Chapter 149

Chapter 149:
“She’s just a housewife. What is she even compared to Vivian?”
Behind the scenes, Johnny was already on the move, quickly instructing his team.
Soon, a post appeared. “Her kindness makes her an angel among us.” It painted a soft-focus portrait of Vivian—her love story with Brandon retold with cinematic flair, her goodness threaded through every paragraph. Despite her terminal cancer, Vivian had kept working, fighting for sick children, showing up with a smile, doing what she could even as her body failed her. And even then, she hadn’t turned her illness into a weapon. She hadn’t thrown darts at Millie. She’d been gracious.
Even at the auction, when Serena hiked the price up twenty-five times, forcing Brandon to pay an obscene amount, it was Vivian who spoke kindly of Serena, not scolding her, not making a scene.
The post even wove in hints of female strength, portraying Vivian as both gentle and unshakable. It struck a chord.
The moment the post went live, it stirred up a storm online.
People were crying and singing Vivian’s praises. The hashtag, #SaintVivian, quickly climbed the trending charts.
At the same time, an unconfirmed rumor began to circulate online, claiming that Serena had attended the charity gala without making any donation.
Although the gala was strictly by invitation, every guest was expected to contribute in some way—perhaps buying a child’s drawing or a small diary, nothing expensive. To attend and give nothing was seen not just as selfish but almost like fraud.
The charity gala offered several ways to give: For more chapters visit.net
First, donors who provided items for the auction were automatically contributing, since 70% of all proceeds went to charity.
Second, the winners paid for what they bid on—another form of contribution.
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Third, people could donate directly without bidding.
Often, those who won items still made extra donations, like Brandon. After winning two lots, he gave even more.
No one was forced to give twice, but doing nothing at all—offering neither item, nor bid, nor donation—was shameful. Unforgivable, even.
Still, the rumor didn’t spread widely. It stayed low, shared only among a few. Most people were focused on Vivian and Brandon.
Even when reporters published follow-up pieces, the spotlight didn’t shift. It clung to them.
On First Avenue in Crobert, a Bugatti Centodieci sped by.
Vivian sat in the passenger seat, scrolling through her phone. A flicker of satisfaction moved across her face.
She sent a message to Johnny. “Keep the rumor about Serena going, but keep it low-key. I’ll use it against her when the time’s right.” After Johnny replied, Vivian tucked her phone into her bag.
Right now, she felt untouchable. Everything seemed to be falling into place. She thought about the past few days. Every move had been carefully planned, every outcome accounted for. That certainty gave her a high.
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