Chapter 306
A sleek black luxury car pulled up in front of the auction house.
The door swung open, and a strikingly handsome man, every inch the aristocrat, stepped out with measured grace. He extended his hand toward the interior, helping a woman out of the car.
She wore an elegant, pale blue fitted gown that accentuated her graceful figure. Her long hair was swept into a flawless chignon, revealing a smooth, ivory forehead. Every detail of her appearance radiated understated beauty and poise -a kind of ethereal charm that seemed untouched by the ordinary world.
“Look—it’s Haynes and Rachel!” someone in the crowd recognized them, unable to keep the awe out of their voice.
“They really are the perfect couple,” another person sighed. “It’s such a shame… Deanna O’Brien tore them apart. I always thought Haynes would end up marrying someone from a family as prestigious as his.”
“But instead, he married a woman who barely finished high school, someone who can’t hold a candle to Rachel in any way. The only reason he married her at all is because she got pregnant—and with a son, no less.”
Someone gasped in surprise. “She only finished high school? That can’t be right! I heard Haynes graduated from one of the top business schools in the country, finished dual PhDs before he was thirty-he’s a bona fide financial genius. How does a woman like that even keep up with him? Do they have anything to talk about?”
“Seriously, is that true? I’ve never heard anything about Haynes’s wife before.”
“Deanna said so herself-why would she lie? Haynes would rather parade his first love around than his own wife. What does that tell you? That woman isn’t just lacking in pedigree and education, she’s not even much to look at.”
“Haynes is such a romantic-he still can’t let go of his first love, even after all these years.”
“Well, can you blame him? Rachel’s incredible. She’s a renowned violinist, graduated from Neo-Vespera University’s music conservatory, and has taken home trophies from international competitions. That country bumpkin wife of his can’t begin to compare.”
“Exactly! I heard it from Jasper himself—Haynes’s closest friend. He said Haynes’s wife is so plain and awkward that Haynes can’t even bring her to social events.”
“The other day, Rachel’s video from the international competition went viral-she outplayed all those foreign musicians. Made us Novaris folks so proud!”
“She’s gorgeous, talented, and if her family background were just a notch higher, she’d be flawless-the perfect goddess.”
Rachel had barely stepped out of the car when she caught the excited murmurs swirling around her.
A subtle, graceful smile played on her lips as she accepted the admiring stares with perfect composure. She relished being the center of attention.
Ever since she’d realized just how much society valued education and talent, she’d discovered the secret to elevating her own worth.
Jasper had carefully edited together clips of her international performances-her trophies, her duels with famous violinists-and posted them online for all to see.
At the same time, he’d made sure word got out about Haynes’s wife’s lackluster education.
People, after all, loved a good comparison.
With Stella as the unfortunate foil, Rachel’s status as a world-class violinist seemed all the more impressive.
In this day and age, if you could reach the top of your field, even marrying into high society wouldn’t prompt anyone to look down on you.
After Deanna learned Rachel had graduated from Neo-Vespera University, her attitude improved dramatically.
Just recently, when Jasper brought Rachel to the O’Brien family estate to meet Deanna, the matriarch actually welcomed her for once, even asking in detail about her studies and competitions abroad.
That’s when Rachel realized-even the most sophisticated ladies of the upper crust weren’t immune to a little vanity.
Once she understood that, Jasper worked even harder to polish her image, making her achievements more dazzling with every retelling.
Now, Rachel was the violinist everyone respected and envied.