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Novel Catalog
Chapter_40
As soon as Sharon answered the phone, her father’s enraged voice boomed across the auditorium, loud enough for everyone to hear.
“Idiot! What the hell have you done? If I had known you would cause such a disaster, I should have suffocated you at birth! The Sullivan family is ruined because of you—it’s all over!”
Sharon trembled, her voice filled with fear. “Dad, what are you talking about? How can our family be over? What’s going on?”
“Are you seriously asking me? Do you know who’s targeting us? It’s the Sunrise Group from Betrico! In their eyes, we are nothing! They said this is because you’ve crossed someone you shouldn’t have. You need to go apologize to that person right away and beg for forgiveness, whatever it takes. Hurry up, or you’ll be kicked out of our family!”
With that, the call abruptly ended.
Terror washed over Sharon as she looked at Yvette and Jeremiah, uncertain which of the two wielded such formidable power. Compared to Yvette, she subconsciously believed it was the man standing beside her who was responsible for this catastrophe.
Everyone had heard the conversation, and now all eyes were on Yvette and Jeremiah in disbelief. Few in the country were unfamiliar with the Sunrise Group. It was the largest technology conglomerate, rising to industry dominance within just five years. Its owner was shrouded in mystery, never making public appearances. Only the general manager attended corporate events, fueling rampant speculation about the real power behind the company.
That such a force had crushed the Sullivan family in mere minutes left the crowd stunned. Now, no one doubted Yvette and Jeremiah’s words. Yet, questions swirled: how had these two managed to leverage the Sunrise Group?
Simon took a closer look at Jeremiah, feeling a nagging familiarity. The man bore a striking resemblance to someone significant he knew. Could Jeremiah be related to that powerful figure?
Shaking off the thought, Simon dismissed it as too improbable.
Meanwhile, Winona and Victor were on edge. They both sensed that Jeremiah was not an ordinary man. To them, Yvette’s confidence seemed to stem from having such a powerful backer.
Victor scoffed. “Hmph, relying on a man isn’t a real accomplishment.”
Winona glanced at Yvette and Jeremiah, who stood together like a perfect match, and jealousy surged within her. If she were in Yvette’s position, she knew Victor would never support her as Jeremiah did for Yvette. Why was Yvette so lucky?
She studied Jeremiah’s sharp features, and her heart raced. What if she was the one standing beside him instead? Winona firmly believed she was far superior to Yvette in every way. Whatever Yvette could do, she could do better.
Lowering her gaze, she silently began to plot.
Sharon, having processed her father’s words, suddenly snapped back to reality. She rushed toward Jeremiah, attempting to grab his sleeve. But before she could touch him, he kicked her away with ease.
Sharon crashed to the ground, her meticulously chosen outfit for the competition now in complete disarray. Her hair was a tangled mess, making her look almost deranged. The students of Argrol University were stunned by the sudden turn of events.
Jeremiah’s kick shattered what remained of Sharon’s pride. Looking around, she saw a sea of gazes filled with pity, disdain, amusement, and schadenfreude. Her emotions spiraled into chaos.
Realizing she had truly provoked someone far beyond her reach, Sharon discarded all dignity and crawled toward Jeremiah, too terrified to touch him this time. “I’m sorry. Please spare my family! I’ll do anything you ask—please…”
At her desperate plea, the crowd fell into hushed murmurs.
It was obvious now: Sharon was attempting to seduce Jeremiah.
Despite her questionable character, Sharon was undeniably attractive. Many watched with curiosity, wondering how Jeremiah would react to such a beautiful woman throwing herself at him.
Jeremiah’s lips curled into a slight smile, his cold gaze locked onto Sharon. A glimmer of hope flashed in her eyes. His expression gave her the illusion that he might be interested.
Quickly, she smoothed her disheveled hair and adjusted her wrinkled clothing, adopting a coy demeanor. She then threw a provocative glance at Yvette, as if challenging her.
Yvette, however, didn’t even look up. She remained casually standing to the side, unfazed.
Winona, observing this, grew anxious. Could Jeremiah actually be interested in Sharon?
But then, Jeremiah spoke—his voice slow and utterly relaxed.
“You don’t deserve that. The one you owe an apology to isn’t me; it’s Yvette.”
Sharon’s face turned deathly pale. The murmurs in the crowd grew louder.
She wanted to do anything but apologize to Yvette. Desperately, she scanned the crowd, searching for someone to help her.
Her eyes landed on Simon, hoping the president of the student council might intervene. But Simon ignored her, lost in thought as he studied Jeremiah.
Panicked, she searched for another ally. Tobias, Bonnie, John, even the students from the Frixyia department—all looked at her with disdain. Patrick, once so arrogant, was now shrinking into the background like a coward.
Finally, she spotted Winona and Victor. With no other options, Sharon pleaded, “Winona, please help me! Tell your sister to let me go!”
Winona sighed, exasperated that Sharon had drawn attention to her. She responded in a gentle tone, “Sharon, since you lost, you should apologize to Yvette. Isn’t that how it should be? I can’t help you, even if you beg me.”
Winona’s words felt like a final blow. Sharon had stepped up to challenge Yvette for Winona’s sake, and now, Winona refused to stand by her.
Sharon felt like a complete fool. She had allowed herself to be used, and now, when she needed help the most, she was abandoned.
Then, she remembered Victor. She turned to him, eyes pleading.
Victor hesitated, guilt flashing across his face. But he wasn’t foolish. He understood that going against the Sunrise Group was suicide. Even the Carter family couldn’t afford that.
Avoiding her desperate gaze, Victor turned away.
Sharon’s face twisted with despair. Then, as if something inside her snapped, she suddenly burst into manic laughter, her eyes dark with malice as she turned to Winona.
“You know what, Winona? You’re the most hypocritical person I’ve ever met. You still don’t know, do you? Victor and I have been sleeping together behind your back.”
The crowd fell silent. Sharon’s eyes gleamed with madness as she continued.
“He held me close, saying he was only with you because he was forced into the engagement. If you weren’t Dennis Smith’s precious granddaughter, he wouldn’t even look at you! Oh, and by the way—I had an abortion because of him. A baby that never got to be born!”
Her crazed laughter echoed through the stunned crowd.
It was as if a bomb had been detonated in the middle of the auditorium.
