Chapter 408
And then, Caitlin gave a deep, graceful bow.
By this point, Mr. Quinten was steeped in guilt-this entire fiasco was his own fault. If only he’d handled things better, none of this would have happened.
Caitlin’s expression remained calm and unbothered, not a hint of smugness in her features or her voice. “Mr. Quinten, as long as the truth is clear, that’s enough for me p>
“Miss Gonzales, the Polaris Tear was always meant for you. Please, I insist you accept it!” Mr. Quinten held out the wooden box from earlier. “If you refuse, I truly won’t have a moment’s peace p>
At that moment, it was as if someone had hit pause in the ballroom. Guests stared in disbelief. Everyone had been so sure that tonight’s birthday gala would elevate Ann’s social standing to new heights.
No one could have predicted a twist like this.
Who would have thought Caitlin was actually Mr. Quinten’s true savior all along?
“Ann has no shame! She actually tried to take credit for something like this p>
“I feel secondhand embarrassment for her p>
“It’s all Ann’s scheming that nearly made us accuse the wrong person p>
“Seriously, thank goodness Mr. Quinten arrived in time p>
The murmurs rippled across the ballroom, and Ann felt like she was dying by inches.
Humiliation, anger, resentment—all of it swirled together until she wanted nothing more than to disappear into a crack in the floor.
Caitlin!
It was all Caitlin’s fault. That little wretch had stolen what should have been hers.
Caitlin was the one who deserved to be shamed and ridiculed, not her. Why couldn’t that girl just drop dead?
Ann dug her nails into the polished floor so hard that several snapped and broke, blood welling up beneath her hands. But she barely seemed to feel the pain, too consumed by her bitterness.
The whole scene was being streamed live, and the chat exploded with condemnation for Ann:
[So she’s the real fake? I can’t believe I ever supported her p>
[I am literally fuming p>
[I can’t believe I was played like a fool p>
[I owe Miss Gonzales an apology. I’ll get on my knees and beg her forgiveness p>
[Damn it! Ann used us as her pawns p>
[I want to apologize too p>
[I always thought Miss Gonzales looked too sweet to be some schemer. Last time
I defended her on Twitter, I got harassed off the platform. Finally, justice p>
[@above, I’m sorry too! I was too gullible and joined the mob against her p>
On the sidelines, Miranda and Vesta wore equally complicated expressions.
Miranda wondered if she was dreaming, feeling faint and unsteady on her feet. She never would have
believed Caitlin was Mr. Quinten’s resguer-the same girl in tha famous photo-the one with the unforgettable silhouette.
If only she hadn’t made that bet with Caitlin.
And it wasn’t just a private joke; she’d declared it in front of everyone at the party
and, worse yet, to over a hundred thousand viewers online.
Now she had lost her dignity both in public and in private.
Vesta looked even more mortified. All she could hope for was that Caitlin would just forget about what had happened.
Caitlin turned to Mr. Quinten, her face composed and serene. “Mr. Quinten, what happened six months ago was nothing but a small favor. I didn’t come here tonight to claim any reward. I just wanted to clear my name p>
“Now that the truth is out, I’ll be
stepping away from the internet. As for the Polaris Tear, I intend to
donate it to a children’s scholarship fund in underprivileged areas welcome all of you, both in person and online, to supervise the donation process p>
She took the wooden box from Mr. Quinten with both hands.
The room erupted into thunderous applause.
A gem as rare as the Polaris Tear-no one had expected Caitlin to give it away to charity.
The live chat was in a frenzy:
[She’s donating it? Miss Gonzales has a heart of gold p>
[Her generosity is truly unmatched p>
[I’m officially a huge fan now p>
[She’s leaving the internet? No way! Miss Gonzales, don’t quit! I just checked, and
you’ve got over thirty million followers on Twitter p>
[No way she’s really leaving. Gonzales Holdings is at a crucial turning point. If
Freya uses this momentum, the company might finally go global p>
[Agreed! I bet she’ll come back and say she can’t abandon her fans p>
[Exactly! Who could walk away from that kind of fame and fortune p>
[Breaking news: Freya’s Twitter just hit forty million followers p>
[Even bigger news: Miss Gonzales is trending worldwide p>
As the energy in the ballroom reached a fever pitch, Miranda and Vesta
exchanged a nervous glance. Vesta leaned in and whispered, “Mabel, let’s sneak out while we can p>
Miranda nodded quickly.
The two of them edged toward the exit, silently praying Caitlin wouldn’t notice.
Just as they reached the doorway,
Caitlin glanced toward the crowd, a
faint smile touching her lips, her
striking eyes narrowing ever so slightly “Miss Lowell, Miss Prescott, I’d appreciate if you’d stay a
moment p>