Chapter 159: I didn’t see Miss Ivy push her

Within seconds, a crowd gathered around Ivy.

At her feet knelt Nora, tears streaming down her face as she desperately apologized.

Ivy looked down at her half-sister, who was putting on the perfect performance of a helpless victim, and couldn’t help but admire the act.

No wonder she always got away with everything, Ivy thought bitterly. While Nora played the innocent damsel, I was always made the villain.

"Nora, what happened? Why are you on the floor?" Polly and Olivia rushed over, helping her to her feet.

But Nora ignored them and looked only at Ivy, her eyes red with tears.

"Ivy, please forgive me," she pleaded. "I didn’t mean to spill the juice on your expensive dress. It was an accident. I swear I didn’t do it on purpose."

Only Ivy knew the truth.

Nora had deliberately stumbled, splashed juice onto Ivy, and thrown herself to the ground, all to create this very scene.

Hearing Nora’s explanation, Polly immediately rounded on Ivy.

"Ivy, what is wrong with you?" she demanded. "She already admitted it was an accident. Why would you push her?"

Olivia’s patience snapped as she stepped forward.

"And what expensive dress is she talking about?" she scoffed loudly. "Don’t tell me this is another gift from your sugar daddy."

Her accusation drew gasps from several people nearby.

"Olivia, what are you talking about?" Kate asked in disbelief.

"I’m telling the truth," Olivia replied without hesitation. "The designer clothes, the luxurious lifestyle, even that modeling job with Kevin—she didn’t earn any of it. She’s been getting everything from the wealthy man she’s involved with."

By then, Kevin had noticed the commotion and made his way through the crowd. He stopped just in time to hear Olivia’s accusation.

His gaze instinctively shifted to Ivy.

She remained remarkably calm, even as Nora and her friends tried to paint her as the villain.

Olivia folded her arms and smirked.

"What happened, Ivy?" she taunted. "Why are you so quiet now? Yesterday, you refused to let Nora pay for your shopping because someone else was already buying everything for you. Isn’t that right?"

The room fell silent as countless pairs of eyes turned toward Ivy, waiting for her response.

For a few moments, Ivy said nothing.

She simply looked at Nora, then at Olivia and Polly, her expression so calm that it unsettled them more than any outburst could have.

Finally, she let out a quiet sigh.

"Are you all finished?"

The simple question caught everyone off guard.

Olivia frowned. "Don’t try to change the subject."

"I’m not," Ivy replied evenly. "I’m just waiting for everyone to finish speaking before I do."

She lowered her gaze to the front of her dress, where a faint stain from the spilled juice was still visible.

Then she looked back at Nora.

"You said you accidentally spilled juice on me."

Nora nodded immediately. "Yes. I lost my balance."

"And I pushed you?"

Another hesitant nod. "You were upset... and I fell."

Ivy tilted her head slightly.

"Interesting."

Her composure made Nora’s heartbeat quicken.

"If I really pushed you, why didn’t anyone see it happen?" Ivy asked, turning to the growing crowd. "There are dozens of people here. Surely someone witnessed me putting my hands on her."

An awkward silence spread through the room.

The guests glanced at one another but no one spoke.

No one had actually seen Ivy shove Nora.

Polly quickly stepped in.

"We didn’t see it because everyone was talking! That doesn’t prove you didn’t do it."

"It also doesn’t prove that I did," Ivy answered without raising her voice. 𝗳𝚛𝗲𝕖𝚠𝚎𝚋𝗻𝗼𝕧𝗲𝐥.𝚌𝚘𝐦

Olivia scoffed. "Then what about the sugar daddy? Are you denying that too?"

Ivy’s eyes settled on Olivia.

"That’s a serious accusation."

"So deny it."

"I don’t owe you an explanation about my private life."

The response only fueled Olivia’s anger.

"See? She can’t even answer."

Kevin, who had been silent until now, finally stepped forward.

"That’s enough."

