The Ex-Wife's Burning Elegance

The people determined to smear Stella's name still refused to give up.

Someone challenged her reputation online: "If Stella is truly so talented, why didn't Mr. Walden take her on as his protégé? Why did he choose Rachel as his last student instead?"

Abby shot back without hesitation. “Because someone at Stella's level doesn't need to be anyone's apprentice."

Every rumor-filled post about Stella that popped up online, Abby meticulously catalogued and sent out cease- and-desist letters, one after another.

Those who received the legal notices scrambled to post public apologies, insisting they'd only been paid to do someone else's dirty work.

Some even admitted outright that the dirt they'd spread about Stella was completely fabricated.

They confessed: they just couldn't stand to see Stella succeed, so they resorted to spreading lies about her online.

In the end, the pressure became too much for Felipa, who withdrew from the competition.

Felipa's best friend, Rowena, was also exposed—she'd been orchestrating a wave of online slander that damaged Stella's reputation. She soon found herself the target of a lawsuit.

the so-called "insiders” who claimed to know all about Stella vanished quietly from

effortlessly Stella turned the tables, Rachel nearly ground her teeth to

her so much dirt on Stella, and

only did Stella refuse to quit, her performance

reaping more praise than

student, Rachel's

an old friend—a woman about his

each other for years, so I'll get straight to the point. I came to see

With the international music

my hopeless students might standa chance. If

lips. "That's no problem. I'll

to her. Stella's busy enough-between preparing for a concert and the competition, I'm sure her

a few tickets to her concert? My students have been stalking the website for ages and still can't

you could

Mr. Walden's smile froze.