Both of them thought it was just a maid coming in to serve them.
Caught up in their conversation, and given that Catherine rarely entered Henry White's room unannounced, the situation quickly turned awkward.
The moment Henry White saw Catherine, he immediately pointed at Edward and shouted, "Edward! What nonsense were you spouting? That's my sister—my most respected, admired, adored, and deeply loved… my sister!"
Edward was in shock.
[[ Why is she home? Wasn't she not supposed to be back? ]]
[[How much of what I said did she hear? Judging by her expression, probably all of it. ] ]
[[ Oh crap! I'm so dead now! ] ]
Edward stammered, "S-Sorry, I may have had a bit too much to drink."
"Catherine, here's the thing. Edward wasn't really…" Henry White tried to mediate as he stood up.
"Get out!"
"Got it." Henry White immediately bolted out of the room without any hesitation.
Watching his spineless friend flee, Edward was left to face an enraged Catherine alone.
"Sorry, I really had a little to drink, so I ended up speaking out of turn. I sincerely apologize…"
Catherine stared at Edward, her eyes filled with anger, humiliation, and heartbreak.
Her voice trembled as she said, "Edward, after we broke up, you went around telling people I behaved like a wanton woman in bed, and now you're saying things like this in front of my brother. I really want to know—what exactly did those moments between us mean to you?"
Edward wanted to slap himself.
Men, sometimes, are like this. They like to talk about women with their close friends.
The closer the friend, the more unfiltered the conversations—who has a bigger chest, who has a rounder backside…
It doesn't necessarily mean they have low morals—although Edward and Henry White were exceptions. Their moral standards were indeed questionable.
This kind of banter is often just a way for men to let off steam, like a seasoning in life, throwing words around without much thought.
But when those words are overheard by women, especially by the person being talked about, the situation takes a complete turn.
It becomes an insult, a slight, and a profound act of disrespect.
For someone as pure as Catherine, it was even harder to accept hearing such things from her first love.
As Catherine's tears began to fall, Edward said guiltily, "It was really just a joke, and I didn't go around badmouthing you."
"To you, I'm just another woman you've slept with—strip her down, and she's no different from anyone else. Is that all I am to you, Edward? A life-sized toy?"
"I didn't even do that!" Edward protested. "I swear I didn't say that. Someone must have spread false rumors. You know how it is with people like us—back in school, gossip was everywhere, and how much of it was true?"
"Oh, so it's not enough that you bragged about being with me, the eldest daughter of the White family? Does it make you feel proud? Important? Like a big shot?"
"Please, stop. I'm begging you—I was wrong."
Catherine pulled out her phone and started dialing.
"Are you calling the police?"
"Hi, Joseph. Didn't you say you wanted to take me to dinner? I'm free tonight."
Edward's eyes widened instantly.
Joseph?!
Oh no, not him! He's one of the villains!
This is the guy who tried to drug Catherine during dinner to take advantage of her, only to have Davis show up and kick him so hard he ended up with a broken… you know what.
Crap! This storyline wasn't supposed to happen yet! This plot was started early by myself!
And worst of all, Davis took the day off today—he's not around!
Edward panicked. "Catherine, you can't go out with Joseph, let alone have dinner with him."
"Why not? Who are you to tell me what to do?"
"Listen, Joseph isn't a good guy. He's up to no good!"
"Oh, and you think you're any better? Could anyone possibly be worse than you?"
Edward was at a loss for words.
"Just… even if you want to go, can you wait until tomorrow? Whatever you do with him tomorrow, I won't interfere."
"I'll go whenever I want. Let me tell you something—I've been waiting all these years. Waiting for you to change, to grow, to remember all the memories we shared as kids. But I never thought that in your heart, I'd be seen as so cheap, so low, so worthless!"
"No, no! You're priceless, Catherine. I was wrong! But you really can't have dinner with Joseph. He's not a good person!"
Catherine turned to leave, and Edward grabbed her. "Catherine, I'm begging you—this is all my fault. Just give me one more chance!"
Catherine sneered, "You said the same thing back then. Do you think you can keep fooling me with the same line forever? Edward, I'm not the naive little girl you could manipulate with a few sweet words anymore. Go back to Victoria and continue being her lapdog!"
She stormed out, and Edward chased after her, trying to explain.
Catherine didn't want to hear a word of it and walked even faster.
Panicking, Edward grabbed her again. "Catherine! I forbid you from going!"
By this point, they had reached the living room, where Catherine's parents were sitting with a fruit platter, watching TV.
Henry White was also there, lying on the couch and nervously watching the scene unfold.
Edward, oblivious to the audience, shouted, "I don't care about anything else, but you absolutely cannot have dinner with Joseph, at least not today!"
"And what gives you the right to tell me that?"
"Because I… Because I'm a jerk! Fine, I'm being unreasonable—so what?"
Mr. White, chewing on something, grabbed the remote and muted the TV. The three family members sat silently on the couch, watching the drama.
Catherine sneered. "Edward, let me remind you—the White family doesn't owe you anything for the sake of any corporate interests. You'd better think twice before you speak to me!"
