Chapter 2

The slap left my ears ringing.

My head was pounding, and I was so dizzy that I couldn't even lift myself off the ground.

The mob didn't give a damn about my privacy and stormed into every room.

Not long after, a woman in her fifties or sixties, a hoe slung over her shoulder, came out with her face twisted in disgust, dangling two things in her hand.

"What kind of decent woman buys such stuff? No doubt she's a boyfriend-stealer. She couldn't be more shameless," she sneered.

Those were from my husband, Liam. He was often overseas and couldn't be with me, so he got them for me to take care of my needs.

It was the twenty-first century. It was totally normal for women to buy those things.

I wondered if they were still living in the dark ages.

I didn't think I was the only one there with such things.

But they still stood on their high horses, judging me like they were saints.

RawFeed even shoved his phone right up in my face. "Hey babies, check this out. She went for pink, just like those online princesses. Women who are into such pink stuff are the nastiest."

I was so dizzy that I thought I might puke, but I forced myself up and shot back, "Remember you're a streamer? So now women aren't even allowed to like pink? What's it to you if I have this stuff?"

"And you," I said, turning to the girl who slapped me. "You've got the wrong person. You must have some kind of misunderstanding. Call your boyfriend and let him come here to sort this out. Since you're the victim here, I'll let your outburst slide."

I added, "But the rest of you need to leave right now and delete all the videos on your phones. Otherwise, I'm calling the cops. Everything you've done here is illegal."

I was already being way too forgiving, but it didn't make them back off at all.

If anything, it just made them go even crazier.

The girl came at me, hands out, trying to choke me.

"What's the point of calling him out when you're the one messing around with him?" she shouted.

"You still wanna deny it? I saw you with my own eyes, dragging my boyfriend into the car and getting it on right there."

I wasn't about to let her hurt me again.

I dodged to the side.

She missed, and when she spotted the cat's tail poking out from under the cabinet, her eyes lit up.

She made a beeline for the cat.

Then, the cat screeched in panic.

I couldn't take it anymore.

I shoved past everyone, snatched the cat away, and slapped her across the face. "Not even a cat is safe from you? You're the real monster here."

RawFeed got more excited when he caught me slapping the girl.

He yelled, "Can you believe this? The side chick just slapped the girl. Does she have shame?"

He shoved his phone right in my face once again. "Babes, check this out. We're in Building 6, Floor 16, East Section, Willow Reserve. Get a good look at the other woman's face.

"If you see her, don't hold back and give her what she deserves. Let's show some support for all the betrayed women out there."

I tried to block the camera with my hand.

But someone grabbed my wrist. "Bold enough to steal someone's man, but now you're scared of a little shame?"

Even the neighbors who'd just been watching the show couldn't keep quiet anymore. One of them said, "You always seemed so prim and proper, but who knew you were like this behind closed doors? Guess you really can't judge a book by its cover."

Another said, "Your husband's seldom around, so you can't handle being alone and end up hooking up with a college kid? Isn't your son at Aether University? With a mom like you, how's he ever supposed to show his face at school?"

Chaos erupted, the sound of things being smashed echoing everywhere. They tore through my wine wall and bag display, leaving not a single bottle or purse untouched.

And let alone the jewelry in my bedroom, just the bags and wine they destroyed were worth over 6.5 million.

At that point, I wasn't about to waste another word on those crazy people.

I just gave a careless laugh. "Have fun smashing this place, but can you even afford to pay for all this?"

The girl put her hands on her hips.

She said, "You really think we're gonna pay for this?

"I did my homework before I came here. Your husband runs a multinational company. If you dare ask us to pay, I'll post the video of you and my boyfriend in the car online. Let's see what matters more to you—money or your reputation."

She shouted, "Go on and wreck everything!" Then, she whipped out her phone and finally showed me her so-called proof.

My mind went blank.

The college guy she claimed I had dragged into the car was Charlie, my son.

The windows were all blacked out, and all others could see was the car rocking.

I wondered how she could be so sure it was some car sex and not just Charlie giving me a massage.