Chapter 160
Just thinking about how Sharon had pushed her to this level of humiliation made Madeline want to slap her-hard, fast, and more than once.
But with everyone watching, she had no choice but to choke it down.
She’d weathered worse. Drawing in several deep breaths, Madeline forced herself to stay calm. At this point, composure was the only armor she had left. She knew full well: if word of this scene spread, the carefully polished image she’d spent years building would go up in flames.
All because of Sharon. That infuriating troublemaker. 1
Finally, she spoke.
“Sharon, Theo has been preparing for this showcase for a long time. Just because you weren’t asked to accompany him onstage doesn’t mean you had to sabotage it. And let’s be real here-you’ve got no family background, no impressive education, and not a single real skill. What did you expect us to do? Parade you up there with Theo and make fools of ourselves?”
Every word hit like a dart. In just a few sentences, she laid Sharon bare-her lack of status, her thin résumé-and did it without a trace of mercy.
In their world, image was everything.
In high society, the rules weren’t written down, but they were carved in stone. If you didn’t have the family name, you needed the degrees. At the very least, you had to be someone-an actress, a model, a public figure.
But Sharon? She had none of it. She sat at the very bottom of that invisible ladder, the kind of person people ignored without even realizing it.
And the crowd picked up on it. The mood shifted-subtle, but undeniable. The looks changed. Some sneered.
So she’s just a pretty face?
How did she even end up in the Biggs family?
Didn’t someone say it was a shotgun wedding?
Maybe she schemed her way in… but even so, shouldn’t she have something going for her?
Whispers turned into full-blown mental soap operas.
But Sharon’s face remained unreadable.
“Madeline, you must be joking,” she said quietly, voice calm. “I’m not out to ruin Theo’s performance. Kelly did this. She spilled coffee on my dress, and I can’t go onstage like this. All I am asking is for her to swap it with another. That’s fair, isn’t it? And who told you I don’t have an education, or any talent?”
Madeline’s anger surged again-that tone, that confidence, as if Sharon didn’t know her place. But with so many eyes on her, she had no choice but to clench her fists and swallow the fury.
“You want her to give you a replacement? Fine. But why her dress? You know damn well if she takes it off, she can’t go onstage. If Kelly can’t perform, what happens to Theo? Are you really willing to risk his performance over a dress? What kind of mother are you?”
Once, those words might have worked. Guilt would’ve crept in, softening Sharon’s resolve. But now, they didn’t stir anything in
her.
“Let me remind you of something,” Sharon said. “She spilled coffee on my dress. I didn’t ruin hers. And sure, Theo’s performance is important-but isn’t everyone’s? If Kelly can’t perform in a stained dress, why should I be forced to?”
1/2
Madeline was left stunned. She pointed her finger at Sharon, but no words came out.
Then Nate cut in, his voice dripping with contempt. “Not like you’re gonna win anything anyway. You going onstage would just waste everyone’s time-and probably end in a total disaster. And when it all blows up? Guess who has to clean up the mess?
Carter,”
2/2
