Chapter 121

Ethan Sullivan's words still hung in the air when Evelyn Sullivan turned and walked into the bathroom. She twisted the faucet, letting warm water soak the towel until her fingertips turned pink from the heat.

The doorbell rang abruptly.

Through the peephole, Mrs. Zhao's anxious face came into view. The moment Evelyn opened the door, the older woman grabbed her wrist. "Miss Evelyn, your father is furious at home..."

Evelyn's lashes trembled slightly. In all her years at the Jackson household, Mrs. Zhao had been the only one to sneak her pastries and stay by her bedside when she had a fever.

"I'm fine," she said softly, withdrawing her hand. "You should go back now."

After seeing Mrs. Zhao off, Evelyn stood motionless in the foyer. Outside the window, tree shadows swayed like grotesque specters.

The next morning, a shrill phone call shattered the silence.

"Evelyn!" Sophia Reynolds' voice nearly pierced through the receiver. "Your mother is live-streaming!"

The moment the computer screen lit up, Victoria Farley's haggard face filled the display. The recording had been meticulously edited—only Evelyn's icy words remained: "We don’t have a mother-daughter bond."

"I apologize for Evelyn's actions..." Victoria's tears fell with perfect timing. "We will personally apologize to the White family..."

Evelyn's nails dug into her palms. The woman on screen wept as if she were truly a devoted mother.

"How dare she!" Sophia raged through the phone. "I'm going to confront her right now!"

"Don’t." Evelyn's voice was eerily calm. "The reporters must be swarming the company entrance, right?"

"You still plan to go to work?!" Sophia gasped. "They're trying to destroy you!"

After hanging up, Evelyn mechanically squeezed toothpaste onto her brush. The woman in the mirror had frost in her eyes, but her lips curled in bitter amusement.

In the dining room, Ethan's coffee had long gone cold. He looked up as Evelyn spread jam on her toast with deliberate nonchalance.

"I heard about the press conference," he said, his knuckles tapping the table.

Evelyn didn’t glance up. "Mm."

"I can handle it."

"Unnecessary."

Ethan suddenly seized her wrist, sending the porcelain plate screeching across the table. "Evelyn Sullivan!"

She finally met his gaze. Her dark, unreadable eyes reflected his fury. "Mr. Sullivan, we're getting divorced soon."