talent, you’re suddenly not feeling well.”

Someone in the crowd panned their camera down toward Iris’s feet.

In her sudden panic moments ago, she had stood up slightly, causing the wheelchair to roll back and

exposing her heels pressed firmly against the floor.

The livestream chat and the venue erupted at the same tiine.

Iris frantically scrambled back into the seat.

Aunt Nova blocked the cameras, yelling, “Stop filming! Stop filming!”

Ms. Frost handed the needle to me.

I sat down at the sewing stand.

Fifteen minutes later, the pattern was perfectly complete.

The hecklers who had been defending Iris just moments ago went completely silent.

When the host announced that Iris was officially disqualified from the showcase, she finally snapped.

“Why? You’re all just favoring her!”

Hearing those exact words come out of her mouth was so absurd it was almost laughable.

As videos of the showcase spread online, people began questioning Iris’s medical condition as well.

She didn’t dare host another livestream.

Later, Aunt Nova brought her straight to Mom.

I happened to go back to the Matthews Estate that day to pick up some of my documents, and the moment I

walked in, I heard Aunt Nova crying.

“You can’t just abandon us, Charlotte. Iris can’t even show her face anymore-all because of Hadley!”

Mom sat on the couch, looking worn out.

The first thing she said when she saw me was still, “Can you just take down those posts online?”

I asked, “After all this, you still think I’m the one who ruined her?”

Mom avoided my gaze.

Aunt Nova lunged forward to grab me. “You destroyed Iris! Are you happy now?”

Greyson stepped right in front of me, blocking her.

Savannah walked in next.

She placed a ledger on the coffee table.

“Over the years, you and your daughter lived under this roof, spent our family’s money, and took Hadley’s

and my things. The rent, the medical bills, the tuition, the clothes, the jewelry-every single cent is documented right here.”

Aunt Nova’s expression shifted. “You’re really going to nickel-and-dime family?”

Savannah said, “You were pretty precise when you were taking from us.”

Grandma came out of her room, leaning heavily on her cane. “Savannah, are you trying to destroy your

aunt?”

Savannah looked directly at her. “Grandma, when you forced Hadley and me to give up our things, did it ever

cross your mind that it hurt us too?”

Grandma went silent.

Iris peeked out from behind Aunt Nova.

She suddenly dropped to her knees right in front of Mom. “Aunt Charlotte, I’m sorry. Please don’t kick me out. I was just so terrified of losing you all.”

Tears rolled down Mom’s face.

I thought she’d cave again.

But she wiped her face and spoke quietly. “Iris, I think it’s time for you two to move out.”

Aunt Nova couldn’t believe her ears. “What did you say?

Mom’s voice was barely a whisper.

“I’ve already lost one daughter.” She looked over at Savannah and me. “I can’t push the other one away

too.”

Iris refused to leave.

She began a hunger strike, and Aunt Nova sat in the living room weeping all day.

Grandma was caught in the middle, alternating between calling Mom cold-hearted and blasting Savannah and me for being ungrateful.

But Dad hired a moving company.

It was the first time he hadn’t just said “let it go.”

On the day of the move, Iris suddenly burst into my bedroom.

She swept all the sewing threads off my desk, scattering them across the floor.

“Hadley, what are you so proud of? If it weren’t for Greyson, would you ever dare go against me?”

I crouched down to gather the threads.

Greyson stood at the door. He didn’t come in.

I knew he was waiting for me to speak up for myself.

I rolled the threads back into the box, one by one.

“Even without Greyson, I would’ve fought you. I just woke up too late.”