Thorns Grow After Betrayal (Celeste and Chester) novel Chapter 179

Celestine's brows knitted. "What's that supposed to mean?"

"Oh? Celly, I always thought you had the best memory," Joanna replied, a sly smile curling on her lips as if savoring some private joke. "Back then, you couldn't wait to brag about that great part-time job you landed—teaching a bunch of kids to doodle every day and getting paid a thousand for it. I remember thinking, what's so amazing about that? Even a single hour on set pays me more than you made in a week."

She leaned in, her tone tinged with mock sympathy. "But when I saw how much you cherished that job, I just couldn't wait to see you lose it. And in the end, everything went just as I'd hoped."

Celestine's fists clenched, her teeth gritted. "So it was you!"

Back then, her grandfather had already covered her tuition and fees for the year—she was determined not to let him worry about her living expenses too.

She'd hit some rough patches, surviving on little more than bread and water for every meal.

She'd gone on interview after interview, only to be turned away each time because she hadn't yet graduated.

Nothing had ever been as smooth as Joanna made it sound.

That job had been her lifeline, and she'd shared her excitement and gratitude with what she thought was her best friend at the time—Joanna.

So this was the truth.

It started far earlier than she'd ever realized.

Celestine cursed herself for her naivety, her face growing paler by the second.

Joanna's mood only brightened as she watched Celestine's expression darken. "Come on, Celly, it's your fate to lose everything. As for Chester—well, he was just an accident, something I let slip away. I never thought you'd swoop in and pick up the pieces. But listen to me: whatever's mine, if I say I don't want it anymore, I'll decide who gets it, do you understand?"

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