His firm voice cut through the whispers.

"I’ve worked with Ivy professionally, and I’ve never seen her behave in the way you’re describing. If you’re going to accuse someone of something this serious, you should have evidence instead of gossip."

Several people in the crowd nodded quietly.

Kate spoke up as well.

"Come to think of it, none of us actually saw Ivy push Nora."

Nora bit the inside of her cheek, tears still glistening in her eyes.

She hadn’t expected the conversation to shift so quickly.

Seeing the tide beginning to turn, she lowered her head and spoke in a trembling voice.

"Maybe... maybe I just lost my balance. Everything happened so fast. I don’t want everyone fighting because of me."

Her words were carefully chosen, making her appear gracious while avoiding a direct contradiction of her earlier claim.

Ivy watched the performance with detached amusement.

She had seen this play before.

Nora would throw the stone, hide her hand, and then pretend to be the peacemaker once the chaos erupted.

But this time, Ivy had no intention of being the convenient scapegoat.

She met Nora’s eyes and smiled faintly.

"If you’re truly sorry," Ivy said, "then perhaps next time you’ll be more careful."

The smile never reached Nora’s eyes.

For the first time that evening, she realized Ivy wasn’t reacting the way she used to.

And that made her far more difficult to manipulate.

The tension in the room eased slightly, but the whispers did not stop.

People continued exchanging curious glances, unsure of whom to believe.

Nora lowered her head, dabbing at the corners of her eyes with a tissue. From the outside, she looked like the picture of innocence.

Inside, however, she was furious.

Why isn’t this working? she thought. The old Ivy would have panicked by now.

Before anyone could speak again, Polly stepped forward.

"So that’s it?" she said loudly. "She humiliates Nora, and everyone is just going to pretend nothing happened?"

Ivy looked at her without the slightest hint of emotion.

"I haven’t humiliated anyone."

"You don’t have to," Polly shot back. "Your actions speak for themselves."

Kevin frowned. "Polly, enough. You’re making accusations without any proof."

Olivia folded her arms. "And what proof do you have that Ivy is innocent?"

"The burden of proof isn’t on her," Kevin replied calmly. "You’re the ones making the accusations."

His words left Olivia momentarily speechless.

Sensing the conversation slipping out of their control, Nora gently placed a hand on Polly’s arm.

"Please don’t argue because of me," she said softly. "It really was my fault. I should have been more careful."

The statement instantly earned sympathetic looks from several guests.

Ivy almost laughed.

Nora had once again managed to paint herself as the forgiving victim while subtly keeping suspicion alive.

Just then, an elderly alumnus who had witnessed the exchange stepped forward.

"If I may," he said, drawing everyone’s attention, "I was standing only a few feet away."

The room fell silent.

"I saw Miss Nora stumble on her own. I didn’t see Miss Ivy push her."

A ripple spread through the crowd.

Polly’s expression froze.

Olivia’s confidence faltered.

Even Nora’s face stiffened for a fraction of a second before she quickly composed herself.

"I... I suppose everything happened so quickly that I misunderstood," Nora murmured, lowering her eyes.

The guests began whispering again, but this time the murmurs were directed at Nora rather than Ivy.

Ivy remained composed throughout.

She simply brushed an invisible speck of dust from her sleeve and said, "I’m glad the misunderstanding has been cleared up."

Then she turned to leave.

As she took a few steps away, she paused and looked back over her shoulder.

"Oh, and Olivia?"

Olivia looked up instinctively.

"If you’re going to accuse someone of having a sugar daddy, make sure you have evidence first. Otherwise, it only reflects poorly on the person making the accusation."

Her tone was calm and measured, but the words landed with precision.

Olivia’s cheeks flushed crimson as several nearby guests exchanged awkward looks.

Without waiting for a response, Ivy walked away with her head held high.

For the first time in years, she wasn’t the girl being cornered by rumors.

She was the one leaving everyone else speechless.