Chapter 30
“Photoshop they all chimed in, practically in unison.
“Come on. I’d never steal Kylie’s guy. It’s crazy that she’s doing this to me,” Melanie sobbed, playing the victim.
Her three brothers were always soft on Melanie, and hearing her out, they were quick to label Kylie as the villain.
Tgether to set the record straight on Twitter, Claude fumed, ready to charge to the rescue.
Austin’s face soured, his eyes narrowing with anger. “She’s pushing her luck, acting without thinking”
“Make her apologize to Mel in person,” Chuis demanded, his expression hard as stone.
Julie listened to her three sons and then took another look at the photo on her phone. It seemed pretty genuine, but she trusted Melanie’s word over a mere image. If someone was lying at had to be Kylie,
She took a deep breath, her anger still simmering, and she said. “A child not raised under our roof is riddled with flaws”
Melanie kept the waterworks going, knowing her silence would speak volumes. The more wronged she appeared, the more sympathy she would garner. And they would think it was Kylie’s fault.
She was battled by Craig’s early morning marriage proposal tweeter post. And she couldn’t fathorn why Kylie was so dead set on cutting Craig out. When did Kylie discover my and Craig’s secret? We’ve been so careful, she wondered.
Claude tried calling Kylie multiple times, only to be sent to voicemail. “She’s not even answering my calls!”
“Me, neither. Austin said, equally frustrated.
“Let me give it a shot, Chris said, dialing Kylie’s number. But the line remained silent.
The three men’s faces clouded over. Kylie had been buttering them up since she rejoined the family, and her sudden radio silence was a shock
Julie didn’t even bother calling; she’d already left multiple messages, but to no avail. Kylie was in one of her moods, refusing to pick up. A heavy silence fell over the family.
“We need to track her down today. If she doesn’t make a statement, once Mel’s recognized, the media will pounce, and there’ll be a witch hunt online, Chris warned, his brow furrowed. He knew all too well how quickly stories could spread in the digital age
15
Melanie, fearing for the Lampard family’s reputation in Jardora, panicked. “Chris, that photo’s a fake. I can’t handle being dragged online!
“Let’s hold off for now, reach out to Kylie, and prepare for the worst. I’ll get some PR in place. Trust me, Mel” Chris said, already dialing a number.
Melanie nodded, merkly lowering her head, her eyes darting around in guilt, well aware the photo was the real deal.
She felt reassured, though, knowing her family had her back, and with Chris’s media connections in Jardora, they could spin this any way they liked. Kylie wouldn’t stand a chance.
Julie seized the moment to call Samuel, but he was too busy at work to deal with the drama, leaving it to his sons. After hanging up. Julie felt a strange emptiness, likely from the frustration Kylie caused.
Craig only found out about Kylie’s Twitter post when Melanie messaged him. Initially, he brushed it off, thinking Kylie was
Chapter 30
just throwing a fit. But when he saw the photo, he realized it was a disaster.
“She actually found out about Melanie and me!” Panic, unlike any he’d felt before, gripped Craig, Kylie’s Twitter post made it clear she was done with him for good. He’d thought he was indifferent to Kylie, but now he couldn’t stomach the idea of her breaking up with him.
After a hectic morning with the ancient paintings, Kylie washed up and stepped out for lunch. Once she’d eaten, she finally checked her phone. She returned calls to Amanda and her brothers, letting them know she was holding up.
She also saw several WhatsApp messages from Jessie Joyce, who showed her concern. Jessie, her college be rock. But after graduation, Jessie married and devoted herself to her husband, making him her world.
Kylie dialed Jessie, and she picked up on the second ring
“What’s going on, Kylie?” Jessie asked, her voice laced with worry
been a
Kylie kept it brief, mentioning Craig’s affair with Melanie, Jessie knew the score, she’d been absent during Kylie’s accident before her time travel but had tried to visit when she returned to Jardora, only to be shut out by the Lampard family.
“You did the right thing by ending it, Kylie. Craig was never good enough for you. One of these days, I’ll find you someone so much better,” Jessie assured her, sensing Kylie’s resilience through the phone.
After her quick chat with Jessie, Kylie checked her missed calls. Chris, Craig, and Jasmine had all tried reaching her.
Her high school friends on WhatsApp were also probing for details, but she ignored them. Besides her family and Jessie, she doubted anyone else truly cared. Most were just after gossip.
Kylie paused and then returned Chris’s call. He picked up on the first ring.
“Kylie, delete that Twitter post now and then post an apology to Mel, saying you were upset and messed with a photo,” Chris commanded, as if he had the right to order her around.
Who said the photo was fake?” Kylie retorted, her voice dripping with sarcasm.
Before the time travel, she’d tried to win those three brothers‘ and Julie’s favor in the Lampard family, only to have her efforts thrown back in her face. She thought they were all control freaks, out of touch with reality.
“If it’s not fake, then it’s real? How could Melanie be with your boyfriend? Even if you’re jealous, there’s a limit. Your boyfriend’s just a pretty face with nothing else to offer. Mel wouldn’t give him the time of day,” Chris scoffed.
Then Chris cast a glance at Melanie, who was watching him anxiously. He signaled her to stay calm. No matter what Kylie said, he was determined not to believe her.
Austin motioned for Chris to hand over the phone. Chris passed it to him without a word.
“What you did was reckless. Are you trying to tarnish Mel’s reputation with a doctored photo? You and Craig lived together and then had a falling out over money. Why should we believe you? To avoid a scene and keep things from getting ugly, just do as Chris said, Austin ordered.
this
“You’re all soft in the head. Whether you believe me or not is irrelevant. Isn’t Melanie feeling guilty? I’m actually hoping th blows up. Go ahead and call the cops; it’ll save me the trouble of dialing 911”
