Chapter 153
“Sharon, you really have no shame,” Nate sneered. “Kelly plays the violin, so you start playing the violin. Kelly wears a white dress, and suddenly you’re in one too? Give it a rest. No matter how much you try to copy Kelly, you’ll always be a cheap knockoff who doesn’t belong on a real stage.”
Sharon raised her gaze, calm and steady. “Oh? So violins and white dresses belong to Kelly now? She’s the only one allowed to use them?”
Nate’s voice turned sharper, thick with scorn. “Showing up to a place like this just to imitate Kelly-could you be more obvious? No matter how hard a fake tries, it’s still a fake.”
Xavier let out a quiet chuckle. “If your vision’s really that bad, maybe it’s time you got your eyes checked. Anyone with half a brain can see who the original is and who’s the knockoff.”
Nate’s expression shifted as he opened his mouth to snap back-
But Xavier beat him to it, his tone light but razor sharp. “Not convinced? We can always grab a few passersby and see what they think.”
Nate froze. The words stuck in his throat.
He hated Sharon, sure-but even he had to admit, when it came to looks, she had Kelly beat by a mile. Her features were too polished, her bone structure too flawless. Even without a trace of makeup on her, Kelly couldn’t compete.
Anyone with a basic sense of aesthetics could see it plain as day.
After a long pause, Nate finally squeezed out a bitter sentence. “So what if she’s got the better face? Underneath all that, she’s still toxic.”
Xavier gave a faint smile. “Maybe she is, maybe she isn’t. But being better-looking than Kelly? That’s more than enough.”
Nate’s eyes widened in fury. “You-!”
“Sharon, Matty! There you are!” Just then, a bright, cheerful voice rang out.
Wendy jogged over to the group. “This kindergarten is huge! I’ve been searching everywhere for you two.”
She’d come today just to cheer Matty on.
Lately, she’d been hanging around Sharon’s place a lot, mostly for the free meals-and in the process, had gotten close to Matty.
Matty’s eyes lit up the moment he saw her. “Wendy! You came!”
Wendy held up the camera in her hand and gave it a playful shake. “Of course I did. I’m here to capture the moment you history and win first place!”
“Yay!” Matty clapped his hands excitedly. “Make sure you get a good shot of Sharon too!”
Wendy grinned. “What if I make Sharon look amazing but you end up looking goofy?”
Matty answered sweetly, “I’m a boy. I was born to highlight beauty. The prettier Sharon looks, the more credit I get!”
make
Wendy burst out laughing, her eyes crinkling. “No wonder Sharon spoils you so much. You little rascal-you really know how to talk. She didn’t dote on you for nothing.”
Then she threw a sideways glance at Theo. “Unlike a certain ungrateful mutt-no matter how well you treat them, they always end up siding with outsiders.” 1
Matty blinked. “Why do they do that?”
1/2
Wendy gave a dramatic sigh. “Maybe they’re just… sick in the head. Always chasing after the ones who treat them like dirt. Oh wait-my bad. Maybe it’s some kind of masochistic tendency.”
Nate, fuming, couldn’t hold back any longer. “Wow, look at this-‘making history,’ huh? More like setting a record for dead last!
He gave an exaggerated laugh. “Did I hear that right? A housewife who spends all day worrying about groceries and chores thinks she can go up against Kelly-and even dreams of winning; first place? That’s hilarious.”
Wendy hadn’t even bothered looking, Nate’s way before-but now, hearing his words, her eyes narrowed as she fixed him with at cold stare. “Are you seriously okay? Do you even know what Sharon used to do before all this?”
2/2
