Chapter 3 · Take Your Schemes Elsewhere, Lady

I stepped forward. "Leona, are you really sure it was Simon who messed with you while you were in the water?"

Leona's eyes were red and swollen as she stared at me. "I saw everything. It was Simon."

"Leona, you keep insisting Simon was the one who touched you in the water, but why are you drenched from head to toe while he's completely dry?" I pressed.

Everyone glanced at Simon, noticing his spotless, bone-dry clothes. For a moment, they all looked stunned and puzzled.

Leona was at a loss for words after my question.

After a brief pause, she stammered, "Maybe he changed into clean clothes. I blacked out right after I was pulled from the water, so I have no idea what happened after that.

"But when I was in the water, I saw it clearly. It was General Chapman."

Robert's brows furrowed, and he shot me a fierce glare.

"Sarah, your brother touched her when she was helpless, and instead of making him take responsibility, you keep grilling Leona. That's absurd," he snapped.

Vivian jumped in to back him up. "Is the Chapman family just going to throw their weight around and never own up to anything?"

The crowd started chiming in, backing them up.

"Sure, the Hayes family might not be as powerful as the Chapman family, but people still care about what's right," someone shouted.

"Today, we're going to make sure Leona gets what's fair," another person added.

"General Chapman has to take responsibility for what he did to Leona," someone else called out.

With everyone backing him up, Robert spoke even more boldly.

"Sarah, you guys need to own up to this and go to the Sutton residence with presents to ask for Leona's hand," he demanded.

I stared at Robert, who looked like a gentleman but was in fact a monster. Just thinking about how, in my previous life, he'd strangled me with his belt with a twisted face made me sick.

"Robert, did you actually witness my brother do anything to Leona with your own eyes?" I pressed.

Robert opened his mouth, but nothing came out.

But after just a few seconds, Robert exploded, "What? Are you saying Leona would ruin her own reputation just to smear Simon?

"Sarah, I can't believe you can't even tell right from wrong. Turns out I was totally wrong about you."

Vivian jumped in, her voice sharp. "Miss Chapman, how long is the Chapman family going to keep throwing their weight around? Even now, you're still defending your brother."

The other ladies were fuming with rage, looking like they wanted to spit in my face.

"The Chapman family is really throwing their weight around. We've had enough," one of them shouted.

"Who would've thought the supposedly respectable Chapman family would have such poor character? Guess we were all fooled before," another lady added.

I swept my gaze over all these self-righteous people.

"Did any of you actually see my brother do anything to Leona with your own eyes?" I demanded.

Everyone looked at each other, completely caught off guard. No one said a word.

I looked at Leona. "Leona, you accused Simon of touching you and destroying your honor. Do you have any actual proof?"

Leona, her eyes still red with tears, replied, "Of course I do."

She reached into her pocket and pulled out a pendant.

"I tore this off the guy while I was struggling in the water," she said.

It was an exquisite gem pendant, the kind you'd only see in the hands of the truly privileged. The gem was crystal-clear; it shimmered like a star.

As soon as everyone laid eyes on it, they were all the more certain Leona was telling the truth.

Vivian shot me a sideways glance and let out a cold laugh. "Well? What do you have to say for yourselves now?"

Simon said, "That's not mine."

But no one there believed him.

"If it's not yours, then whose is it supposed to be?" someone shouted.

I kept my tone calm. "This pendant is top-notch, not something anyone could afford to wear. But there's no Chapman family crest on it.

"Just because Leona claims it's my brother's, does that make it his?"

Robert burst out, his anger barely contained. "When we arrived, the only people there were you and Simon. If it wasn't him, then who else could it have been?"

Vivian snapped, "Miss Chapman, I can't believe you still refuse to admit it. The Chapman family really has no shame."

I stayed calm, wearing a faint smile.

"Vivian, just because Leona claims this pendant is my brother's doesn't make it true. If we're just tossing out names, I could say it's Graham Whitmore's," I said.

Vivian was so furious that her finger trembled as she pointed at me.

"Sarah, don't push it. Why are you trying to pin this on my husband out of nowhere?" she snapped.

Leona cried, "I'm a noble. I'm not some shameless, disgraceful girl. Now my reputation is ruined, and I'm still being humiliated like this. I'd rather die."

With that, she tore herself away from the crowd and dashed toward the river.

