The Return Of the Invincible Heiress Chapter 38

Avery gently patted Josie’s head, smiling warmly as she said, "Yes, these are photos of our ho. Our ho is the warst, most loving place in the world."

"Yes!" Josie nodded eagerly, her face lit up with joy. "Our ho is the happiest, and I’m the happiest too!"

Hearing this and seeing Josie’s bright, innocent smile, Wesley and the others suddenly felt a sense of relief. They thought there was no point in caring if others mocked their small, rundown ho. A house was valuable because of the people who lived in it, not because of its size or price.

With this realization, they smiled and calmly continued watching the screen.

After several photos, a video began to play. The footage showed a small, unassuming restaurant with a simple but eye-catching sign that read "Local Fried Chicken." In the video, Claire was wearing a mask and gloves as she stood by the fryer, cooking rows of chickens. One hand flipped the chickens while the other brushed them with sauce. Wesley was busy serving custors, delivering dishes, and handling the cash register. Arthur was rushing back and forth, greeting custors, taking orders, clearing tables, and grabbing beers.

The restaurant had a dozen or so tables, all packed with diners, clearly indicating that business was booming. As the cara panned, a sign reading "Food Court" ca into view.

Josie excitedly pointed at the screen again. "That’s our restaurant! The food is really yummy."

The crowd began murmuring, their expressions filled with disdain, mockery, and pity as they looked at the Carter family.

"So, they run a fried chicken shop. No wonder they always sll like grease."

"Doing that kind of lowly work and still daring to show up here? If it were , I’d be too embarrassed to even leave the house."

"From a billionaire heiress to the daughter of a fried chicken shop owner—what a fall from grace."

Lucas pretended to be sympathetic as he chid in, "Avery, your family’s restaurant looks pretty good. Maybe one day I’ll book the whole place and treat our household staff. You’ll have to join them for a drink or two, won’t you?"

Wesley clenched his fists, gritting his teeth to keep his anger in check. Claire lowered her head, her face flushed with embarrassnt. Arthur pressed his lips into a tight line, instinctively covering Josie’s ears to shield her from the cruel comnts.

They weren’t ashad of their work—they took pride in it. But they felt heartbroken for Avery, who was being ridiculed in front of so many people. It felt like they were helpless prey trapped in a forest, surrounded by predators ready to mock, humiliate, and toy with them. Their hearts were filled with anger but also a deep sense of helplessness. They kept asking themselves, What have we done to deserve such treatnt?

Avery, however, remained unfazed, thinking, So this is Zoe’s big plan? How childish.

She picked up a bottle of wine and poured drinks for her family. "Dad, Mom, Arthur, don’t let any of this get to you."

"We live our lives with integrity and judge people by their character. They judge people by appearances and think that’s sothing to be proud of."

"We were never ant to walk the sa path. You don’t need to care about their opinions."

Avery’s composure was nothing short of remarkable. Her beauty and poise were so striking that she exuded the air of a queen in disguise. Her every gesture carried an undeniable aura of confidence and authority.

Suddenly, the crowd began to feel like they were the ones being put on display, mocking her as if she were so sideshow, when in reality, it was as though they were the ones performing like circus monkeys under her gaze.

Wesley and the others felt their spirits lift; the sense of humiliation that had weighed them down started to dissipate.

Avery raised her glass with a gentle smile. "Dad, Mom, Arthur, you’re all good people. Here’s to you."

The three of them exchanged glances and lifted their glasses in return. After a few sips of red wine, they felt the tension ease, allowing them to stand tall and et the eyes of those around them with renewed confidence.

Seeing the Carter family remain unfazed, the crowd lost interest in their ridicule and quietly shifted their focus, murmuring among themselves.

On stage, Zoe had been lingering in the corner, pretending to sip water and check her phone. It was only then that she finally looked up with a gasp of feigned surprise. She quickly turned off the screen and rushed to the microphone, bowing repeatedly toward Avery.

"Avery, I’m so sorry! I was just reviewing so notes and didn’t realize the staff accidentally played footage of your family instead of mine. I truly apologize."

Avery smiled coolly and replied, "It’s fine. Your brain has always been a bit slow—that’s why you’ve never been able to match up to . Tonight is a big deal for you, so of course, you’re excited and nervous. Making mistakes is understandable.

"But for , this kind of event is no big deal. Even if I tried to ss up, I wouldn’t get the chance."

The crowd was speechless, thinking, Is there anyone more cutting than Avery? They were almost starting to feel sorry for Zoe.

Zoe’s face turned pale, struggling to keep her composure. After a few seconds, she forced a stiff smile and said, "I’m glad you can forgive ."

Then she smoothly changed the subject. "Avery, I’m sure you scored better than on the exams this ti. Would you be willing to co up and show everyone your results?"

All eyes were on Avery. They thought, The teachers and students from Rosemont City High School have claid she always ranks first. Can she really maintain that record? After all, Zoe’s scores are already incredibly high, likely the best in the school. Can Avery outperform her?

"Of course I scored higher than you." Avery slowly stood up, smiling at Zoe. "I’ve already told you, your brain isn’t good enough to even be my rival. Trying to compete with is just setting yourself up for embarrassnt."

The room fell into dead silence. Everyone, except the Carter family, was left stunned by Avery’s boldness and confidence. They thought, Where does she get the nerve to publicly mock soone as accomplished as Zoe? Is she fearless because she has nothing to lose, or is she truly that sure of herself?

Zoe’s eyes widened in shock, unable to process what was happening. She thought, Even now, Avery can still smile and look down on ?

Gradually, Zoe’s expression softened into a sweet smile as she clapped her hands. "Avery, I believe in your abilities. So how high did you score?"

Avery confidently strode up to the stage. "I’ll show you right now just how big the gap between us really is."

She approached the computer at the side of the stage, opened the browser, and began logging into the score-checking system, ready to input her information.

But just as she was about to enter her details, a group of reporters suddenly burst in through the doors, caras flashing and rolling as they sward her and Zoe, capturing every mont with relentless enthusiasm.