Chapter 16
“Winston’s an adult. He should know what he’s doing. After all, we’re just bystanders here, Ivory said.
Ivory wasn’t clueless. She could totally catch on to what Jula was thinking.
hory did want to win Winston back, but there was no reason for her to play the villain. Once Winston figured out Chelsea’s true colors, everything would work out just fine.
As for Julia’s issues with Chelsea, that was not Ivory’s concem.
“What happens between you and Chelsea is none
none of my business,” Ivory
She walked away, holding the hem of her dress, Julia didn’t expect Ivory to hold back like that. She bit her tongue, and with a mischievous glint in her eye, she strolled into the dinner party
The moment Chelsea and Kate walked into the banquet, they definitely stirred the pot.
“Wait, isn’t that Chelsea! What’s she doing here after totally stealing Ivory’s work?”
Who k
a knows? I’ve heard she was kicked out of the Wise family ages ago”
“She’s just a joke”
mom. Zelene Powers, used to be the star of Evergreen. How did she end up with a daughter who’s totally lou What a waste of potential!”
“Her mo
“Drogo doesn’t give her the time of day. The Wise family is all about Margot. To them, she’s just a punchline”
We’re at the Houle mansion, and you just waltz in here after ripping off
Julia playfully stepped forward and exclaimed, “Chelsea, is it really yout We Ivory’s work!”
Kate crossed her arms and chimed in, “Don’t be so full of shit, Julia. Chelsea hasn’t done dirty deeds since she started school. The whole story about what happened back then is totally up for debate!”
She and Chelsea had been inseparable since childhood, so she didn’t believe Chelsea could have done something like that.
“Isn’t Julia just trying to embarrass Chelsea by digging up an old issue? Kate thought. She definitely wouldn’t let her off the hook for that.
“What’s got you feeling so proud right now, Julia? If Chelsea hadn’t helped you from the start, would you’ve made it this far?” Kate asked.
She had never seen anyone more shameless.
Before the competition that year, Julia buttered Chelsea up with all sorts of compliments, borrowed ideas from her designs, and even jumped ship to join Amber Jewels, using Chelsea as her stepping stone.
But after the match, her attitude flipped entirely, and she started throwing sarcastic jabs at Chelsea left and right.
“Kate, you’re seriously the only one still sticking up for Chelsea,” Julia scoffed. “Someone like her, who keeps plagiarizing, has no business being
here.”
The people around us quickly jumped in, “Yeah, just leave!”
“Chelsea plagianized back in the day and didn’t even bother to apologize. Now that she’s here today, she needs to own up!”
Chelsea shot a cold glare at the crowd, many of whom she recognized.
There was a time when she felt flattered and appreciated by them, but now they looked at her with scowls and the most unkind words ready to spill.
Taking a deep breath, she said, “I’ll say it again. I didn’t plagiarize back then.”
“Really? Then how did your design end up looking like Ivory’s?” Julia chuckled.
You really think you can level up just by cozying up to Winston? she thought. She was curious to see if Winston would still want her after all the drama from tonight.
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Chapter 16
Margot and Wade strolled over, Margot looking genuinely worried. “Chelsea, it’s done just say you’re sorry,” she urged.
“Yeah, Chelsea, it’s not like you’re going to lose anything by apologizing. You were the one who goofed up back then, Wade added, his mood darkening.
If he had known Chelsea was going to be this bold, he wouldn’t have dated her at all
“Why should I apologize for something I hadn’t done? Chelsea shot back.
Some emotional guy on the scene grabbed the champagne bottle and smashed it fiercely towards Chelsea, yelling. “Chelsea. I’ve put up with you for many years. Go to hell, you shameless bitch!”
Kate’s jaw dropped. “Chelsea, watch out!”
Chelsea glanced at the bottle that was on its way down, and it felt like roots had grown under her feet, leaving her frozen in place,
She watched as the bottle came crashing down through the air. An eerie silence fell over the crowd, and everyone’s eyes were glued to the guy.
Outside the Houle mansion, a sleek black Rolls Royce rolled up. Cecil, sporting a flashy pink suit, hopped out with a female celebrity wrapped around his arm, flirting all the while.
Then Winston stepped out of the other side, his eyes icy. “Let’s go,” he said flatly.
“Sweethean, you’re on your own later. We’ll be home together, Cecil replied, playfully parting the young woman’s check. The gesture seemed sweet, but it carried an edge, as if he was warning her not to get too comfortable.
“Mr. Waits, I get it,” the woman said wisely, sensing it was best to keep quiet for now
Cecil was always the life of the party, and this woman knew she was lucky to be in his orbit. She didn’t want to ruin her promising career over a dinner party
Just as they walked in, they heard a ruckus, Cecil’s instincts kicked in, and he grabbed a nearby waiter. “What’s going on?” he asked.
“The woman who plagiarized Miss Houle years ago has shown up, and they’re making a scene, the servant replied, indignation written all over his
face
How dare she come here after what she did? Doesn’t she know she could be in serious trouble” Cecil wondered.
Cecil’s thoughts immediately shifted to Chelsea, and his expression changed.
“Does she not care about her safety? Showing up here, aware that it’s Foule family territory, is downright reckless. Is she really that oblivious to the “danger she’s in?” he thought.
He couldn’t shake the memory of Chelsea’s great designs and how he had once wanted to partner with her. Now, in her time of need, maybe he should step up and help her out
Winston watched Cecil’s intrigue, slightly taken aback. “Are you gonna dive in?” he asked.
Cecil cleared his throat. “Aren’t you curious about what’s happening?” He felt the urge to help Chelsea out. After all, her talent was too good to overlook
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