Filed to story: When His Wife Can’t Forgive
Lilliana’s arrogance only grew when she heard Alicia’s plea, and her laughter filled the room.
With even more confidence, Lilliana rejected Alicia’s offer. “I’ll pay fifteen million. This dress will be mine.”
Alicia’s expression softened, her eyebrows relaxing as she smiled gently. “Alright,” she said, waving her hand dismissively. “It’s yours.”
Lilliana froze in shock.
Gerry couldn’t hold back his laughter any longer.
He glanced at Joshua, whose expression had darkened, and added with a smirk, “Miss Green certainly knows how to spend.”
It was quite foolish.
Lilliana realized too late that she had walked right into Alicia’s trap.
Frustration surged inside her.
The dress originally cost just over six hundred thousand. It had a production cost of less than one hundred thousand, and now she was stuck paying fifteen million. She felt like an absolute fool.
However, her pride mattered more, and she couldn’t back down now.
Meanwhile, Alicia casually glanced around the store and selected a light blue gown decorated with tiny diamonds.
“I’ll take this one instead,” she announced.
Lilliana clenched her jaw in silent frustration.
With a grim expression, Joshua told Lilliana, “Don’t act so recklessly next time.”
Lilliana pouted in response. “That bitch set me up!”
Joshua’s frown deepened. “Mind your words. Remember who you are.”
Gerry cleared his throat and reminded Joshua, “Mr. Yates, didn’t you say you’d also cover Alicia’s dress?”
Joshua’s throat tightened. “I did say that.”
Alicia didn’t hesitate.
She took the dress and walked out.
Once they were in the car, Gerry couldn’t help but laugh at the looks on Lilliana’s and Joshua’s faces.
“It’s a shame Caden wasn’t here to witness this.” He added, “He needs to see what kind of person he’s been spending his money on.”
Determined to share the story, Gerry immediately dialed Caden’s number.
He enthusiastically described the scene in vivid detail. Just as he was getting into it, Caden cut him off. “Do you know any porn sites?”
Everyone in the car fell silent at the unexpected question. Gerry glanced at Alicia, quickly turned off the speaker, and whispered into the phone, “Yeah, why?”
Caden replied bluntly, “Go watch them and stop calling me, you idiot. You’re getting on my nerves.”
Joshua and Lilliana followed them after they left the store.
He kept his eyes on the tail lights of Gerry’s car as it faded into the distance.
Lilliana clung to his arm, sneering in anger.
“Who knew Alicia could pull something like this off? She’s even managed to get close to Gerry.”
Joshua looked away and replied, “Gerry isn’t interested in her like that.”
Lilliana shot back immediately, “But if she offers herself to him, why would he refuse? There’s no commitment, so there’s nothing to lose. Maybe she’s using that to get into the competition.”
Joshua felt a painful tightness in his chest.
He knew Alicia wouldn’t stoop that low.
He knew she wouldn’t do something like that, and hearing Lilliana make such remarks disgusted him even more.
“Let’s just head home,” he said.
Lilliana wondered aloud, “Joshua, do you think Gerry’s sudden kindness toward Alicia means he’s already chosen her?”
Joshua felt a sinking feeling inside.
He shook his head. “No. If Gerry planned on picking her, there wouldn’t be any need for this competition. He would’ve made the decision already.”
Lilliana’s expression relaxed slightly.
“You’re probably right.” She let out a relieved sigh. “Alicia’s just trying to stay in the picture by sticking close to Gerry.”
Their concerns didn’t last long once Gerry made his announcement.
He revealed that the theme song competition would be an open selection.
Furthermore, users could cast their votes online.
When Lilliana heard this, a wide smile spread across her face.
“I’ve got so many fans. Even if only a fraction of them vote, Alicia won’t stand a chance. What’s Gerry thinking? Is he planning to fail?”
Joshua kept a serious look on his face as he spoke. “If this competition ends up being a live event, you’ll have to sing the song yourself. Do you think you can actually handle that?”
