"You— You can't treat me like this!" Charles's face contorted with hatred, and before I knew it, he pulled out a fruit knife from behind his back."If my life is ruined, don't think you'll have it any better!""What do you think you're doing?" I felt my face go pale, instinctively stepping back a few cautious steps."If you don't agree to remarry me today, then we'll die together, right here!" His voice was venomous as he inched closer, the knife glinting in his hand.Fear gripped me, and my entire body trembled. "Don't do this... we can talk things over," I pleaded, my voice shaky."Oh, now you're scared?" He sneered, his face twisted with malicious delight. He moved in closer, ready to strike—But before he could get any nearer, several bodyguards rushed in, tackling Charles to the ground and pinning him down with swift precision.The fearful expression I had been wearing dropped. I looked at him and smiled coldly."Did you really think, after everything that happened last ti
I walked up to the podium, my hands trembling slightly as I gripped the microphone. The screen behind me flickered to life just as I was about to speak. But before I could utter a single word, a wave of noise swept through the audience like a storm.I glanced out at the students, their eyes filled with disdain, judgment burning in their gazes.One of the school leaders in the front row stood up abruptly, pointing toward the screen behind me. "Who did this?" he demanded, his voice sharp.Unease settled in the pit of my stomach as I slowly turned to look. Where my professional résumé should have been displayed in clear text, there was instead a bold red message, each word an accusation screaming across the screen:"I am the mistress who drove my lover's wife to her death. I deserve to die!"Before anyone could remove the damning words, a male student leaped up from the crowd, his face twisted in fury as he pointed at me."It's her! This slut destroyed my family and forced my mother
In an instant, every eye in the room turned toward me."So it wasn't just a misunderstanding… She really is a homewrecker?" someone muttered, disbelief turning to disgust."She drove someone's wife to her death! What a cruel woman!""Some people are just born to be whores, I guess!"The murmurs grew louder, and the school leaders finally snapped out of their shock. One of them called urgently for security. "Who let him onto the stage on such an important day? Get him off now!"This school celebration wasn't just a simple alumni event. It was tied to major donations, including several new laboratory buildings on campus. There couldn't be any mistakes today.But Henry's fury only grew as he spat, "This wicked woman killed someone! And you, as educators, are going to cover for her?" he shouted, his voice cracking with emotion. "If anyone comes near me, I'll kill her!"Security rushed toward him, and Henry, panicking, pulled a fruit knife from his pocket and held it to my throat.
The next moment, following Henry's demand, I lifted my trembling hand and slapped myself across the face, hard."Put more strength into it. If your face isn't ruined, I'll have to ruin your daughter's," Henry's voice dripped with malice, clearly enjoying my suffering.I gritted my teeth and struck harder."I'm a shameless whore, desperate for men…" I choked out the humiliating words. "I destroyed someone else's family without remorse. I pushed someone else's wife to her death, and I deserve to die in the worst way…"The only sounds filling the hall were the sharp slaps of my palm against my face and my broken voice, reciting lines of degradation and disgrace. The hateful words continued for what felt like an eternity, each sentence more degrading than the last, until I finally reached the end."I willingly give up all my assets as an apology to Mrs. Basset."When the final words left my mouth, my face was numb. I could no longer feel the skin beneath my bloodstained fingers, but
"You should start by explaining the matter of this illegitimate child first!" I snarled, my voice trembling with rage.Charles's expression twisted momentarily as the slap landed, his panic briefly surfacing."It's not what you think! I—"Before he could finish, Henry's loud voice interrupted, filled with venomous hatred."Dad! I know the truth. It was this slut who seduced you first! Mom was driven to depression and suicide because of her. You don't need to keep playing along with her anymore!"She just admitted it herself. You must take her to Mom's grave, force her to give up all her assets, and make her confess to Mom! A woman like her doesn't deserve to have so much wealth or to call herself a philanthropist!"Charles's face paled as he scanned the faces around us, gauging their reactions, and then his eyes landed on me.I scoffed, the coldness in my voice biting. "Yes, why don't you tell everyone how we really got together back then?"A dark glint flashed in Charles's eye
"I'll be requesting the school's surveillance footage and suing you for defamation," I said coldly, glaring at Charles. For the first time in ages, I felt completely clear-headed. "Once our daughter is safe, we'll discuss the divorce."Pain throbbed throughout my entire body as I forced myself to finish speaking. Then everything went black.When I woke up, I was in a hospital bed, my assistant by my side. My daughter had been found, locked in a small classroom at the school, and now lay on the bed next to mine. I struggled to sit up and go to her, just as she awoke and she clung to me with all her strength."Mom, I was so scared."Her voice trembled as she recounted the nightmare she had endured. Henry had spread vicious rumors that she was the illegitimate child of a homewrecker. He and two of his so-called "best buds" kidnapped her, locking her in the classroom. They had threatened to disfigure her and even tried to assault her when she resisted. She fought back as hard as
"I'm starting to lose track of who's real and who's fake." More comments rolled in.Charles seemed utterly unprepared for my revelation that I still possessed those records. After all, we had been married for over a decade, and during that time, I had upgraded my phone countless times. Yet with each new device, I made it a point to back up those precious memories—those sweet conversations I had thought would bring us closer as we grew old together. I had never imagined I would one day need them for such a dramatic purpose.That very night, Charles went live, trying to spin his narrative. "Those chat records are mostly forgeries!" he declared, his voice tinged with desperation. "And those sweet nothings? She forced me to say them; they didn't come from my heart!" His expression twisted in feigned anguish as he pleaded, "My wife's death was tragic enough. You may not believe me, but please don't tarnish my name!"His display of suffering worked wonders on some viewers. "Let's not