Chapter 41
Skylar broke out in laughter. “It’s tomato soup with croutons.”
Judging from Joe’s reaction, he probably hadn’t had such a simple meal before. Then again, that made
sense since people would cook and offer Joe all of the delicacies in the world if he wanted to eat.
“Croutons?” Joe wondered out loud as he set his bowl on the dining table.
He hadn’t tried it yet because the soup was still hot. Plus, he was picky with food and somewhat reluctant to put such mushy food into his mouth.
Meanwhile, Skylar ate spoonfuls after spoonfuls of it. The simple ingredients didn’t stop the soup from tasting good.
Joe eventually picked up his spoon after seeing Skylar eat several mouthfuls in a row. With a reluctant frown, he took the tiniest sip. Then, he ate another spoonful and another.
It wasn’t long before he headed to the kitchen and came out with another bowl of soup.
Skylar had always had a small appetite. So, she felt full after one bowl. She got up to grab her bag and take out the jewelry box with the ring Gloria had given her at the hospital earlier.
While placing it before Joe, she said, “You should hold on to it.”
Although the ring was so gorgeous that she wanted to keep it, she knew it didn’t belong to her. It was meant for the woman Joe would make his actual wife.
Joe looked at the jewelry box Skylar handed him. Suddenly, he pictured the scene when she’d worn the ring earlier.
He thought that Skylar’s hand was a rare and beautiful sight because it resembled a sculpture.
She had slender, yet barely wrinkled, fingers. Skylar kept her nails trimmed in a simple shape without a manicure, but it made her nails seem pretty and clean.
Joe felt that Skylar seemed to be the only person worthy of wearing that ring.
“Grandma gave it to you as a gift. It’s yours,” he stated,
“It’s too much. Grandma only gave it to me because she thinks we’re actually married. The person she wants to give this ring to is her real granddaughter–in–law, not me.”
Skylar felt her willpower had increased since she could now refuse a 100–million–dollar ring.
Joe looked up at Skylar. “Grandma intended it for you. She wouldn’t have given it to anyone else, so keep
it.”
“Alright, I’ll keep it for now.” Skylar kept the ring since Joe had said so. She figured she could return it someday when he regretted his decision.
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Early the next day, Skylar rushed to the hospital.
She left at 6:00 am when Joe was unlikely to be awake. So, she texted him that she’d be heading out.
There were few people at the hospital when she arrived at 7:00 am. Then again, it was a private hospital, so it wasn’t usually crowded with patients anyway.
Gloria was eating breakfast when Skylar made it to the hospital. Her complexion had improved significantly compared to the night before.
Skylar chatted with Gloria for around an hour before leaving the hospital and heading toward the antique street. While she was on the way there, Joe replied to her text with one word: “Noted.”
She didn’t pay it much mind.
When she was about to arrive at the antique street, she received a call from Charles.
He asked, “Skye, have you seen what Christopher posted on his social media account?”
“I’m currently driving and can’t look at my phone. What is it, Charles?”
Charles was so upset that he clenched his jaw. “I’m livid! I thought Steven said you broke Christopher. Does Christopher have a death wish?
up with
“I would’ve marched up to teach him a lesson if I didn’t need to fill in for the male lead for a few scenes today!”
“Don’t waste your energy on a jerk,” Skylar commented. “Let me pull over somewhere and see what he posted.”
Chapter 42
Skylar parked along the road. Then, she hastily opened Instagram on her phone and checked her main feed.
The latest post was Caleb’s. It was a selfie of him pretending to look cool while taking the bus to work.
After that, she saw Christopher’s post. He had uploaded three pictures with her.
There was one picture each from his high school and college days. The last one was a picture they had taken long before the period Skylar had been reborn.
Anyone would think the two were an affectionate couple after seeing those pictures.
As Skylar looked at them now, she only found them jarring. She even wondered why she couldn’t have gone back to when she was in high school instead.
If that had happened, she could’ve avoided having any relationship with Christopher altogether.
