SMR | Chapter 78

~Chapter 78~

Adam never meant to grab Viviana’s wrist. He honestly didn’t. But somehow, he had. And now that it had already happened, there was no way to undo it.

Realizing what he had done, Adam quickly let go of her hand as if brushing off something dirty. He straightened his posture and tried to speak confidently, tightening his abdomen as if to force the words out.

“Th-the thing is… Miss Bella…!” he stuttered.

“Yes?” Viviana asked, her voice cool and composed.

“Miss Bella is very hurt! You should go and apologize to her!”

His words came out confused and awkward. The moment they left his mouth, he regretted it. He struggled and sounded desperate, like a fool. Not at all how he wanted to appear in front of her.

Viviana’s eyes narrowed slightly, her gaze turning sharp.

“And what are you talking about all of a sudden?” she asked, arms folding across her chest. “Do I have something to apologize to Bella for?”

“Of course you do!” Adam insisted, trying to recover his composure. “At the Cheslow family party—you put her in a difficult position and then cut ties with her completely. Don’t you remember?”

Viviana frowned.

“I thought you were there when that happened,” she said coolly. “But apparently, you never bothered to find out what really happened. I didn’t embarrass Bella. Carolyn did. And besides, do people usually make a formal agreement before ending friendships? That’s not how those things work.”

There was something unfamiliar about Viviana’s tone. The girl who used to blush just by talking to him now stood tall, eyes steady, her words precise and direct. It unsettled him.

Adam swallowed hard.

“Everyone knows you were jealous of Bella because of me!” he blurted. “And that you spread strange rumors about us—”

“Wait,” Viviana interrupted, her voice turning cold. “You’re saying I spread rumors about you and Bella? What kind of rumors?”

“Th-that… that Bella seduced me just to ruin your love for me…”

At that, Viviana let out a dry, short laugh.

“Wow,” she said, shaking her head in disbelief. “She supposedly did that to get in the way of what, exactly? What did we ever have between us?”

Adam’s mouth opened, but he had no answer.

“Do you really think people are so foolish?” she continued. “If I spread such absurd rumors, do you think everyone would’ve just believed me and started blaming Bella? No. They’d criticize me instead. That’s how gossip works.”

Adam’s face fell. She had a point, and he couldn’t deny it. But if she was right, then it meant Bella had lied—and he wasn’t ready to believe that either. He felt stuck, unable to say yes or no.

And now, others nearby had started glancing their way. Adam could feel their curious stares. His throat went dry, and he quickly licked his lips, growing more nervous by the second.

He had once thought he’d have the upper hand in this conversation, but now all his words had vanished. He couldn’t remember a single thing he wanted to say.

Then, Viviana spoke again, sighing softly.

“Adam Hoffner,” she said. “Yes, it’s true. I did like you once. But I also knew you never once looked back at me. Your eyes were always on Bella. Always.”

He looked away, uncomfortable, but eventually gave a small, sheepish nod.

Viviana chuckled under her breath at his reaction.

“And the day you stood by and blamed me without bothering to know the full story,” she said, “that’s the day I let go of those feelings. I didn’t want to get in the way of your blind love.”

With those words, she gracefully held her skirt and gave a polite bow.

“I truly hope your love for a woman who is already promised to someone else works out,” she added with a wry smile. “And don’t worry about me anymore. I won’t fall for you again. My heart belongs to someone who knows its worth.”

With that, Viviana turned and walked away, her expression proud and calm. Adam was left standing there, speechless.

He felt like someone had smacked him on the back of the head with a heavy book. His thoughts were a mess. Where should he start? What could he say?

He simply stood there, blinking stupidly, unable to move.

***

While Viviana was delivering that satisfying blow to Adam, Harriet was busy wandering around the party, pretending to sip champagne while secretly eavesdropping on conversations.

Listening carefully to gossip was a vital skill in high society. One had to know what was trending, what was scandalous, and who was making power moves.

“…So I decided to buy just 100 grams,” a woman whispered to a small group. “It’s not just food—it’s medicine, so I’m nervous about trying it.”

“Oh, trust me, once you try it, you’ll be hooked,” another man said, winking and giving a thumbs-up. “It works wonders!”

Just as he began saying, “Even my wife becomes so eager after taking it…” the woman next to him, presumably his wife, slapped his arm with mock anger. Her eyes narrowed, but her curled lips hinted she didn’t really mind the compliment.