The two continued their argument.
Mr. White leaned over to Henry White and whispered, "What's going on?"
Henry White quickly lied, "Just a little lover's spat. He's trying to win my sister back, but she's ignoring him and wants to go out with another guy."
Mr. White nodded.
Mrs. White asked, "Who's Joseph?"
"The eldest son of the Smith family," Henry White replied. "We got into a fight back in school."
Mrs. White was puzzled. "But wasn't Edward pursuing Victoria? Aren't they supposed to get engaged next month? What's he doing here chasing Catherine?"
Henry White made up an excuse. "Guess he just realized who his true love is at the last minute! Just watch—it's better than TV."
Catherine declared, "I'm going to dinner with Joseph tonight, and if it goes well, I'll start dating him. If I feel like it, we'll book a hotel room tonight, and next week, we'll get engaged. Our wedding might even happen before yours with Victoria!"
Edward snapped. "Fine! But when Joseph scams you and takes advantage of you, don't come crying to me!"
"I'd rather be deceived by Joseph than hear another word from you! The thing I regret most in my life is ever meeting you!"
"Catherine, I'll say this one last time—you're free to do whatever you want, and I don't care who you're with. I don't care at all!"
"Then why are you yelling at me?"
"Because Joseph is off-limits!"
"Well, I've decided I like him—what are you going to do about it?"
"Tomorrow! Whatever you want to do with him, do it tomorrow. But today, stay home—please!"
"No! When you dumped me back then, you forfeited any right to tell me what to do!"
"You dumped me!" Edward shouted.
"And why did I dump you? Do you even have the nerve to say it?"
Edward stammered for a moment before saying, "It was my fault back then. But now, I'm telling you clearly—don't go to that dinner with Joseph!"
Edward turned and finally noticed the three people on the couch staring directly at him.
His mind froze as he quickly bowed. "Hello, Uncle. Hello, Auntie."
Mr. White greeted him casually, "Oh, Edward's here? Have a seat, let's chat."
Mrs. White chimed in, "Edward, it's been years since you visited. Sit down and have some fruit."
"Oh, well… you know, I've been a bit embarrassed to come by all these years after how immature I was back then. I really feel guilty for disappointing you…" Edward rambled on, trying to ease the awkwardness.
Henry White reminded him, "Hey man, my sister's already gone!"
Edward turned and saw that Catherine had indeed left. He quickly ran after her, shouting, "Goodbye, Uncle! Goodbye, Auntie!"
Mrs. White called after him, "Come visit us again sometime!"
"Got it!"
Mr. White, puzzled, asked, "What was that all about?"
Mrs. White shrugged. "Oh, young people and their drama. At that age, they're either madly in love or deeply resentful."
"But Edward's getting engaged soon!"
"Well, I was engaged once too, and you swooped in and stole me, didn't you?"
Mr. White grumbled, "He's getting engaged and still chasing my daughter…"
"Turn the TV back on," Mrs. White urged. "Turn up the volume."
.........
Edward rushed out of the house, but Catherine was nowhere to be seen.
He abandoned Jon and drove around aimlessly, searching for her. But Snow City was vast—how could he possibly find her? In desperation, he called Victoria.
Victoria, sitting alone at the head of her bed, hugged her knees, feeling heartbroken and despondent.
The situation had completely unraveled. Her father had issued his final ultimatum, and he was the kind of man who always followed through. Her position as CEO was on the line, and Edward, who used to be her devoted follower, had suddenly become cold and heartless. He looked at her now as if she were a curse, desperate to keep his distance.
[ Has the whole world abandoned me? ]
When Edward's name flashed on her phone screen, a spark of hope ignited in her heart.
Even she was shocked by how quickly her emotions shifted. Just moments ago, she had been overwhelmed with sadness and despair. But now, she felt a surge of joy and anticipation.
Her mind raced through a hundred different scenarios in an instant:
[ Why is he calling? What does he want?
Is he having second thoughts and trying to win me back? Hmph, I won't make it easy for him!
What if he asks me out? What should I wear?
Wait, how should I respond to him? ]
Victoria sat upright, crossing her legs. She adjusted her hair and straightened her clothes, then cleared her throat. Taking a deep breath, she patted her chest, telling herself to stay calm.
Finally, she cautiously answered the call. Despite her efforts to sound composed, her voice trembled slightly:
"Hello? What is it?"
"Victoria, are your people still around? Has Davis gone home?" Edward's tone was urgent.
"They left a long time ago," Victoria replied.
"Send someone out immediately. You need to find Davis!"
"What for?" Victoria's brief moment of hope plunged into disappointment.
So, he didn't call for me. He wasn't trying to reconcile.
Edward's voice grew even more anxious. "It's an emergency—an absolute emergency! Catherine and I had a fight, and she stormed off to drink with Joseph. I'm really worried about her. We need Davis to find her and bring her back to me!"
Victoria exploded in fury. "Edward! Go to hell! Just go to hell!"
With that, she hung up the phone.