Chapter 54
Chapter 54
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Once Rachel finished speaking, she turned on her heels and walked away. Not long after, she heard the familiar ding of her phone–the 100 million dollar compensation had been transferred.
That was quick, she thought to herself. It made sense, though. Callie’s pregnancy had become quite obvious, and delaying this any longer wouldn’t do the baby any good.
Rachel gently touched her own belly, a hint of concern creeping in. It wasn’t fair to her child, either. It would be better if everything could wrap up quickly–after all, they’d never have to see each other again. She didn’t want to risk George getting suspicious as her belly grew.
When she got back, she called Herb and suggested going out for a nice meal.
Herb raised an eyebrow. “What’s with the sudden generosity?”
Rachel grinned. “I’ve got money today.”
“Yeah, sure. You always have money, but you’re so stingy,” Herb teased, not holding back.
Rachel rolled her eyes. “That’s funny. Makes it sound like I’ve been starving you or something.”
As she reached for the food, she said casually, “I just got the divorce settlement. A cool 100 million, so why not treat you to a feast?”
Herb paused, his eyebrows furrowing slightly. “Wait, it’s really done?”
“Yep, the papers are signed. I’m officially done with George.” Rachel’s tone was matter–of–fact.
Herb shook his head. “Well, the press conference is all set up. You’ll probably see George there. Don’t make it awkward.”
Rachel wasn’t concerned. Why should she feel awkward? He was the one who’d cheated, not her. She had nothing to apologize for.
Still, she decided to keep things low–key for the press conference. She picked out a simple, understated dress–no need to attract too much attention, especially not from George.
Meanwhile, at Jenster Mansion, George was getting dressed.
Callie walked over, her fingers gently brushing against his collar as she fastened his tie. “George…”
He paused for a moment, then said, “I’ve got it, thanks.”
He turned slightly, clearly avoiding her touch.
Callie’s heart sank. Since that encounter with Rachel at the hospital, George had been unusually withdrawn, and it had left her feeling uneasy.
“Are you okay, George?” She twirled a lock of hair around her finger nervously.
George wasn’t necessarily in a bad mood–he just felt weighed down by something, an invisible burden. He couldn’t muster
interest in much else.
“I’m fine. Just tired with this heat, he said, forcing a smile. “Anyway, we’ve got the press conference. I need to get ready.”
“Right, of course” Callic perked up, eager to move on. “Oh, by the way, what do you think of this dress?”
She held up a modest–looking gown, something low–key but elegant.
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Chapter 54
George looked at her, his expression unreadable. “What’s this for?”
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Callie blinked, then tried to play it off. “Isn’t there a press conference today? Braylen told me about it, and I thought I’d come with you.”
She saw George’s eyebrows furrow, and quickly added, “I thought you’d already talked about it with Braylen.”
George sighed, pinching the bridge of his nose. “No… If there’s something like this, you should tell me first. I didn’t know Braylen mentioned it.”
Callie feigned a hurt expression. “I’m sorry. I just thought you two had already discussed it.”
As tears began to well up in her eyes, George’s frustration grew. He knew he shouldn’t feel this way, but his patience was wearing thin. He quickly exhaled, trying to push the unease down.
“Alright, get ready then,” he said, patting her shoulder gently before heading out.
Callie watched him leave, a smile creeping onto her face. ‘I knew he’d cave in. Now I get to go with him.‘
With so many reporters around today, a few casual photos snapped and the whole world would know–she was George’s
woman.
And with a little help from the internet trolls, they could hype up her beauty. Let the netizens see what a real beauty looks like.
The other day, when Rachel casually posted a few pictures, she attracted so much attention online. Just thinking about it made Callie feel a twinge of jealousy.
She must have hired some trolls to promote her–netizens are so quick to jump on trends, following the crowd like sheep. If a few people say something nice about her, everyone else just hops on the bandwagon.
Today, Callie thought, she’d do the same. A little self–promotion wouldn’t hurt. It’d show George and everyone else that she, too, had her share of admirers. Not only was she just as good as Rachel, but she was even better.
As soon as Callie arrived at the venue with George, she spotted the reporters she’d hired.
Of course, with George’s presence, there were already plenty of people gathered around, and when they saw a woman next to him, the attention only grew.
Flashes from cameras went off in rapid succession. George frowned and muttered under his breath.
“Why are there so many people?”
Callie quickly smiled. “It’s probably Elysium Media trying to drum up attention.”
I just hope they don’t figure out I hired them, she thought nervously.
Before George could respond, the reporters swarmed them, and they were quickly ushered inside.
“Wow, that’s George.”
“That must be his pregnant girlfriend.”
“Pregnant already? They must be getting married soon.”
“She’s beautiful.
“Well, of course, anyone George picks must be great–looking.”
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Chapter 54
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Before long, Callie’s edited photos were released online, and her hired PR team started promoting her. It didn’t take long for the effect to show–people were already praising her online.
Callie kept a close eye on the posts, a sense of pride swelling in her chest as she read the compliments.
But George seemed oblivious to it all. His eyes were focused elsewhere, and he didn’t notice Callie’s growing satisfaction.
She glanced at him, trying to get his attention. Finally, she said, “George, what’s going on? The photos from the press conference are already online. What are we going to do about that?”
She showed him her phone, which was flooded with comments.
George glanced at it briefly, unfazed. “I’ll have someone take them down. Don’t worry about it.”
Callie’s lips tightened in frustration. That wasn’t what she wanted. She didn’t need him to take them down–she wanted him to see how popular she was now.
When it was clear he wasn’t paying attention to the praise, Callie tried again. “Actually, it’s fine. I’m getting so much love from my fans. It’s not even a scandal.”
She pointed at the glowing comments. “I’ve got so many fans now. Everyone’s supporting me.”
George finally glanced at the screen, surprised. “You have that many fans?”
“Yeah, I don’t know how it happened, but I’ve been gaining followers for a while now,” she said, feigning modesty.
But just then, Rachel arrived.
“Rachel! Look!”
Callie turned around and froze in place.
Rachel’s gown–it’s exactly the same as mine.
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Chapter 55
