Chapter 168
Everything happened so fast-too fast for Kelly to react, let alone Wendy, or even Xavier and Matty.
Everyone had assumed Sharon would just swallow the humiliation quietly. No one saw that coming.
Setting the glass back on the table, Sharon gave a faint, composed smile. “You ruined my dress. I ruined yours. Fair, right? Since you’re so against changing, you can just wear it as-is.”
With that, she turned to walk away.
But before she could take a full step, a hand grabbed her wrist.
Behind her came Carter’s voice-low, cold, laced with frost. “Sharon.”
His tone was sharp enough to cut. “Kelly already apologized. She said it wasn’t on purpose. Did you really have to go that far?” (1
Sharon jerked her wrist free.
“I don’t care if it was an accident or not,” she said, her voice firm. “She ruined my dress, so she doesn’t get to walk into the showcase in hers. Adults take responsibility for their actions. Not every apology deserves forgiveness.”
Her eyes-dark as obsidian, glimmering like wet stones-locked onto his.
“I’m not her mother. I don’t owe her patience or kindness. If you don’t want her to suffer, keep her away from me. Otherwise, I can’t promise what I’ll do next.”
And with that, she walked off.
Nate, face flushed with anger, made a move to block her, but Carter stopped him.
“She crossed a line!” Nate yelled, his voice shaking. “All Kelly did was spill a little coffee, and Sharon threw juice all over her!
Now her whole look’s ruined!”
Sticky juice clung to Kelly’s face and dress, and no amount of dabbing would fix it. She needed a full-on shower and shampoo.
As for her look? The hair, the makeup, the styling-it had taken over three painstaking hours to put together. And now? Gone.
The showcase was about to start. Even if they called in a stylist last minute, what could they possibly do in time? (1
Sure, Carter might be able to stall the show-maybe for thirty minutes at best. Any longer, and no one else would agree to wait.
The more Nate thought about it, the angrier he got.
“Sharon planned this! She wants Kelly off that stage!” he ranted. “If Kelly misses her time slot, Sharon’s going to turn around and accuse the judges of bias and try to get Kelly disqualified! That’s it! That’s exactly what she’s up to!”
Kelly stood trembling, her whole body tight with rage.
Her dress had cost way more than Sharon’s. And the styling-her look had been perfectly timed and meticulously arranged.
She clenched her jaw hard, fury boiling in her chest.
Just wait. She would make sure Sharon got humiliated before the day was over.
In Matty’s dressing room, Wendy was practically glowing with satisfaction.
“That was chef’s kiss,” she said with a grin. “If she’d just changed her dress like a normal person, she wouldn’t have had to redo everything. But now? She lost the dress and the look. Couldn’t have gone better.”
1/2
Xavier gave Sharon a thoughtful glance.
“You sure about this?” he asked. “Taking them on like that… Aren’t you worried Carter might retaliate?”
Sharon’s gaze was distant and cold.
“I’m still Carter’s wife. I’m still Theo’s mother. For a number of reasons, he can’t go too far with me. Not yet.”
Wendy frowned, her tone tight. “Sharon, he’s gone too far. You married him, gave him a son-and now he wants to toss you aside with nothing? No compensation? Nothing at all?”
Xavier stretched out lazily. “You really think that if Sharon agrees to walk away with nothing, Carter’s going to agree to the divorce?”
Wendy turned to him, realization flickering in her eyes.
“You mean…”
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