Chapter 164

“Exactly,” Paisley said, her gaze steady on Millie’s parents. “If you’ve made a mistake, apologize.”

Vivian’s face drained of color. Apologizing to that vixen and her daughter? Never. She’d miscalculated, thinking the cameras missed her clumsy footwork.

Before she could retort, a stinging slap landed on her cheek. Vivian tumbled to the ground, ears ringing, cheek burning. Stunned, she looked up at her husband. “You hit me?”

Millie’s cries pierced the stunned silence. Other parents surged forward, pulling Nate back, their voices a rising tide of shocked protest. No one saw this coming. Who knew Vivian had smashed the wine bottle and framed Rena? What was her twisted goal?

“Are you crazy?!” Nate roared, his eyes bloodshot. “Why did you destroy that wine? You ruined my job!”

“It’s just wine!” Vivian shrieked, scrambling to her feet, her voice cracking. “You can buy more! It’s not like…”

“There’s no next year!” Nate bellowed, the fear of unemployment raw in his voice.

Understanding dawned on Vivian’s face. Regret washed over her as she spun to glare at Paisley. “It’s all your fault!”

Paisley blinked, utterly bewildered. “My fault? Mrs. Morgan, you invited Rena and me.” The earlier barbs had been brushed aside for the children’s sake, but this…this was absurd.

“If you weren’t trying to seduce my husband in the bathroom…” Vivian spat, the accusation hanging in the air.

Paisley’s jaw tightened. So that was it. “Mrs. Morgan, back up your accusations with evidence. This is defamation.”

“Isabella saw it!” Vivian declared, pointing.

Isabella, uncomfortable, stammered, “I…I saw Ms. Sutton talking to Millie’s dad near the bathroom.”

Paisley’s eyes met Isabella’s. The bathroom. “It’s a shared bathroom. Security footage will show what happened. Let’s check.” Her gaze locked with Nate’s, making him squirm. He knew the truth – he'd made the advances, not Paisley.

Kevin yanked his wife’s arm. “What nonsense! This is your fault!”

“My fault?!” Isabella bristled. “If Ms. Sutton had behaved properly…”

“She’s single, jobless, looking for a rich man!” Vivian sneered. “My husband’s amazing, so of course you…”

Paisley felt only pity for Vivian. She’d given everything to this man, only to discover his disgrace.

“Vivian, I can raise my child alone! I don't need a man!” Paisley declared.

“Oh, really? No steady job, though. Prove it,” Vivian scoffed.

“Exactly,” Isabella chimed in.

Paisley refused to play their game. Then Lucy arrived, breathless. “I’m here! Not late!” She casually placed two bottles of Cloud Crest Reserve on the table. “One wasn’t enough.”

Kevin’s eyes widened. “These are identical to the bottle Vivian brought!”

The other parents crowded around. The anti-counterfeit marks matched perfectly. Vivian’s face paled.

“It’s real,” Isabella whispered, stunned. She looked at Vivian, then at Paisley.

Vivian tugged at her husband. “Check if it’s genuine!” The possibility of genuine wine, and the consequences of her outburst, washed over her.

Nate, still fuming, was dragged to examine the wine. He looked up, freezing as he saw Lucy beside Paisley. “Ms. Green?”