She looked at the caption under the pictures and was shocked. Christopher had written a long paragraph about their deep feelings for each other.
He had even said he wanted to spend the rest of his life with her!
Moreover, he’d asked his friends on social media to serve as witnesses for his proclamation. He wrote, God may punish me however severely if I ever cheat on Skylar.”
Finally, he announced his plan to propose to Skylar and hoped they could start a happy family.
Christopher and Skylar had many mutual acquaintances and friends from high school. Because of that, many likes and congratulations overflowed his post.
Skylar was still on the phone with Charles at that point.
Charles estimated that Skylar had already finished reading Christopher’s scummy post.
“You’re done looking at it, right, Skye? Don’t you think he’s mentally deranged? Steven agrees with me that he’s always been odd. It’s like he was always peacocking. He’s truly a scumbag!”
“I’ll resolve this matter and make a post clarifying that he and I have broken up. By the at work going well these days, Charles?” Skylar spoke calmly.
way, is everything
She had already seen Christopher’s rotten side. So, risking her relationship with her social media friends. wasn’t a big deal.
“Don’t worry about me. I’ve gotten to act out scenes with lines these past two days. I even get to stand in for the male lead today! So, rest easy. I’ll work hard, and maybe someday I can bring home the best male lead award!” Charles guffawed while speaking.
Reality could be cruel, but Charles believed one should still dare to dream. After all, there was no telling if one’s dreams could come true someday.
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Skylar knew Charles had always been optimistic, so she praised him generously. “You’ve always had great acting skills! You’re better than any of the male actors I’ve seen!”
Charles burst out laughing after being showered with Skylar’s compliments.
After the siblings ended their call, Skylar posted on her social media.
That sa
said, she feared Gloria would worry after reading what she had posted. So, she made it so that Gloria and Edgar were the only ones who couldn’t see her post.
Skylar’s post contained a picture of Christopher and Maisy hugging intimately.
The caption read, “Wishing nothing but eternal happiness for this bitch and dickhead. I’d also like to make
a formal announcement that that scummy Christopher and I broke up on the 30th of last month.”
Once she posted it, her phone kept chiming due to the influx of Instagram notifications..
Skylar didn’t pay them any mind since she was rushing to the antique street.
Soon, Skylar arrived at Daniel’s store. That was when she noticed Daniel and Caleb staring at her with concerned expressions.
“U–Um, Skye, how about you take the day off? Restoring antiques takes a long time anyway. It won’t matter if you rest for one or two days,” Daniel cautiously suggested.
Caleb was usually carefree and didn’t take things too seriously. Yet, even he seemed more cautious at that moment.
“Hey, how about I give you a ride on my motorcycle? It’s pretty thrilling, and you’ll definitely forget about that son of a bitch!”
Skylar chuckled. “I’m fine.”
“Really?” the men asked simultaneously.
“I wouldn’t have posted to my social media if I was unhappy.”
That’s great!” the two
replied.
Skylar looked at the men, feeling a warm sensation in her chest. “I’ll go and wash my hands before starting the restoration work.”
While she did so, Daniel and Caleb exchanged words in hushed voices.
Chapter 43
“I have dating experience, and I know that the calmer someone looks, the more miserable they feel deep down,” said Caleb.
“I used to think youngsters make no sense whenever I heard you talk back then. But now it feels like
you’re making a little sense. You’d better watch out these next few days and not bother Skye. You hear
me?” Daniel stated.
Caleb rolled his eyes at Daniel. “It’s trendy for women to date younger guys now. I happen to be the type of pretty boy that ladies older than me tend to like. Who knows? Maybe Skylar might fall for it right away.”
“Get out of here!”
Paul brought a phone and a packed document into Martin Group’s CEO’s office. “Mr. Martin. Have you checked your phone and seen Ms. Sullivan’s social media post?”
Joe looked up, his frosty gaze settling on Paul. “It’s working hours now.”
“Yes, I know, Mr. Martin. However, I’ve finally found out what the relationship between Ms. Sullivan and
Christopher is. Also, you really should check out Ms. Sullivan’s post, Paul urged.
