It was Phoebe. She acted like she was standing up for Kaia, but really, she was just looking for a way to humiliate her in front of everyone.
Others chimed in, “Yeah, you should at least look at your granddaughter’s gift. She’ll feel bad if you
don’t.”
Ruth quickly tried to signal Kaia to put the painting away before she embarrassed herself.
However, Kaia didn’t catch the look and said calmly, “Grandpa, let me open it for you.”
Lincoln and Ruth instantly regretted it. They wished they had prepared a different gift for her to give instead.
But now it was too late–by tomorrow, the whole town would be whispering about how pathetic they were.
Honestly, they thought they shouldn’t have let her come to the party in the first place.
Before Kaia could do anything else, Sienna snatched the painting and unrolled it.
The moment everyone saw it, the room went quiet.
Then someone blurted, “Wait. Is this a painting by Mr. Collin Crawford?”
“The same Mr. Collin Crawford whose paintings go for several million dollars?” another asked.
“No way! He hasn’t painted for the public in years. Only his closest friends can get one of his works.”
Melvin and Emma’s eyes nearly popped out of their heads.
“How’s that even possible?” Phoebe rubbed her eyes, like she couldn’t believe what she was seeing.
“This seal is definitely his,” Sienna said, her hands trembling as she held the painting.
This was a Collin original. One of his pieces had once gone for 15 million dollars. If she messed it up–even the tiniest bit–there was no way she could ever cover the cost.
Andrea’s face went pale. She didn’t buy it for a second. In her mind, there was no way Kaia had gotten a real Collin original–it had to be fake.
While the shock still hung in the air, Andrea stepped forward, putting on a concerned face. “Kaia, how could you give Grandpa and Grandma a fake painting just to show off?
“I get you wanted to make them happy, but lying like this is embarrassing–for you and for the whole family.”
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She shook her head, adding, “And if Mr. Crawford hears about this, he’ll be furious. You could drag our whole family into trouble.”
At that, the crowd seemed to make up their minds. No way would they believe Kaia, a country girl, knew Collin. No connections, no money—it had to be a fake.
Everyone turned to Kaia, their faces twisted with anger and disgust.
“Kaia, are you out of your mind? You’d risk the whole family’s reputation just to show off, huh?” someone said.
“We might be well–off here in Morganburg, but compared to the Crawford family, we’re nothing. They could crush us if they wanted. How dare you fake one of his paintings?” another added.
Lincoln’s brother, Johnny, shot him a glare. “I told you not to bring her back. She grew up in the sticks with no manners. But you and Ruth wouldn’t listen. Now she’s landed the family in trouble. We should send her packing.”
Lincoln and Ruth’s faces turned red. They looked like they were one step away from slapping Kaia.
Louis, the ex–fiancé who had dumped Kaia, breathed a silent sigh of relief. Thank God he wasn’t marrying someone who could offend Collin and drag his family into disaster.
The guests started whispering.
The Bennett family really drew the short straw with this one,” a man said.
“If she were my daughter, I’d break her legs and keep her locked up so she couldn’t embarrass us again,” another said.
“They should’ve drowned her at birth. All she does is cause trouble,” someone else muttered.
“My son just parties all day, but he’s a saint compared to Lincoln’s daughter,” another guest said.
Andrea saw how everyone was tearing into Kaia and felt a flicker of satisfaction. Then she turned back to Kaia, looking all concerned. “Kaia, you’d better apologize to Grandpa and Grandma, Ask them to forgive you?
“This isn’t fake,” Kaia said evenly. “Why would I apologize?”
Melvin slammed his hand hard on the table. “You hand me a fake and still act like you’re right, huh? You’re hopeless!”
Andrea stepped in quickly, patting Melvin’s back. “Don’t get mad, Grandpa. Your health’s not good. Kaia’s always been like this–it’s not worth getting sick over her.”
Emma, fuming, marched over, ripped the painting in half, and tossed it in the trash.
Andrea’s satisfaction grew. ‘Kaia, you tried to grab the spotlight, but I just tore it all apart. How
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could a country bumpkin like you ever compete with me?‘ she thought.
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Still, she kept up the act, telling Melvin and Emma, “Grandpa, Grandma, this is serious. We should ask everyone here not to spread this around.
“If Mr. Crawford hears about it, we’re done for. But if no one says anything, I’m sure the Crawford family won’t bother with us.”
“Yeah, you’re right,” Melvin said, looking at her proudly. “Andrea, you really think ahead.”
Then he turned to the guests. “Please, for our sake, don’t tell anyone about this. We’d be very grateful.”
“Don’t worry, Mr. Melvin Bennett,” one guest replied. “We won’t say a word.”
“Yeah, but you’d better keep an eye on her,” another woman added. “We’ll keep it a secret this time. But you know, Morganburg is full of important people. If she pulls something like this again, you might not be able to fix it.”
The more people talked, the more uneasy the Bennetts looked.
Kaia, on the other hand, was baffled. She had told them the painting was real. Ripping it up was the real stupidity here. But instead of listening, everyone was yelling at her.
‘Grandpa, I told you the painting was real,” she said, annoyed, “You’re the ones who ruined it.”
The room went dead quiet. Melvin’s face twisted, and he looked like he might pass out from rage. He raised his hand to hit her. “Kaia, you ungrateful—”
Before he could finish, a loud voice rang out from outside. “Mr. Collin Crawford has arrived!”
The room froze. “Mr. Collin Crawford? The famous painter?” someone gasped.
‘No way! He’s way too important to show up here,” another whispered.
Seconds later, Collin walked in, his granddaughter Samantha at his side.
“Oh my! It really is him,” someone murmured.
“Am I dreaming? Why would he be here?”
“Wait. Today is Melvin and Emma’s birthday. Did he come for that?”
“If so, Melvin must have some serious pull.”
Melvin and Emma were stunned, then thrilled. ‘Could he really have come for our party?‘ they thought. ‘But we barely knew him. Still, what else could it be for?‘
“Mr. Crawford,” Melvin said, hurrying forward, his hands shaking so badly he could hardly walk
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straight.
“Hello, Melvin,” Collin greeted with a warm laugh.
Melvin felt ten feet tall, and the other guests looked on with envy.
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“Since it’s your and your wife’s birthday, I was going to paint something for you myself,” Collin said. “But your granddaughter already gave you one of my paintings, so I brought a few other gifts instead. Hope you like them.”
The color drained from everyone’s faces. All eyes turned to Kaia.
Melvin’s mind went blank. He stammered. “Uh… excuse me, Mr. Crawford. Which granddaughter are you talking about?”
