After Divorce I Married a Tycoon-Chapter 98: Disdain and Provocation

The start of the competition was fast approaching.

Every day, besides immersing herself in her design work, Claire Mercer also went with Stella Thorne to her classes at a modeling agency.

This modeling agency was the largest, most prestigious, and most influential in all of Rhonia.

It had produced numerous internationally renowned supermodels.

In this modeling crash course, there were many others who, like her, had no experience but intended to enter the competition hosted by CZ Group.

These people were her classmates, and at the same time, her fiercest rivals.

Seeing all the talented trainees, Stella Thorne felt immense pressure.

In truth, she was a quick study and had a bit of natural talent; she just lacked confidence.

Among the three of them, Claire Mercer—now that she had moved past her love-obsessed phase—was actually quite outgoing.

Roxanne Peyton’s upbringing had made her vivacious and passionate, brimming with confidence and a bold flair.

Only Stella Thorne was the most introverted and timid.

Coupled with her complete lack of runway experience, she was constantly worried she would hold Claire Mercer back.

During a break between classes, Claire Mercer and Roxanne Peyton were resting with her.

"Claire, what if..."

Before Stella Thorne could finish, Claire Mercer and Roxanne Peyton said in unison,

"Don’t even think about backing out."

The two of them exchanged a smile, but Stella Thorne’s face was glum.

"Roxanne, I really think you’re a better fit for this than I am."

She envied Roxanne Peyton’s confidence, a quality she herself lacked.

It was probably because her scumbag ex-boyfriend had crushed her spirit.

It had left her with a touch of insecurity.

She always felt like she couldn’t do anything right.

Claire Mercer knew that the reason Stella Thorne was so reserved and insecure was because she had been deeply hurt by her last relationship.

Even though she and Roxanne had already helped Stella get some payback.

But the thought of that scumbag, a true master of manipulation, completely eroding Stella’s confidence still made her furious.

Claire Mercer composed herself and offered Stella an encouraging smile.

"Stella, you have to believe in yourself."

"You’re gorgeous, and your figure is incredible."

"You’re curvy in all the right places, and you have a lovely voice."

"Especially when you smile, you’re so sweet and captivating."

"You have no idea how many guys secretly look at you whenever you smile when we’re out shopping."

"If you could only see your own radiance, you’d be the most brilliant star on that stage."

"Exactly," Roxanne Peyton chimed in, encouraging her.

"You’ve only been in class for a few days, but your runway walk is already starting to look quite professional."

"If you were just a bit more confident, it would be perfect."

"Besides, if you win, there’s a three-million-dollar prize, and you get to sign with the new talent agency CZ Group is launching."

"Didn’t that scumbag ex of yours always put you down, telling you you’re worthless?"

"This is your chance to prove him wrong and dazzle him blind."

"Tell yourself, ’I’m the best, most talented, and most dazzling star on this stage.’"

"Exactly," Claire Mercer agreed.

"The best revenge on a scumbag is to become so successful that you’re standing at a height he could never hope to reach in his entire lifetime."

"A social climber like him, who just uses his looks to womanize and manipulate women, will never amount to anything."

At the mention of her scumbag ex-boyfriend, Stella Thorne fell silent for a moment before smiling.

"It’s fine. That’s all in the past. A scumbag like that isn’t worthy of me."

Roxanne Peyton clapped. "Yes! That’s the spirit!"

"Who the hell does he think he is? How could he ever be worthy of our gorgeous, sweet-voiced Stella?"

The three of them looked at each other and laughed.

Soon, other trainees and their friends began to file into the break room.

They gathered in small groups, chatting amongst themselves.

One girl, who was exceptionally beautiful with a fantastic figure, was particularly eye-catching.

She walked into the break room surrounded by a few of her friends.

"Girl, we’re all just waiting for you to hit the big time and pull us up with you."

"Exactly, this is a once-in-a-lifetime opportunity."

"The Sinclair Family, the Peyton Family... they’re all nothing compared to a behemoth like CZ Group."

