Chapter 79

The studio lights blazed mercilessly as Harrison Montgomery stood frozen, his phone pressed to his ear. The voice on the other end was raw with fury.

"She's sick, Harrison! Natalie is sick, and you didn’t even know! I swear, if anything happens to her—" Lawrence Montgomery’s voice cracked, thick with emotion.

Beatrice Montgomery, her face streaked with tears, stepped forward and slapped her son hard across the face. The sound echoed through the silent studio. "Her parents are gone, and you were all she had! How could you let this happen?"

Harrison staggered back, his mind reeling. The live audience gasped, their murmurs swelling into a wave of condemnation.

Maxwell Thornton, his manager, rushed forward, pleading with the producers to cut the broadcast. But Preston Whitmore and Donovan Sharpe exchanged glances—this was ratings gold. The truth was out, and they weren’t about to stop it now.

"I didn’t know," Harrison whispered, his voice hollow. "She never told me—"

From the sidelines, Evelyn Sinclair and Nathan Blackwood exchanged incredulous looks.

"Pathetic," Julian Blackwood muttered, crossing his arms. "All that grandstanding earlier, and now he’s playing the victim?"

The phone call continued, and suddenly, another voice cut through—Sophia Blackwood, Nathan’s sharp-tongued sister.

"Lawrence, are you seriously trying to twist this now? Natalie called you from the hospital. The doctors heard everything. You accused her of faking it, remember?"

Harrison’s breath hitched. The memory slammed into him—Natalie’s weak voice, his own dismissive scoff. "You’re just jealous of Vanessa. Stop making up lies."

Sophia’s voice was ice. "Tell me, Harrison—did Natalie make a habit of lying about her health? Or were you just too wrapped up in your little affair to care?"

The audience erupted.

Netizen Q: I thought I was watching a love story. Turns out it’s a horror show.

Netizen R: Where are all the Harrison-Vanessa shippers now? Come out and apologize!

Netizen S: I take back every nice thing I ever said about him. Disgusting.

Netizen T: Get him off the screen. Now.

Harrison’s lawyer’s voice crackled through the speaker. "Mr. Montgomery, the divorce papers are legally binding. You signed them first. Natalie has chosen to proceed."

The final nail in the coffin.

Netizen U: Oh, the irony. He thought he could manipulate her into a fake divorce, and now she’s the one walking away.

Netizen V: Vanessa must have really scrambled his brain. Who does that to their wife?

Lawrence and Beatrice, their grief turning to rage, dragged Harrison offstage. The moment he was gone, the screen flooded with one unanimous verdict:

"THE MISTRESS HAS NO SHAME!"

Vanessa Sterling, unable to bear the onslaught, burst into tears and fled.

Team A-list stood alone on stage, victorious by default.

Later, curled up on Nathan’s couch, Evelyn scrolled through the aftermath.

"They’re still denying it," she murmured, shaking her head. "Even with all the evidence."

Nathan smirked. "Some people never learn."

Evelyn’s fingers hovered over one last headline before she drifted off to sleep:

"NATALIE WHITAKER: THE TRUTH BEHIND THE AMNESIA SCANDAL."