Chapter 515
Aren't You Afraid of Losing Your Own Status?
Actually, he was very satisfied, but asking him to admit in front of Julian Sterling that he was satisfied with Claire Bennett would be worse than killing him.
So he kept a straight face and pretended nothing had happened.
But Julian Sterling knew his grandfather very well and understood what he was thinking, so he just smiled and said nothing.
Maybe someday in the future, Claire Bennett would successfully become the granddaughter-in-law his grandfather approved of.
He believed that day wasn't far off.
Not only had Hazel Lewis just lost face, but now with Claire Bennett shining like this, the stupid thing Hazel had done earlier was being dragged back out and beaten to death all over again.
Quite a few people kept bringing up what she had done earlier, and some even called to ask how Mrs. Monroe was doing.
Even hiding in a corner, Hazel Lewis could still feel those contemptuous looks sweeping over her from time to time, to the point that she almost couldn't stay any longer.
Daniel Lewis and Hazel Lewis were together, so if Hazel felt awful, how could he possibly avoid it?
He had originally thought that once the Lewis family latched onto the Sterling family, they would be able to successfully put down roots in New York, but he hadn't expected a woman like Claire Bennett to appear.
And she was even a woman whose status was beneath Hazel Lewis's.
How could they possibly accept that?
Hazel Lewis was thinking the same thing. She saw that Claire Bennett had originally been rejected by everyone, yet now had become the object of eager flattery, and jealousy rose in her eyes.
When that jealousy reached its breaking point, she finally did something she had wanted to do all along.
Hazel Lewis, holding her wineglass, pushed her way in front of Claire Bennett.
With a faint smile on her face, she said to the socialites surrounding Claire Bennett, "Claire Bennett is a woman with absolutely no family background. And some of you still want to be friends with her? Aren't you afraid of losing your status as daughters of wealthy families?"
The moment her words fell, the air suddenly went quiet, and everyone turned to look at Hazel Lewis.
It seemed no one had paid attention to Claire Bennett's family background before.
The world of wealthy families was actually a closed loop. Ordinary people with no family background had a hard time entering this circle, because everyone in it was a connection, and behind each person stood the power they represented.
With everything linked together in such an intricate and tangled way, this circle was especially hostile to outsiders, particularly outsiders with no status.
Even a rich girl from Chicago like Hazel Lewis actually found it hard to fit into New York's circle.
That was why she had prepared so many gifts, hoping to improve her connections.
She just hadn't expected Claire Bennett to ruin it, and for Claire Bennett to get what she herself had wanted. How could that not make her jealous? That was why she had recklessly stepped forward to expose Claire Bennett's family background.
She was trying to make everyone despise her!
Daniel Lewis hadn't expected Hazel Lewis to be so unable to keep her composure, to actually go up and say that to those people.
But it was fine that she had said it. After all, they had already made a mess of things earlier. If they could use this opportunity to ruin Claire Bennett's reputation, it would have the same effect.
Julian Sterling's and the old master's expressions changed instantly.
Julian Sterling was displeased because Hazel Lewis was targeting Claire Bennett, while the old master was filled with disappointment.
Hazel Lewis was far too immature!
To publicly point out Claire Bennett's family background at an occasion like this—no broad-minded daughter of a distinguished family would do something so despicable.
At that moment, he couldn't help wondering whether finding a girl like Hazel Lewis in a tiny place like Chicago had really been a good idea, and whether he had made a mistake.
Hazel Lewis simply was not an outstanding or qualified candidate to be the mistress of the household.
It seemed all of his previous impressions of Hazel Lewis had merely been illusions.
Hazel Lewis was bent on exposing Claire Bennett's family background and had no idea that, because of her actions, she had already fallen out of the old master's favor.
After hearing Hazel Lewis's words, several socialites asked in surprise, "Miss Lewis, what do you mean by that?"
Seeing their startled expressions, Hazel Lewis smiled and said, "Claire Bennett comes from an ordinary family. She doesn't have any family background at all. If you want to get close to her, I'd advise you to think it through carefully first, so you don't end up being used."
When Ruby Sterling heard Hazel Lewis twisting black into white like this, she almost couldn't stop herself from slapping her.
This woman was just too hateful!
Claire Bennett was obviously a daughter of the Bennett family, yet Hazel Lewis kept insisting that Claire Bennett had no family background at all. Wasn't she just trying to belittle Claire Bennett in front of everyone?
Ruby Sterling had just been about to speak when Claire Bennett pulled her back.
Still angry, she looked at Claire Bennett and said, "Claire, why are you stopping me?"
Claire Bennett gave Ruby Sterling a look telling her to stay calm for now. Then she looked at Hazel Lewis and said, "Miss Lewis, is family background the only thing that matters in making friends? Does that mean if I don't have a good family background, I'm not worthy of being friends with anyone else?"
Seeing that Claire Bennett wasn't flustered at all, Hazel Lewis stiffened and said, "That's right. In our circle, this is exactly what we look at!"
Claire Bennett laughed softly. "Then I'm afraid you're going to be disappointed, Miss Lewis."
She lifted her eyes to Hazel Lewis and said, "My surname is Bennett. My father is Victor Bennett. I am not the woman with no status that you claim I am."