Todos os capítulos de Make-Up Artist vs. Made-Up Accounts: Capítulo 1 - Capítulo 9

I stood behind Toni Summers, staring at her youthful, happy face reflected in the mirror. She couldn't have concealed her joy even if she'd tried.Every bride who came to me wanting to look her brightest and prettiest was the same."Are you sure your wrist is all healed up now?" Toni suddenly asked.I flexed my wrist. "Yeah. Don't worry. It's almost back to normal.""Great!" she chirped. "I've seen your work. There's no other artist I trust more than you, Felicia!"I didn't respond. I simply began applying her foundation before moving on to her eyes.Dakota was smoothing the bridal veil when she suddenly exclaimed, "No way. Are these real diamonds sewn into the fabric? It feels incredible! How much did this cost?!"Toni's eyes were closed, but her lips curled into a proud smile. "I honestly don't know. Walt arranged all of it for me. He said he hired a designer for the veil. He hired someone for the bridal gown, too."He's even spent the past six months putting together a team

For a moment, I seemed to forget how to breathe.Toni gently closed her eyes. "Yeah. He's Walt's junior at the same university. Hugh always said his late sister was a bit of a controlling tyrant. She interfered with everything he wanted to do and constantly imposed her will on him. He said living under her thumb was suffocating."Dakota was indignant all over again. As she continued trying to fix the bridal veil on Toni's head, she grumbled, "Then I'm glad she's not around to control him anymore! A sister like that would make anyone feel suffocated!"The lump in my throat hardened into a rock. Tears welled in my eyes.Our parents' divorce had been bitter and messy to the very end. They were arguing over custody of their children when they got into a car accident and died. Just like that, I was left alone with 10-year-old Hugh.I was determined to make sure he got a proper education. I went to school during the day and worked at a restaurant at night until my palms were covered in

Any and all celebratory commotion died instantly. All eyes turned toward me as intrigued whispers began to fill the air.Toni's smile froze. She composed herself as best she could and tried to regain control of the situation. "Um, Felicia, did you mistake my husband for someone else? Look, I invited you here as my makeup artist, not as a practical joker, right? Pretending someone else's husband is your own is a little too much!"I looked at her innocent, wounded expression and felt only cold, sneering contempt. I ignored her and turned my attention to the two people who should have been closest to me."Yeah, tell her. I'm sure my own brother and best friend can tell her exactly who I am," I said.Toni shuddered and stared at them in disbelief."What? B-But didn't you tell me your older sister was already dead, Hugh?" she cried, her voice shaking. "A-And you said I'm your one and only best friend, Stephanie!"Her questions dropped like a bomb in the room.Stephanie recovered firs

I was speechless.Hugh saw the shock on my face and decided to tell me the whole truth. "Mom and Dad had another daughter after you, Felicia. Her name was Toni. But she was sickly and prone to illness, and our family's finances at the time made it difficult to care for her."Once Mom and Dad realized how overwhelming her medical bills would be, they decided to give her up for adoption to a family in another state."But that family eventually gave up on her too. That was the kind of life Toni had to endure, shuffled from place to place and from one foster family to another until she finally ended up in a group home. Only then did she get the chance to complete her college education with the help of donations from generous strangers."Then she joined Walt's company as an intern. By sheer coincidence, Walt learned about her background and history and realized she was our long-lost sister."He wanted to take care of someone who was also your family, and he sympathized with everything

The police quickly arrived and arrested Walt and Toni.In court, evidence proved the charges of attempted homicide, insurance fraud, and battery, sealing their fate.As soon as Walt's company learned of his arrest, it issued a public statement announcing his immediate dismissal and removal from the organization.In a single night, he lost the business and reputation he had worked so hard to build. Fame and fortune abandoned him, and public opinion swiftly turned against him.My divorce proceedings went smoothly, without a hitch. I recovered every asset that rightfully belonged to me, including those previously held under our joint ownership. I even reclaimed the property and assets Walt had been liquidating to fund his personal expenses.When my former in-laws learned the truth, they came to my door several times and tearfully apologized. They begged me to forgive their son and return to the family for the sake of the relationship we had supposedly shared over the years.As if th