She wanted to see just how far they would go. As for these rumors, she never cared about them anyway. She had no interest in playing games with these clowns.Late that night, one of the main players finally responded. Charlotte posted a short message on social media: "Seeing all these news stories these past few days has made me anxious. I don't know where to begin. I just hope everyone can be more rational. Miss Sanders meant no harm - I haven't taken any of her actions to heart. She just loved James too much before. She's quite pitiful, so please stop talking about her."The comments were full of people consoling her, as if Sarah was some unforgivable villain.“Babe, you’re so kind, still defending that person?""Compared to Charlotte, Sarah really is completely shameless.""Exactly! The nerve to call Charlotte the other woman. I'd choose Charlotte too!"Sarah was in Zachary's arms when she saw this post. She put down her phone, "Hah, what an act."Zachary's face darkened, "Sa
"Never do that again, Sasa. You'll make me angry," Zachary said firmly.Sarah nodded solemnly and pulled him to look at her computer, showing a post she'd just written. "What do you think? Is this okay?"Zachary read it through, nodded, and pressed send.In her room, Mia was on the phone, working to make the post go viral.Within just an hour, it had millions of views. Her post was extensive, covering everything from James asking for divorce to Lucy's false hot water attack accusation, the birthday party setup, and the teacher's coerced kidnapping attempt. Every incident was documented with photos, videos, and recordings.Her evidence was comprehensive, without a single gap.At the Chancer house.Crash!A glass shattered on the floor, making Lucy and Charlotte jump."Who posted all this? Why won't you admit it?" James demanded.Charlotte spoke tearfully, "James, it wasn't me. I only just saw this news, that's why I posted that clarification. I didn't want Miss Sanders to be m
After hanging up, Charlotte asked worriedly, "James, what's wrong?""The company's in trouble."James left with just those words, unable to calm down, desperate to get back to the office.He knew this wasn't coincidence. Yesterday he'd wondered why Zachary hadn't acted, and today this bombshell dropped.Charlotte watched James's retreating figure anxiously. Seeing him so flustered, the situation must be serious.Back in her room, Charlotte angrily punched her pillow. She couldn't understand how things had escalated this far. She'd only wanted to teach Sarah a lesson, but now James clearly didn't trust her.The storm from Sarah's post hadn't passed when Chancer Corp was hit. As soon as James reached the office, his secretary rushed to him in panic. Not only were their business partners terminating contracts, but their stock was also falling.James started calling partners, but they all said the same thing - they'd found new collaborators and would accept the deposit penalties.B
Lucy collapsed on the bed. Her brother wasn't just threatening - she could tell he was serious this time.She took the tablet, hands trembling as she copied and pasted the text, then posted it.James immediately called Zachary, "Mr. Reynolds, Lucy has apologized. Could you show some mercy?"The voice on the phone was ice-cold, "Not enough. If Mr. Chancer wants to apologize, he should show more sincerity."After the call ended, James thought briefly, then made his decision.He called a press conference in the Chancer family's name to apologize to Sarah and clear up all misunderstandings publicly.Before the conference, James specifically called Sarah to ensure she would attend. After getting her confirmation, he invited numerous media reporters.On the day of the press conference, James waited with Charlotte and Lucy, along with many reporters, all anticipating Sarah's arrival.Ten minutes later, Sarah arrived - with Zachary behind her.All spotlights turned to Sarah and Zachar
Under the spotlights, Charlotte's panic was unmistakable. Even James couldn't cover for her.Sarah smiled faintly, "Charlotte, you staged that scene with the torn marriage certificate and wedding photos at your wedding. You were also behind these recent news stories, weren't you? Including bribing someone to threaten me.""You're lying! I would never do such despicable things. Miss Sanders, what did I ever do to you? Just because I married James, you shouldn't treat me like this. You have Zachary now - why go to such lengths against me? How does ruining my reputation benefit you?"Tears rolled down her face as she played the victim."Officers, don't let us delay your work. Take her away," Zachary said coldly.As Charlotte was led away, she tried grabbing James, "James, you must believe me!"At the press conference, Charlotte's arrest became the biggest story, overshadowing the original purpose.In front of so many reporters, James couldn't react strongly, forced to maintain a co
Inside the hall, when James tried to follow, reporters blocked his path, more interested in Charlotte's story."Mr. Chancer, how much did you know about your wife's attacks?""Did you order this, or were you completely unaware?""Based on what you said, can we conclude Miss Garnett was actually the third party in your marriage with Miss Sanders?”"Mr. Chancer, regarding the marriage certificate incident at the wedding, should we assume Miss Garnett framed Miss Sanders?”Zachary chased after them to the parking lot. Melvin stopped and turned, throwing a punch at Zachary's face. "Get lost! Never come near Sasa again."His eyes showed nothing but contempt and coldness.Sarah stared blankly before coming to her senses, “Melvin! Don't hit him! He's been helping me!"Melvin laughed mockingly, throwing another punch, "I warned you, didn't I? Never approach Sasa. Why won't you listen?" He viciously landed punch after punch on Zachary.Sarah frantically broke free from her uncle's grip
