\u00a0<\/p>\n
Chapter 8\u00a0<\/p>\n
Chapter 8\u00a0<\/p>\n
\u201cDrop the charges.\u201d Ophelia said. looking down at me.\u00a0<\/p>\n
\u201cAnd not just that, you\u2019ll also publicly apologize and admit you made up those lies to extort money from me.\u201d\u00a0<\/p>\n
Seeing that I hesitated, she let out a cold sneer. \u201cWhat? Not willing to accept it?\u201d\u00a0<\/p>\n
\u201cThat grandmother of yours was better off dead anyway. Hogging a hospital bed was just wasting\u00a0<\/p>\n
resources.\u201d\u00a0<\/p>\n
My head snapped up, my eyes burning red with rage.\u00a0<\/p>\n
\u201cIt really was you\u2026 You had someone pull her oxygen tube?\u201d\u00a0<\/p>\n
Seeing my furious yet helpless expression, Ophelia was certain she had me in her grasp.\u00a0<\/p>\n
She let her arrogance and cruelty run wild as she sneered. \u201cSo what if it was me? I might as well tell you, I had someone pull out her oxygen tube that day. That old hag crawled on the floor, begging me to spare you. What a pathetic sight. In New York, if I want someone dead, it\u2019s as easy as squashing an ant. That caregiver is on my team now, and I\u2019ve destroyed all the surveillance footage. What do you have to fight me with?\u201d\u00a0<\/p>\n
She grew more excited as she spoke.\u00a0<\/p>\n
Slowly, I lifted my lowered head. The fear and tears on my face were gone.\u00a0<\/p>\n
\u201cFinished?\u201d I asked, a faint smile playing on my lips.\u00a0<\/p>\n
Ophelia was stunned, her brows furrowing. \u201cWhat are you laughing at?\u201d\u00a0<\/p>\n
I pointed to the camera in the corner of the living room, then to the brooch at my collar.\u00a0<\/p>\n
\u201cMs. Caldwell, did I forget to tell you? I\u2019m live-streaming right now.\u00a0<\/p>\n
\u201cEvery word you just said has been simultaneously transmitted to the backstage of the Criminal Investigation Division\u2026\u00a0<\/p>\n
\u201cAnd to a live audience of two million people across the internet.\u201d\u00a0<\/p>\n
Ophelia spun around, her face draining of all color in an instant.\u00a0<\/p>\n
0.00%\u00a0<\/p>\n
10:25\u00a0<\/p>\n
:\u00a0<\/p>\n
O\u00a0<\/p>\n
Chapter 8\u00a0<\/p>\n
\u201cYou set me up?!\u201d\u00a0<\/p>\n
Just then, the door was kicked open with a loud crash.\u00a0<\/p>\n
Police officers had been waiting outside all along.\u00a0<\/p>\n
\u201cOphelia, this time, no one can bail you out!\u201d\u00a0<\/p>\n
288 \u00a1Vouchers\u00a0<\/p>\n
With millions of witnesses watching the live stream and her own confession to the crime, she had nothing left to defend herself with.\u00a0<\/p>\n
That so-called \u201cbribing the caregiver\u201d video was just a clue I\u2019d deliberately left to lure her in, to make her think she\u2019d won, lower her guard, and blurt out the truth herself.\u00a0<\/p>\n
Ophelia collapsed to the floor and was dragged away.\u00a0<\/p>\n
This time, no matter how powerful the Caldwell and Pennington families were, they couldn\u2019t silence the public\u2019s outrage, nor could they save Ophelia.\u00a0<\/p>\n
Everything finally settled.\u00a0<\/p>\n
Ophelia was sentenced to life imprisonment.\u00a0<\/p>\n
The Caldwell family was implicated, and their company stock prices plummeted.\u00a0<\/p>\n
As relatives by marriage and accessories to her crimes, the Pennington family also fell into disgrace and was expelled from the ranks of the top three families.\u00a0<\/p>\n
Later, I bought a train ticket to the south, taking Grandma\u2019s ashes with me, ready to leave this place of heartbreak.\u00a0<\/p>\n
But Dominic showed up at the train station and blocked my way.\u00a0<\/p>\n
In just half a month, he had grown a stubbly beard, and his whole demeanor reeked of defeat.\u00a0<\/p>\n
\u201cMaggie\u2026\u201d\u00a0<\/p>\n
His\u00a0<\/p>\n
eyes were red, his voice hoarse as he tried to grab my suitcase.\u00a0<\/p>\n
\u201cI\u2019ve divorced Phelia. The Pennington family may have fallen, but I still have some assets left.\u00a0<\/p>\n
\u201cLet\u2019s start over, okay?\u00a0<\/p>\n
\u201cI really do love you. The first time I saw you, I truly had feelings for you.\u00a0<\/p>\n
\u201cMy marriage to Ophelia was a business arrangement. I never loved her, but I had no\u00a0<\/p>\n
oice\u2026\u00a0<\/p>\n
37.05%\u00a0<\/p>\n
10:25\u00a0<\/p>\n
Chapter 8\u00a0<\/p>\n
\u201cI know I made mistakes. I\u2019ll spend the rest of my life making it up to wan\u00a0<\/p>\n
\u201cWe\u2019ll have another baby, and Ill give you the title of Mrs. Perningen i groms\u201d\u00a0<\/p>\n
Looking at him begging me so pathetically. I felt not even a hint of bured in my heart, cry ty and disgust.\u00a0<\/p>\n
I stepped back, avoiding his touch\u00a0<\/p>\n
\u201cDominic, do you really think I\u2019m not disgusted by you?\u201d\u201d\u00a0<\/p>\n
Dominic\u2019s expression darkened.\u00a0<\/p>\n
\u201cThe Magnolia who was na\u00efve and obedient, the one you loved is dead. She died the moment you stood by and let Ophelia force me to take that shrin pill and when wou ailled ne a homewrecker. As for the title of Mrs. Pennington\u2026\u201d I pased smiling moddingt \u201cSweitfor Ophelia in hell.\u201d\u00a0<\/p>\n
