Chapter 3

3

Murmurs of shock rippled through the entire studio, with people whispering about cheating scandals and secret side pieces.

Logan’s face flushed an ugly shade of crimson.

“Hazel, this isn’t funny at all.”

I looked at him with sheer amusement. “Who’s joking with you?”

“Logan, you’ve been dumped! Did you catch that clearly?”

Staring into his bewildered eyes, painful memories of my past life flashed across my mind.

In that timeline, Logan had intended to use this show as a platform for a grand proposal, until Chloe threw out the occult accusations.

As if fulfilling her claims, Logan suffered through constant writer’s block and repeated stage blunders, getting eliminated round after round.

He was the one dragging me down, yet he swallowed Chloe’s lies and blamed his entire failure on me.

He broke up with me on a live broadcast, ordered me out of his life, and immediately formed a new duo with Chloe.

Framed by the pair of them, I was relentlessly hunted and canceled across the entire internet, branded as a malicious fraud and a creative thief.

No artist was willing to collaborate with me, and no record label would touch my work.

When I finally confronted Logan for answers, Chloe mocked me openly on another live stream.

“I’ve never seen someone so utterly shameless.”

“She cursed Logan and caused his downfall, and now she has the audacity to demand an explanation?”

“If I were her, I wouldn’t even have the dignity to keep breathing!”

With her relentless manipulation, the entire music industry boycotted me into oblivion.

Thousands of angry netizens raided the show’s official channels, demanding my disqualification under threat of reporting the show for promoting dark superstitions.

The producers forced my withdrawal and slapped me with crushing financial penalties.

Burdened by insurmountable debt, I ended up freezing to death alone in an alleyway.

After my passing, my lingering spirit hovered beside Logan and Chloe, and that was when I uncovered the horrifying truth.

Logan had been caught red-handed for secretly plagiarizing his breakthrough hits from an underground artist.

Terrified of career destruction, he teamed up with Chloe to pin all his creative stagnation and failures on my supposed dark hexes.

To him, I was merely a convenient disposable shield to be thrown under the bus the moment trouble arose.

How could I ever forgive such betrayal?

Logan snapped at me in frustration.

“Have you lost your mind? We’re live on air! Once you say something, there’s no taking it back. Don’t come crying on your knees begging me to take you back later!”

Chloe leaned her head against his shoulder like a victory trophy.

“Logan, don’t be too harsh on Hazel. She’s only saying these wild things because she’s desperate to keep you.”

I couldn’t help but clap my hands at their theatrical performance.

I looked Chloe up and down with open disgust.

“You can keep that recycled trash all to yourself.”

“And by the way, my husband is on his way here right now. You’ll find out soon enough whether I’m telling the truth.”

Chloe burst into mocking laughter, staring at me as if I had completely lost my sanity.

“Hazel, are you hallucinating? Logan just dumped you, so where did this imaginary husband come from? Your dreams?”

Before her voice could settle, a massive commotion broke out near the studio entrance.

The lead director took one look at the towering figure walking through the double doors, turned pale, and scrambled forward with frantic bows.

“Mr. Montgomery! What an incredible honor! Why didn’t your team give us advanced notice?”

“Everyone, pause what you’re doing immediately and come greet music legend Sean Montgomery!”

The entire auditorium froze in collective disbelief.

Good grief. Was that truly the undisputed king of the modern music industry, Sean Montgomery?!

Under blinding studio spotlights and dozens of live cameras, Sean walked straight toward me with calm, steady strides.

He gently cupped my cheeks in his warm hands and placed a tender kiss right on my forehead.

“Wife, did I make you wait?”

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