Chapter 2
“Since Evelyn’s back, you two should get back together,” Brandon suggested.
Madeleine chimed in, “Yeah, we can both be witnesses. Share a kiss now, and you’ll be back to square one.”
The atmosphere in the room was so warm and lively.
But just a few steps away, Evangeline felt a cold emptiness in her heart.
As Joseph and Evelyn leaned closer to each other, Evangeline couldn’t bear to watch any longer. She turned away, pretending it didn’t hurt, and fled.
It wasn’t until late at night that she gathered the courage to return home. She wanted to ask Joseph how he planned to handle the situation between the three of them.
To her surprise, he wasn’t home.
On Evelyn’s first day back, he had already stayed out all night.
The next day, when Evangeline arrived at the company, she saw Joseph holding Evelyn’s hand as they walked in together.
“Evelyn is our company’s newest artist and the one we’re focusing on for development. Please do your best, everyone,” Joseph announced.
Evelyn turned to Evangeline with a subtle smile.
“It’s been a while, my dear sister. Thanks for taking care of Mom and Dad for me during this time, and especially for looking after Joseph. I can’t even imagine how hard it would have been for him without me,” she said in a soft tone that oozed with provocation.
It was almost as if she was making it clear that Evangeline was just her stand-in.
The employees were shocked by those words. They all waited for Joseph’s response.
But he didn’t object.
“You’ve reminded me, Evie. You two sisters look so alike. It’s easy to mistake one for the other. From now on, Evangeline should develop a distinct style. Anything from seductive to fierce, or even wild. Just make sure it’s nothing like Evie.”
This blatant favoritism made his stance clear to everyone, and it left Evangeline with a deep sense of hurt.
Later, Evelyn, taking full advantage of Joseph’s bias, constantly snatched resources from her—endorsements, variety show slots, and film roles.
Evangeline tried to resist, but Joseph reprimanded her for being selfish and then gave everything to Evelyn.
Evelyn already had her own assistant and manager, but she still insisted on taking Evangeline’s.
Without hesitation, Joseph said, “Evie’s just starting out in the industry. She should have more people to support her. Evangeline’s free right now. There’s no need to waste manpower on her.”
Five years in the industry, and Evangeline had built up quite a fanbase. So Joseph had the PR team claim she was unwell and needed rest to shut down her fans’ complaints.
…
The sound of footsteps behind her snapped Evangeline out of her thoughts.
“Evangeline, do you have any idea how important this role is for Evie? As her family, you should be happy for her. Why are you sulking here?”
Evangeline felt a sharp sting of irony. So it turned out that when she was unloved, she didn’t even have the right to be upset.
She calmly replied, “I’m not sulking. I passed the audition, and you changed it to someone else with an investment. Why wouldn’t I be upset?”
Joseph’s face briefly flashed with guilt, but Evelyn quickly walked over to him.
“So in your eyes, I’m just an outsider. I must have done something wrong to make you hate me,” she said, biting her lip in feigned distress.
Her act made Joseph’s heart ache.
When he looked at Evangeline again, there was no trace of compassion.
“How can you hurt your sister like this, Evangeline? You’re really selfish. Since you’re not congratulating her sincerely, you’re not welcome here. Go home and reflect on your behavior.”
As usual, the moment Evelyn spoke, Joseph lost his ability to think.
He had no hesitation in ordering her to leave in front of everyone, showing no concern for how it would make Evangeline feel.
But this time, Evangeline didn’t react with sadness or outbursts. She simply turned and walked out of the banquet hall without a word.
Noticing her unusual calmness, Joseph paused for a moment. He felt that something was off.
“Joseph, let’s go have a drink with the director,” Evelyn said, shaking his arm with a smile.
“Okay.” Joseph brushed aside the strange feeling that lingered in his chest.
By the time Evangeline got home, her phone was buzzing with notifications about the new trending topics.
#JosephEvelynSweetRomanceStoryBroughtToLife.
The page was full of rumors about their mutual affection. Netizens couldn’t stop gushing about how sweet they were and were practically drowning in envy.
And then there was one about her—#EvangelineLostBothLoveAndJob.
She and Joseph had been secretly married, so the situation quickly turned into one-sided ridicule. People claimed that she was sidelined because of a failed romantic pursuit. They even accused her of scheming to become a mistress.
These trending topics were common, but Joseph never bothered to clear up the rumors. He let her be dragged through the gossip mill.
Evangeline turned off her phone and silently printed out the divorce papers.
Since she was leaving this world, she would sever all ties cleanly.
She would end this unacknowledged marriage and also deactivate her Social Security number. Once she was gone, there would be no more Evangeline Decker in this world.
The next morning, she called the relevant department to inquire about deactivating her Social Security number.
She learned that after she applied through the government website, the process would take about a month. Evangeline immediately began the registration.
“Good timing. On the day my Social Security number is deactivated, I’ll be gone.”
“Who’s gone?” Joseph’s voice came from behind her.
