All Chapters of A Dance of Substitutes with Mr. Vanderbilt: Chapter 21 - Chapter 30

Tomorrow, the ballet company would depart for a brand-new tour overseas. It would last three months. It was time for goodbyes—and many of them made their longing clear. "I'll get you some souvenirs, Jean!""Me too! Tell me what you like!"Justine smiled sweetly and signed, "I like… seeing all of you perform to the best of your abilities… as well as returning home safely."The troupe erupted again. Justine had to coax them into the car. Iris was pretty drunk, so Justine had someone from the establishment drive them home. "Ah, you're coming along! I'll drive you home!" Iris slurred. Justine waved. The direction of her hotel was at odds with where the rest of the company was heading. Iris shoved a name card into Justine's hands. "This… This is my best friend's number! I've talked to her."Justine thought Iris must have been drunk out of her wits. She had told the woman she would be leaving Sol—she could not take up that job.To Justine's surprise, Iris raised her voice. "

Ash asked abruptly, "You're leaving Sol?"He had overheard Iris' conversations.Justine didn't turn around. Instead, she simply flipped him off.Being mute had its advantages—one could be more concise in expressing themselves.On some level, Justine was relieved that she was heading to the residence tomorrow. She wouldn't have to see his stupid face until the end of their buffering period.After Justine finally left, Jenny came running over."Ashie, are you okay?" she asked, wincing at the faint fingerprint on his cheek. "I can't believe she's still acting like everyone owes her something! She's the one at fault! God, she hasn't changed at all!"Jenny reached out to touch his face, but he dodged her hand."I'm driving you back to the hospital," he said flatly.He turned and walked toward his car.Jenny's hand was still suspended in the air when she called out in her most girlish voice, "Ashie!"Ash was in a daze. It was the first time Justine had ever hit him. Justine, of al

"Ugh, here's the truth: Sweetheart's sister stepped in before the two could marry. She charmed Ash's grandparents so thoroughly that they took her side, forcing Ash to marry her instead of Sweetheart. They then sent the real fiancee out of the country under the pretense of 'studying abroad'.""I can never understand how shameless some people can be," another voice said. "I heard Ash was so disgusted by her, he wouldn't even hold her hand!""Well, divine retribution's an even bigger bitch. Ash ended up taking control of his family's company and now he's getting his real darling back. Good riddance!"Twitter exploded with hashtags like #TrueLoveNeverDies, #Vanderbilt, and countless derogatory slurs directed at Justine.Edited pictures of her were shared, many juxtaposed with images of Jenny, the true object of Ash's affection.Justine was portrayed as a stereotypical witch, while Jenny looked almost ethereal in comparison.People, trapped in their lookism, devoured the narrative. T

"Look at you getting your panties twisted like that!" Gaius spun his car keys, smirking as he approached Ash. "Your sycophants said you were the one masterminding this smear campaign to please your pregnant girlfriend. I almost believed them!""That's bullshit," Ash said, frowning. "Jenny and I are not together. That baby isn't even ours."Gaius did not appear shocked."The problem is, the opposite of that is exactly what everyone thinks now." He tilted his head slightly. "Does Justine know that baby isn't yours?"Ash glared at him in silence.Gaius made a face of understanding. "How about a bet, Ash?"Ash studied him warily.Gaius might look young and cavalier, but Ash knew better than to trust his pretense. Gaius had made bets with other trust-fund kids that had nearly left them bankrupt.Gaius' eyes glinted mischievously, but his tone was firm. "Just a Bugatti will do this time. I bet you'll regret divorcing Justine."Ash thinned his lips. "Me, regret?""That's right. You'

They would be so delighted, right? Leon found Justine's eyes reddened and misty, feeling a pang in his chest. "Are you alright?" he asked, choosing not to bring up her virality. She shook her head."I'm fine. I slept a little too much, that's all," she signed. "What's the matter?"Leon smiled. "Hey, I'm your therapist, right? If anything is bothering you—big or small—you can always talk to me. I'm your best outlet—by profession!" Justine grinned. "Did something happen?" It was rather late in the evening. Leon had never shown up in her room at this hour before—he always made sure not to do anything that might make his patients uncomfortable. Some female patients simply could not bear to be alone with a man. Leon realized Justine had no idea about the Internet drama—she had probably napped through it all. Little did she know, everyone in the residence was aware. "Well, you've gone viral for a few hours on the Internet," Leon explained briefly. "The story got clamped dow