The Hidden Empress Stripping Her Secrets After Divorce novel Chapter 165

Vivian turned her phone screen toward Lyra. It was a viral highlight reel of the explosive broadcast, the bold headline screaming: "Chinese Female Doctor Honored as 'The Rose Angel' with Tribute Statue by African Tribe!"

In the high-definition footage, Evelyn wore a floral crown, her expression calm and resolute as she accepted the most profound, unadulterated praise. Her aura and undeniable presence were worlds apart from the pathetic, fragile image Lyra had memorized—and infinitely superior to the delicate persona Lyra meticulously faked for the Lancasters!

Lyra stared at the screen, her pupils shrinking to pinpricks as her breathing grew erratic. The world spun around her. It felt as if the golden staircase she was climbing had suddenly shattered beneath her feet, dragging her from the precipice of her ultimate dream straight down into a freezing abyss. How is this possible... she doesn't deserve this! Why her?!

Vivian watched Lyra completely lose her composure, relishing the secret surge of superiority and the thrill of watching a trainwreck. She pulled her phone back and lowered her voice, feigning shock. "Oh my god... Lyra, is this... is this really Christian's ex-wife? Evelyn Sullivan? This is... this is insane! She actually..."

She intentionally left the sentence hanging, letting the implications fester. Then, leaning in, Vivian spoke in a tone laced with weaponized pity. "Wow, no wonder Christian has been acting so distant lately. With an ex-wife like this—an internationally recognized 'Angel' and genius doctor—setting the standard, you're over here just trying to survive tabloid rumors and family drama. The contrast is just... brutal."

Her words were a poisoned blade, twisting directly into Lyra's deepest insecurities. Brutal? A contrast? Lyra had exhausted every manipulative trick in the book, even using her own son as a pawn, and was inches away from securing the Lancaster throne. Yet, the "loser" she had never once taken seriously had effortlessly crushed her into a pathetic background character in the most glorious, blinding way possible! She had literally become the punchline in a stranger's joke about fake socialites buying trends!

Lyra abruptly grabbed her glass of water and downed half of it. The freezing liquid slid down her throat, doing absolutely nothing to extinguish the roaring flames of jealousy and panic incinerating her chest. She forced herself to breathe, though her manicured fingers continued to tremble uncontrollably.

"Heh..." She finally found her voice, though it shook with a fragile, forced coldness. "So what? It's just some hollow title bought with a few cheap favors in a backward, uncivilized place. Who in high society actually cares about that? Christian... he needs a proper partner who can help him manage the family and navigate social circles, not some doctor who runs off to Africa to play savior in the dirt!"

Her tone was fierce, but she couldn't even convince herself.

Vivian scoffed inwardly but nodded along. "True, it's a completely different circle. But..." She smoothly changed the subject, her eyes gleaming with malice and suspicion, "Evelyn really kept this hidden well. She was a total ghost while married into the family, and the second she divorced, she skyrocketed. Do you think... she planned this all along? Or maybe she has some kind of... hidden backer we don't know about? You don't just stumble into this level of global exposure and honor just by being a good doctor."

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