Chapter 128

Just then, Evelyn spoke up again, her voice laced with skepticism. "Or are you only apologizing because you're afraid of retaliation from Mr. Whitmore and Mr. Sharpe? Because in that video, your remorse seemed genuine to me."

The crowd froze. Evelyn had struck a nerve.

When scandals like this went public, someone always had to take the fall.

Maybe the young woman was telling the truth after all.

Rebecca gasped as if an arrow had been yanked from her chest. She stared at Evelyn in stunned silence, the fog of confusion lifting.

"No! I was just—just talking nonsense. I really didn’t mean—" The girl stammered, torn between admitting the truth and clinging to her lie.

But words, once spoken, were like spilled water—impossible to take back, even if they evaporated into thin air.

At first, Preston and Donovan had assumed Evelyn’s relentless questioning stemmed from genuine suspicion about their involvement with Rebecca.

But as their gazes swept across the room, taking in the varied expressions of the onlookers, they finally understood what felt off.

Even if the accuser confessed, not everyone would believe it. And tonight’s drama would undoubtedly be twisted beyond recognition in the retelling.

Preston and Donovan clenched their fists, itching to throttle the girl right then and there.

With a resigned sigh, they exchanged glances before their eyes flicked to Rebecca. Had the rumors about her in the industry always been this baseless?

For the first time, Preston and Donovan found themselves overlooking the trouble Evelyn had caused them. Instead, they felt a strange relief—at least this mess had exposed the truth.

In their case, their innocence was undeniable.

Donovan, too irritated to defend himself, waved over a veteran cameraman. "Lawrence, tell them—could this kind of rumor possibly be true?"

Lawrence hesitated, then scoffed. "Absolutely not. But newcomers wouldn’t know. Mr. Sharpe is Mr. Whitmore’s brother-in-law! They’d never do something like that. In fact, Donovan actively keeps women away from Preston! That’s why Preston’s never had a scandal—he’s completely whipped. And Donovan? He’s got a sister complex. They’re both ridiculously clingy—"

The more Lawrence rambled, the more Preston and Donovan cringed. "Enough!" Preston cut in sharply. "That’s more than enough to prove our innocence regarding Ms. Yancey."

Evelyn nearly choked on her laughter.

I just wanted them to clarify their relationship to debunk the rumors. I didn’t expect them to spill all this tea. But hey, not my fault.

Julian and Genevieve exchanged knowing looks. The reason they could pull off such an extravagant event was because they had the backing of a formidable businesswoman behind the scenes.

Genevieve, hearing this for the first time, couldn’t help but grin. Finally, Rebecca’s name would be cleared.

She glanced over and saw Rebecca staring blankly at Evelyn, her usual coquettish mask gone, replaced by raw, youthful bewilderment.

She looked like a prisoner who couldn’t believe her luck had finally turned.

Satisfied with the reactions around her, Evelyn decided to wrap things up.

"Well, if that’s the case, then I believe you," she said, though she couldn’t resist adding, "But what about you accusing Ms. Yancey of seducing your boyfriend?"

The girl flinched as if struck. "I—I was wrong. My boyfriend only looked at her from afar. It was all my fault."

Evelyn sighed dramatically. "Oh, why do women always blame each other instead of holding men accountable? Tsk tsk." She turned to Rebecca with a smile. "My apologies for almost misunderstanding you."

Rebecca’s voice trembled. "No, I should be thanking you, Ms. Sinclair. Truly, thank you."

Her tone was so uncharacteristically sincere that those who knew her did a double take. She composed herself quickly, but the glimmer in her eyes betrayed her emotions.

Was Evelyn’s help a sign that her agency might sign her?

"Thankfully, the truth is out now," Evelyn said, glancing pointedly at Ruth. "Ms. Yancey was unfairly dragged into this mess. But as they say—the truth always wins!"

Those on Evelyn’s side caught her underlying message.

She’d used this incident to give Ruth one final warning: See how easily rumors destroy reputations? Think twice before spreading lies.

They all understood. And Ruth probably did too.

But when it was over, Ruth’s eyes burned with fury as she watched her husband rush to comfort Rebecca.

She never expected Rebecca to approach her first.

Rebecca, who had always avoided her, now stood before her, desperation in her eyes. She knew the wives’ circle had planned to sabotage her performance—the most crucial gamble of her career. Her contract was ending, her passion for performing had just begun to bloom, and her grandmother’s medical bills loomed over her. She couldn’t afford any setbacks.

Ruth’s lips curled into a bitter smile. Confront me? So I can hear my husband say he’s divorcing me for her?

Rebecca saw her disbelief and pressed on. "I swear—after this performance, I’ll never see Mr. Gonzales again. Can’t you believe that I never seduced him?"

Her voice was so sharp it startled Ruth.

But Ruth quickly recovered. "I know why you’re here. But forget it. You ruined my marriage. I won’t let you off that easily." With that, she turned and stormed away.

Rebecca stood frozen, her face pale. No matter what she said, no one would believe her.

That night, Isabelle had already crafted today’s narrative, weaving together insider revelations. She posted them across multiple platforms—the first step in clearing Rebecca’s name.

With the competition’s live stream scheduled for the next day, the post went viral instantly.

Evelyn scrolled through the buzz at home, but aside from Isabelle’s post, the internet had already latched onto Rebecca’s scandal.

Old rumors resurfaced, new ones fabricated—clearly manipulated. The drama was only beginning.

This wasn’t just the wives’ doing. Even Rebecca’s schoolmates had crawled out of the woodwork, eager for their fifteen minutes of fame.

An hour before the live broadcast, the makeup room buzzed with tension.

Evelyn’s eyes flicked to the trending headlines: #RebeccaYanceyLeaveTheIndustry topped the list.

She glanced at Rebecca, who sat calmly scrolling through her phone.

Gordon and Simon looked grim. Ruth was conspicuously absent.

Just as Evelyn wondered why, the production team announced they’d be heading to set soon.

Then Gordon suddenly stood and approached Rebecca. "Rebecca, we need to talk. Outside."

Confused, Rebecca followed him out.

The moment the door closed behind them in an empty room, Gordon dropped to one knee and pulled out a ring.

"Rebecca," he said, voice trembling. "Marry me."

Back in the makeup room, Evelyn’s jaw dropped.

Holy. Crap.

The Blackwoods, about to take their seats in the audience, exchanged puzzled glances.

Gossip at a time like this?!