Chapter 4

"How can you be so eaten up with jealousy!"

"Why did you report your own sister for bribing the judges!"

I froze for a second, then a smile pulled at the corner of my mouth.

I'd always wondered how a dancer as mediocre as Madison could ever take first place.

So it turned out she'd bribed the judges.

Seeing me say nothing, my mother slapped me across the face again.

"You've still got the nerve to smile? If you hadn't reported Maddie, how would she ever have been torn apart online!"

"Maddie can't take this. You go record a video right now and clear her name!"

Herbert's face changed too, brows drawn, staring at me like he couldn't believe it.

"I can't believe you'd actually do something like this!"

"Post a video setting it straight and apologize to Maddie, now!"

I shook my head and refused flat out.

"I wasn't the one who reported her, and I won't clear her name."

"She bribed the judges. She's the one in the wrong."

"What's happening to her now, she brought on herself."

My mother clutched her chest, jabbing a finger at me, unable to get a word out for a long moment.

Then she spun around and stormed off in a fury, and Herbert chased after her.

Watching their backs disappear, I let out a breath.

I turned and called the hospital to arrange a transfer.

It was only after I set the phone down that I saw my name trending.

I tapped it open. Herbert had posted a video.

"I'm Clementine's husband."

"I'm here to apologize on Clementine's behalf. Clementine was jealous that Maddie won first place, so she smeared her with a false accusation of bribing the judges."

"Clementine hurt her legs in a stage accident and can never perform again. She was afraid Maddie would outshine her, and that's why she did this."

"I apologize on her behalf."

The comments blew up, everyone piling on me.

【This Clementine's got something wrong with her head. Miserable herself, so she has to drag someone else down. Disgusting!】

【Poor Maddie, our goddess, getting torn apart online. My heart breaks for her.】

【Pretty obvious who loves who here. Honestly, this guy's got it rough too, stuck with a wife this vicious.】

【This hottie and goddess Maddie are so perfect together. You think maybe this Clementine was the mistress who stole Maddie's man!】

【That actually makes sense!】

My fingertips twitched, and before I could react,

a crowd came rushing out of nowhere and slammed me down onto the ground.

They were still yelling that I had to pay for what I'd done.

I fought with everything I had, but there were too many of them.

Before long my body was covered in cuts, some of them bleeding.

In the chaos, I saw Herbert standing a short distance away.

Watching me get beaten, his face calm.

I saw clearly the words his lips shaped.

"This is your lesson."

And with that he turned and walked away.

Ten-odd minutes later, the hospital security guards rushed over and pulled me out.

I was covered in injuries, taken into the emergency room for three hours.

When I woke again, I transferred hospitals right away. I didn't want to spend another moment there.

Elsewhere, Herbert looked at the flood of abuse online.

And for no reason he could name, something in his chest went tight.

Clementine's despairing face rose up before him again.

Could it be… she really wasn't the one who reported her?

The phone suddenly rang.

Herbert's heart skipped half a beat, a bad feeling washing over him.

"Mr. Gilbert, I'm Ms. Fox's attorney."

"Ms. Fox has retained me to file for divorce…"

He didn't catch a single word after that. Only four remained in his head.

Filing for divorce.