Chapter 153

Vivian pressed her lips together and wiped her cheeks, though the redness in her eyes remained.

"I never lied to anyone," she said quietly. "I wasn't a home-wrecker, and I'm not trying to paint myself as a victim. I just... honestly didn't know Serena and Millie were the same person."

Her tears came again. She tried to stop them, but they kept flowing.

"I joined this show to inspire those battling illness. That's it. You may think I wronged her, but I didn't understand the situation. I was clueless. I didn't even know she was in the competition. I had no idea Millie was the one bidding against me for the tanzanite at the auction. And I certainly didn't know that gem was hers-"

A loud splatter cut her off as a water balloon hit the ground near her feet, bursting and soaking her shoes.

"Just answer us! Did you or didn't you wreck someone's marriage?"

Chaos erupted instantly. Shouts rang out from every direction.

At first, many had believed Vivian-believed she'd spoken up for the sick, believed she wasn't the other woman in Brandon and Millie's marriage. She had their sympathy. Their support.

But now the truth was unraveling.

Millie, Brandon's legal wife, had joined the show in disguise. She'd been under fire the entire time,while Brandon was seen frequently with Vivian, fueling endless speculation.

Online posts had smeared Millie's name since day one. And it was likely Vivian had a hand in them.

People who once stood behind Vivian, who had mocked Millie in her defense, now realized they'd been manipulated.

They wanted answers.

"I did not!" Vivian shouted, her voice cracking. "Believe me or not, I didn't do it! If you despise me that much, then fine! I'll never speak anything online again!"

But the crowd wasn't listening. They were too riled up to care.

Moments later, Vivian dropped to the ground in a feigned faint.

The uproar only worsened, forcing the Heavenly Melody crew to send security to take control of the situation.

Vivian was swiftly taken back to her SUV.

The moment the door shut and the others walked off, she snapped her eyes open.

Seething,she shoved everything off the seat beside her in one violent sweep.

"That witch Millie!" she snarled, her voice thick with fury.

Her phone buzzed. Johnny again. Gritting her teeth, Vivian forced herself to breathe evenly before picking up the call.

...

Even after Heavenly Melody wrapped up, the noise refused to die down. In fact, the buzz grew louder online.

Interviews with contestants after the finals circulated everywhere, many centered on the dramatic finale-Vivian fainting mid-chaos.

Some participants even jumped on livestreams, eager to ride the wave of attention.

But most of the spotlight had shifted. All eyes were now on Serena's performance.

Countless influencers dissected her every gesture, lyric, and expression.

"Her stage presence was unreal. No one's going to top that for years."

During the live broadcast, no one had realized Serena and Millie were the same person. Most viewers were still too caught up in the protests to notice.

Now, watching the performance again with fresh eyes, it felt completely transformed.

Her song wasn't just a performance, it was a reflection of how the public viewed her, shifting in real time.

She had accurately anticipated each action and response, even the way the Internet would react.

And she rose through it, crafting a new identity right under the Internet's watchful gaze.

Reproducing something like that? Impossible. It wasn't just good. Itwas unforgettable.

"Now that we know Serena is Millie, let's walk through her five songs again."

"'Yesterday,' 'Us,' 'Deep Sea,' 'Journey,' and 'Sculpture.'"

"Each one hit so hard. I used to wonder what she must have been through to write songs like that. Now I get it.She is Millie."

"Imagine standing on that stage, pouring your heart out, while Vivian judged you and Brandon sat in the crowd...for Vivian."

"From every note,you can tell she loved him. You can hear the pain."

"Stop. I'm getting emotional..."

"I've had enough. I'm going to drag Vivian."

Across social platforms, influencers, fans, and onlookers lit up the Internet with reactions.

Seville, now representing Evans Entertainment, stepped in to clear the air regarding Millie's identity,but made no move to fan the flames against Vivian.

Still, some netizens, feeling manipulated and embarrassed, headed straight to Vivian's page to stir up trouble on their own.

It was probably the backlash Vivian never expected.

The more carefully built the image, the harder it shattered.

While the drama unfolded online, Millie and her friends were busy enjoying their victory banquet.Vivian wasn't even a passing thought.

"This time, we booked a private room. No chance of Brandon crashing it again!" Charles announced proudly.

He hadn't forgotten the last time they'd tried to toast Millie's singlehood.

Tonight,though, the mood was light. Spirits were high.

"To your win!" Charles raised his glass first, his expression full of admiration.

Now that she was officially done with Brandon, maybe his window had finally opened.

He'd even been working on keeping his temper in check lately.

Still, Charles didn't rush. He glanced at Millie's smiling face, and then looked away. If things didn't work out,he didn't want to lose her as a friend either.

"Congratulations, Millie!" the others joined in, raising their glasses with genuine warmth.

Millie stood.

She had changed out of her stage clothes and removed all her makeup.

With a small smile, she lifted her glass and emptied it in one go.

"This past month has been the hardest period of my lishe said, her eyes welling up with tears.

Though she wasn't one for dramatic speeches, her emotion was real at the moment.

"I'm thankful to every single one of you, for sticking by me, for lifting me up when I couldn't do it myself.

This victory belongs to all of us."

Millie smiled again, quietly remembering the loneliness that had once almost crushed her.

Thankfully,she wasn't alone this time.

The worst had passed. A new