Battle of Words

Delphinia kept her expression composed, despite the unpleasant tone in the woman's voice. She offered a polite smile and extended a hand. "I'm Delphinia," she said, keeping her voice steady.

The woman eyed her with thinly veiled curiosity before shaking her hand lightly, as if she were afraid of catching something contagious. "Renata Sinclair," she introduced herself with an air of superiority. "I'm Jason's mom."

Before Delphinia could respond, Renata tilted her head slightly, studying her. "You look very young," she remarked. "How old are you, dear?"

Delphinia's smile didn't waver. "I'm twenty-four."

Renata's eyebrows shot up, and a few of the other mothers nearby turned their heads, clearly intrigued. "Twenty-four?" she repeated, dragging out the words as if she needed extra time to process them. Then, with a dramatic pause, she added, "That means you must have had Ashton when you were… what? Seventeen? Eighteen?"