Chapter 5

As soon as the livestream started, a flood of people poured in.

When they saw it was me, the comments exploded. Everyone was calling me a homewrecker.

Celeste acted magnanimous: "Everyone, please be kind. She's here to apologize today."

Under everyone's gaze, I pulled my lips into a smile:

"I'm Evelyn Hart, and I'm here to apologize to everyone today.

I should have just let Celeste, the actual homewrecker, steal my boyfriend of seven years and twist the truth to cyberbully me, instead of making a fuss!

I apologize for not keeping quiet, for not obediently playing the turtle hiding in its shell!"

Marcus quickly shut off the livestream, but it had already hit the trending topics.

The hashtag #CelestePorterHomewrecker was number one.

Marcus laughed in fury: "Evelyn, you'd better not regret this! Assistant, cancel all the nursing home payments immediately!"

My pupils shook violently. Stopping the payments now was sentencing my mother to death!

But Marcus grabbed my hand and shoved me into the car without another word. "To the hospital! I'll let you see with your own eyes how your mother pays for your willfulness!"

At the hospital, I cried and begged Marcus to spare my mother.

Seeing my tears, a trace of reluctance flashed in Marcus's eyes.

But he still turned his head away: "You've hurt Celeste so badly. There must be consequences!"

He paused, his voice hard: "Kneel and apologize to Celeste. When she forgives you, I'll restore the nursing home payments. Otherwise, prepare to collect your mother's body!"

My whole body shook. I bit my lip until it bled.

Under Celeste's mocking gaze, I bent my knees and knelt heavily before her. "I'm sorry. It was my fault."

I kowtowed numbly, like a dog without dignity.

Once, then again. My forehead was bloody.

Marcus's expression softened slightly. He stepped out of the room to take a call, leaving only Celeste.

Seeing him leave, Celeste's face instantly turned vicious: "You dare try to steal Marcus from me? You deserve to pay the price!"

Before I could react, she rushed to my mother's bed and directly pulled out the oxygen tube and IV line keeping her alive!

"No!"

I struggled to rush forward but was pinned to the ground by bodyguards.

The monitor sounded an alarm. My mother's face quickly turned blue-purple.

Until the last trace of life faded and her head tilted to the side.

My mother was dead.

I collapsed on the floor in despair, nearly crying tears of blood.

Celeste immediately messed up her own hair and ran outside.

She ran right into Marcus, who was coming back.

She cried pitifully: "Marcus, I just kindly wanted to help adjust your mother's blanket, and Evelyn suddenly rushed over and pushed me, saying I'm not worthy to be with you..."

Marcus's face immediately darkened: "Evelyn, is your dignity worth that much? Just to avoid apologizing, you'd ignore even your own mother's life?"

I laughed bitterly: "Life? My mother is dead. Celeste killed her!"

Celeste immediately denied it, and Marcus insisted I was lying. He laughed coldly: "You'd even use your own mother's death to lie. Since you won't apologize, then don't regret it!"

He left with his arm around Celeste.

Half an hour later, the Murphy Group's official account posted a statement:

"Mr. Marcus Murphy's relationship status was made public long ago.

His girlfriend is only Miss Celeste Porter. Miss Evelyn Hart suffered trauma as a student and has an abnormal mental state with cognitive impairment.

All her statements are false information."

In the video released with it, a girl stood in an office with an older man's hand on her waist.

My mind went blank.

In high school, I was the school's famous scholarship student.

A male teacher decided I had no power or influence and groped me in his office.

I didn't dare speak up because no one would stand up for me.

Even into college, I had severe psychological issues and attempted suicide countless times.

Marcus saved me.

He held me tightly in his arms, comforting me over and over: "Evelyn, don't let scum ruin your life. It's not your fault. I will always, always be with you."

This was my darkest past, something I'd only ever told Marcus.

But he ripped open my scars and used my blood and tears to whitewash Celeste.

So for Celeste's sake, he could go this far.

In complete despair, I smiled bitterly and threw a lit lighter toward the bed curtains.

Watching the flames rise before me, I pushed open the window and jumped.

Marcus, from now on, we have no future.

On the other side, Marcus was shopping with Celeste when he suddenly saw thick smoke rising in the distance!

An ominous feeling surged in his heart. He quickly called over a mall employee to ask what was happening.

"The hospital's on fire. I heard someone burned to death—someone in the special care ward!"