Perhaps because of those words, Zachary stopped resisting, and Sarah left with Melvin.Melvin and Uncle Shawn booked a hotel, planning to stay in East Coast for a few days.James paced back and forth several times outside Sarah's door before finally gathering the courage to knock.Sarah opened the door. "Sarah, I..."A stern voice interrupted, "Sasa, who is it?"Uncle Shawn emerged from the living room. Seeing James, his face hardened as he moved to block Sarah from view. "Why are you here? Yesterday's press conference made everything clear. You and Sasa have no connection anymore. Please leave.""Uncle, I came to...""Don't call me uncle. You're divorced from Sasa - we're strangers now. Given what your family did to her, I could easily take advantage of your company's current situation. Consider this a warning - if you keep bothering her, I might do just that," Uncle Shawn said coldly.Melvin came out too, glancing dismissively at James before slamming the door.Rebuffed, Jam
Sarah pulled out a stack of papers from her bag - Mia's treatment reports.Scott looked through them briefly before setting them aside. "Jane mentioned this to me in M. Country. Mia developed psychological trauma from a kidnapping several years ago. That's not unusual. What's rare is her subconscious time-space disorientation when triggered.""Based on her condition then, she likely had no one to trust. After witnessing violent scenes, her subconscious protected her by blocking those memories. However, when triggered, she returns to that state. The difference now is your presence. I see from the report that you and Jane theorized it's perception disorder - when feeling unsafe, she pulls you, her most trusted person now, into past scenes. While possible, your treatment approach has a fundamental flaw - it's actually a paradox.""A flaw?" Sarah looked at Scott puzzled."Yes. If she had no one to trust after the kidnapping, yet under stress chooses to pull you into that scenario - don
Sarah pondered Melvin's words. What did he mean by "second time"? Was the first time marrying James?But she remembered her cousin hadn't strongly objected to that marriage initially. He only tried getting to know James after seeing her determination.So who was he really talking about?Melvin had taken the wine bottle, leaving just a little in her glass. She lifted it and downed it like he had.Back in her room, slightly tipsy, she checked her phone. Opening her chat with Zachary, she saw how brief their conversations had become over just three days - a few lines, with today's messages still unanswered."Are you there?""At work.""Miss me?"Every message spoke of longing, but met silence. She wondered if she'd somehow offended him.Sarah felt like she was reliving the past. These unanswered messages reminded her of her marriage - was history repeating itself?She'd only seen Zachary on the news these past days.Watching him looking tired on the financial news channel, she un
"I'm fine," Sarah forced a smile.Despite her best efforts, Mia's therapy showed no progress. Mia's connection to her seemed too deeply rooted. She couldn't figure out how to alter Mia's subconscious in the short term, and she'd discussed this with Scott.During their sessions, she'd found Mia easy to hypnotize, suggesting a generally malleable mind. Yet on this one issue, Mia showed incredible resistance, stubbornly pulling Sarah into that memory.After sending Mia to rest, Sarah sat alone on the couch, lost in thought for nearly two hours until Melvin returned.He was startled to see her. Holding up a wine bottle, he asked, "Care for a drink?""Sure."They hadn't sat together like this since her father's death when Melvin took over the company. After her marriage to James, they'd barely seen each other.Melvin had assumed Sarah was either acting out or avoiding painful memories, so he'd kept his distance. That is, until he saw her situation in the news.Sarah fetched two wine
James looked at her apologetically. He didn't understand how he'd lost himself in that final moment and called out... Sarah's name."I'm sorry." At this point, that's all he could say.Charlotte sobbed uncontrollably, her tear-filled eyes fixed on him. "James, why? How could you do this to me? Why did you call her name in bed? Do you regret marrying me? Regret divorcing her?""No, I've never regretted marrying you." James tried to hold Charlotte, but she shoved him away."If you don't regret marrying me, why did you call her name? Are you in love with her?" Charlotte's eyes blazed.James shook his head desperately, "Charlotte, I don't know what came over me. I wasn't thinking. I never meant to hurt you."Even he didn't understand his thoughts. When he heard Charlotte's whispers, he'd remembered Sarah's hatred toward him.Whether at Sarah's door or at the press conference after their divorce, he'd had many chances to see her, but her eyes remained cold and distant. It had been so
