Chapter 466

Willow arched an eyebrow. She barely recognized any of these gossiping women. Only two faces looked vaguely familiar—likely fellow military wives from the same residential compound. The rest seemed like neighborhood busybodies with nothing better to do. Ignoring their pointed stares, she calmly adjusted her grip on the food container and headed toward the staircase. As she passed the group, she said evenly, "Excuse me." One woman scoffed loudly, "Oh please, who does she think she is? Just because she's latched onto Platoon Leader Nicholson, some country bumpkin believes she's turned into a phoenix?" Willow paused mid-step. Turning slowly, she fixed the speaker with an amused half-smile. "Whether a pheasant can become a phoenix, I wouldn't know. But I've certainly learned today that backbiting gossips are lower than pheasants." With a light chuckle, she gracefully maneuvered past the stunned women. The insulted matron gaped, her face flushing crimson. "Did that little hussy just call me