Sharon held Brielle's hand while chatting with the guests. It was obvious that she was trying to show everyone that she and Brielle had a good relationship.

To think that just a few days ago, Jasper had humiliated Brielle in front of Ariana. Now he was pretending to love her in front of everyone.

Ariana thought they were hypocrites.

She couldn't stand the sight of these people. As far as she was concerned, they didn't even have to attend the funeral.

Ariana patted Marge on the shoulder and said goodbye. Then, bearing her disgust, she walked towards the family area.

That was where she belonged.

Sharon was the first person to see her.

When Sharon saw Ariana, she quickly Let go of Brielle's hand and walked over to Ariana, moaning loudly.

"My poor daughter-in-law!"

Sharon was overdoing it. Her exaggerated expression and Loud voice filled Ariana with disgust.

She guessed Sharon was doing that on purpose.

Seeing Sharon coming to her side, holding out her hand, Ariana frowned and took a step back to avoid her.

Sharon felt embarrassed for a moment. Then, she turned around in tears and addressed the guests present.

"You haven't met her yet, have you?

She's my poor daughter-in-law. The wife of our deceased son, Theodore... What a cruel trick of nature."

Sharon wiped away her tears as she spoke, occasionally glancing at Ariana with a trace of triumph.

Suddenly, all eyes were on poor Ariana.

The gazes that fell upon Ariana held a blend of piercing examination idle curiosity, and poorly-masked compassion. To their prying eyes, Ariana felt like she was an item on the auction block; a sense of ridiculousness surged within her

She heard their sympathetic platitudes, the well-worn phrases like “my deepest sympathies," but she said nothing in return.

Their eyes, their voices-they reeked of scorn. Theodore was gone; the reins of the Anderson Group now rested in the clutches of the Darian father-son duo. As a widow, Ariana was nothing more than chaff in the wind to these people.