Chapter 104
Chapter 104
Serena looked terrified when she saw Eleanor. Her lips trembled before she suddenly dropped to her knees.
“Eleanor, I’m sorry!” she cried. “Chris and I are truly in love. You stole him from me, but he never loved you. He only married me because he couldn’t handle the pressure. You married his uncle just to spite him. You got involved with both uncle and nephew at the same time, because you don’t care about love. But I do. Please, I’m begging you, just let me go.”
Gasps and whispers erupted from the surrounding crowd. “Is she serious? She’s been with both the uncle and the nephew? She’s got no shame.”
“Does the uncle even know the woman he married used to be his nephew’s girlfriend?” someone else chimed in.
A faint, satisfied smile curled on Serena’s lips as she listened to the gossip swirling around her.
Eleanor turned to Chris. “Chris,” she said coolly, “aren’t you going to say anything?”
Chris was silent for a moment. “Serena’s not wrong,” he finally said.
“Oh, really?” Eleanor gave a short laugh, laced with mockery. “You’re not some celebrity, no one’s following your love life. But let me remind you, we have been engaged since we were kids, and you broke it off. Then your uncle offered you one percent of the company shares if you dated me.
“When we were together, I was basically your maid, and you always had other women around. If you really cared, you could’ve just walked away and chased your so–called true love. But in the end, money was what you really wanted.”
Chris’s face darkened.
“That’s not true!” Serena shot back. “Chris is married to me now, and those shares are still his.”
“That’s only because I felt sorry for him and gave him those shares as a breakup gift. As for you–your mom ditched your dad for a rich guy. Your father worked as a driver for my family, raised you alone, and you turned your back on him because he wasn’t wealthy enough for you.”
Eleanor’s tone grew colder. “And you and my dad–don’t act like you weren’t willing. My mom actually thought her husband loved her enough to marry into our family, but it was all about money. My dad couldn’t let go of our family’s wealth, but he thought your mom was his true love. You and your mom are more alike than you think. You set your own father on fire, just so you could be with mine.”
Serena never expected Eleanor to twist things like that. Her face went pale. “That’s not true. You were supposed to be the only one at home that day.”
“So your plan was to burn me to death, then get your dad killed, so you could become my father’s adopted daughter and enjoy all my resources? What a well–crafted scheme.” Eleanor sneered.
“I didn’t,” Serena said quietly.
“And you’re saying I slept with two guys? If you’re lying, may you end up with a ruined face, get hit by a car, or fall down the stairs.” Eleanor turned to her again, her voice now dangerously casual. “The truth speaks for itself. I don’t need to explain.”
“What do you think, babe?” She slipped her arm through Tyler’s and smiled.
Tyler glanced at her, then at the stunned crowd. “I’ve been looking after you since you were born. The engagement your grandpa talked about was always meant for us. You just misunderstood and thought I was just an elder. Luckily for me, someone else dropped the ball, so I got my chance.”
The crowd erupted again. “So that’s the uncle? He looks so young–way better than the nephew. If it were me, I’d pick him too.”
“That nephew seems like such a jerk. If I had a choice, with an uncle this young, I’d totally marry up just to piss him off.”
Eleanor tilted her head slightly, watching Serena with a calm, almost amused look. So you want to play the public opinion game? Let’s see if you can handle it, she thought.
“So, Uncle, you and her were together all along?” Chris stared at Tyler, totally floored.
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12:44 Frl, 23 May GOG
Chapter 104
Tyler’s eyes were ice–cold as he shot back, “Just because you’re that kind of guy, you think everyone else is too? Not everyone’s out here stringing on girl along while sleeping with another, Chris.”
Chris’s face turned red with anger. He never thought Tyler would just rip the mask off him like that, right in front of everyone.
“And you,” Tyler pointed straight at Serena, “why don’t you tell everyone who the real mistress is? My wife has a sharp tongue, and her curses tend to stick. Be careful.”
.
Serena’s body trembled, her face pale, but she still snapped back, “The one who isn’t loved is the real mistress! She forced herself between me and Chris. She knew Chris didn’t love her, but she still used those shares to keep him tied down. Isn’t that just making things harder for him?”
As soon as the words left her mouth, Serena regretted it–it’s just admitting Eleanor was right.
“So she admits it. She’s been playing the victim and lying this whole time.”
“Wait, wasn’t this exposed online a while ago?”
“Oh right! It was her! Always pretending to be the victim. Disgusting.”
Serena clenched her fists and glared at Eleanor. Just because she was married, she think she was untouchable? She used to be so easy to push around, always swallowing her anger and never daring to speak up.
“Serena, do you think I’ve changed?” Eleanor said, seeming to see right through Serena. “You don’t actually believe you’re that special, do you? The only reason I put up with you is because someone I care about likes you. When I have the time, we’ll settle our old scores properly.”
“Chris.” Serena ducked behind Chris, looking terrified.
Chris stepped in front of Serena protectively and looked at Eleanor. “Eleanor, do you really have to be so aggressive?”
Eleanor shot back with a mocking smile, “Aggressive? Did I say anything false? Weren’t you two the ones stirring up trouble and spreading rumors? And now you can’t handle it when I tell the truth? How pathetic. If you can’t take the heat, maybe don’t go looking for trouble.”
Chris squeezed Serena’s hand and said, “It’s our fault. We’ll leave now.”
“Leave? Just like that?” Eleanor scoffed. “What about next time? How will you slander me then? Serena, are you out of your mind? What makes you think twisting the truth and stirring up gossip online will actually hurt me? Even if you get people to help, they’re just a bunch of harmless bystanders. Maybe someone else would care about these attacks, but I honestly couldn’t care less.”
“That’s right,” Tyler chimed in calmly. “If anyone tries to slander us online, our tech team isn’t just for show. Names, ID numbers, addresses, workplaces, schools–we can find it all. And I definitely have the time and resources to send out legal notices to every single one of them.”
“No need to go that far,” Eleanor said. “People only get bold online because they think no one knows who they are. But I know someone who can make every poster and commenter’s real name public. Serena, are you sure you want to test that?”
“I–I didn’t mean that. Eleanor, you misunderstood.” Serena said quietly, turning to Chris. “Chris, you have to believe me.”
Chris frowned, but still said, “Eleanor, Serena’s vulnerable right now. Please, just let her go.”
“Fine,” Eleanor smiled, her voice laced with menace. “That depends on how she behaves from now on.”
Chris hurried Serena out of the hospital. Once they were outside, he let go of her. “Head home. I’ve got stuff to handle at the office.”
Serena clutched his sleeve. “I’ll go with you.”
He gently but firmly pushed her hand away. “The company doesn’t allow outsiders to hang around.”
Serena watched him walk away without even glancing back. Fuming, she stomped her foot, pulled out her phone, and dialed. “Why did it fail? You said it was foolproof. I don’t want excuses–I want results!”
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12:44 Fri, 23 May GOG.
