Chapter 82

Evelyn pressed a hand to her throbbing cheek, confusion swirling in her mind.

"Evelyn, you despicable creature! You wicked witch!" Eleanor shrieked, her finger jabbing toward Evelyn's face.

Evelyn didn't understand why Eleanor's sharp glare made her chest tighten with such suffocating pain.

"Mrs. Kingsley, why did you hit me?" Evelyn forced her voice steady, though her pulse hammered wildly.

"You dare ask me why?" Eleanor's finger trembled with fury. "You kidnapped my grandson with some accomplice, tormented my precious Victoria, and now you've manipulated another man to side with you! He sent a lawyer's letter accusing her of assault with hot coffee!"

With that, she hurled the crumpled letter at Evelyn's face.

"Evelyn, you vile woman! Thank God your parents aren't alive to see what you've become—they'd die of shame! If you were my daughter, I'd disown you on the spot!"

Each word struck Evelyn like shards of glass, slicing deeper into her already wounded heart.

Now she understood. Eleanor had stormed in solely to defend her beloved Victoria.

Heh.

What a devoted mother. She didn’t care about the truth—mothers always believed their children unconditionally, didn’t they?

Tears burned behind Evelyn's eyes. An invisible hand seemed to squeeze her chest, making every breath painful.

"Evelyn, mark my words—don’t think your little allies will protect you. Whatever you did to Victoria and my grandson, I’ll make sure you suffer twice as much!"

Eleanor delivered her threat with venom before spinning on her heel and storming away.

"I thought it was just a coincidence—same name, different person. But it’s really that Evelyn Sinclair."

"The one who stole her sister’s fiancé and caused her miscarriage."

"Ugh, are we seriously supposed to work with someone like her?"

The whispers of her colleagues followed Evelyn as she stood frozen by the office door. Humiliation burned through her, leaving her unsure where to even look.

Why did life have to be so cruel?

She was exhausted.

She wished she had parents to lean on when she felt this broken. But all she had was her illness and her tarnished reputation.

Silent tears traced her cheeks as she bent to pick up the letter. She hadn’t expected Sebastian to actually sue Victoria.

But it was fair. Victoria had assaulted them. Sebastian wasn’t wrong.

—

Bad news traveled fast.

The rest of the afternoon, Evelyn became the office spectacle. Employees from other departments lingered just to gawk at the "scheming, backstabbing homewrecker."

She assumed Catherine would remove her from the project—no one trusted her now. But to her surprise, Catherine declared firmly, "Everyone deserves a second chance. This project is crucial, and we need teamwork."

She even walked over to Evelyn’s desk, offering rare encouragement. "Evelyn, prove yourself. Don’t let me down."

Though Evelyn questioned Catherine’s sudden change, she wouldn’t let it distract her from work.

Her colleagues’ attitudes shifted slightly too—though she knew it was only for Catherine’s sake. Still, life went on, and she refused to let personal turmoil affect her professionalism. Besides, she loved this job.

At the end of the day, her coworkers packed up while Evelyn took a sip of water and kept working.

Catherine emerged from her office, frowning. "Still here?"

Evelyn glanced up. "I want to finish the bracelet design draft."

"You can do that at home. No need to put on a show of dedication here," Catherine said coldly before rolling her eyes and walking away.