Side Chick Era... Over

Loving Mom 160

Chapter 160

Just thinking about how Sharon had pushed her to this level of humiliation made Madeline want to slap her-hard, fast, and more than once.

But with everyone watching, she had no choice but to choke it down.

She’d weathered worse. Drawing in several deep breaths, Madeline forced herself to stay calm. At this point, composure was the only armor she had left. She knew full well: if word of this scene spread, the carefully polished image she’d spent years building would go up in flames.

All because of Sharon. That infuriating troublemaker. 1

Finally, she spoke.

“Sharon, Theo has been preparing for this showcase for a long time. Just because you weren’t asked to accompany him onstage doesn’t mean you had to sabotage it. And let’s be real here-you’ve got no family background, no impressive education, and not a single real skill. What did you expect us to do? Parade you up there with Theo and make fools of ourselves?”

Every word hit like a dart. In just a few sentences, she laid Sharon bare-her lack of status, her thin résumé-and did it without a trace of mercy.

their world, image

society, the rules weren’t written down, but they were carved in stone. If you didn’t have the family name, you needed the degrees. At the very least, you

She sat at the very bottom of that invisible ladder, the kind of

The mood shifted-subtle, but

just a

end up in

say it

schemed her way in… but even so, shouldn’t

full-blown mental soap

Sharon’s face

joking,” she said quietly, voice calm. “I’m not out to ruin Theo’s performance. Kelly did this. She spilled coffee on my dress, and I can’t go onstage like this. All I am asking is for her to swap it with another. That’s fair, isn’t it? And who told you I don’t have an education, or

place. But with so many eyes on

replacement? Fine. But why her dress? You know damn well if she takes it off, she can’t go onstage. If Kelly can’t perform, what happens to Theo? Are you really willing