Love or Die: CEO’ s Daily Dose of Swoon (Cordelia)

Chapter 5

Cordelia mulled over the day's bizarre events as she walked home, her pale fingers brushing against her chest, where her heart beat with a sense of foreboding. Her usually stoic eyes betrayed a hint of confusion. At school that afternoon, she had felt perfectly normal, but the pain from the morning loomed in her memory, stark and startling.

'Love or die...' What could cause such a thing?

Even after returning home, she couldn't unravel the mystery. Lost in thought, she was about to head upstairs when Juliana's voice, filled with surprise, echoed behind her. "Edwin, Belinda!"

Cordelia paused mid-step, only then noticing the guests in the house.

Laurinda sat on the living room sofa, her smile warm and welcoming. However, Lorna was the picture of distress beside her, eyes red-rimmed from crying.

Across from them were a man and woman, both middle-aged. The woman glanced at Juliana with a smile that didn't reach her eyes, then turned a critical gaze on Cordelia, lips curling as she said in a flippant tone, "So this is Lia? Pretty enough, I suppose..."

Before Cordelia could respond, Laurinda huffed, "Yes, she grew up in an orphanage, has no manners to speak of, and doesn't even know how to greet you properly. Dull as a doorknob. Not like our Juliana here, who's been bright and sensible since she was a child, diligent and studious."

Cordelia promptly shut her mouth.

Juliana beamed a smile, trotting over to sit beside Laurinda and cooing, "Edwin, Belinda, what brings you here?"

The couple exchanged awkward glances, remaining silent.

Unfazed, Laurinda declared, "They're here to discuss a marriage arrangement! You'll soon be turning eighteen, and after your birthday, you'll get engaged to the Foster boy..."

"Laurinda!" Lorna interrupted sharply, "The marriage arrangement was for Lia. You can't just change that!"

Laurinda's gaze turned stern. "The Foster family and we have been close for years. The engagement was supposed to strengthen our bond. If you insist on Cordelia marrying into their family, you'd be doing them a disservice. It's not a union but a feud!"

Lorna stood up, and her voice tinged with hurt. "How is Lia marrying into their family a feud?"

She couldn't bear the thought of her hard-found daughter being so rejected.

Laurinda continued unapologetically, "Let's be clear. Hanley is top-notch, a leader in every aspect since childhood. His future is bright. And Cordelia? What does she have to offer? Can she engage in intellectual discussions with Hanley? Can she dance at balls? Play the piano? She's clueless! Them together would be a laughingstock. But our Juliana is a perfect choice for Hanley, the epitome of a golden couple."

Speechless, Lorna tried to retort, but Laurinda didn't give her any chance, instead turning to Cordelia, "What do you think, Cordelia?"

All eyes landed on her.

Cordelia furrowed her brows, already weary of the household dynamics after just a day, the biased grandmother, her well-meaning but weak mother, the malicious cousin, and the Foster elders who looked down on her. And she had noticed Hanley at school, nowhere near the perfect guy they made him out to be. Compared to the charming man from the store, he fell short.

A flicker of annoyance crossed her expressive eyes as she said coldly, "Let's just leave it at that."

With that, she turned, leaving a roomful of bewildered faces behind, her indifference suggesting she wasn't interested in Hanley. Belinda frowned, feeling a slight sting of displeasure.

After a moment, Laurinda laughed. "Since Cordelia knows her place, it's settled! Let's discuss the engagement details."

As the atmosphere relaxed, Juliana excused herself. "I'll go check on Cordelia. She seemed off today and handed in her test paper after just half an hour. Maybe she needs help."

Hurrying upstairs, she didn't miss the chance to run down Cordelia.

Lorna clenched her jaw, catching Belinda's scornful glance, and hurriedly explained, "Lia hasn't had the chance to learn high school material at the orphanage. Normally, she didn’t know. I've been considering a tutor..."

Laurinda scoffed, cutting her off. "What good would a tutor do? It's a waste of money. We’d better buy Juliana a new dress. The Delaney kids are all sharp. That girl's a fool and likely got your family's genes. Might end up mad like your father!"

Lorna's face flushed with shame. She clenched her fingers, and anger flashed across her eyes.

She was from the Wilson family. Her father was a college professor but suddenly suffered from mental disease a few years ago. Since then, Laurinda, who didn’t like her from the get-go, hadn’t wasted any chance to disdain her.

And Laurinda had even cursed her daughter, Cordelia.

Lorna stood up abruptly. “Laurinda, you can insult me as you like, but you can’t talk about Lia like that!”

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Though aged, Laurinda was still quick and forceful. She slapped Lorna hard in the face and cut her off fiercely. “How dare you sass me in front of the guests? We’re discussing Juliana’s engagement now. It’s none of your business. Get lost! Don’t embarrass yourself here!”

Feeling a sharp pain in the cheek, Lorna stared at Laurinda unbelievably.

Clutching her cheek where Laurinda's slap had landed, Lorna ran upstairs, leaving the affairs of the Delaney family behind her, along with the engagement.

Though not as exquisitely decorated as the one Lorna had put together, Cordelia's room was spacious and flooded with natural light.

She tossed her backpack carelessly onto the desk and flopped onto the bed, resting her hands behind her head as she gazed at the lilac sheers dancing in the breeze.

Maybe it was her upbringing in the orphanage that had tempered her ambitions. But she did crave knowledge, a thirst so intense that it bordered on obsession. The trouble was the material she had access to was always too elementary. The profound stuff was in the halls of higher education.

So, she had set her sights on getting into the most prestigious university. But that was still a year away.

Lost in thought, the commotion from downstairs snapped her back to reality.

Remembering Lorna was still down there, Cordelia rose and opened her door just in time to encounter Lorna as she was coming up the stairs.

Lorna halted, instinctively turning her face away, not wanting her daughter to see her like this. But as she passed by Cordelia, Cordelia caught her wrist in a firm grip. Cordelia's eyes were piercing, her voice cold and steady. “What happened to your face?”