Chapter 880
A genius violin beauty? What nonsense. Nothing but hype.
The blonde girl sneered. “You only managed to climb up the ranks by seducing men. Do you really think you’re worthy of being compared to Victoria? How laughable!”
“Exactly,” the redhead chimed in, her tone dripping with disdain. “You’re just a dirty little secret, a shameful, illegitimate daughter. Drop out of the competition before you humiliate yourself any further and tarnish Victoria’s name.”
The black-haired girl added with a snort, “Shameless! You spread these rumors just to worm your way back into the Kalen family. Desperate for wealth, aren’t you?”
Wendy clenched her fists, ready to retort, but Sharon stopped her with a slight gesture. She didn’t yet know the full story, but from the girls’ venomous words, she was beginning to piece it together. At least their loose tongues spared her the trouble of digging.
Sharon’s eyes glimmered faintly. Her voice was calm when she asked, “And who told you these things?”
The black-haired girl lifted her chin arrogantly. “Who needs to tell us? Everyone knows. The rumor’s all over-you’re a bastard child trying to force the Kalen family to acknowledge you. But they want nothing to do with you. So what do you do? Spread lies to pressure them into accepting you back!”
Not far away, Julliard listened, his expression shadowed with anger at the vicious slander-yet also admiration for Sharon. She hadn’t lost her composure, even under insult after insult. Instead, she used their inability to keep their mouths shut to seize control of the situation.
“Force the Kalen family to acknowledge me…” Sharon repeated thoughtfully, as though weighing the words.
So that explained the strange looks she’d been getting.
She had suspected the whispers of being an illegitimate child were what had sparked it. After all, Carter had warned her recently.
But this? This was far more twisted than she had imagined.
The red-haired girl curled her lip. “They say like breeds like. Dragons bear dragons, but the child of a rat will only know how to dig holes. You’re a mistress’s brat-you’ll grow up to be a mistress too, won’t you?”
For as long as anyone could remember, illegitimate children had been scorned. Their very existence was proof of infidelity. And in a society with little tolerance for mistresses, their children were scorned by default, mocked and rejected.
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That was why Richard had delayed announcing Sharon’s identity for so long. He wanted to protect Victoria.
By now, Sharon understood the situation clearly. She saw no point in sparring further with the three girls. She gave Wendy a glance. “Wendy, let’s go.”
Wendy bit back her fury and nodded.
But the three girls weren’t ready to let them leave. They surged forward… only to be blocked by Julliard.
His face was cold, his voice like ice. “Are you planning to cause trouble here?”
That single warning stopped them in their tracks. By the time they dared look again, Sharon and Wendy were already walking away. The three girls could do nothing but stomp their feet in frustration as Sharon’s graceful figure disappeared from sight.
Outside the venue, Wendy fumed.
“Those three actually think their Victoria is flawless? Every insult they threw today will come back around and strike Victoria like a boomerang.”
Sharon stayed quiet, her gaze lowered, lost in thought.
Wendy, her closest friend for years, could already guess what was on her mind.
“Sharon, do
you think it was the Kalen family who spread these rumors?” she asked.
“It’s possible,” Sharon admitted, “but I don’t believe it was them.” 2
“Why not?” Wendy frowned.
“The timing is wrong.” Sharon’s eyes darkened, her tone grave. “And the message is too pointed. The Kalen family isn’t that foolish. If they wanted to leak something, they’d keep it vague-ambiguous enough to stir speculation, not blatant enough to leave no doubt.”
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