Chapter 46

Vivian shook her head vehemently. In her heart, she knew this wasn't truly about her wellbeing. They remained legally bound, and as Adrian's wife, she still represented the Blackwood family's dignity to the world. She suspected his actions stemmed from protecting the family's reputation rather than genuine concern for her.

Her hands trembled slightly as she fought to maintain composure, forcing rationality to prevail over the unwelcome warmth creeping into her chilled heart. After hanging up, she checked Instagram. True to Ethan's word, the relentless negative trend had disappeared completely, as if it never existed. A faint smile tugged at Vivian's lips before she could stop it.

Lydia noticed it too, letting out a dry chuckle. "Would you look at that? Even the great Adrian Blackwood has a conscience. Pity it took a scandal of this magnitude to surface it. But let's be clear - he orchestrated this entire mess. Without his backing, Serena would never have dared behave so shamelessly. Of course he could erase those trends instantly. This is the bare minimum he owes us, so don't go thinking he's some knight in shining armor. We were handling it just fine ourselves. He still owes you that role!"

As Lydia spoke, cold clarity settled over Vivian. The truth was undeniable - Adrian had caused this turmoil. Had he not interfered, Vivian wouldn't have been cheated out of a role she'd rightfully earned. Serena wouldn't have had the opportunity to crush her ambitions so effortlessly. Every thread led back to Adrian, and his cleanup efforts likely served only to protect the Blackwood name.

Vivian knew gratitude was misplaced for him doing what was expected, yet a bitter laugh escaped her. Suddenly, Lydia, scrolling through her phone, erupted in frustration.

"This is unbelievable! I celebrated too soon. They removed your trending topic, yes, but they also deleted all the audition footage I posted! Now we've lost all evidence comparing you and Serena. Even that cringe-worthy clip of her terrible acting got wiped! I worked tirelessly to obtain that video. It would have showcased your talent perfectly, and now it's gone! Thousands of fans missed seeing it!"

Curious, Vivian grabbed her phone and scrolled through Instagram. Lydia's prediction proved accurate once more. Every mention of Vivian and Serena had vanished into digital oblivion. It wasn't just the negative trend that disappeared. The hashtags #SerenaCantAct and #SerenaTrainwreck, which had gained traction thanks to Lydia's uploaded clips, had been meticulously erased. Even the supportive comments highlighting Vivian's superior talent were nowhere to be found.

Her jaw tightened as she desperately searched for any trace of herself and Serena. Searches for Serena still yielded older discussions and content. But searches for Vivian? A digital void. Every previous mention had been scrubbed clean.

Lydia's face twisted in fury as she spat out, "So Adrian was never on our side. He's been protecting Serena all along. Terrified she'll face ridicule, so he sanitized the entire internet. Now there's nothing left for people to even discuss."

Her voice rose with each word, hands clenching into fists. "What's more infuriating is he didn't stop at hiding her mess - he obliterated everything about you too. Just as people started recognizing your talent, he snuffed it out like it meant nothing!" The injustice made Lydia's chest heave with barely contained rage.

Vivian calmly locked her phone, a frosty, mocking smile curving her lips. The absurdity of it all struck her. She'd endured a torrent of cruel comments all night without a shred of support from Adrian. Yet the moment Serena faced criticism for her audition, he'd rushed to clean up the mess. A bitter sneer twisted her features. The priority was clear - Serena always came first.

Adrian's world revolved exclusively around Serena, relegating Vivian to the shadows, barely an afterthought. Vivian realized the fire's agony hadn't been enough to fully shatter her heart. Reflecting on their two-year marriage, she wondered what it had truly meant to him. He wasn't emotionless - he simply reserved all his care and concern for Serena, as if Vivian were merely a ghost haunting their shared existence.