Skylar pushed her way through the crowd, her eyes locking onto Christopher.
“Skye…”
Steven felt a sudden pang of concern when he saw her approach. What was she doing here? As he glanced around at the ex-classmates surrounding them, he knew exactly what had happened—Christopher had probably sent them to inform Skylar. Seeing Christopher’s shamelessness firsthand only made him more certain that Skylar had been deceived by him for all those years.
At the mention of “Skye,” a flicker of anticipation lit up Christopher’s eyes. Finally, she had arrived! He immediately turned toward her, his face lighting up with a fake, pleading smile. “Skye, you finally came. I’ve been waiting for you. I know you don’t really want to break up with me, right?”
His expression was one of a loyal, heartbroken lover—a role he played too well. Skylar finally understood why he had been able to deceive her so completely in her previous life. He was a master of acting, able to manipulate others’ emotions with ease.
Back then, she had been naïve, too inexperienced to recognize the darker side of human nature. If it hadn’t been for Janine, Steven, Viola, Gloria, and George, who had shown her kindness, her heart might have been completely shattered.
But now, Skylar’s eyes hardened, and she stood tall beside Steven. “Christopher, I know you have no shame, but I never expected you to be this shameless.”
Christopher’s face twitched slightly, but he quickly masked it with a look of deep affection. “Skye, I don’t understand. Did my poverty really turn you away? Are you really not willing to share both the good and the bad with me?”
His words, full of self-pity, were an attempt to guilt-trip her. “They all say you’re a mistress. That person can give you all the wealth you want, but he can’t offer you love or marriage!”
Skylar’s heart hardened. He was trying to shift the blame onto her, trying to paint her as the villain.
He was no fool, though. He carefully avoided mentioning Joe’s name—he knew very well that if he did, it would come back to haunt him. He didn’t believe Joe would ever marry Skylar; her background didn’t meet his standards, as far as he was concerned.
As Christopher continued, the crowd began to murmur.
“Skylar is a kept woman?”
“Why is Christopher trying to win her back now? What’s his angle?”
“Skylar is beautiful. It’s no surprise she became a mistress. Who wouldn’t want a sugar mommy?”
“Women today are all the same. They’re so materialistic. I thought Skylar was different, but now I see… they’re all the same. None of them would endure hardship with a man.”
Steven’s anger flared as the crowd continued to gossip. Without thinking, he rolled up his sleeves, glaring fiercely at the people talking. “Say that again and see what happens.”
Skylar’s voice cut through the tension, cold and calm. “They can say whatever they want. Only weak people slander others to make themselves feel better. Don’t waste your time on them, Steven. They’re not worth it.”
Then, turning back to Christopher, she mocked him, her eyes cold with disdain. “You booked a hotel room with Maisy and went shopping with her everywhere. Are you trying to deceive me, or is this little act for your own comfort?”
She paused, letting her words sink in. “Now you’re accusing me of being a mistress—does that make you feel better? You’re despicable and shameless. If you spread any more rumors, I’ll take you to the police and sue you until you’re bankrupt. Do you want that?”
Skylar’s voice was steely with resolve, but her gaze never wavered from Christopher.
“Steven, record a video for me,” she said. “Record the faces of all those who dared to spread rumors here today. For every accusation, I’ll file a lawsuit. Let them see what it’s like to be on the receiving end of a court case and lose everything.”
Steven didn’t take out his phone. Instead, he pointed toward a nearby camera. “Everything that just happened has been recorded by the ultra-high-definition camera. We can hear everything they said loud and clear.”
Skylar’s toughened stance made Steven’s heart ache. He admired her strength, but it saddened him to see how much she had changed. The Skylar he had known wasn’t like this—she was gentle, kind, and trusting. The world had hardened her, and though she had become stronger, part of him wished she didn’t have to be so tough.
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