C17 Lydia, You're Courting Death!

"Lydia!"

After receiving a stinging slap, Mildred clutched her throbbing cheek, her eyes blazing with fury.

Overwhelmed by the immense humiliation, Mildred's rationality was consumed by rage. Image be damned, her eyes bloodshot, she lunged at Lydia. "You wretched woman! Today, I'll teach you a lesson in manners and respect!"

Lydia, seeing Mildred's slap coming in a fit of rage, caught her wrist mid-air, stopping the assault. "You hide behind Reece to shield the Woodward family and barge into the Ellis household with such audacity. What manners could you possibly have? Take a good look in the mirror before you try to school anyone else!"

"You... you!" Mildred was livid, her face a mask of fury.

She tried to wrench her hand free to slap the sharp-tongued woman before her, but Lydia's grip only tightened.

"You're well aware of who caused the commotion this morning. I haven't even confronted you about being knocked into a wall and fainting, landing me in the hospital. And now you have the nerve to come to my home demanding solutions? Auntie Xia, you're quite the actress!"

Lydia scoffed. "The Tillman estate is outfitted with surveillance cameras. It will be clear from the footage whether I injured you or you're trying to frame me."

With that, Lydia coldly released Mildred.

The mention of surveillance made Mildred's face go ashen.

Surveillance cameras?

No, that couldn't be right. She'd been to the Tillman place countless times and never noticed. Was this girl bluffing?

Despite her trepidation, Mildred retorted defiantly, "Go ahead and check the cameras. Scared? Don't make me laugh."

"You're the one who's scared. You know it," Lydia retorted with a low, mocking laugh, her eyes dripping with irony.

"Pfft, I don't have time for your nonsense. Just wait until I get my hands on that surveillance footage; it'll leave the Ellis family speechless!" Mildred spat out the words, her neck stiff with indignation.

But the onlookers weren't fooled—

It was clear from Mildred's shifty eyes and lack of conviction that her bravado was just a façade.

Seeing Mildred's disheveled appearance, Old Madam An, who had been stewing in frustration, suddenly felt as if the clouds had parted and the sun had shone through. Even her gaze softened when she looked at Lydia.

"I'll be expecting you two to grace us with the surveillance footage. But for now... please excuse this old lady from escorting you out," Old Madam An said with a sidelong glance at the Woodward couple, offering no pleasantries.

"Hmph, you're all blind to the truth, shielding Lydia. The Ellis family will come to regret it," Mildred muttered as she stormed off with her husband.

But they had barely taken two steps when Mildred's arm was seized by a delicate hand. "Hold on a moment!"

"What now, Lydia?" Mildred sneered at the girl before her, visibly irate.

"Apologize to my parents and to my grandmother!" Lydia demanded, locking eyes with Mildred, her presence commanding.

Mildred's face twisted with anger at the request, and she yanked her arm away. "Lydia, you must be dreaming."

"If you refuse to apologize, then we'll proceed with legal action for today's incident. An apology might not be enough to fix things," Lydia warned with a sly smile.

Her smile was radiant, yet it seemed to sting Mildred's eyes.

Mildred leaned in and hissed a threat into Lydia's ear, "Don't overstep, Lydia. I could call Reece right now and turn on the waterworks. You and the Ellis family won't know peace!"

"Really? Maybe I should call my husband and see whether he chooses you, an outsider, or me, his wife!" Lydia retorted, her smile growing even more dazzling.

Her bold words left the onlookers astounded.

Mildred couldn't help but laugh mockingly, "Hahaha, Lydia, are you sure about that?"

In Goulcrest, it was common knowledge that Reece barely acknowledged Lydia, his wife in name only. Yet he had always been supportive of the Woodward family, even after Maria's death.

Lydia's audacity to compare herself with the Woodwards was nothing short of self-degradation.

On the sidelines, Benny and Eliza exchanged glances, their eyes filled with concern. They feared Lydia might be setting herself up for ridicule, unwittingly turning her own actions against her.

Benny leaned in close to Lydia, attempting to defuse the situation, "Lydia, honey, maybe we should just drop it. Dad..."

"Dad, trust me," Lydia cut him off with a calm assertiveness. Benny paused, taken aback by his daughter's earnestness. His grip on her wrist loosened, and he stepped back, allowing her to follow her own path.

With her father's tacit consent, a subtle smile played at the corners of Lydia's lips. She cast a sidelong glance at Mildred and declared, "I'm certain! And use your phone to call Reece. I'll handle what to say—let's see what he decides!"

Mildred couldn't help but laugh, "If you're so set on courting disaster, I'll indulge you." She chuckled and pulled out her phone to dial Reece's number.

The phone rang thrice before the call was answered.

"What is it?" Reece's voice came through, as aloof as ever.

Mildred began with a hint of flattery, "Reece, I really didn't want to bother you, but Lydia insisted I call. I thought..."

Before Mildred could finish, Lydia assertively grabbed the phone and cooed into the receiver, "Hubby!"