SMR 60

~Chapter 60~

The tea table Harriet had prepared by the sunny window was beautifully decorated. There was a vase filled with red berries and green pine branches, pretty teacups, delicious desserts covered with glass domes, and other cozy touches.

Unlike the larger tea party she had hosted before—which had felt more like planning an event and focused on formality—today’s setting was smaller and filled with Harriet’s personal taste.

She couldn’t remember the last time she had enjoyed something so relaxed and joyful.

‘I thought happiness like this would never be allowed to me again…’

Memories of life with her parents drifted hazily through her mind—pretty dresses and shoes, parties that suited her tastes, affectionate friends, and a freedom she once took for granted.

All of it had been stolen by Bella.

‘Fine. I’ll take it all back, one piece at a time. Just like Bella took it from me.’

At that moment, a maid came in to announce Viviana’s arrival.

Now it was time to reclaim one of Bella’s friends.

“Welcome, Miss Viviana. I’ve been waiting for you.”

Harriet greeted her with the warmest expression she could manage.

“Thank you for inviting me, Miss Harriet.”

Viviana entered with far more ease than she had the day she came asking for soap. After a brief pause, she even gave Harriet a light hug—definitely a promising start.

“I hope what I prepared suits your taste,” Harriet said shyly, leading her to the tea table.

The strawberry tea from Eleanor’s Suite Room was a huge hit among young ladies recently. Its mix of dried raspberries and bergamot was refreshing and fragrant—but it was also notoriously expensive.

‘If I had more guests, I wouldn’t have served this tea,’ Harriet thought with a small inward smile, appreciating the luxury of hosting just one guest.

As expected from someone formerly close to Bella and tuned into current trends, Viviana loved the tea.

“How did you manage to buy this? I heard there’s even a waiting list!”

“I was lucky. I bought it the day before it sold out.”

As they enjoyed the tea and fresh cake Harriet had made that morning, they talked about current trends and soaps from St. Clarissa’s Soap & Herb.

When she felt Viviana had relaxed enough, Harriet carefully brought up the real reason for the invitation.

“So… what exactly happened between you and Bella? I heard you’re not close anymore.”

“Before I answer that, I want to ask what everyone’s been saying,” Viviana said, lifting her chin rather than playing defensively.

Pretending a little awkwardness, Harriet recounted the gossip exactly as she’d heard it:

Viviana supposedly insulted Bella’s gift in front of everyone at the party, refused to apologize, and upset the rest of the group. Bella, caught in the middle, was said to have been uncomfortable.

Harriet considered mentioning Adam Hoffner but decided against it—it felt too cruel, and she didn’t want to wound Viviana’s pride unnecessarily.

As expected, Viviana flared up.

“Ha! I insulted the gift? Please. I’m neither rich enough nor reckless enough to mock an expensive product in public.”

“Wasn’t it some La Bonaz cream Bella gave out at the party?”

“Yes! Though maybe the timing was unfortunate—everyone was already talking about your soap at the time.”

Viviana then explained what had actually happened:

She had tried to give her gift to a friend since she wasn’t planning to use it herself. Caroline scolded her for being rude. Bella’s face turned cold.

Harriet could easily imagine how things had unfolded.

‘It seems Bella was really upset about the store launch; that’s why she had likely handed out gifts in the middle of the party just to silence the gossip. Normally, she would’ve known how awkward and inappropriate that would seem—so she must have been on edge.’

And in that mood, seeing Viviana give away her gift to someone else would’ve looked like a public insult.

But Viviana wasn’t as passive as she seemed.

“I lost my temper a bit that day,” Viviana admitted.

“I said, ‘Are we Bella’s handmaidens or something?’ I mean, why should I have to walk on eggshells at a party I was invited to?”

Harriet was taken aback—pleasantly surprised by Viviana’s boldness.

Perhaps worried that Harriet might judge her for it, Viviana hurried to explain.

“In that group, Bella was basically untouchable. I always defended her no matter what, but thinking back… it was strange, wasn’t it?”

“It was. But why did everyone like Bella so much?” Harriet asked.

“Well, Bella was always kind and sweet. If someone had a problem, she’d step in to help. And most importantly…”

Viviana paused and lowered her voice, eyeing Harriet cautiously.

“…she introduced us to eligible bachelors.”

Of course.

That answered an old question Harriet had long puzzled over. But one part still didn’t add up.

“But… weren’t those men all in love with Bella?”

A long sigh escaped Viviana’s lips.

“You’re right. I was foolish. No matter how nice my skin looked, to that guy, I was just ‘that girl who bullies Bella.’”

The man in question, Adam Hoffner, had sided with Bella at the party and made Viviana out to be the villain—even though she had braved the embarrassment of asking Harriet for soap just for him.

“That must have really hurt.”

“It did. But in a strange way… it was freeing, too.”

“Freeing?”

“Yes. I think I wanted to break free from Bella more than I realized. And once I did, I started seeing her not as the perfect woman I idolized, but as a two-faced schemer.”

Harriet was genuinely shocked.

Viviana had already begun to see through Bella. The speech Harriet had prepared to convince her now felt unnecessary.

She took a deep breath—her heart was pounding.

“Miss Harriet? Are you okay?”

“Yes, I’m fine. It’s just… you said something I’ve always wanted someone to say. I guess I got a little emotional.”

Struggling to steady her voice, Harriet closed her eyes for a moment and then asked carefully:

“Would you be willing to hear the truth about Bella Listerwell?”

It was a strange question for Viviana—no one had ever asked if she wanted to hear Bella being criticized. But thinking about it, she realized Harriet was really asking something deeper:

Was their friendship with Bella truly over?

Was she ready to see Harriet as something other than the liar Bella had made her out to be?

“Yes. I’d like to hear it.”

“Whether you believe me or not is entirely your choice. I won’t force you. But I ask you to listen until the end.”

Just as she’d done with Katrine, Harriet requested that Viviana hear her out completely. Too many people had cut her off halfway, jumping to conclusions before they knew the whole truth.

When Viviana nodded, Harriet began revealing everything— Bella’s manipulations from childhood, how she had crept her way between Harriet and her friends, how she changed after Harriet’s parents died, and what she stole from her.

Then she explained the origins of her scandalous reputation—the nickname “Scandal Maker” and how it came to be.

“Is that all true?!”

Viviana’s eyes widened so much they looked like they might pop as she nearly shouted.

“I swear on God himself, every word is true. People think I’m wild and immoral—but the truth is, I’ve never even kissed anyone. I’ve never even held a man’s hand.”

“Oh my god…! If that’s true, then Bella completely destroyed your life!”

“I’ve waited so long for someone to say that,” Harriet said quietly.

She’d imagined this moment so many times—thought she’d run through the streets screaming in joy. But now that it had arrived, it felt oddly… calm.

Viviana, who looked as shocked as if her world had just been flipped, might still go out tomorrow and spread more rumors.

She might go crawling back to Bella, using Harriet as the scapegoat.

Maybe that’s why Harriet didn’t feel truly happy.

But still—she had said everything she needed to say. And that alone gave her peace.

Viviana sat frozen, covering her mouth with her hand, visibly stunned.

At the very least, her perception of Bella had been shaken.

‘Even if we’re strangers again tomorrow… if I planted the seed of doubt, that alone is a victory.’

Harriet turned quietly to the window, watching the world outside as she waited for Viviana to emerge from her shock.