Chapter 257: The Divorce Certificate Is Fake?

Chapter 257: Chapter 257: The Divorce Certificate Is Fake?

Finn Lockwood wasn’t exactly surprised to run into Sophie Winslow here. He even uncharacteristically took the initiative to greet her. "Here to discuss the show’s ad placement?"

Sophie was only surprised for a second that Finn knew why she was here. On second thought, Felix Coleman was Finn’s friend; it wasn’t strange for word to reach him and his circle. However, meeting Finn’s gaze, she saw the man still wearing his usual flippant expression. Even after being reprimanded by Master Lockwood, he still chose to be in cahoots with Stella Sutton.

Sophie didn’t respond and started to walk away.

As she passed him, Finn suddenly said, "Don’t blame me either." He glanced at her, and ultimately brushed past her.

Sophie didn’t take Finn’s attitude to heart. Compared to before, he certainly didn’t have that harsh demeanor, but he probably truly considered Stella a real friend.

Finn went upstairs and saw Julian Sterling and Stella Sutton, who were still discussing details with Felix Coleman. His gaze paused for two seconds on Stella’s clearly smiling face before he smiled. "How’s the chat going?"

Stella curled her lips, her tone very gentle. "Finn, thank you so much for helping me make the connection."

Finn sprawled out on the sofa with a chuckle. "Don’t mention it. You’re someone Julian values, after all, so helping build your momentum is only right. If the show is well-received this time, all those previous negative incidents will basically be wiped out, and you can reach new heights."

Stella was thrilled internally, but she kept a straight face. "It still depends on the final results."

But she knew very well that this was how the current era worked. Any scandal or negative news could easily be forgotten with a little maneuvering. When the time came, the Sterling family wouldn’t have room to be picky either.

Finn raised an eyebrow and looked at Julian. "Did they agree to your demands? Is Ivy Hawthorne willing to take it?"

At this point, Felix smiled helplessly. "Ivy seems a bit reluctant, but I’ll try my best to talk to her."

Julian’s expression remained devoid of emotion. As he stood up, he said slowly, "She will agree."

Sophie and Ivy chatted a bit about the situation at Ivy’s workplace. Opportunities for promotion were rare, which was far better than offending the leadership and being sidelined at the station.

The next day.

At ten in the morning, Sophie planned to make a trip to Longview to finalize some recent affairs. However, on her way there, she received a phone call.

Sophie answered, and the person on the other end said, "Is this Ms. Sophie Winslow?"

"Speaking. Who is this?"

"This is the Household Registration Hall of the Kingsford Eastgate Police Precinct. The household registration transfer you submitted last time is missing some documentation. We need you to come in and handle it."

Sophie frowned. She had clearly prepared everything perfectly. But without hesitation, she immediately turned her car around and headed there.

There weren’t many people when she arrived, so it was soon her turn.

"Could you tell me what documents are missing?" Sophie asked.

The clerk behind the counter glanced at the screen and said, "Your divorce certificate doesn’t meet the requirements."

Sophie was stunned. "My divorce certificate?"

"Yes, it doesn’t have a formal serial number. Did you make a mistake? You need to bring a compliant one before we can process this."

Sophie’s expression drastically changed. Seeing that she seemed unaware, the clerk let her look at the computer screen. "According to the divorce records here, you are indeed divorced, but the certificate you provided is a counterfeit."

The sounds around her suddenly blurred into a noisy hum. It was as if ice shards had been injected into Sophie’s limbs in an instant. The divorce certificate... it was fake. The one Madam Sterling had given her was fake. The divorce certificate she had only managed to obtain after surviving that perilous blind date with Tristan Thorne, where she was nearly humiliated—was a fake!

Sophie’s breathing grew heavy. The hand she rested on the counter trembled uncontrollably. Her stunningly sharp face remained devoid of expression, but the rims of her eyes turned red, radiating a bone-chilling coldness. A suffocating sensation tore through her mind. Anger, hatred, and disgust washed over her.