He felt Joe’s fierce gaze was lethal enough to stab someone to death. Even he felt a slight jolt of fear
upon seeing it.
Joe picked up his phone, which he had set aside. He opened Instagram and began scrolling through his feed. His brows knitted into a deep V once he saw Skylar’s post.
All the warmth vanished from his face, leaving behind a grim expression.
“It seems Ms. Sullivan has really broken up with Christopher. The private Investigator discovered that she
had gone to the police station, and she had also hired a lawyer.
“Apparently, Christopher swindled some money from her. The police even went to Christopher’s
workplace.
“I doubt Ms. Sullivan’s latching onto her complicated relationship with him. It’s more like this Christopher guy’s a two–timing, greedy scumbag,” Paul analyzed the situation.
He clicked on a screenshot from his chat with the private investigator. Then, he showed it to Joe. “Ms.
Sullivan’s incredible. She immediately posted a statement on her social media to clarify the situation.”
A frown marred Joe’s face again as he looked at the phrase “30th of the last month” on the phone screen. That was the day he and Skylar had registered their marriage.
Paul was confounded when Joe didn’t respond. He asked, “Mr. Martin?”
“Reorganize my schedule for today. I’m going to the hospital at 3:00 pm.” Joe tossed his phone aside again. It was as though he couldn’t care less about whether Skylar had broken up with Christopher.
Chapter 43
Paul couldn’t comprehend what Joe was thinking, so he scurried off to sort out Joe’s schedule.
212
While Skylar was paying close attention to restoring an antique, the Williams family had descended into
chaos.
“What is the meaning of this, Maisy?” Sadie clutched her phone so hard that her fingers trembled. She couldn’t believe Maisy had been seeing Skylar’s boyfriend in secret.
Kenny and his younger brothers, Samuel Williams and Peter Williams, happened to return to Williams Residence that day. They were the three Williams family sons, with Kenny being the oldest and Samuel being the youngest.
The three had checked their social media on the way home.
They had never cared much for their biological sister, Skylar. After all, they had grown up in a different household from her, so they weren’t close with her.
In their hearts, Skylar would never matter as much to them as Maisy did.
However, that didn’t mean they wouldn’t be upset at Maisy after seeing what she had done.
It was fortunate that Jeffrey had gone to Williams Group at this time. Otherwise, the atmosphere at home would have been worse.
Maisy’s fingers wound tightly around her phone. She desperately wanted to rip Skylar’s hair out for calling her a bitch.
Although she felt utterly enraged, she had no choice but to put on a pitiful act.
With teary eyes, she said, “That’s photoshopped. Skylar did it on
Chapter 44
“Photoshopped?” the group uttered simultaneously.
“Yeah! Why would I steal Skylar’s boyfriend? I don’t get it. Why would she do this to me? Tears trickled from Maisy’s eyes as she put on a distressed act.
The three Williams brothers adored Maisy to bits. So, they immediately found Skylar despicable when Maisy told them that.
“I’m going to Skylar, I’ll make her post an official social media statement to clear the air right now,” Peter
snarled.
Kenny’s features contorted into a repulsed expression. “She’s grown bolder these days and is behaving more out of line!”
“We should force her to come home so she can properly apologize to Maisy!” Samuel chimed in with a
scowl.
Sadie listened to her sons‘ words before examining the photo on her phone again. It looked too real to be photoshopped. Yet, she believed Maisy would never lie, so Skylar had to be the one lying here.
Even after taking a deep breath, she still felt furious. “That brat is full of problems!”
Maisy kept crying and didn’t say anything more. She knew her family well. The less she spoke, the more pitiful she’d appear in their eyes, and they’d believe Skylar was at fault.
At the same time, Maisy wondered if Christopher had lost his mind.
Why would he post about proposing on social media this early in the day? Not only that, but it seemed odd that Skylar had been determined to clarify that they were no longer dating.
Maisy wondered when exactly Skylar had found out about her and Christopher’s affair. She could’ve sworn they had hidden it well.
