Chapter 10
The moment I released my statement, public opinion flipped overnight.
All the hate that had once been hurled at me turned toward Darlene–and even Luciano, his mother, and Lucy weren’t spared.
“What kind of manipulative secretary demands the lead wedding car because of motion sickness? What if it was a funeral–would she need the hearse too?”
“The groom and the secretary are both trash. No decent man lets a woman like that ride with him on his wedding day–unless there’s something going on.”
“And the groom’s mom and sister enabled this? Whole family’s rotten. Respect to the bride for walking away.”
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“They tried to frame the bride online with a fake scandal–if she hadn’t kept those receipts, they would’ve ruined her.‘
“Disgusting. The whole lot of them deserve to burn.”
And it didn’t stop there. Netizens quickly dug up Luciano and Darlene’s real identities, along with the address of his company.
Outraged, people began posting and sharing exposés. Several of Luciano’s business partners saw the unfolding scandal and began terminating their contracts.
Anderson Group followed suit and announced a full industry–wide blacklist.
Within one night, Luciano’s company collapsed into bankruptcy.
Meanwhile, I formally filed a lawsuit against Darlene for defamation and slander.
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The next time I saw Luciano, he looked like a shell of the man I once knew. Sunken eyes, gaunt cheeks, and an exhausted, haggard aura that reeked of desperation.
Lucy followed behind him, no longer dressed to impress. She looked like she’d been dragged through the dirt, literally and figuratively.
“Trista…” Luciano’s voice cracked. “I was wrong. I looked into it. The one who hit you with the car was Darlene’s friend. I–I didn’t know. That woman played me.”
“I’ve already fired her. I came today to offer you a sincere apology… and ask for your help. Please. For old time’s sake.‘
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He lowered his head slightly, trying to appear humble. “My mother’s in the hospital–she hasn’t eaten, barely sleeps. She’s on oxygen now. She’s not going to survive this kind of stress.”
“She always treated you well, didn’t she? Could you maybe–just once- ask Paul to help us out?”
Lucy chimed in weakly. “Please, Trista… we were almost family. You don’t really want to see us end up like this, do you?”
I looked at her blankly. “Actually, I don’t see a problem here. You made your bed—now lie`in it.“.
“You started this. You dragged my name through the mud, tried to ruin me. And now that it’s backfired, you think I owe you mercy?”
Luciano’s expression twisted in anger. “YYou’re really going to be this cruel? Do you want to kill my mother with stress?”
I narrowed my eyes. “Your mother isn’t suffering because of me. She’s suffering because you couldn’t control your lies.”
“You want to talk about consequences, Luciano? Let’s talk about how you walked all over me, assuming I’d never fight back. That I’d just take it.”
“Well, guess what? I told you before–I’m not some lovesick fool. And I don’t love you anymore.”
“And for what you did to me… I’ll pay it back tenfold.”
“Honestly, you should thank your lucky stars Darlene was the one who made that slanderous video. If it had been you, you wouldn’t just be broke—you’d be behind bars.”
Luciano snapped. “Trista, how can you be so cruel? I treated you well for years and now you destroy my whole life over a stupid
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wedding car?!”
Just then, my assistant handed me a sealed envelope. I tossed the envelope onto Luciano’s chest, my voice steady.
“You think you treated me well?” I said, voice steady. “You cheated on me with Darlene while we were still together. You even got her pregnant.”
“My only regret in life is wasting eight years with someone like you.”
Luciano’s entire facade crumbled. He sank to his knees, his body wracked with uncontrollable sobs.
“I’m sorry, Trista. I know I hurt you. I was wrong. But I love you! Even if I slept with her–my heart was always yours!”
“You make me sick,” I said flatly.
I signaled for security. “Escort them out.”
As the guards led them away, Lucy kept crying, begging me to show them mercy. I didn’t even flinch.
In the days that followed, Luciano’s company officially went under. He was buried in debt, blacklisted across the industry.
Darlene, for her part, was found guilty of defamation and sentenced to three years in prison.
And me? That same day, I received the best news of all: I was pregnant.
All the pain, betrayal, and heartbreak–left behind like a fading shadow.
Now, my only focus was the tiny new life growing inside me… and the future it promised.