At the Chancer house.Charlotte emerged from her shower, now truly Mrs. Chancer.After her quick shower, she spritzed on cool perfume and hurried to choose an outfit from her closet.Since the incident, despite becoming Mrs. Chancer, some still mocked her - especially about being arrested at the press conference. It still stung.But none of that mattered now.James was her priority. She needed to win him over completely, bind him to her forever.She'd bought something special while shopping today, planning a "surprise" for James tonight. She'd waited for him to finish work, but grew impatient.Her heart pounding, Charlotte pulled out the garment, studying it for a long moment before falling silent.She gripped the barely-there, sheer nightgown tighter.She'd never done anything like this, but she had to try - for James's heart.Taking a deep breath, Charlotte steeled herself and put it on.She hurried to his study, carefully turning the handle."James." She dimmed the light
This time she used subconscious therapy again, but without including herself in Mia's mental landscape.Melvin had offered his office for Mia's therapy sessions. Sarah dimmed the lights.With Mia settled on the couch, just like at the university, they began."Mia, close your eyes. Imagine you're in a vast desert, surrounded by endless sand. In the distance, a tornado rushes toward you.""You feel gentle breezes, warm sunlight on your skin. You're comfortable, just growing tired, so tired you sink into the soft sand..."Mia's closed eyes relaxed, her furrowed brow smoothing.Sarah continued softly, "Deep in the desert, you see a camel. It runs toward you. Is it seeking help or trying to attack?""Attack. It wants to attack me.""Good. But you dodge it. Then hunters capture you. You scream for help. Someone comes. Who is it?"Mia's hands clenched. "Sarah.""No, not Sarah. Someone else. Who?" Sarah pressed.Mia's arms trembled with tension, but she insisted, "It's Sarah."Sara
He needed to take that step, to show Melvin he could protect Sarah."Could you take Mia with you?" Zachary asked seriously. "Her condition is more stable when you're around."Sarah nodded. She'd wanted to bring Mia anyway but wasn't sure if Zachary would agree."Okay. Melvin says we're leaving tomorrow morning. Bring Mia early, I don't think he'll refuse." Though Sarah wasn't entirely confident.Zachary kissed her nose. "I haven't kept my promise yet. I said I'd talk to Melvin, but now you're leaving before I could."Sarah cupped his face in her hands, smiling. "Maybe he's rushing because he knows you won't give up.""Sarah, trust me. I'll convince Melvin." He wouldn't surrender."I know."Zachary gazed into her eyes with burning intensity. "Sasa…” He stopped himself, swallowing his words.Before Sarah could ask, his lips found hers.He held her tight, as if trying to merge her into himself. There was a metallic taste between their lips.Sarah lost herself in this ocean of
Tears sprang to Sarah's eyes. "Zachary! What are you doing?"He whispered against her ear, his voice icy, "Why didn't you tell me? Couldn't you even make one phone call? Did you want to leave me?"Sarah looked at him, helpless but determined. "No, I don't want to go."Zachary released her and walked to the bed.Sarah sighed with relief, moving to sit on the edge of the bed, her emotions in turmoil."Then why didn't you tell me?"Sarah turned away, whispering, "I was afraid I'd cry."Without seeing him, she could be strong and brave, fearless.But one look at him made her want to depend on him completely. She wasn't even sure she could follow her cousin's wishes anymore.Zachary held her tight, breathing in the fresh scent of her hair, unsure whether to smile or maintain his stern expression.Finally, his cold facade cracked. Seeing her lips still red from his earlier kiss, he leaned in again.Sarah wrapped her arms around his neck, heat rising from her throat to her face unt
That short distance felt like miles. Knowing it would be hard to see Zachary again after she left, Sarah turned and buried herself in his chest one last time, savoring the moment.Back home, Uncle Shawn had left. Melvin sat on the couch, his face cold. Seeing her, he gave a bitter smile, "I know he was upstairs."Sarah dropped the pretense and sat beside Melvin, cautiously asking, "Why do you hate Zachary so much?""Hate? No, I despise him. I'm sick of him." His calm tone barely contained the underlying fury.Sarah was confused. In her memory, Melvin shouldn't even know Zachary. Where did this hatred come from?"Why?" she pressed.Melvin poured himself some tea, his gaze distant. "Sarah, Zachary's dangerous. Being close to him puts you at risk. You should end it before you're in too deep. Otherwise, you'll regret it."Sarah shook her head in frustration. "You can't just say he's dangerous without explaining why."Melvin slammed the table. "No explanations. We're leaving tomorro
Outside the police station, James watched Charlotte emerge, exhaustion etched on his face.The revelation still stunned him. He'd suspected everyone - Lucy, his mother - but never Charlotte. He'd been too confident in his understanding of her, too certain her kindness was genuine."James," Charlotte's voice quavered, her eyes red-rimmed as she reached for him. He stepped back, irritation clear in his movements."Just get in the car," he said flatly.During the drive home, Charlotte couldn't bear his silence. "James, please. I never wanted to hurt Sarah. I just wanted to... I mean, nothing really happened!""Were you behind those social media posts?" His voice was ice."I only shared the truth," she dabbed at her face with a tissue. "I know it was wrong. I won't do anything like that again. Everything I did was because I love you so much."James kept driving, his jaw set, ignoring her words.That evening, Sarah's phone lit up with a call from Mia."Sarah?" Mia's voice trembled.