The boarding announcement echoed through the station.\u00a0<\/p>\n
I pulled my suitcase and walked straight into the boarding gate without looking hat\u00a0<\/p>\n
Dominic suppressed his sobs, continuing to call out to me.\u00a0<\/p>\n
But I ignored him completely.\u00a0<\/p>\n
I gently touched the urn in my arms, whispering. \u2018Grandma, and my baby, let\u2019s go. To a place without lies or betrayal.\u201d\u00a0<\/p>\n
As for Dominic, he would spend the rest of his long, desolate life drowning in regret and rum\u00a0<\/p>\n
The end\u00a0<\/p>\n
Joseph King is an editor and storyteller who ensures every chapter is clear, polished, and engaging for readers.<\/p>\n
Celebration Cut Short by Mark Twain 8 \u00a0 Chapter 8\u00a0 Chapter 8\u00a0 \u201cDrop the charges.\u201d Ophelia said. looking down at […]<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":1,"featured_media":0,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"open","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"site-sidebar-layout":"default","site-content-layout":"","ast-site-content-layout":"default","site-content-style":"default","site-sidebar-style":"default","ast-global-header-display":"","ast-banner-title-visibility":"","ast-main-header-display":"","ast-hfb-above-header-display":"","ast-hfb-below-header-display":"","ast-hfb-mobile-header-display":"","site-post-title":"","ast-breadcrumbs-content":"","ast-featured-img":"","footer-sml-layout":"","ast-disable-related-posts":"","theme-transparent-header-meta":"","adv-header-id-meta":"","stick-header-meta":"","header-above-stick-meta":"","header-main-stick-meta":"","header-below-stick-meta":"","astra-migrate-meta-layouts":"default","ast-page-background-enabled":"default","ast-page-background-meta":{"desktop":{"background-color":"var(--ast-global-color-5)","background-image":"","background-repeat":"repeat","background-position":"center center","background-size":"auto","background-attachment":"scroll","background-type":"","background-media":"","overlay-type":"","overlay-color":"","overlay-opacity":"","overlay-gradient":""},"tablet":{"background-color":"","background-image":"","background-repeat":"repeat","background-position":"center center","background-size":"auto","background-attachment":"scroll","background-type":"","background-media":"","overlay-type":"","overlay-color":"","overlay-opacity":"","overlay-gradient":""},"mobile":{"background-color":"","background-image":"","background-repeat":"repeat","background-position":"center center","background-size":"auto","background-attachment":"scroll","background-type":"","background-media":"","overlay-type":"","overlay-color":"","overlay-opacity":"","overlay-gradient":""}},"ast-content-background-meta":{"desktop":{"background-color":"var(--ast-global-color-4)","background-image":"","background-repeat":"repeat","background-position":"center center","background-size":"auto","background-attachment":"scroll","background-type":"","background-media":"","overlay-type":"","overlay-color":"","overlay-opacity":"","overlay-gradient":""},"tablet":{"background-color":"var(--ast-global-color-4)","background-image":"","background-repeat":"repeat","background-position":"center center","background-size":"auto","background-attachment":"scroll","background-type":"","background-media":"","overlay-type":"","overlay-color":"","overlay-opacity":"","overlay-gradient":""},"mobile":{"background-color":"var(--ast-global-color-4)","background-image":"","background-repeat":"repeat","background-position":"center center","background-size":"auto","background-attachment":"scroll","background-type":"","background-media":"","overlay-type":"","overlay-color":"","overlay-opacity":"","overlay-gradient":""}},"footnotes":""},"categories":[58],"tags":[],"class_list":["post-23446","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","hentry","category-his-secret-vow-novel"],"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/kezpres.xyz\/novelreading\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/23446","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/kezpres.xyz\/novelreading\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/kezpres.xyz\/novelreading\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/kezpres.xyz\/novelreading\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/1"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/kezpres.xyz\/novelreading\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=23446"}],"version-history":[{"count":0,"href":"https:\/\/kezpres.xyz\/novelreading\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/23446\/revisions"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/kezpres.xyz\/novelreading\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=23446"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/kezpres.xyz\/novelreading\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=23446"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/kezpres.xyz\/novelreading\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=23446"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}