Everyone was shocked.
“Wow, no one in this family is decent! They’re
all messed up!”
I met Ethan’s gaze. “Don’t make accusations.
Show me the proof.”
Ethan smugly pulled out his phone. I signaled to
the security guards, who snatched the phone
and brought it to me.
<
The images were blurry, but the woman’s face
was definitely mine.
I smiled at Tiffany, holding up the phone.
“Manufacturing false evidence, spreading
rumors. Tiffany, your charges just got
upgraded.”
Ethan, though dense, finally understood. He
stared at Tiffany, who was hiding behind Jason.
“They’re fake? You lied to me!”
Tiffany, seeing her plan unravel, broke down, sobbing. “It wasn’t me! Jason made me do it!
I’m just the nanny’s daughter! How could I
slander Ashley? It was him! He wanted Ashley
dead!”
The crowd went silent. Then, whispers started.
“Aren’t they siblings? Why would he want her
<
“The inheritance, obviously. Wouldn’t you be
tempted?”
“So that’s it! The brother is evil!”
Jason went berserk, slapping Tiffany
repeatedly. “You bitch! How dare you blame.
me! You were jealous of Ashley! You wanted
her life! Why are you blaming me?”
While they fought, I quietly asked my mom what
happened.
She told me she’d been investigating Tiffany,
sensing something was wrong. My dad found
out and had someone planted among her staff.
They tried to kill her by running her car off the
road to protect Tiffany’s secret! Luckily, she
survived and was rescued by Grandma’s people.
I breathed a sigh of relief. Thank God she was
okay. Otherwise, I would have lost her, too.
<
Tiffany and Jason’s fight ended as abruptly as
it began. They reconciled, kneeling before my
mom, looking pathetic.
“Mrs. Stone, it was all a misunderstanding…”
Mom smirked. Sirens wailed in the distance.
Tiffany looked around frantically, trembling with
fear. She crawled to my dad. “Dad! Help me!
You promised you’d always protect me!”
Dad kicked her away. “Get away from me! I’m
not your father!”
Mom held up a document, smiling. “Robert,
abandoning your illegitimate daughter now that
things are going south?”
Dad stared at the paper, his shoulders
slumping. “You know.”
Mom threw the papers in his face. “Robert, we
<
Mom threw the papers in his face. “Robert, we
may have been married later in life, but I
accepted Jason as my own. He had the same
life as my daughter. And you repay me by trying
to kill me and destroy Ashley! I’ve contacted my
lawyers. They’ll seize all your assets. As for‘
your son and daughter… one slandered my
daughter, the other stole an eight–million–dollar
yacht. I’m sure the law will deal with them
appropriately.”
Dad clenched his fists. “It’s your fault! You
were always so domineering! I wouldn’t have
done this if you weren’t so…”
Mom looked at him coldly. “Robert, you married
- up. Don’t blame me for being ‘domineering.‘
You’re pathetic.”
Handcuffs clicked around Dad’s wrists. He
broke down, grabbing my mom’s hand. “Honey,
I just… I lost my way! It was Janet’s fault! She
made me do it! I never wanted to hurt you!”
Mom looked at him with disgust, then turned to
the police. “He confessed. Take him away.”
Two officers drove off to arrest Tiffany’s
mother, Janet.
The crowd cheered as the three were taken
away.
“Wow! I never expected this much drama from
the Stones!”
“Robert and Jason are disgusting! Living off the
family while plotting to kill them!”
“Good thing Ashley’s smart. She could have
been ruined!”
I shook my head, leading Mom and Grandma
back inside. Mom finally let her guard down, her
eyes filling with tears.
“Ashley, I’m so sorry. I should have seen it
<
I hugged her tight, tears streaming down my
face. “Mom, I missed you so much.”
1
The Stones‘ attempt to publicly shame me
backfired spectacularly. They brought the
media, but they became the villains of the story.
Robert was labeled a modern–day John Doe,
abandoning his family for a younger woman,
and Tiffany became a notorious gold digger.
The public outrage ensured swift justice. Robert got 20 years for attempted murder. Tiffany got life for grand theft. Janet, the mastermind,
couldn’t be charged due to lack of direct
evidence, but I hired a debt collection agency to
make her life a living hell.
Jason got a lighter sentence for slander. He was released quickly but penniless. He tried to beg for forgiveness, but security threw him out every time. I heard he resorted to petty theft, becoming a regular at the police station. At
least he could visit his dad and “sister.”
As for me, free from the toxic engagement, I
went to the college of my dreams and finally
started living my own life.
