Chapter 4

Just then, a mob of outraged netizens barged in, waving their phones and livestreaming every second as they aimed their cameras at me.

A woman snatched a flowerpot from the windowsill and flung the whole mess of dirt and rocks straight at me.

"Bitch! What gives you the right to mess with our hero Ryan?" she screamed.

The dirt and sharp pebbles smashed into my forehead, splitting the skin open and drawing blood.

Amid the chaos, a cold and imposing figure forced his way through the crowd, planting himself right in front of my bed.

Ethan Brooks' presence cut off all the blinding flashes and venomous attacks heading my way.

"Get out," he said with an icy edge.

The reporters glanced warily at each other, but when they caught sight of the menacing bodyguards in black behind Ethan, they wised up and retreated in silence.

Seeing Ethan step in to shield me only made the mob even nastier, their jeers turning downright vile.

"So she wants a divorce because she's seeing someone else," one said.

"This sort of rich kid loves to toy with others' feelings. You can tell he's trash," another said.

"Poor Ryan, getting betrayed and picked on by these two shameless cheaters. Let's band together and cancel them online!" yet another said.

When Erica saw Ethan, she locked onto him like she'd found her perfect target to vent all her rage.

She said, "I knew it. You're nothing but a slut! Ethan, don't think you can fool me. Everyone knows you've been chasing after Stella since you were kids.

"Stella, be honest with yourself. Over the past five years, how has Ryan treated you? When your stomach was acting up, he even learned to cook special meals just to help you feel better. When you were scared of the dark, no matter how late he came home, he always left a light on for you. On rainy days, he always tilted the umbrella your way.

"He gave you everything he had, his heart and soul. Is this how you repay him? Don't tell me you were fooling around with Ethan behind his back all along?"

Ryan's face was etched with pain. "Mom, please, just drop it. Even if Stella lost her way and developed feelings for someone else, I can get past it. That's how incredible she is. If she's willing to come back, I'll forgive her for anything."

Grace quickly chimed in to support them.

"Come on, Stella, guys like Mr. Brooks always have women flocking around them. You're probably just a fling to him. Ryan is the one who truly cares about you. Don't throw away all these years together over some silly misunderstanding," Grace pleaded, her tone earnest as she tried to persuade me.

I watched their performance with a cold detachment, pulled my phone from my bag, and tapped open a photo.

I'd come across it by accident a few days ago, hidden deep in Ryan's cloud storage.

The shot was taken in the gym late at night.

Ryan was shirtless, and Grace had her arms wrapped around him from behind, her fingers sliding over his abs in a way that left little to the imagination.

"Ryan, care to explain this?" I said, my voice icy cold.

Ryan's eyes widened in shock when he saw the photo, but just as quickly, he masked it with an icy calm.

"Stella, you actually stooped so low as to doctor a photo just to force a divorce? Grace and I are totally clean. Don't drag innocent people into your drama just to get your way," Ryan shot back, his voice dripping with indignation.

All of Ryan's teammates immediately rushed to defend him.

"Yeah, right. Ryan and Grace would never do something like that," one said.

"Stella, that's way out of line," another said.

Ryan turned to Ethan, his shoulders hunched, totally humble, almost begging.

"Mr. Brooks, look, I know Stella can be stubborn sometimes, but this is between us. I don't want all this drama to make her a joke for the whole internet. Can't we let our relationship end with some dignity? Please, just let me take her back," Ryan pleaded, his voice soft and strained.

"End with some dignity?" I repeated in a low voice, my tone thick with irony.

With a wordless understanding between us, Ethan reached out and took the voice recorder from my hand, pressing play.

"Ry, have you really decided to let her take the blame for your mess in the tournament?" A voice rang out.