Chapter 3 Slap the Scum

The sound of knocking on the door was heard, and Ariana pushed the door open.

"Zoey, the engagement banquet has started, it's time for you to go on stage."

Zoey looked at Ariana's swollen lips and understood in her heart.

It was obvious that Ariana and Nelson were secretly involved with each other.

In the past, she’d trusted them and hadn’t thought to question it. But now, every little detail was as clear as day.

She smiled and said, "Okay."

Zoey stood up and Ariana's face changed suddenly, "Zoey, did you change your dress?"

Zoey was dressed in a white lace long dress, with silver flat shoes on her feet. Her dark, slightly curled hair fell to her waist, and her light makeup looked clean and gentle, like a fairy fallen to earth.

“Doesn't it look good?” Zoey asked with a smile.

Ariana tugged at her lips and said, "Good, it looks good. Nelson will definitely be amazed."

Zoey glanced at her clenched palm and realized she was worried that she might seduce Nelson away.

She patted Ariana's shoulder and said in her heart, "Don't worry, I won't compete with you for that scoundrel!"

The banquet hall was bustling with excitement.

A few women gathered together and were discussing.

"I never expected Zoey to have such a bad reputation, and yet she managed to get engaged to Mr. Maddox! Do you think she must have some kind of leverage over him?"

"It's hard to say! Otherwise, how could the Maddox family possibly accept a woman who had had an abortion?"

"Now, the Maddox family only has Russell unmarried. Who among you is interested?"

"Russell's face was simply breathtaking, but he's impotent! Who could bear to live like a widow?!"

If you marry into the Maddox family, you'll become the Mrs.Maddox, as Russell Maddox holds the reins of power in the family.

"I wouldn't, I heard Russell is like an iceberg, I don't want to be frozen to death."

"If Russell had shown interest in me, I would have married him. I could have looked at that face for a lifetime!"

"Look, Russell is here!"

The banquet hall instantly became quiet as Troy Crane pushed Russell, who was sitting in a wheelchair, inside.

Russell wore a high-end dark suit, paired with a white shirt and a vest, exuding innate elegance.

He leisurely rested his hands on the armrests, with a string of rosewood prayer beads wrapped around his wrist. A black thin blanket was draped over his legs, and from the bulge, one could imagine that his legs were probably slender.

Many women sighed in their hearts, this man is noble and elegant, but unfortunately he was disabled.

Many men inwardly mocked, thinking that being decisive and ruthless in the business world did not qualify them as real men if they lacked compassion and had no offspring to inherit their family business.

In the faces of everyone, there was nothing but respect.

Russell raised his hand slightly, and Troy stopped.

Nelson walked briskly towards Russell and said, "Russell, you came back from abroad."

Russell sighed lightly and said, "The Maddox family had good news, so of course I had to hurry back."

A glimmer of brilliance flashed through Nelson's eyes as he sighed in his heart that Russell must have been in great pain, after all, the woman he cared about was going to get engaged to someone else.

He nodded and said, "Thank you, Russell. The ceremony is about to begin, I will go up on stage first."

Nelson turned around and took the stage, and the Maddox family gathered around, young and old.

Marlene Maddox said, "Russell, look at Nelson, he got engaged. When are you planning to go on a blind date?"

Alonso, "Yeah, Mr. Bender's second daughter is nice. Why don't you meet her tomorrow?"

Other relatives also began to continue this topic.

Russell remained indifferent, "Not interested."

One sentence that silenced everyone.

At this moment, the host on the stage began the opening speech for the engagement banquet.

After a brief introduction, he looked towards the side of the stage and said, "Please welcome Ms. Harmon to the stage."

Zoey stepped onto the stage in a dress, her back straight, and every step she took was graceful and elegant.

Nelson couldn't take his eyes off immediately.

The audience below was also attracted, because it was so beautiful.

Ariana saw this scene and bit down on her newly installed porcelain teeth, making a crisp sound.

The host swallowed and said, "Ms. Harmon, the daughter of the Harmon family, truly lives up to her reputation as an elegant and graceful lady. Now, it's time for the exchange of engagement rings. Please welcome Ms. Harmon's sister, the renowned singer and talented designer, Ariana, to present the engagement ring."

Ariana suppressed her anger, smiled at the corners of her mouth, and walked onto the stage with two small red velvet boxes cradled in her palms.