"Of course. CZ Group is so powerful it’s beyond imagination, and its rise has been meteoric."

"In just eight short years, it’s become the nation’s leading corporation, with branch offices in many overseas countries."

"Its founder and chairman is the only person in the country to rank in the top ten of the Forbes Rich List, and he’s also the youngest."

"I hear he’s not even thirty..."

"Apparently, this whole competition was the idea of that mysterious tycoon."

"You just have to perform well. With your looks, your aura, and that killer hourglass figure, how could you not catch his eye?"

As her friends spoke, the girl maintained a faint smile.

Her expression was full of confidence, and she made no effort to conceal her pride and flair.

She was well aware of all her strengths and advantages and had immense confidence in herself, yet she feigned modesty.

"Oh, I’m not nearly as good as you all make me out to be."

"What do you mean? Anyone who isn’t blind can see you’re the prettiest and most striking girl in this class." 𝚏𝗿𝗲𝐞𝚠𝕖𝐛𝗻𝗼𝐯𝕖𝚕.𝚌𝗼𝗺

"Besides, it looks like there’s a voting component this time. The number of votes will also determine how far you go."

"With a killer body like yours, you’ll drive all those guys online crazy."

"Totally! All those fanboys will be throwing money at you and voting like crazy."

The girl’s vanity was immensely satisfied by her friends’ effusive flattery.

She kept that smile on her lips, then shot a casual glance at Stella Thorne, the corner of her mouth twitching in a sneer.

She didn’t use words to mock or insult her.

But the look she gave Stella Thorne and the curl of her lip were filled with contempt and provocation.

Claire Mercer and Roxanne Peyton both caught that hostile glare.

To put it plainly, the girl was simply jealous because she could see that Stella Thorne was outstanding in every respect.

When a woman takes an instant dislike to another woman for no apparent reason, chances are it stems from jealousy.

She had already marked her as a rival and was looking for every opportunity to make things difficult for her.

Claire Mercer was furious and was about to fire back a sarcastic comment when Stella Thorne stopped her.

"Claire, don’t stoop to their level. I’m fine."

"It’s not like we’re afraid of her," Roxanne Peyton said indignantly.

She couldn’t stand seeing her best friend being provoked like that.

Especially since they were just sitting there, minding their own business.

Stella Thorne leaned in toward them and whispered,

"We’re not afraid of her, but it’s hard to guard against petty people."

"Look at her—the sharp corners of her eyes, her high cheekbones... her face just screams ’mean and ungrateful.’"

"She’s probably the type who’s incredibly jealous and holds a grudge."

"When you run into someone like that, it’s best to steer clear."

"What if she tries to pull some dirty tricks behind our backs during the competition? I’m worried it will affect our performance."

"She might not even find a designer to partner with, but it’s better to be cautious."

Seeing how seriously she was taking it, Claire Mercer couldn’t help but laugh.

"Stella, when did you learn how to read faces?"

"I didn’t, really. I just had some time to kill and ended up watching a face-reading master’s livestreams for a few days."

"Honestly, I don’t really care about the results for my own sake."

"But this competition is a huge deal for you, and I don’t want to mess things up for you over something so petty."

Roxanne Peyton nodded. "Stella has a point."

"A plastic surgery freak like her is just a clown, anyway."

"With an attitude that smug, who knows how many people she’ll end up offending."

"Let them show off. Someone’s bound to get sick of it and put them in their place."

"Besides, it’s not even guaranteed a designer will pick her to partner with."

Claire Mercer said, "With her looks and figure, I doubt she’ll have any trouble finding a designer."

The words were barely out of her mouth when the door to the break room opened again and someone walked in.

The friends looked toward the door and saw it was Scarlett Jewel.

Claire Mercer never expected to run into her here, and her brow furrowed slightly.

’Speak of the devil,’ she thought.

’What’s she doing here, though?’

’Is she also here with a friend for the modeling classes?’