Love beyond the mask1-100

Novel Catalog

Chapter_25

At this very moment, Yvonne was quivering with anticipation, eager to watch Whitney’s public disgrace unfold before her eyes. She had orchestrated everything perfectly: the brutal scene of Whitney allegedly killing her own dogs, all set up for everyone to witness. She even had Preston call for a doctor to declare Whitney mentally unstable, ensuring she would be carted off to the asylum, never to see the light of day again. This way, the troublesome girl would be out of her hair for good.

In her mind, Yvonne smirked, imagining Whitney’s downfall. As the servant shattered the lock and pushed the door open, they all stepped into the dimly lit basement. The stench of blood hit them like a wave, making everyone cover their noses. When the lights flickered on, they gasped in horror at the sight before them: a girl sitting amidst a pool of blood, her hands and face smeared in it, even specks on her teeth as though she’d gone mad, tearing into raw flesh.

“Agh!” one of the onlookers cried out.

“Who killed the dogs? Was it Whitney?” another voice gasped.

Yvonne rushed forward, feigning concern as she approached the girl. “Sweetheart, even if you’re unwell and faced some ridicule at the party, they were your own dogs. How could you be so cruel, you…” She was about to signal Preston to call the doctor when she took a proper look at the girl’s face. Her breath caught in her throat, and she screamed, stumbling backward.

“What’s wrong, Yvonne?” someone asked in alarm.

Yvonne’s eyes widened in disbelief as she turned to see Whitney casually walking into the room, feigning surprise. “Oh no, it’s my sister!” Whitney said, her voice dripping with feigned innocence.

Every eye in the room shifted to the girl sitting in the bloodstained mess. To their shock, it wasn’t Whitney, but Monica!

Yvonne was stunned, her mind racing. She looked from the calm Whitney to the bloody mess on the floor, trying to make sense of it all. How could this be? Her plan had been flawless. Where had she gone wrong?

Snapping back to reality, Yvonne glared at Whitney with pure loathing.

Meanwhile, Preston’s face was one of disgust. He quickly tried to disperse the crowd, but they were too intrigued to leave.

In desperation, Yvonne rushed to cover Monica, trying to wake her up. Monica stirred, her eyes fluttering open. “Mom, why am I here? Ah!” she screamed as she took in the sight of the blood and what appeared to be a mutilated dog.

Whitney watched the scene unfold with an air of innocence, crouching beside Monica. “Sis, what happened? How could you kill my dogs?” she asked, her voice sweet and calm.

“I didn’t, I didn’t kill any dog!” Monica stammered, her face pale and confused, looking to her mother for answers.

Yvonne, now panicked, tried to deflect the situation. “Enough! There’s nothing to see here. This is just some frozen meat from the storage. Monica just fainted due to her fragile health. It’s all a simple misunderstanding!” she hastily explained, her voice forced as she urged everyone to leave.

Whitney’s voice, laced with concern, cut through the tension. “Yvonne, is my sister sick? I saw the kitchen was brewing tonic soup for her. Could it be because she lost another baby recently? Maybe that’s why she’s so emotionally unstable, causing her to do something so extreme, like harming dogs?” Whitney asked, her words heavy with implication.

The audience, now picking up on Whitney’s subtle insinuation, murmured in disbelief.

Yvonne wished she could shut Whitney up for good, but she was powerless.

Just then, Phebe, a woman known for her strict standards, stepped forward with a thunderous expression. “What’s going on here? Monica, did you have a miscarriage with my son Simon?”

Everyone in the room knew that Phebe held a strong disdain for Monica, whom she considered a mistress. However, Simon’s love for Monica had forced Phebe to tolerate her. Phebe’s question made both Monica and Yvonne stiffen.

Whitney, maintaining her role as the concerned sister, spoke up again. “Phebe, didn’t you know? Monica’s miscarriage even made the rounds in a video. Yvonne, Monica’s reckless lifestyle is taking a toll on her health. She’s young, but this kind of behavior will only lead to disaster.”

Whispers filled the room. “Has Monica had multiple miscarriages?” one person muttered.

“Yvonne was just boasting about her daughter’s purity, and now this happens,” another person remarked.

Phebe, now furious, glared at Monica before storming out of the room.

Whitney watched with a satisfied smile before gracefully exiting the scene.

Yvonne, humiliated and defeated, sat on the floor as the whispers around her grew louder. Monica, not one to be outdone, quickly got up and chased after Phebe, sobbing. Preston, meanwhile, panted heavily, staring at Yvonne with wide eyes.

Yvonne’s face was pale, and she could feel her rage bubbling inside her. She had planned to humiliate Whitney and send her to an asylum, but now it was Monica who had been publicly shamed.

With an ashen expression, Preston began to clean up the mess. Fortunately, not many of the esteemed ladies had followed them, and he could pay them to keep quiet. However, the cost of this damage to his reputation made his heart ache.

Meanwhile, Monica tried to explain the situation to Phebe, claiming that Whitney had twisted the truth and made her appear mentally unstable. But Phebe wasn’t convinced and stormed off, leaving the Valentine Mansion in a fit of rage.

Back in her room, Monica had cleaned herself up and was ready for the auction, though the events with Phebe had clearly shaken her. She turned to her mother, fury in her eyes. “Mom, Whitney saw right through your plan, and now I’m the one who’s covered in filth! I hate her! Stop interfering! She thinks she’s won, but just wait until the auction starts. I’ll see how much she can spend. I’m going to make her the laughingstock of the evening!”

And so, the auction began, with the wealthy attendees momentarily distracted from the scandal involving Monica by the excitement of the bidding war. Yvonne and Preston were left scrambling to salvage their reputation.

“Monica!” Yvonne said, visibly worried. “If you mess up, what hope do we have?”

Monica stormed into the auction house with an air of grace, just as Simon returned with a stormy expression. Her eyes quickly found Whitney entering the room. Without missing a beat, Monica threw herself into Simon’s arms, tears streaming down her face. “Simon, is Mom still mad? She’d rather believe those lies from my sister than trust her own son?” Monica sobbed. “You know me. You know you’re the only one for me. My sister’s just jealous of us; she wants to ruin me!”

Simon, slightly swayed by Monica’s tears, felt his resolve waver. He noticed Whitney entering the room and strode over to her, grabbing her arm. “This is too much, Whitney! Why would you frame Monica? Don’t I know her well enough to see through these lies? Even if Aunt Yvonne has it out for you, you have no right to drag Monica’s good name through the mud!”

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