CHAPTER 57: CHAPTER 57: RIDICULE FROM THE CROWD—IS HOLLY CROWE MARRIED?

The phone call ended, and staring at the darkened screen, Mia Chapelle let out a low laugh.

She picked up her phone again, found a contact, and sent a few words.

Almost simultaneously, the phone rang.

Seeing the name "Daniel Alden" flashing on the screen, Mia clicked her tongue softly and answered at the last second.

As soon as the call connected, Daniel’s urgent voice came through.

"You’re going for surgery again?"

Mia leaned against the vanity table, her tone calm yet with a hint of firmness, "It’s none of your business, you just need to schedule the time properly."

"Do you know that you’re pregnant right now!" Daniel’s voice was mixed with cautious persuasion, "Surgery during pregnancy isn’t good for the baby, can’t you..."

"I can’t." Mia interrupted crisply, leaving no room for discussion.

She raised her eyes to the mirror in front of her, her fingertips sliding from her brow bone to her jaw, adjusting her expression, "Do you think... if I make my nose a bit higher this time, I’ll look more like her?"

"You’re really crazy!"

"Doesn’t Zion Pence still think about Holly Crowe? Then I’ll become her. I want him to look at me and never tell who’s who again."

Mia suddenly laughed, with a hint of madness.

Daniel’s voice trembled, "I won’t agree to this, this child..."

"It’s Zion Pence’s!" Mia abruptly raised her voice, "It can only be his!"

Her voice slowly lowered again, feigning weakness: "Daniel, help me this last time, okay? The doctor said, it’s just this last time. After it’s done, I’ll safely have the baby. You don’t want... this child to have no mother at birth, do you?"

There was a long silence on the other end, and Daniel’s breathing grew heavy, "The last time."

The call ended, and Mia lowered her head to look at her slightly bulging belly, a determined smile appearing.

In the mirror, the light cast on her still recovering stiff face, twisted and terrifying.

...

On the second day of Blake Sinclair’s business trip, Holly Crowe received an invitation to the university reunion.

In the past few years, she had focused solely on Zion Pence and work, but now things were different. She thought for a moment and clicked "Accept Invitation."

When Celia Stiles learned she was attending, she quickly called, "Senior, are you really going to the reunion? I just heard about it in the group, you’re not fooling me, right?"

Holly sat on the sofa, smiling, "Why would I fool you? Why are you so excited?"

"How can I not be excited!" Celia’s voice couldn’t hide her excitement, "I’ll go shopping with you this afternoon to pick a dress! We have to show those people how well you’re doing!"

Holly tightened her grip on her phone.

She knew all too well who Celia meant by "those people."

Since the day she became Zion Pence’s secretary, their relationship had been kept underground, and at some point, rumors started that Zion had broken up with her, but because of her clinging, he had no choice but to keep her by his side.

In an instant, all the gossip turned to say she shamelessly stuck to Zion Pence.

They said she used their college relationship to pressure Zion.

She had listened to these rumors for seven years.

"You should have seen how lively the university group was when Zion Pence announced his engagement a few days ago."

Celia’s voice grew serious, "Senior, when you go this time, you have to show them who’s really doing well!"

Holly smiled helplessly.

After hanging up, she got up to go to the kitchen for a drink, but as soon as she stood up, her calf hit the corner of the living room coffee table, and looking down, her skin was already bruised.

Lately, she had been like this, often dazed while walking, as if not fully awake, and unable to sleep soundly at night.

Two days later, on the day of the reunion, Holly drove to pick up Celia.

As soon as she got in the car, she stared at Holly’s dress, her eyes shining, "No wonder you’re the senior, this dress is gorgeous."

Today, Holly was wearing a cream-colored mermaid gown with spaghetti straps, chosen by Celia, who said yesterday that it was like walking on lotus flowers with every step.

"That means you have good taste."

"I’m serious!"

Celia fastened her seatbelt and suddenly pointed at her elbow, "Hey, senior, why is there a bruise here? It wasn’t there when you tried on clothes yesterday."

Holly glanced down, there was indeed a new bruise.

She casually turned the steering wheel, "Maybe I bumped into something, didn’t notice."

Celia leaned in a bit closer, gently poking at the bruise with concern: "Why have you been bumping into things so often lately? If President Sinclair finds out, he might think you’ve been up to something."

Holly chuckled lightly: "He won’t be back for another two days; by the time he gets home, this little bruise will be gone."

While speaking, she suddenly remembered the pink lychee flower petals in the vase at home seemed to be a bit withered.

