Mission: From Divorcee to Millionaire

That night, Everett didn't come home. Selena finally enjoyed a rare good night's sleep without his relentless demands. She woke up well past sunrise.

When she headed downstairs for lunch, she noticed Ava acting a bit off. Curious, Selena asked what was going on, but Ava just shook her head and said it was nothing, diving into some busywork to avoid the topic. Selena didn't push further, but her instincts tingled when she saw the newspapers and magazines had all mysteriously disappeared. Something was definitely up.

After lunch, she took her time wandering through the little garden, feeding the koi in the pond before heading back upstairs. Once in her room, she settled onto the couch with her iPad, casually scrolling through social media.

She didn't even have to look hard; the news was everywhere. Everett had been seen sneaking back to the apartment of a rising starlet in the middle of the night, igniting rumors of a fresh romance.

Selena was caught off guard, not by the scandal itself, but by the fact that Everett's latest fling was someone new - it had always been Margot before! No wonder he hadn't come home; he'd spent the night at his new crush's place.

Everett had quite the fanbase, both for his looks and his supposed relationships. The comments section was flooded with crying emojis and heartbreak. Meanwhile, Nadia's fans were celebrating, joking about welcoming a new "brother-in-law" and suggesting they head straight to city hall for a wedding.

A few comments reminded everyone that Mr. Bennett had a wife, pondering what Mrs. Bennett must think of her cheating husband. The disgust was palpable.

Yet, others chimed in, defending him: [Mr. Bennett and Mrs. Bennett were in a loveless business marriage. Was it so wrong for him to seek true love? Mrs. Bennett had enjoyed the perks of fame and wealth; she shouldn't expect more, or she might find herself divorced!] Such remarks used to boil her blood, driving her to argue anonymously online. But now, she just shrugged them off with a laugh. After all, expecting love from a man who didn't care was the real folly.

Everett stayed away, and the gossip about him and Nadia only fanned the flames of speculation. It didn't take long for rumors to swirl about Nadia leaving her career behind to marry into wealth.

Feeling indignant for Selena, Joy took her shopping to vent about Nadia's shamelessness and lack of decency Nadia had apparently orchestrated the whole affair, hiring paparazzi to leak the photos and using marketing accounts to stir the pot, making the rumors explode.

Pet

Selena felt detached and just nodded along with Joy's rants before wandering into a men's clothing store. She thought it was time to get some new outfits for her uncle for the upcoming season. With her aunt out of the picture, Selena felt it was her responsibility to take care of these things.

She picked out a sharp-looking suit, and as the sales associate brought it over, a glamorous woman in dark sunglasses approached. She was dripping in luxury and spoke with an air of superiority, "Mrs. Bennett, you know who I am, right?"

Selena barely glanced at her, replying with cool indifference, "No, and I'm not interested."

Nadia didn't buy it, certain Selena was just playing coy. She took off her sunglasses, revealing a meticulously made-up face, and introduced herself with smug confidence, "I'm Nadia. I'm with Everett now, and he really likes..." Before she could finish, Selena turned on her heel and walked away.

Humiliated by the blatant snub, Nadia leaned in spitefully, whispering, "Mrs. Bennett, do you know why Everett can't stand you? He says you're like a dead fish in bed..."

Smack! Without missing a beat, Selena's hand connected with Nadia's cheek, leaving her speechless.