Chapter 3

I stepped forward. "Leona, are you really sure it was Simon who messed with you while you were in the water?"

Leona's eyes were red and swollen as she stared at me. "I saw everything. It was Simon."

"Leona, you keep insisting Simon was the one who touched you in the water, but why are you drenched from head to toe while he's completely dry?" I pressed.

Everyone glanced at Simon, noticing his spotless, bone-dry clothes. For a moment, they all looked stunned and puzzled.

Leona was at a loss for words after my question.

After a brief pause, she stammered, "Maybe he changed into clean clothes. I blacked out right after I was pulled from the water, so I have no idea what happened after that.

"But when I was in the water, I saw it clearly. It was General Chapman."

Robert's brows furrowed, and he shot me a fierce glare.

"Sarah, your brother touched her when she was helpless, and instead of making him take responsibility, you keep grilling Leona. That's absurd," he snapped.

Vivian jumped in to back him up. "Is the Chapman family just going to throw their weight around and never own up to anything?"

The crowd started chiming in, backing them up.

"Sure, the Hayes family might not be as powerful as the Chapman family, but people still care about what's right," someone shouted.

"Today, we're going to make sure Leona gets what's fair," another person added.

"General Chapman has to take responsibility for what he did to Leona," someone else called out.

With everyone backing him up, Robert spoke even more boldly.

"Sarah, you guys need to own up to this and go to the Sutton residence with presents to ask for Leona's hand," he demanded.

I stared at Robert, who looked like a gentleman but was in fact a monster. Just thinking about how, in my previous life, he'd strangled me with his belt with a twisted face made me sick.

"Robert, did you actually witness my brother do anything to Leona with your own eyes?" I pressed.

Robert opened his mouth, but nothing came out.

But after just a few seconds, Robert exploded, "What? Are you saying Leona would ruin her own reputation just to smear Simon?

"Sarah, I can't believe you can't even tell right from wrong. Turns out I was totally wrong about you."

Vivian jumped in, her voice sharp. "Miss Chapman, how long is the Chapman family going to keep throwing their weight around? Even now, you're still defending your brother."

The other ladies were fuming with rage, looking like they wanted to spit in my face.

"The Chapman family is really throwing their weight around. We've had enough," one of them shouted.

"Who would've thought the supposedly respectable Chapman family would have such poor character? Guess we were all fooled before," another lady added.

I swept my gaze over all these self-righteous people.

"Did any of you actually see my brother do anything to Leona with your own eyes?" I demanded.

Everyone looked at each other, completely caught off guard. No one said a word.

I looked at Leona. "Leona, you accused Simon of touching you and destroying your honor. Do you have any actual proof?"

Leona, her eyes still red with tears, replied, "Of course I do."

She reached into her pocket and pulled out a pendant.

"I tore this off the guy while I was struggling in the water," she said.

It was an exquisite gem pendant, the kind you'd only see in the hands of the truly privileged. The gem was crystal-clear; it shimmered like a star.

As soon as everyone laid eyes on it, they were all the more certain Leona was telling the truth.

Vivian shot me a sideways glance and let out a cold laugh. "Well? What do you have to say for yourselves now?"

Simon said, "That's not mine."

But no one there believed him.

"If it's not yours, then whose is it supposed to be?" someone shouted.

I kept my tone calm. "This pendant is top-notch, not something anyone could afford to wear. But there's no Chapman family crest on it.

"Just because Leona claims it's my brother's, does that make it his?"

Robert burst out, his anger barely contained. "When we arrived, the only people there were you and Simon. If it wasn't him, then who else could it have been?"

Vivian snapped, "Miss Chapman, I can't believe you still refuse to admit it. The Chapman family really has no shame."

I stayed calm, wearing a faint smile.

"Vivian, just because Leona claims this pendant is my brother's doesn't make it true. If we're just tossing out names, I could say it's Graham Whitmore's," I said.

Vivian was so furious that her finger trembled as she pointed at me.

"Sarah, don't push it. Why are you trying to pin this on my husband out of nowhere?" she snapped.

Leona cried, "I'm a noble. I'm not some shameless, disgraceful girl. Now my reputation is ruined, and I'm still being humiliated like this. I'd rather die."

With that, she tore herself away from the crowd and dashed toward the river.