Shirley Thorne pulled out her phone and, sure enough, saw the @mention in her notifications. She felt utterly helpless.
'Why bother?' she thought. 'I want to be a nice, agreeable person, but…'
'Honestly, why bother?'
Shirley Thorne heaved a long sigh, leaned back on the sofa, and started typing out her critique.
Seeing her look so relieved, the onlookers' contempt deepened.
'Why would the wealthiest man in the country marry such a shameless woman?'
'Slandering someone is one thing, but to look so relaxed and unrepentant after relying on her husband's authority to clean up the mess…'
'It's just ridiculous!'
Yvette Grant feigned sympathy, patting the crown of Katherine Kane's head. With pointed meaning, she said, "Katherine, you've been through a lot."
Katherine Kane didn't speak, just lowered her head silently, looking heartbroken.
