From Sneers to Cheers: Anthea’s Ascent (Anthea )

After Anthea left, Alicia turned to Rebecca and said, "Rebecca, can you believe the nerve of Anthea? Do you want me to set her straight?"

Rebecca frowned, her voice tinged with annoyance. "Alicia, how can you talk like that? Ann may not give me respect, but I've always seen her as my little sister! No one gets to bully her on my watch!"

Alicia heaved a sigh, "Rebecca, you're just too sweet. When you're too nice, you end up on the bottom."

"It's okay," Rebecca said with a smile, "Sometimes, taking the short end of the stick can be a blessing."

While playing the role of the gracious older sister, Rebecca discreetly surveyed her surroundings.

Mr. Christensen had been sitting at the next table this whole time. That meant he must have noticed her.

After all, in this day and age, there weren't many girls who'd opt for a veggie burger over a juicy steak.

She resolved to mind her manners while eating, determined to reclaim the dignity she'd lost earlier.

With that thought, Rebecca instinctively straightened her posture, not allowing herself a moment of slack.

Daniel had been watching Rebecca the whole time. He whispered to Sherman, "Hey, Rebecca is just like you! She's a vegetarian too! I bet she's just used to not eating meat and couldn't bear the thought of it. You two might have more in common than you think."

If it were anyone else, Daniel would have thought they were putting on an act.

But this was Rebecca! She was too kind-hearted for such pretenses.

Sherman turned his head slowly, his gaze deep. "Don't you think that compared to Rebecca, Anthea fits the bill of a high-society lady a bit more?"

In terms of demeanor, appearance, or even the way they carried themselves in conversation, Rebecca didn't hold a candle to Anthea.

Forget Rebecca, even the young women from the most prominent families in the Capital City couldn't match up to Anthea.

Daniel furrowed his brows. "Sherman, don't let Anthea fool you! Whatever happened earlier might've been an act. Everyone in Cloudcrest knows about her reputation." He pondered for a moment, convinced that Anthea couldn't have been genuine. She was playing hard to get!

"Since when have you been so blind?" Sherman twirled his lighter, his voice low and tinged with frost, "The one who's putting on a show here is Rebecca. But clearly, she underestimated Anthea." NôvelDrama.Org copyrighted © content.

If Anthea were as foolish as the rumors suggested, then Rebecca wouldn't have been the one at a disadvantage tonight, it would have been Anthea.

"Sherman, you've got Ms. Morris all wrong!" Daniel insisted. "You don't know her at all. Last week, I saw her feeding a stray dog. The week before, she helped a lost kid find his way home. And the time before that..."

"How come you always happen to be around to see all this?" Sherman lit a cigarette, the smoke curling up, concealing the expression in his eyes, "Use your head a bit more."

A coincidence once was fine.

But these frequent coincidences, especially all happening under Daniel's nose, were obviously no accident.

"Sherman, do you think I'm a fool?" Daniel sounded exasperated, wondering if he couldn't even distinguish right from wrong and why Sherman kept defending Anthea.

Sherman exhaled a smoke ring, which dissipated to reveal his chiseled features. After a moment, his lips parted lightly, "You really are.'"

Daniel's only flaw was his naivety, especially when it came to women.

"Sherman, please don't fall for her tricks!"

Daniel was so agitated that he accidentally knocked over a coffeepot on the table. The pot was about to crash to the floor, threatening to shatter and soak everything in coffee.

"Careful." A pale and delicate hand swiftly caught the pot, setting it back on the table with ease. "That's freshly brewed coffee. It’s quite hot!"

Following the hand led to Anthea's unnaturally calm face.

Sherman looked up slightly, his eyes meeting hers. His voice was low and deep as he acknowledged, "Nice reflexes."