Lilliana brushed off the concern without hesitation. “I’ll be fine. All I need is a few practice sessions.”
They had already received the song from Iris, and its quality was flawless in every way. Lilliana absolutely loved the piece. But despite that, Joshua couldn’t shake the feeling of unease. Something didn’t sit right with him, though he couldn’t pinpoint why. There was a nagging suspicion that everything wasn’t as certain as it seemed.
What had felt like a guaranteed victory in the competition suddenly felt less secure. Still, Lilliana had Caden’s support, and he hadn’t taken any action recently. So who else could possibly be working against them? Joshua thought hard, but no answer came. Who had he missed?
The day of the competition arrived, and the atmosphere buzzed with excitement. Aside from the judges, the event drew members of the Green and Yates families. Several high-profile figures were present, people who had been invited thanks to hefty payments from both families. Lilliana’s team was in full swing as well. Following her instructions, they flooded every social media platform with posts about the competition. They even set up a live stream to capture everything happening on-site.
Gerry sat in the main seats at the back and turned to Caden with a grin. “Lilliana’s die-hard fans are in for a real shock today.”
Caden casually twisted open a bottle of water, taking a sip without a hint of emotion crossing his face. “Are you that confident Alicia’s going to win?”
Gerry puffed out his chest, clearly proud. “Of course. But let me tell you something…”
He stopped himself just before revealing too much, quickly changing his tone. “Forget it. Alicia wouldn’t want me to spill anything.”
A sinister smile tugged at the corners of Caden’s mouth. “Since when do you start following what women say?”
Gerry leaned back. “It’s a promise between Alicia and me. I can’t break it.”
As the competition neared its start, the lively chatter died down, and the venue became silent. The stage lights flickered on.
When the music began, Lilliana walked out slowly, dressed in an elaborate outfit. She sang her heart out, completely satisfied with the song, pouring extra effort into every note. It seemed that she was determined to give it her all.
On the big screen above, the online voting surged with activity. Enthusiastic users cast their votes rapidly, and the numbers climbed higher with each passing second.
Gerry shook his head and sighed. “The song is good, no doubt about that. But her voice lacks depth-it falls flat.”
Caden remained emotionless, his gaze locked on the stage. He wanted to see how Alicia’s performance would compare, wondering if it would impress him as much as Gerry claimed.
For two minutes, the stage lights were completely off. When they finally came back on, a single spotlight illuminated the stage, revealing a piano.
Alicia stood in front of the piano, wearing a light blue gown. The soft lighting cast her profile in a dreamlike glow.
The scene was breathtaking.
A strange silence enveloped the venue, the atmosphere so quiet that the sound of a pin dropping would have been audible.
Alicia gradually lifted her hands, preparing for her performance.
As the first notes filled the air, she began to hum softly, her melody echoing through the space.
Her voice, both striking and enchanting, captivated the entire audience. It held a mesmerizing power that drew everyone in.
The audience shifted in their seats, clearly taken aback.
“Wait, is that her voice…?” someone whispered, before quickly falling silent.
Whispers spread through the crowd. Those who had expected a lackluster performance were left stunned.
Lilliana, in particular, was overcome with disbelief.
Her face drained of color as the reality of the moment sank in. It wasn’t just the quality of Alicia’s song-it was her voice. It sounded exactly like Iris’.
This performance surpassed even Iris’ from last year.
What on earth was happening?
How could Alicia have written such a song and sing with a voice so similar?
At that moment, Lilliana’s agent hurried over, panic evident on his face. “Bad news, Lilliana! The live stream is flooded with worrying comments!”
Lilliana’s fans were quick to notice something was off. The chat exploded with comments, some questioning Lilliana’s integrity, others praising Alicia.
The votes for Alicia surged on the big screen, quickly outpacing Lilliana’s score.
Excitement surged both online and in person. Alicia remained completely unfazed as she focused intently on her performance.