Peter called Skylar several times, but the latter didn’t answer. “She’s got some nerve to ignore my calls!”
“She’s not answering mine either!” Kenny seethed.
“Let me try.” Samuel took his phone and tried calling Skylar. Alas, the latter st
The Williams brothers’s faces darkened.
didn’t answer.
Skylar had been trying to win over their affection since her reunion with the Williams family. Yet, she was
ignoring their calls now.
Sadie didn’t bother trying since the trio’s attempts led to the same result. She didn’t know why Skylar was throwing this tantrumn and ignoring them now.
The entire family fell silent.
Eventually, Samuel spoke up with a frown. “We must find her today. If she doesn’t clear up the lies, people.
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will surely expose this scandal to the media if they recognize Maisy from the photo!”
He worked in the entertainment industry. So, he knew how quickly news could spread through online platforms and the media.
There was n
no telling whether someone had already taken screenshots of the posts and turned them into
videos on other platforms..
The Williams family was considered a reputable family in Jipsburg City. They couldn’t risk being involved
in scandals.
Maisy hadn’t thought that far. Her eyes widened at Samuel. “That photo is fake, Samuel! I don’t want to get exposed by the media!”
“Let’s see what happens for now, then try to contact Skylar again. We must be ready for the worst scenario. I’ll also contact my friends in the media industry first for some PR control. Don’t worry, Maisy.” Samuel said. Then, he turned to call his friends.
Maisy nodded obediently, but as she lowered her head, there was a malicious gleam in her eyes. After all, she knew the photo wasn’t photoshopped.
The Williamses had taken her side. Plus, Samuel’s friends owned media companies, and the Williams family had many social connections in Jipsburg City.
Maisy could easily twist the narrative, and there was nothing Skylar could do about it.
Sadie took the chance to call Jeffrey. However, the latter seemed to be exasperated and busy with something else. He only said he’d let his sons handle the matter.
When the call ended, Sadie felt oddly defeated in her heart. It was an indescribable sensation. Still, she told herself it was likely because Skylar had pissed her off too much.
“Hello dear reader… I have some issues with my website, so I have shifted my novel
purpose to drag my reputation through. the mud!”
Chapter 45
Christopher only learned about Skylar’s post because Maisy had texted him.
He hadn’t noticed that Skylar had posted at first because he’d assumed she was still upset at him. So, he only realized he was doomed when he saw the photo she’d posted.
She had found out about him and Maisy!
Christopher felt an unprecedented fear looming in his chest. If Skylar had posted it to her social media, it meant that she was determined to cut ties with him for good.
He had always thought that he’d never liked Skylar that much. Yet, at that moment, he realized how much he couldn’t accept her breaking up with him.
After restoring antiques for an entire afternoon, Skylar washed her hands and left the workspace to grab lunch. She only reached for her phone after finishing her meal.
First, she returned Janine’s, Steven’s, and Charles‘ phone calls and told them not to worry.
That was when she noticed her best friend, Natalie Jakeman, had sent her several messages.
Natalie had been Skylar’s coursemate from college, so they were close friends. However, Natalie had gotten married after graduating. She had been a devoted housewife to her husband for the past six
months.
Skylar returned Natalie’s call.
The phone briefly rang before Natalie answered. “What on earth is going on, Skye?” she asked.
Skylar didn’t give too many details. She merely relayed how Christopher had cheated on her with Maisy.
Natalie knew who Maisy was. In Skylar’s previous life, Natalie hadn’t in Jipsburg City when Skylar had gotten into trouble.
When Natalie had returned and tried to visit Skylar, she’d learned that the Williams family had turned
Skylar away.
“Way to go, Skye! Great job breaking up with him! He never gave me a good impression. Say, I’ll introduce you to some guys one of these days. I bet they’ll definitely be miles better than him!” Natalie assured her.
She knew Skylar best, so she could tell Skylar was in a good state after hearing the latter’s voice on the call.
