The Paper Wife’s Empire novel Chapter 39

The voice that spoke up was anything but friendly. Ramona glanced over and recognized a vaguely familiar face.

She couldn’t remember the woman’s name, but she recalled, hazily, that she was one of Brianna’s protégés—someone who’d been in the same class as Jotham.

“Kiki Dawson, you’re just bitter because you can’t get what you want. Maybe you should hurry up and try online dating for once, since you’ve been single for years!” Tara shot back without hesitation, defending Ramona without missing a beat.

“Tara, you don’t understand anything, so stay out of this.” Kiki rolled her eyes. “Let me tell you, the only reason Jotham settled for Ramona is because he couldn’t have the woman he truly wanted.”

As soon as Kiki’s words landed, the room fell silent. It was as if someone had ripped the mask off a well-kept secret—smiles vanished, and the old classmates who’d just been chatting eagerly with Ramona now avoided her gaze, unsure how to react.

The air turned icy.

Ramona froze for a moment. She didn’t need Kiki to spell it out to know Jotham’s heart belonged elsewhere.

But their reactions weren’t what she expected. Normally, people would be curious, gossip, question, or even argue back. But this silence…it felt like tacit agreement.

So, plenty of people already knew about Jotham and Brianna, and she’d been the only one left in the dark. She remembered the well-wishes and envy she received back in school, how she’d once believed herself to be the luckiest woman on earth.

The thought made Ramona’s lips curl into a bitter smile. She had to admit, it was almost comical.

Tara, however, was quick to flush with anger. “Kiki, that’s enough! Don’t spew nonsense just because you’re jealous of Ramona!”

“I’m just telling the truth. No one knows who’s in love and who isn’t better than the people involved.” Kiki snorted, barely sparing Tara a glance. She tilted her chin, her gaze sliding over to Ramona with open challenge. “Besides, look at Ramona now, what is there to be jealous of?”

“Oh, please,” Tara shot back. “You’re jealous of Ramona’s looks, her talent, and the fact that someone actually loves her. Everyone at school knew you were always competing with her.”

Tara wasn’t wrong. Kiki had always been envious of Ramona.

Back in their university days, Kiki had been at the top of her game. She’d been photographed during freshman orientation, and her striking figure and impeccable style made her a minor celebrity online—the so-called “Finance Department Goddess” of Havencrest University.

But before long, she was constantly compared to Ramona. Whatever Kiki wanted seemed to end up in Ramona’s hands—whether it was the attention of the entire campus, the best opportunities for further study, scholarships, or those coveted recommendations from international corporations.

Wherever Kiki appeared, Ramona was always there. And wherever Ramona showed up, Kiki inevitably came in second, or worse, ended up as the backup.

Gossip had it that Kiki was always picking up Ramona’s leftovers, copying whatever Ramona did. The more the rumors spread, the more Kiki’s resentment grew.

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