Chapter 54 A Public Denial
Oscar’s sudden announcement left everyone in the room stunned for a long time.
Married?
Was this what they were supposed to hear?
Haley's face turned ghostly pale at the news, her eyes reddening as she stared at Oscar. It felt like a sharp blade had pierced her heart.
She clenched her fists tightly.
He actually acknowledged his marriage in front of so many people!
The blow was significant for her; she nearly couldn’t stand, but thankfully, Mrs. Brown was there to support her.
Pearl looked up at Oscar again, her hands involuntarily tightening into fists, confused about his thoughts and why he would make such a public admission.
She was somewhat dazed.
It took a moment for her to process it all.
And she was extremely nervous.
She recalled Oscar's words from their wedding night—how letting others know would come with consequences for her.
None of it felt real.
The others in the room were frozen for several seconds before they collected themselves and said, "President Oscar really does play his cards close to the chest, getting married without telling us. We wonder who the lucky person is."
Expressionless Oscar replied, "My wife prefers to keep a low profile and doesn't really like making public appearances. We go by her wishes. If she prefers not to be in the spotlight, that's what we'll do."
Pearl's brow knitted then relaxed. Was he speaking to her?
He seemed willing to accommodate her wishes if she didn't want to publicize their relationship.
But initially, he hadn't wanted that.
So why acknowledge the marriage now?
Pearl used to be confident that she understood Oscar and that she knew him very well. But at this moment, she felt like she didn't recognize him at all.
"Seeing President Oscar so devoted to his wife and living happily makes us not want to pry," they said with a smile. "Congratulations to President Oscar and to the esteemed Mrs. Madam!"
Mrs. Brown's face was tense, managing a strained smile. She had publicly declared that Haley was to be the future Mrs. Madam of the Brown family.
Now, Oscar had firmly contradicted her.
She couldn't save face.
Feeling frustrated and believing that Oscar was acting impulsively and unreasonably, she wondered why he would make such an admission at this critical moment.
Back in the makeup room, Haley sat crying, heartbroken.
The assistant still didn't understand what was wrong. "Ms. Haley, this tailor is being unreasonable. I'm going to tell President Oscar..."
With a smack, Haley swept everything off the table onto the floor, skirts included, hysterical, "Why, why, why are they doing this to me!"
Everyone had heard that she had been making statements to the media for days, but he hadn't come out to deny them.
She thought Oscar would accept them by default, but today, he denied them, humiliating her in front of everyone.
The assistant was scared by her intense emotions and suddenly didn't know what to do.
Mrs. Brown walked in, saw her genuinely crying, and softly said, "Oh my, my little firecracker, why do you lose your cool so easily? Such a small issue has gotten to you?"
Tears streaming down her face, Haley looked back at Mrs. Brown and cried even harder, "Oscar has changed; he wouldn't be so heartless to me if he hadn't fallen for Pearl."
Mrs. Brown went over, patted her back, and consoled her, "What are you talking about? Do you really think Oscar is the type to change his affections so easily? Remember how much he loved you, how he waited for you for years? There's no way he'd change just because Pearl showed up. He's just feeling guilty."
"Guilty?" Haley stopped crying, grasping Mrs. Brown's hand. "You told me last time that Oscar was just using Pearl. Now you're saying he's guilty—but what will it be next time? I want them to divorce. I am Oscar's true love. What gives Pearl the right to lord over me?"
She was furious, hating Pearl for taking away her beloved.
Despite everything she did for Oscar, how come Pearl was the one coming out ahead?
Mrs. Brown took a tissue to wipe away her tears, "Haley, have some patience. Just keep cool, and in the end, everything will be yours."
Mrs. Brown had given Haley the advice she needed to hear.
She must endure; it would all be hers in time.
Haley's eyes grew cold once more.
--
"Pearl, did you see that? Oscar publicly slapped Haley's face!" Janetta said with a laugh "It nearly killed me with laughter! You should have seen her face—it was green. If your mother-in-law hadn't held her up, she would have probably fallen!"
"This whole scene today made Haley lose face. So many people were watching. I'd like to see how she's going to explain this away!"
With that, Janetta added with praise, "Oh, and I think Oscar isn't that bad at all. At least he stood up for you!"
He stood up for Pearl in front of so many people, claiming he was married, which showed he still acknowledged his marriage to Pearl.
This was totally unexpected for her.
Not just for Janetta, Pearl was also stunned.
"Pearl, what's on your mind? Still thinking about how dashing Oscarhero looked coming to your rescue?" Janetta leaned in, closely examining Pearl's complexion.
Seeing Janetta more excited than herself, Pearl asked, "What's going on? Didn't you use to hate Oscar?"
Janetta pouted, "Times change. Seeing him stand up for you and turn Haley green with envy, I'll cut him some slack for the moment!"
Pearl laughed, "You're easy to please."
"You're one to talk," Janetta replied. "Enough about that. We need to make sure Oscar sees you at your most beautiful!"
As Pearl's best friend, she naturally wanted her to be happy.
Especially since she adored Oscar so much, she hoped Pearl would achieve her heart’s desire.
Pearl was strikingly beautiful, with radiant features, fair skin, and a tall figure. On a regular day, she would only wear light makeup, dress in professional attire, and style her hair in a simple updo or a low ponytail—too modest and understated, which toned down her vibrant and lustrous looks.
A good dress-up highlighted her best features and starkly contrasted her usual style.
Janetta stood by, nodding with approval.
Seeing Janetta continuously compliment her, Pearl started to doubt, "Really?"
"I do work in fashion, after all. Trust me, you look stunning today. I'm sure you'll dazzle Oscar," Janetta assured her.
Her words boosted Pearl's confidence.
She rarely dolled herself up and was surprised to see how attractive she could be.
With her hair styled in glamorous waves and wearing a striking evening gown that made her complexion glow, she looked mature and sophisticated and fully embraced her femininity.
"Now's the time. Let's go," Janetta urged Pearl, pushing her to go out.
The moment she stepped out, Oscar was conveniently waiting outside, one hand casually tucked in his pocket.
Seeing him made Pearl suddenly self-conscious.
But when Oscar turned his head and saw Pearl, his eyes didn't change much, appearing indifferent, yet he watched her for a long time.
Pearl, observing his calm exterior, thought Janetta might have exaggerated.
After a while, Oscar approached and took Pearl's hand.
Pearl was so nervous she could barely speak, but Oscar whispered in her ear, "You look beautiful."
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