Chapter 116

Dad is right. Selina truly went too far this time! Regarding his birth mother, Manuel couldn't help but express his outrage. Indeed, how could Selina ever be considered an angel? She was a cruel person, capable of harming even her own mother! It must have been a cruel fabrication, concocted solely to make Manuel suffer.

Seeing her plan succeed, a pitiful Ashley apologized, "I'm sorry, Mommy. It's all my fault... I let it slip accidentally."

"Ashley, this isn't your fault," Sara replied, dismissing it lightly.

Just then, Manuel's phone rang. It was Timothy. He answered quickly, "Timothy, did you see the Twitter trend too? Manuel, you need to check out the new trend!"

"New trend?" Manuel was momentarily surprised, following Timothy's instructions and opening Twitter. The explosive new trend read: "[Angel Facebook response]".

His heart leaped! He couldn't believe this had prompted Angel to post on Facebook. Angel was known to have a private Facebook account with only two previous posts: a welcome message and sketches of male and female protagonists, both from a year and a half ago. Angel typically ignored trends, especially those on Clusian social media. Unless... Realizing the possibility, Manuel clicked on the trending news. The first thing she saw was Angel's Facebook post, translated for everyone.

"This has nothing to do with plagiarism. I, Angel, am the designer behind Brilliance." A simple statement, yet it silenced everyone and nearly stopped Manuel's heart. This wasn't something easily dismissed as Selina's lie; it was irrefutable proof from Angel's sole chosen platform.

When Quinton and the others saw the news, their expressions changed dramatically. "No... It can't be!" exclaimed Ashley, but all eyes instantly turned to her. Ashley realized her slip and quickly corrected herself, "I mean... I just can't believe Selina is really Angel. It's so unexpected! Selina said nothing when she returned, and she grew up in the countryside, didn't even finish junior high. How could she possibly be connected to the world-famous jewelry designer, Angel? Could there be a mistake?"

Sara pursed her lips thoughtfully. "Right... According to when Angel's first work appeared, Selina was only fifteen. How could she be Angel?"

Manuel interjected, "Could someone have hacked Angel's Facebook account for Trevon, deliberately releasing that statement to mislead us?"

Quinton, however, remained calm, deeming it unlikely. Even Manuel had said Selina hadn't plagiarized, at most drawing inspiration; why would someone steal Angel's Facebook account? The consequences for Angel would be severe!

Manuel quickly logged into Facebook and saw the official Facebook statement: "[We have confirmed with Angel herself that the information was indeed posted by her and there is no misinformation.]"

In that moment, Manuel's phone fell to the floor, and his mind went blank in shock. He couldn't believe Selina was Angel.

Christina and Madelyn were celebrating with champagne. The day's buzz was their collaboration—Madelyn financed it, and Christina, a professional jewelry designer, created connections between Selina and Angel. Christina hadn't wanted to be involved, but Selina's irritating condescending attitude left her no choice. To their surprise, Selina's style was strikingly similar to Angel's, fueling Christina's jealousy. So many had failed to emulate Angel's style, yet Selina did it effortlessly, eclipsing Christina's talent. In anger, Christina concocted what she considered strong evidence to deceive the less discerning.

"This should give Selina a taste of her own medicine; the money I've poured into this isn't wasted," Madelyn declared, knowing the evidence wouldn't crush Selina, but hoping to upset her and reveal her true colors to Trevon. She thought, 'Such a pathetic copycat; how could she be Trevon's wife? He must be under some spell.'

As they clinked glasses, a new trending topic appeared, almost choking them.

"Selina is Angel?" Madelyn gasped. "Christina, what the hell is going on?"

Christina was stunned. "I... I have no idea..."

The revelation of Selina's alternate identity changed everything. Originally, Selina's popularity stemmed from her looks and career, but now, as the renowned designer Angel, she cut through the criticism. "Anyone else got something to say now?"

"My two idols are actually the same person? OMG!"

"Talk about staying under the radar! Dropping the Angel bombshell was a mic drop moment. Yet she's flying under the radar, low-key new talent style!"

"I've got to see the face behind that influencer account now... Are they true Angel fans or just playing along? They swung the hammer, but hit Angel on the head—hilarious!"

"Well, they forced Angel to reveal her secret identity, and this will go down in fan lore. They'll be roasted forever."

Public opinion had flipped. Madelyn and Christina's faces fell. Their scheme backfired; they'd inadvertently boosted Selina's success. They intended to damage her reputation, but instead made her more famous than ever.

Madelyn's phone rang. An unknown number flashed. She answered irritably, "Who's this?"

"Whoa, why the hostility, Madelyn?"

It was Selina! Madelyn glanced at Christina. Selina's call meant she suspected something. They couldn't reveal anything; if Selina suspected their involvement, they were finished.

Madelyn remained shrewd, not letting guilt soften her. She adopted an annoyed tone. "What do you want, Selina? I can't see any reason for us to talk."