Harriet suppressed a laugh and moved on, pretending to take another sip of her drink. She drifted behind a marble pillar and caught more murmured voices.

“I heard the Second Prince has been using it too,” a woman said in a hushed tone.

“Well, he’s young,” another replied. “But being depressed affects everyone the same, whether you’re a man or a woman.”

“They say it lifts your spirits immediately. I’ve already asked someone to get me some.”

More talk about some mysterious “mood-lifting medicine.” Harriet raised an eyebrow.

‘So it’s true—pharmaceuticals are booming right now,’ she thought. ‘Everyone’s obsessed with these new miracle drugs.’

She had been hoping to hear more about effective painkillers, maybe something she could use for practical purposes, but most of the whispers were about a drug that made you “feel good.” Some spoke about them in hushed, almost scandalous tones. Others spoke as if they were life-changing remedies.

Still absorbing what she’d heard, Harriet decided to step out onto the balcony for some air. She needed to sort through the many bits of gossip she had just picked up.

But before she could take a deep breath, a very different sound caught her attention.

“Aahh… yes!”

Harriet froze. Was someone… moaning?

Peeking up toward the floor above the balcony, she saw shadows moving behind the thin railings. A man and woman were—boldly and shamelessly—engaged in intimate activity.

“You feel the difference after taking <Angelique>, don’t you?” The man asked with a low chuckle.

Harriet’s eyes widened in shock, and she quickly covered her mouth. This was someone’s house! Were they insane?

She wasn’t eavesdropping by choice, but she couldn’t exactly shout at them either.

Carefully, she began to back away, hoping to escape unnoticed.

“I mean, feeling like this during the whole party—it’s kind of a problem…” the woman said, breathless.

“Just drink a lot of water and go to the bathroom after. The effect wears off quickly that way.”

“That’s it? One trip to the bathroom and it’s over? But the pill was expensive!”

“I know, but if you drink alcohol with it, the effect skyrockets. Want another glass?”

They clinked glasses and laughed, completely unaware of the scandalized girl beneath their balcony. Harriet backed away as silently as she could, her face burning.

‘Seriously? Who does that at a party?!’

Harriet was embarrassed. Her cheeks turned bright red as she hurried away, desperate to forget what she’d heard. If she could wash her ears with soap, she would.

She hurried inside, her heart pounding and cheeks flushed. 

Fortunately, her embarrassment helped her catch something important. Just ahead, she saw Annabelle passing by, giving Harriet a quick wink before slipping away into a group of people.

‘So, she’s keeping her promise,’ Harriet thought. ‘Good.’

She lingered nearby to observe. Annabelle soon began talking in a low but excited voice, and naturally, heads began to turn toward her.

“Everyone, everyone! You’ll never believe what just happened!”

“What is it? What’s going on?”

“Adam Hoffner made a scene with Miss Viviana Delus—and got completely humiliated.”

“What? But I thought she used to like him?”

“Not anymore,” Annabelle said with a smug grin. “She told him she gave up after realizing he only had eyes for Bella.”

“I always thought Bella was beautiful, but… being engaged and still entertaining other men? That didn’t look good,” someone else commented.

Everyone began nodding in agreement. Bella’s charm was undeniable, but her flirtatious nature had always raised some eyebrows.

“I heard the rumor about Viviana being jealous of Bella was wrong,” Annabelle said. “It looked to me like Viviana had already moved on a long time ago.”

“Then what really happened at the Cheslow party?” another asked.

“Oh, from what I’ve heard,” Annabelle leaned in closer, “Viviana offered her luxury cream to someone else to be generous—but Carolyn twisted the story to make her look bad. Then Bella overreacted and made it worse by jumping to conclusions.”

“That’s not very thoughtful of Bella,” someone muttered. “Just apologizing for the sake of peace doesn’t make it right.”

“She probably wanted to end it quickly,” Annabelle shrugged. “But in the end, Viviana was the one who got misunderstood.”

A man who had been listening quietly chuckled.

“Adam should’ve known better,” he said. “Thanks to Viviana, he seemed somewhat popular. Now he just looks like a fool.”

“I honestly never understood what she saw in him,” a woman added.

“Either way, now he’s just another unpopular guy chasing after an unavailable woman. How pathetic!”

As Harriet listened from nearby, she finally let out a small sigh of relief. The tides were turning. The truth was finally coming to light—and Viviana’s reputation had been restored.