At this moment, the high-tech giant screen behind the stage automatically opened, and one intimate photo after another appeared in the sight of the crowd.

The entire banquet hall erupted in exclamations!

The man and woman in the photo were none other than Nelson and Ariana.

There are travel photos, candlelight dinner photos, birthday photos, and photos from concerts. The poses of the two people are mostly kissing, hugging, and even on the bed. Most of them are taken from a selfie angle, occasionally from the perspective of the audience.

The two of them had natural expressions, looking completely immersed in happiness.

Nelson's face darkened, and he shouted, "Turn it off, now!"

Ariana, on the other hand, was pale-faced, and the velvet small box in her palm fell to the ground with a thud.

She widened her eyes in fear and said, "It's not like that, it's not..."

The staff hurried to close the screen, but the switch malfunctioned.

Suddenly, a video of a man and a woman entangled appeared on the large screen.

A embarrassing  sound echoed throughout the entire banquet hall.

Nelson was holding Ariana and moving on top of her.

 

"Of course it was you, that disgusting bitch, I wouldn't even touch her."

"Nelson, you are about to get engaged to Zoey, will you really not touch her?"

"Of course not, I have never even held her hand. She looks so stiff like a dead body, it annoys me just looking at her! You are much more fresh and tender, I know that for sure!"

"Nelson, then you swore."

"Of course, I swear, you were the only one in my heart."

"Oh Nelson, I loved you so much..."

In the spacious banquet hall, the sound of people's discussions resounded.

"This pure and innocent girl has turned into a pure and seductive woman!"

"Yeah, she may seem innocent and pure on the surface, but behind closed doors, she's quite dissolute!"

"Her fiancée with her younger sister, this was really exciting!"

"So called designer, so much for a pop idol! This time, it seems like they're going down!"

"I even bought VIP tickets for her concert, now I really want to return them!"

"The singing was so beautiful, but the moaning was quite provocative, a bit different, huh?"

***

Jordan in the audience covered his face, feeling utterly embarrassed.

Dahlia rushed onto the stage as if she had gone mad, shouting, "Turn it off! Turn it off quickly!"

Zoey looked devastated and stumbled backwards two steps.

Nelson quickly stepped forward to explain, but Zoey suddenly stood still and forcefully slapped Nelson's face with all her strength, causing the man's face to turn aside.

She trembled all over, her eyes filled with hot tears. "How could you deceive my feelings like this? And with my own sister! Looking at those photos, you have been together for a long time! If you like her, then why did you even get engaged to me?"

Nelson had never been slapped in the face before, but now there were five fingerprints on his fair little face.

He was about to get angry, but then he saw Zoey looking so beautiful even when she was crying. He felt annoyed and regretful, wishing he had known earlier how pretty Zoey was, so he wouldn't have been with Ariana.

Photos can be explained as fake, but videos cannot be denied.

Looking at the surroundings in the footage, this video was shot in the countryside villa. Who would set him up like this?

Was it Zoey?

She knew that place!

It's impossible, Zoey is a fool, how could she possibly have such means?

Without having time to think carefully, he needs to calm Zoey down first.

He wanted to hold her hand and said, "Zoey, listen to me..."

“Don’t bother,” she snapped, slapping his hand away.

Ariana looked panicked and said, "Zoey, the photos and videos were all manipulated! Someone must be plotting against us, trying to sow discord between us! Nelson and I are innocent! I am your sister, you have to believe me!"

Zoey expressed a disappointed expression, "Ariana, yesterday you were saying how envious you were that I found a good man like Nelson. I never expected that you two had already been together behind my back."

Ariana's face was tearful as she sobbed, "I didn't, Zoey, those were all fake!"

Zoey looked at Nelson, with a look of disappointment and heartbreak, "No need to say anything, the engagement is off!"

She ran down the stage and grabbed Matteo's arm, feeling very aggrieved. "Grandfather, I don't want to get engaged to Nelson anymore."

Matteo looked at Alonso, his eyes filled with anger. "Alonso, you really did it this time, you were actually playing both sides and caused harm to another granddaughter of the Harmon family!"

Alonso's chest tightened with anger. "Matteo, this is the Maddox family's fault. I will definitely give you and Zoey an explanation."

Zoey sniffed and blinked her watery eyes, "An explanation?"

Alonso nodded, "Yes, feel free to make any requests, as long as I can fulfill them."

Zoey pursed her lips and said, “Then… why don’t you find me a new fiancé from your family?”