Chapter 557

Chapter 557:

Madisyn could no longer pretend to be friends with Jada. She had reached her breaking point and was now resolved to shatter Jada’s illusion once and for all.

Jada’s face darkened. She thought Madisyn was utterly despicable. Her heart raced with anger. Everything Madisyn had done before felt like a carefully crafted facade, nothing but a sham. Madisyn had never really cut ties with Susan. Thus, her promise to offer support was nothing but a lie. Her being kicked out of the Riggs Group must have been part of Madisyn’s cunning plan. With this realization, Jada felt even more furious; she had been manipulated by Madisyn.

“If the child really belongs to your brother, why does she look like this? Clearly, it’s not the case!” Jada hissed coldly. “Madisyn, Mr. Johns is your own brother. Are you really willing to hurt him for Susan’s sake?”

Jada could no longer control her voice, and her face flushed with anger as she realized she had been hoodwinked by Madisyn. Everyone turned their gazes at Madisyn and Jada, noticing the escalating confrontation between them. They had seen Susan’s uneasiness earlier.

Susan kept her head down, feeling the weight of the situation pressing heavily on her shoulders. She was so overwhelmed that she couldn’t say anything.

Madisyn faced Jada and snapped back, “Since you insist that she has cheated on my brother, tell me who that man is. Who is the man who can hold a candle to my brother?”

Those questions made Jada speechless for a moment. She struggled to form a response. Everyone around them was also confused. Dane’s prestige was well-recognized. He was viewed as a formidable counterpart to Andrew.

Could it be that Susan had cheated on him with Andrew? Finally, Jada found her voice. “Does infidelity hinge on the other person’s status alone? She can cheat with anyone she fancies.”

Obviously, she had no intention of yielding.

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“Enough!”

Suddenly, a deep, authoritative male voice thundered from the crowd. Such an interruption made everyone turn their eyes toward the source of the voice. A figure stepped forward, exuding an air of authority. It was none other than Esteban.

A flicker of exhilaration flashed through Jada’s eyes when she saw Esteban. She knew how much he valued reputation and discipline. He would definitely not let Susan off the hook. Once Esteban reproached Susan, her reputation would suffer severe and lasting damage.

Even if Esteban later blamed her for publicly exposing Susan’s affair, it didn’t matter. Susan’s reputation was already irreparably damaged at that time. The future of the Riggs family rested dependably in Jada’s hands. At the thought of this, Jada’s heart raced with excitement, and she looked at Esteban expectantly.

Esteban’s calm yet firm voice rang out in everyone’s ears. “Susan’s mother was once the most celebrated perfumer in Ansport. Obviously, she has inherited her mother’s extraordinary talent. Jada, you may have overlooked your sister’s endeavors, but that doesn’t mean she hasn’t toiled tirelessly.”

He looked at Jada sternly and continued, “How about you? You haven’t demonstrated the same aptitude. We invested so much money in you and sent you abroad for advanced studies, but we didn’t expect you to come back forgetting all about manners and decency.”

The weight of his words pressed down on Jada like a giant hammer striking her. Her face turned pale at once. Even in this predicament, Esteban still chose to be partial to Susan.

This time, Dane also stepped forward. “Perhaps some of you are unaware, but Susan’s mother was the renowned top perfumer in Ansport, Colette Bowers.”

The mention of Susan’s mother and her renowned legacy as the most celebrated perfumer in Ansport resonated with everyone present. Colette had propelled Lorpond’s perfumery to its zenith, drawing international perfumers to Lorpond for training and bestowing countless accolades upon the nation’s perfumery industry. Sadly, fate was cruel to such a genius; she died before she could even reach the age of thirty-five.

“I know that Colette was married, but I didn’t expect her to be married to Esteban and Susan is her daughter.”

“Colette was my mentor, and I admire her very much. Her skill in perfumery was unparalleled, and everything I know, I owe to her. So, how can her daughter be any worse? Jada is simply jealous of Susan.”

“Talent runs in the blood. Since Colette was a genius, how can her daughter be devoid of talent? What about Jada? Isn’t her lineage dubious? She’s just envious of Susan. How reprehensible!”

Susan felt warm as she realized how much support she had garnered because of her late mother, Colette. Those who once treated her coldly unexpectedly spoke up in her defense. Tears welled up in her eyes, but she held them back, feeling both grateful and emotional.

She didn’t expect their admiration for her mother to translate into empathy and respect for her. After all these years, she still stood under her mother’s protective umbrella.

“When you came to my office a few hours ago, attempting to tarnish Susan’s reputation, I chose to ignore you. But I didn’t expect you to refuse to relent. Such behavior is unworthy of a perfumer,” Dane scolded.

Jada’s face turned pale at once. She didn’t expect Dane to expose her so openly. Before she could speak, he continued, “After being disqualified from this competition, you can never participate in future competitions. Does anyone here have any objections?”

No one dared to say a word.

After Jada was promptly escorted out of the competition, the awarding ceremony resumed, this time without interruption. When Susan accepted her trophy, tears welled up in her eyes. Feeling nostalgic, she held the trophy aloft, its polished surface gleaming under the lights. Finally, she received the trophy her mother once had. If Colette were here to witness this, she would be very proud.

After the awarding ceremony concluded, the crowd gradually dispersed. Susan was left to cater to many reporters wanting to interview her. By the time they finished, it was already past ten in the evening.

Susan went backstage, where the atmosphere buzzed with excitement and chatter.

“Believe me, I’m telling the truth. You’ve all been deceived by Susan. I can’t just forge this pregnancy test, right?” Jada took out the pregnancy test result and showed it to Madisyn. As soon as she saw Susan return, she immediately confronted her. “Susan, you’re finally back. It’s time for you to give everyone an explanation,” she demanded.

Susan’s gaze swept the room. She looked at Madisyn, then Esteban, and finally fixed her gaze on Dane. Dane’s deep-set eyes remained soft. But his voice was resolute when he said, “Susan, don’t be afraid. I believe in you.”

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