The school celebration was held in the school’s auditorium. Holly and Celia had just found a spot to sit when they heard a commotion in the front row.

Zion Pence walked in with Mia Chapelle. He was in a tailored suit, while Mia wore a pink gown adorned with rhinestones on the hem.

The dress perfectly concealed her pregnant belly.

The two sat in the front row VIP seats, displaying intimacy. When the camera panned to them, Mia shyly nestled into Zion’s arms.

"What a show," Celia murmured in Holly’s ear, "Why is she here to ’sing and dance’ at our school reunion?"

Holly remained silent, just watching the stage.

Zion Pence gave a speech as an outstanding alumnus, hugging Mia beside him before going on stage, appearing extremely close.

Holly noticed the subtle glances of the people around falling on her.

The post-ceremony banquet was set in the banquet hall. Holly had just received a message from Blake Sinclair saying he’d sent her flowers and was about to reply when she heard some sarcastic remarks nearby.

"Oh, isn’t this Holly?"

A few former college classmates gathered around, sizing her up, and the sarcasm in their tone was unmistakable, "I really didn’t expect you to come; I thought you’d be too ashamed to show your face."

The person beside them laughed: "Exactly, Zion Pence is going to marry another woman, so some people tagging along is pointless."

"Holly, did you ever think about this day when you chose to be with Zion Pence? I thought you were so capable, and now he’s marrying someone else anyway."

The speaker was a former club president who had pursued Holly in university and started spreading rumors of her cheating after finding out she was with Zion Pence.

His voice was just loud enough for those around to hear.

The crystal chandeliers overhead in the banquet hall were dazzling, and the harsh sarcasm tormented her eardrums.

"I heard that she gave up her major back then to cling to this ’big tree.’ Even when President Pence wanted to break up, she shamelessly persisted, willing to be a secretary just to stay there."

"Nicely put, a secretary, but isn’t that just a concubine at one’s beck and call? Tsk, tsk, it’s a losing deal, too late for regrets now, right?"

A short-haired girl nearby sneered: "Indeed, pestering for seven years and ended up with nothing; if I were her, I wouldn’t have the face to be here."

They spoke with an air of superiority and mockery, but only they knew the bitterness hidden in their words.

Back when Zion Pence was an unknown, they didn’t care. Now that he’s a sought-after "President Pence," they envy Holly Crowe, who was once closest to him, jealous of the opportunity she had that they now covet.

And the news of Zion Pence marrying Mia Chapelle provided them with an excuse to kick Holly while she was down.

Celia was fuming, her face flushed, ready to step in and argue, but Holly gently held her wrist back.

Stepping forward half a step, her moon-white skirt swayed gently, and her face remained expressionless.

"What kind of skill is saying these things behind my back? If you have the guts, say it in front of Zion Pence!"

The girl in the pink dress paused, apparently surprised Holly would speak up, and stiffened her neck: "Aren’t we just stating the facts?"

"Those rumors you spread about me back then don’t mean I won’t pursue them. Let me say it one more time: Zion Pence and I have nothing to do with each other anymore. How you all fawn over him now or envy Mia Chapelle has nothing to do with me."

"Swell words! Who believes you? Probably just pretending to be aloof because you got dumped, right?"

Holly’s gaze settled on her, recalling something after a moment’s reflection.

She smirked, "If I remember correctly, the one trying to climb the ranks by frequently visiting Sunfield Tech under the guise of business talks, and got stopped by security at the gate three times—isn’t that you? Do I need to refresh your memory further?"

The woman’s face flushed instantly, seemingly shocked Holly remembered, and she withdrew, not daring to make a sound.

Celia, watching from the side, felt satisfied and couldn’t help chiming in: "Exactly! My senior is doing great now, and moreover..."

She deliberately elongated her voice, her gaze sweeping over the crowd, a mysterious and smug smile forming, "My senior is already married, cherished dearly by someone else, unlike some who are still gossiping here!"

"Married?" Someone gasped in low astonishment, clearly not anticipating this news.

"Really?"

"Must be fake, just a front. Who gets married without a wedding ring? Clearly pretending."

Someone pursued more directly: "Who did she marry? Name them if you dare!"

Celia raised an eyebrow and smiled, intentionally keeping them guessing: "Saying the name might just startle you, but anyhow, he’s much better than some self-righteous ’average Joes’."

Just as they wanted to say more, a commotion was heard at the door.

Holly instinctively turned her head to look.