Swapping a Broken Heart for a New Start novel Chapter 563

Camila Davis had a strange look on her face.

She glanced again at Barbara Jones, who was grinning with smug satisfaction, and thought: Let’s see if she’ll still be so pleased with herself when she finds out her precious grandson isn’t really a Smith by blood. Or rather—will Barbara Jones even be able to smile then?

Of course, Camila had no intention of exposing that little secret right now.

Barbara, completely oblivious to the mocking and almost sympathetic glint in Camila’s eyes, just kept smiling and chimed in with Sandra Taylor, saying, “Sandra’s absolutely right, Mrs. Wilson. Don’t be mad at me for speaking up earlier—I didn’t mean anything by it. I just felt bad for poor Mr. Wilson, that’s all. But if it bothers you, I’ll drop it. Anyway, the real reason I came today was to invite everyone, officially and all. My son’s getting engaged next month, and I really hope you can all make it! The invitations will be delivered soon…”

But Barbara’s big announcement didn’t get the round of congratulations she’d clearly been expecting.

Instead, a lot of people in the room exchanged awkward glances. Some looked at Camila Davis, then back at Barbara and Sandra. The ugly rumors about the Smiths—their scandals, their family drama—were old news in this crowd. Pretty much everyone had heard about them.

Although not everyone had met Camila before, or knew her well, it wasn’t hard to figure out what was going on.

For Barbara Jones and Sandra Taylor to hand out engagement invitations right in front of Camila—well, it was about as subtle as a marching band in a library. Their smug little smiles just made the whole thing even more uncomfortable, and plenty of people felt a twinge of pity for Camila.

But sympathy or not, not everyone had the nerve of the Wilsons to go toe-to-toe with the Smiths. The Smith family’s influence was no joke.

So, when Mrs. Smiths all over the room faced Barbara’s invitation, no one dared refuse outright. They just forced awkward smiles and replied, “Thank you for inviting us, Mrs. Smith. Such a happy occasion—we’ll definitely be there to celebrate!”

Walter’s mom watched all this, practically fuming.

Barbara Jones was just shameless! Parading around like a peacock, acting like she had something to show off instead of being embarrassed in front of everyone.

If it weren’t for her good breeding, Walter’s mom would have liked to give Barbara a piece of her mind right then and there.

Instead, she took a deep breath, turned to Camila, and murmured softly, “Don’t mind them, Camila. None of this is worth your time. You’re a good kid, and we’re lucky to have you with us. Let’s not stoop down to their level.”

Not long after, someone came in to report that Camila’s requested flowers had been collected. Walter Wilson quickly arranged for them to be sent to the lab.

Walter’s mom checked her watch, then took Camila’s hand and said, “Oh my goodness, look at the time! It’s lunchtime already. There’s this cozy little bistro nearby—let’s go grab something to eat, my treat!”

Given how Walter’s mom had stood up for her that morning, Camila certainly wasn’t about to turn her down. She agreed, and Walter tagged along too, though he spent most of the meal getting lovingly nagged by his mother.

After lunch, Camila headed back to the lab, diving straight into work.

The next few days were a whirlwind—she had to get the most value out of the fresh flowers before they wilted and spoiled. There was no time for distractions.

Before she knew it, several days had passed. When she finally made it home, exhausted but satisfied, her phone rang—it was her mentor.

Camila answered, instantly concerned. “Hey, Professor, how’s it going over there? Did that experiment you mentioned last time work out okay?”