All Chapters of Gilded Lies Exposed: Chapter 1 - Chapter 10

Diana Murrell smugly munched on a handful of walnuts. "Anyway, I’m not wearing that kind of junk. I’d be a laughingstock if people saw me wearing fake gold. What if it stains my wrist?""That can’t be right, can it? Liana seems like an honest girl," Martha Kane chimed in."Honest? Does being honest put food on the table?" Diana scoffed. "Just look at how shabby she is. She probably barely makes anything all year. Not like Rosalie, who’s about to become a manager at a big company."The group of women around her burst into sharp, grating laughter. "Oh my God, who even tries to fool their mother-in-law with fake gold these days? That’s unbelievable."My nails dug deep into my palm. The edge of my phone pressed hard against my skin, but I felt nothing.Just then, my phone vibrated.A message from my mother, Mikaela Thornton, popped up. Only one short line: "You’ve made it to your in-laws’ place, right? It’s the holidays. Keep the peace. Do more, say less."I stared at Mom’s profile

After several rounds of drinks, Rosalie’s face flushed slightly, and her confidence grew bolder.From the corner of my eye, I caught a glimpse under the table. Drake’s foot was deliberately brushing against Rosalie’s calf."Drake, back when we played house as kids, I always said I’d marry you when we grew up." Rosalie, emboldened by alcohol, stared at him with a hazy gaze. "Too bad I was young and foolish back then. I left to chase opportunities in another city and made you suffer all those years."Drake’s eyes softened as he let out a sentimental sigh. "Yeah. If you hadn’t left back then, I wouldn’t have…" He shot me a glance, his eyes filled with disdain. "…ended up marrying a washed-up woman."I lowered my head and continued eating, pretending not to hear, but inside, I let out a cold laugh."It’s fine! It’s not too late now!" Rosalie suddenly slammed her hand on the table. "Once the New Year’s over and I join Halcyon Group, I’ll be making hundreds of thousands a year to start!

For a second, the air went still.I set my teacup down and looked at her with a faint smile.The aggression on her face froze. Her eyes widened as if they might fall out. She stopped so abruptly she nearly stumbled, her whole body trembling."L-L…"Her lips quivered, the words caught in her throat.She had seen me once from afar at a company annual event. She had never spoken to me, but she recognized my face.Rosalie and Drake didn’t notice anything and kept shouting."Aunt, what are you waiting for? Call someone to deal with her!""Exactly! Madam Finn, people like her need to be taught a lesson!"The shouting snapped her out of it. She rubbed her eyes hard and stared again.I was wearing a cheap coat I had bought to stay low-key, the cuffs already worn.The fear in her eyes faded. She quickly reasoned it out. No, that couldn’t be right. The richest person in Aurelion wouldn’t show up alone in a place like this during the holidays. There were plenty of lookalikes. I just re

Right then, a sharp ringtone exploded from her phone.Zara glanced down. The arrogance on her face vanished instantly, replaced with forced respect. She motioned for everyone to be quiet and lowered her voice. "Stop talking. It’s the Vice President, Winston Walker, from headquarters."The moment they heard "Vice President", both Rosalie and Drake looked at her with awe.Zara cleared her throat, putting on a flattering smile as she answered. "Hello, Mr. Walker, Happy New Year! Why are you personally—""Zara, you idiot!" A furious roar blasted through the phone. "Who the hell did you offend?!"She froze, cold sweat breaking out instantly. "M-Mr. Walker, what do you mean? I… I’m back in my hometown for the holidays. I haven’t offended anyone—""You haven’t?" he barked. "Then why did the CEO personally order your termination?! The CEO’s assistant just called me directly! Abuse of authority, taking kickbacks—the legal department has already reported it, and Audit is coming after your

I pulled my hand back, letting her grab nothing but air."Don’t touch it." I looked at her with disgust. "Didn’t you say it would turn your wrist green? Didn’t you call it trash?""No, no. It’s not trash, it’s a treasure! I was wrong!" She slapped herself across the face without hesitation. "Liana, please, don’t take it personally… For Drake’s sake—""For his sake?" I let out a cold laugh. "You think any of you still have any standing?"I turned, taking another box from Caleb. Inside was a tarnished silver bracelet. "Since we’re talking about that, let’s settle last year’s account."I held it up, my gaze sharp. "Last year, you gave my father this bracelet. You said it was sterling silver and cost a lot. It wasn’t. It was industrial scrap metal. The lead content was dangerously high. My father wore it for less than three days before his wrist started reacting. He needed treatment for half a month."He hid it from me so I wouldn’t feel caught in the middle. He even told me to treat