The Divorce That Brought Us Back novel Chapter 195

Cassidy only asked her one thing.

Was she afraid the internet fame would backfire?

Jasmine answered by posting a photo of Yates's brutally lashed, bloody back on her million-follower account with the caption: "The fate of a scumbag."

Her actions proved she was completely fearless.

She single-handedly reignited the viral storm.

And she rode that massive wave to establish her brand.

Jasmine also stated that the Smith family business was on the brink of collapse. If they went bankrupt, Valery's medical bills and Nathan's living expenses would likely fall on her shoulders anyway.

In a twisted way, she really was fulfilling her parents' ultimate wish—dedicating her entire life to her older sister and younger brother.

However, the incident with Valery had deeply impacted Nathan. He matured overnight. Though he still cried at the drop of a hat, he stopped partying with his deadbeat friends and started guarding Valery day and night.

He even volunteered to be the cameraman for the Night Owl Jasmine account.

But he was truly terrible at it.

Valery was actually better at it.

With her gentle demeanor and sweet words, and completely free from her parents' suffocating control, Valery let Nathan push her wheelchair around the center every day. They befriended the elderly residents and documented a heartwarming, healing slice of daily life.

In a way, they were working for Jasmine now.

As the online frenzy slowly died down, their chaotic lives gradually returned to normal.

Nora also dove back into her work.

That afternoon, she met with Leona York to brainstorm designs for a new gown.

Leona had just signed on for a modern revenge drama.

"The basic plot is this: My parents, my five older brothers, my grandparents, my uncle, and my aunt—they all throw me into the slums for the sake of our nanny's daughter. They watch me get beaten, abused, and completely destroyed. Then I rise from the ashes and exact ruthless revenge on the entire family."

Nora stared at her in silence.

"Don't underestimate this plot! It's based on a massive intellectual property."

Leona leaned in, getting to the point. "The show hasn't started filming yet; it's still in pre-production. I just signed the contract, so I need to do my part to drum up some investment for the project."

"I need a battle-damaged gown. Something that captures the state I'm in right after I escape the slums. It needs to be shattered, tragic, and absolutely shocking! Dark, stunning, and thrilling!"

That night.

Leona posted an absolutely unhinged video on her social media.

She was sitting on top of a massive teddy bear dressed in a white gown, viciously punching, tearing, scratching, and kicking it.

The internet thought it was performance art.

"Okay, who pissed off our Queen this time?"

"Stop! Stop! He's already dead!"

"Ah! Step on me instead, Queen! Hit me! Hit me!"

The next morning, Leona dropped a photograph on her social media.

In the picture, Leona was wearing the white dress she had personally ripped to shreds. The torn hem looked like dead petals, the silk clinging to her bare back, which was painted with jagged, bloody scratches. Her exposed arms and legs were covered in hyper-realistic purple and blue bruises.

She leaned against a gritty, peeling brick wall, turning her head toward the morning sun. The fake blood smeared on her face glowed like amber, and through her wildly tangled hair, her eyes were sharp, cold, and lethal.

The caption read: "New project."