Since Tammy wouldn't admit she was lying, Debbie decided not to waste any more time. She motioned for Ruby to aim the camera at her and told all the fans, "Sorry about this, guys. Tammy claims she has proof I didn't write this song, but I don't think these documents and electronic copies are convincing enough. I have a witness, someone who knows I wrote the song myself. When I came back here, I really wanted to sign with Star Empire, so I auditioned for Mr. Huo. He gave me a chance and asked me to compose a song. But I had to do it all myself. Composing the music, writing the lyrics, arranging it in Pro Tools, everything."
Debbie paused, casting a sidelong glance at Tammy, whose face had gone pale. She continued, "I promised him, because I really wanted to work for Star Empire. Then I cranked out the song that Tammy claims she wrote. She said she wrote it two and a half months ago. But three months ago, I showed the first draft to Mr. Huo himself. I'm pretty sure he'll clear things up."
Debbie looked at Tammy and asked sternly, "You sure you want to go through with this? If he gets involved, then…"
Tammy already understood what Debbie was trying to say.
She shivered in fear. If Carlos found out, she'd be dead meat.
In an instant, she shook her head vigorously, tears streaming down her pale face. "No, no. I lied. I'm sorry! I was so jealous. I worked for years and nothing. Then you came along and shot to the top so fast."
The truth finally came to light.
Debbie stood up and glared at Tammy until the liar couldn't bear it anymore and had to look away. "Expect a letter from my lawyer," she told Tammy.
That was when it hit her that Debbie's lawyer was the famous Xavier Shangguan. Tammy almost fainted on the spot. She felt even worse, now.
After saying goodbye to her fans, Debbie closed the live chat room and locked her phone.
She was now alone with Tammy. She walked over and asked, "Whose idea was this? Tell me and I might not press charges." Debbie was being merciful. She didn't have to give her any chance at all, but she also wanted to get to the bottom of this.
But it didn't matter, since Tammy was completely flustered. She sang like a pigeon. "I don't know. He wired the money to my account and contacted me via phone. I never saw him."
"So it's a him?" Debbie asked.
"Yes."
"How old do you think he is?" Debbie had a pretty good idea who it was. But she wanted to be certain.
"Not sure. But it wasn't just one guy. It was three of them."
"You say he called you? Still have the number?" When Tammy handed Debbie her phone with the call log open, Debbie dialed the number. The only response she got was an automated message, telling callers the number was no longer in service.
'It was probably… James, ' she thought.
Thanks to that stunt, Tammy was fired by Star Empire. Not only that, she had to apologize to Debbie and the company, and pay a fine to boot. She ended up retiring from the music industry.
And Debbie ended up with even more fans.
Just like that, Debbie was a hot topic. Her fans posted comments under her posts and on the fan pages. Most of them were words of encouragement; some were apologetic for believing the malicious rumors.
The turmoil in ZL Group finally subsided after Carlos took his rightful place as CEO. They stopped hemorrhaging money. Their suppliers began working with them again, and their stock prices stopped dropping.
Everything seemed to return to normal after James stepped down as CEO. But Debbie didn't feel that way. She was still left with an uneasy feeling, a shadow haunting her heart, as if it were only the calm before the storm.
And she was right. Two days later, she bumped into Carlos and Stephanie in the parking lot of Champs Bay Apartments. When he saw her, he went back to the car and fished something out of it. He draped an arm around Stephanie's shoulders, and handed it to Debbie. "Miss Nian, Stephanie and I are throwing an engagement party. You're my ex-wife. It would mean a lot to us if you could come."
Debbie looked at the red invitation card. She grinned, took the card and said as calmly as she could, "Congratulations."
Carlos flashed a smile and returned politely, "Thanks."
Then, the couple left arm in arm.
As soon as they were out of sight, Debbie's eyes welled up in tears as she stared at the invitation card. It felt like a knife cutting her heart to ribbons. Carlos was an expert at dishing out pain, and he didn't spare Debbie. He knew how much she loved him but he invited her to attend his engagement to another woman.
No matter how much Debbie wished that day would never come, their engagement day still crept up on her. Faster than she would have imagined.
That day, Debbie got up quite early. She had a plan of what she wanted to wear, and had an outfit already selected. She put on a black strapless Chanel gown bought with Carlos' money. She also applied a delicate coat of makeup.
Carlos didn't invite many people to the ceremony. Besides his close friends and relatives, he also invited the Lu family.
Holding Ivan's arm, Debbie walked gracefully into the venue. Her presence instantly caused some hushed conversations among the guests, but she couldn't care less.
Debbie's assigned seat was near Elroy, her so-called grandfather, and in between them was Ramona. If she didn't know better, she would have thought this was another vicious trick. She couldn't be sure that it wasn't deliberate.
Carlos was trying to break her emotionally.
Despite her reluctance, Debbie still sat down, but she changed seats with Ivan. So in the end, he sat between Ramona and Debbie.
And Megan was on her left.
Again, Debbie cursed Carlos in her heart. He deliberately designed the seating arrangements so she sat closest to the people she hated most.
The other members of the Huo family sat at the table next to hers. She saw Miranda, but neither of them greeted the other. They even broke eye contact quickly, turning their heads away rather than saying hi.
Even Lewis and Portia were there. Lewis was still the same unreliable guy. When he spotted Debbie, his eyes lit up. However, the next second, he realized that she was the one who ousted James as CEO. Instantly, he stiffened in his seat and moved his gaze away, not wanting to even acknowledge her presence.
Sitting next to him was Portia, looking even thinner than she used to be. When she saw Debbie, she opened her mouth but stopped when she thought better of it. In the end, she chose to sit quietly.
Soon enough, the engagement ceremony started. Carlos was dressed in a blue Versace suit. He walked slowly into the hall, linking arms with Stephanie.
Carlos' fiancee was dressed in a long and white lace gown, a small diamond tiara on her head. It glinted and sparkled under the lights. She looked like an elegant queen about to meet her king.
Carlos kept his hand on her waist the whole time. They looked like a sweet and intimate couple, made for each other.
After they walked on to the stage, an MC began to preside over the ceremony. He told the guests the engagement rings had been carefully selected by Carlos. He had searched for the largest diamond in the city.
The ceremony went smoothly. At the end, the couple kissed, following cheers and a big round of applause.
Megan carefully observed Debbie's every move and expression. When Carlos and Stephanie kissed, she smiled smugly to see Debbie's face go pale. Although she was really scared of Debbie, especially after the raw eggs incident, she couldn't help but scoff. "Thanks for divorcing Uncle Carlos. Now he can marry Stephanie. She's better for him."
Debbie ignored Megan's mockery. She kept her eyes fixed on the couple cutting the cake onstage. She muttered to herself, "Should I just give up?"
Hearing no response from Debbie, Megan felt embarrassed and stopped trying to talk to her.
Before the party ended, Debbie and Ivan left the hotel before anyone else did.
They had a little talk in the parking lot before parting.
