Chapter 68

Harrison Montgomery, who prided himself on being a man of principle, rarely felt the need to lie. But under the weight of Evelyn Sinclair’s piercing gaze, even the innocent might falter, their cheeks flushing with unwarranted guilt.

"What I’m trying to say isn’t—it’s just—" Harrison stumbled, his usual confidence crumbling unexpectedly.

Evelyn seized the moment, refusing to let him recover. "Not these? So all these accusations are true? At first, I wasn’t entirely sure if it was your wife and Vanessa Sterling I saw that day. But now..." She let the implication hang, sharp as a blade.

Caught off guard, Harrison floundered. "There were reasons for all of it. She was the one who made mistakes, and that’s why—"

"What mistakes?" Evelyn cut in, her voice icy.

Vanessa, sensing disaster, panicked. Harrison had a habit of oversharing under pressure. She had to intervene. "Stop deflecting. We’re talking about you spreading rumors that I fought over a dress. That never happened. Who’s manipulating you?"

Her interruption drew awkward coughs from the onlookers. Their discomfort was palpable.

Vanessa scanned the room, meeting eyes filled with silent judgment. No, the real issue isn’t the dress. The real issue was a beloved actor publicly mistreating his wife for his mistress—a disgraceful act. Yet here he stood, acting as if he were the victim.

Humiliation burned through her, making her hands tremble visibly.

Even Harrison felt the disdain radiating from the crowd. Why? I’ve done nothing wrong!

Before they could react further, Evelyn straightened, her voice dripping with disbelief. "So you’re saying it never happened? That I was set up? By whom? Your wife? Did she confess to plotting against you?"

Maxwell Thornton, desperate to stop the spiral, blurted, "Yes, she admitted she knew you!"

Evelyn scoffed. "I’m an artist who worked on the same show as her husband. Of course she knows me. I’m asking if she admitted to orchestrating this."

Silence.

Vanessa let out a disbelieving laugh. "Who would admit to that?"

Evelyn turned to her, smirking. "You really have a gift for spinning tales, don’t you? I didn’t lie, Mr. Montgomery. Who do you believe—me or her?"

The boldness of her challenge stunned the room.

Harrison gaped. "Why would I believe you over my own junior? I barely know you!"

The crowd mentally groaned. Evelyn, your argument is weak! Pivot!

But Evelyn, frustrated, snapped, "Right. If Mr. Montgomery doesn’t even trust his own wife, why would he trust a stranger like me?"

Harrison froze.

"What?"

"You give Vanessa absolute trust—no proof needed. Meanwhile, I’d need a mountain of evidence just to be heard. The hypocrisy is astounding."

Vanessa paled.

The room held its breath.

Julian Blackwood was impressed. Damn. That was brutal.

But Vanessa, ever the crisis actress, burst into tears. "I get it now. You’re against me because you think I wronged Natalie. But I swear, there’s nothing between Harrison and me! We’ve been wronged! What do I have to do to prove it? Die?"

Harrison stiffened. Vanessa had a history of self-harm. If she was innocent, why would she say such things?

Evelyn nearly laughed. Choosing logic over family? Really? The man was a master at twisting reality—and worse, he believed his own lies.

Disgust twisted in her gut. Harrison’s blind loyalty to Vanessa was nauseating.

Then—phones erupted.

The room buzzed with notifications. Harrison ignored his, but Maxwell didn’t. His face drained of color as he checked his screen, then shot Vanessa a horrified look.

Harrison, oblivious, kept defending Vanessa, glaring at Evelyn—until he noticed her widening, mocking smile.

Marcus Donovan, confused, pulled out his phone. Julian, uninterested in the digital chaos, kept his focus on Evelyn.

Even the heavens can’t stand this anymore.

The internet had spoken.

Thanks to Evelyn’s earlier stunt, netizens had dug deeper—and unearthed gold. A store employee had secretly filmed the incident, posting it online with faces blurred. The footage matched every leaked detail, exposing Vanessa’s cruelty toward Natalie.

But that wasn’t all.

Harrison and Natalie’s marriage certificate surfaced. Their childhood photos. Even a hospital snapshot of Natalie, sparking health rumors.

The backlash was vicious.

Fans of Young Again reeled. A hidden marriage? Infidelity? Mistreating a sick wife? Harrison’s reputation was obliterated.

Evelyn grinned. Best. Netizens. Ever.

Now, she just had to watch Harrison try to defend this.

Before Maxwell could drag him away, Preston Whitmore and Donovan Sharpe rushed in—too late. The scandal had exploded.