It impressed her that Skylar could let go of the relationship when it was necessary. It was just as she had expected of her best friend.
Skylar ended the call after exchanging a few more words with Natalle. Then, she checked on the other unariswered calls.
Chapter 45
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Samuel had called her several times. Christopher and Amelia had also tried calling her. Even Skylar’s high. school friends had reached out on social media to ask what was going on.
Skylar didn’t answer any of them, nor did she think it was necessary to respond.
She didn’t think those people genuinely cared about her, save for her family and Natalie. Many only texted her because they were eager to watch the drama unfold.
After being silent for a few seconds, Skylar returned Samuel’s calls.
The latter was quick to answer. “Skye, delete your post at once. I want you to post a new update, saying you were having a bad day and only posted that photoshopped picture because you were emotional. I also expect you to apologize to Maisy in your update.”
Samuel sounded stern. It was as if he was ordering Skylar to do it.
“Who told you the picture was photoshopped?” Skylar sneered.
She had spent her past life trying hard to please the three Williams brothers, just like she’d tried to win over Sadie. Alas, her sincere efforts had been a waste in the end.
She wondered if the Williamses were all lunatics for bossing her around a lot.
“It’s not photoshopped? Does that mean it’s real? Why would Maisy get with your boyfriend? It’s fine if you’re jealous, but you shouldn’t cross the line!
“Your boyfriend’s poor and only has good looks to make up for it! Maisy would never be interested in him!” Samuel glanced at Maisy, whose eyes were on him.
He hinted for her not to panic. He refused to believe Skylar, no matter how she tried to explain things.
Kenny reached out, asking Samuel to pass him the phone, which he did…
“You were being too brash and acted without any consideration today! How dare you slander Maisy with a randomly photoshopped picture?
“Do you seriously think we’d believe you when you and Christopher previously lived together but later got into a big fight over money? If you don’t want to make things bigger and uglier, I suggest you do as Samuel says now!” he barked.
“You
and your family are lunatics. I don’t care if you guys believe me, but is Maisy not feeling guilty about her actions?
“Well, I was just thinking about how I hadn’t made a big enough deal. Go ahead and call the police, then. It’ll save me the time of having to do it.” Skylar seethed.
Chapter 46
Skylar had just said that when she heard Kenny inhaling deeply out of anger.
Kenny thundered, “Say that again!”
Skylar cocked one of her well–filled brows and flashed a half–smile. “You’re not that old, yet it seems
*She firmly held her ground and refused to delete her post. She even insulted me,” Kenny snarled through gritted teeth.
“Skylar won’t listen to what’s good for her and is ignoring our instructions. Since that’s the case, we have
pouted and murmured, “Thanks, Samuel.”
They checked Skylar’s Instagram account several times in the next 30 minutes, but nothing had changed. Skylar hadn’t deleted the post.
People kept asking why she had become the other woman in someone else’s relationship. They had looked into Christopher and knew he was only a clerk for a small company. Everyone couldn’t understand why she’d be interested in a mere clerk.
It contained a screenshot of a legal letter and a verbal statement by Maisy, claiming that the photograph was photoshopped.
In the end, he came to a conclusion. “Ms. Sullivan won’t be able to deal with the Williams family’s professional PR team on her own, let alone their legal team.”
Joe checked the legal letter that the Williams family had sent out. He also looked through the various
“Gather proof of Christopher and Maisy being together, and hand them all to me.”
“Uh, sure. I’ll work on it now.”
“Where are you now, Skye? Shall I go and keep you company? Or you can come home. Your brothers are back, too. Harvey is staying at the dorm these two days, It’ll make you feel better to be with family at a
Meanwhile, at Yancey Residence, Steven and Charles were looking at their phones. They watched as the trending topic rose on the charts.
Charles nodded.
lowest, he was well aware of how deep the waters could be.
slandering her. He felt really miserable.
Steven pressed his lips tensely. He looked at Charles and said, “The fact that my friends said that means that there’s no other way other than to admit that she was wrong, unless we can hire Martin Group’s PR
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