Once a Doormat, Now Untouchable

Chapter 532 Megan stared at the message she had just sent with a calculating smile. So what if Sydney and Julian were supposedly in love? No woman could see a photo like that and remain completely trusting. Once the seed of doubt was planted, it would grow, take root, and spread until one day it strangled what they had. Julian was not known for his patience. Given time, his affection would fade. And any man who left a pregnant woman abroad could hardly be called devoted. In other words, there was still room for her. Men, especially powerful ones, were practical creatures.

If Sydney could never return to the Hutton family, Julian would know which marriage offered more value. Of course it would be with her, the Hutton heiress, not an outcast like Sydney. Just then, Penelope pushed open the door, eyes bright with glee. "So it's true? Julian really has another woman?" Megan waved her phone with a smirk. "Got the photo right here. You think I'd be mistaken?" Back in her university days abroad-the same country Julian had just flown to-Megan had proudly shown off the secret photos she had taken of him years ago.

He had been only 20 then, sharp, striking, impossibly handsome. Even among the foreign students known for their good looks, he had stood out. The photo she had just received came from one of those same classmates, a woman who had spotted Julian at a hospital overseas and sent it straight to her. Penelope let out an admiring whistle. "You really do have an impressive network. Friends everywhere, huh?" "Of course." Megan lifted her chin, her tone smug. "It comes naturally." She spoke as if her name alone guaranteed she would always be surrounded by people eager to please her.

Penelope nearly laughed. 'Naturally?' If only she knew how much of that "status" was borrowed. She was a counterfeit heiress who had worn the mask so long that she had started to believe it was her own face. Suppressing the urge to mock her, Penelope changed the subject. "By the way, that message you sent to Caleb last time... Did he reply?" She was genuinely curious. Did Caleb care for Sydney deeply, or was it just possessiveness? "He-" Megan started, then abruptly stopped. Her face hardened. "Since when do I have to report my every move to you?

her emotions might be unsteady. When the car rolled to a stop in the courtyard, she turned to her friend again. "You're sure you're okay?" "I'm fine." It was not the first time Sydney had said that. She had been repeating the same

not that kind of man." Yet when she had first seen the photo, her instinct had been suspicion. Maybe it was the years they had spent apart, or maybe it was a habit-always keeping an escape route. But in that moment she realized something painful: her trust in him was no longer absolute. For one dizzy second, she had wondered if she was the other woman. The woman in the photo was visibly further along in her pregnancy. And the thought had struck her as cruelly ironic- her child's father standing beside someone else during a prenatal checkup.

you here?" Sydney shot her a sideways glance and smiled. "Love potion? He must've added a curse too." Seeing her laugh again, Tiffany finally relaxed. They got out of the car together. Agatha was thrilled to see Tiffany and told the household staff to prepare a few extra dishes for dinner. With her easy charm, Tiffany quickly