Even in divorce, she had to be subjected to such treatment. She couldn’t bear it any longer!

Sophie forcefully suppressed her earth-shattering emotions and said hoarsely, "Okay, I’ll take care of it."

She dragged her heavy legs outside. Pulling out her phone, even though her movements trembled uncontrollably from the sheer force of her rage, her face remained expressionless as she dialed Julian’s number. But the call didn’t go through. Instead, another call came in first. It had no caller ID, but Sophie answered it anyway.

Madam Sterling’s voice came through. "Sophie, the Sterling family is hosting a reception tonight. You’ll be free this evening, so come attend. Present yourself in your capacity as the exceptional professor of Kingsford University."

Listening to this voice, Sophie said nothing. She didn’t even break down into hysterics to demand why they hadn’t given her the real divorce certificate. There was no point anymore. She just felt nauseous.

Madam Sterling continued, "I won’t blame you for having the Hawthorne family throw a celebration banquet for you, but many celebrities and elites will be at the reception tonight. By coming over, you can expand your network and also stand up to win glory for the Sterling family. It’s a win-win situation. Seven o’clock tonight. Don’t be late."

She felt like a doll placed in a display window, meant for people to admire while her value was drained completely dry. Sophie looked up at the glaring sky. The hand holding the phone was shaking, but her voice was remarkably calm. "Alright."

Madam Sterling was satisfied with her obedience. She knew Sophie had just been momentarily confused before.

After ending the call, Sophie returned to her car. Her ears were still ringing, yet she felt she had never been this calm before. She didn’t want to ask why anymore, nor did she want to compromise and beg them to be magnanimous and let her off. Continuing like this wouldn’t resolve any dilemmas; it would only make the Sterlings push harder.

Sophie took several deep breaths. With a cold face, she turned her car around. Today, she had no intention of continuing to endure this. If this facade of decency had to be torn away, then so be it.

The Sterling family’s receptions were always high-profile affairs, with many traveling thousands of miles just to attend. Sophie didn’t drive. When she arrived, there was a bustling crowd of people coming and going. She hadn’t even changed into an evening gown. Still wearing her everyday work attire—a light beige, silk waist-cinching dress paired with nude square-toed loafers adorned with horsebit buckles—she stepped, one foot at a time, into this extravagant spectacle of sensual indulgence.

Looking at the scene of cheerful laughter and lively chatter, a thick layer of mockery flooded Sophie’s eyes. She hadn’t taken many steps when she saw that Julian had also arrived. He remained striking amidst the crowd. Turning his head, he cast a lukewarm glance her way. Julian probably hadn’t expected her to attend either. His deep, unfathomable gaze lingered on her for a moment longer. From a distance, she couldn’t clearly decipher the true emotion hidden in his eyes.

Since both of them were present, Madam Sterling spotted them from afar. She excused herself from the guests she was chatting with and walked over, deliberately going to Julian’s side to have him walk with her to where Sophie stood.

"The two of you will link arms and walk in together shortly," she instructed.

Julian probably hadn’t been paying close attention to Madam Sterling. He lowered his eyes to check an incoming message on his phone. That silent response—Sophie could actually understand what he meant. It was a rejection.

As it happened, from her angle, she coincidentally caught a glimpse of a key piece of information on his phone screen. It was a message from Stella, saying she was waiting for Julian outside. Stella had come as well, but hadn’t entered the venue.

Seeing Julian ignore her, Madam Sterling instantly grew displeased. "Today is a public event, so be mindful of your behavior. Sophie has come all this way, so pay a little more attention to her."

As she spoke, Madam Sterling seemed to have completely tossed the previous encounter at the restaurant to the back of her mind—when Sophie had talked back to her and Winnie Hayes had even taken Sophie’s side. She then turned to Sophie with an affectionate tone. "Don’t worry. This time, Grandma didn’t let Stella come. Today’s main event is you and Julian."