He Framed My Dad, I Married His Rival

Chapter 3 Manipulation and Retaliation

A bouquet of tulips—my favorite flower—rested in Orion's hands when he stepped inside.

He wandered into the kitchen and busied himself with cooking. "Do you remember our first date? You told me you loved the creamy tomato pasta I made."

As I watched him bustling about, a strange discomfort settled over my chest.

There was no other way to put it: his mind was clearly warped.

"I have thought a great deal over these past few days." He carried the bowl of pasta to the table, his eyes soft and seemingly sincere. "Juliet is still young. Do not hold her actions against her. Withdraw the divorce petition, and I will use my connections to get your father's sentence reduced."

My heart skipped a beat.

A reduced sentence was the thing I had prayed for day and night.

"Is this true?" I asked.

"Of course. We are husband and wife. I could never bear to see you suffer like this."

I was on the verge of nodding in agreement when his phone lit up on the table.

A message from Juliet popped up on the screen.

Juliet: [Orion, I've sorted things out with the director of the City Business Licensing Department. He will keep delaying the gallery's reopening until Sylvia agrees to your terms.]

Ice ran through my veins in an instant.

The closure of my father's gallery had been their deliberate scheme all along.

"Orion. You are truly ruthless." I set down my fork, my tone cold as ice.

He scrambled to hide his phone, panic flitting across his face. "Sylvia, let me explain—"

"There is no need." I stood up and turned to leave.

Orion lunged forward and grabbed my arm.

My waist crashed hard against the edge of the table, and a sharp pain made me wince.

Guilt curdled into rage on his face. "Do not push your luck! Would all of this have happened if you were not so suspicious and paranoid? Even if you refuse to drop the divorce, what difference will it make? I sent your father to prison once, and I can ruin you until you lose every penny you own!"

Fueled by rage, I raised my hand and slapped him hard across the cheek. "We shall see who ends up bankrupt in the end!"

I contacted Felix Locke immediately afterward.

Armed with the internal evidence I had collected, his team launched precise counterattacks against Orion on several high-profile cases.

Cracks finally appeared in Orion's legendary undefeated record, and media outlets began questioning his professional competence.

It did not take long for Orion to suspect a mole within his circle.

He launched an investigation into me and froze every joint bank account we shared.

*****

One day, he tracked me down and slammed a formal psychiatric evaluation request onto the table between us.

"Do not force me to destroy you. If you refuse to back down, I will have you committed to a psychiatric facility," Orion snarled, pinching my chin harshly.

I swatted his hand away. "Dare you try."

"What would stop me?" A cold laugh escaped him. "Everyone already thinks you are a madwoman. No one will believe a single word you say."

*****

That night, a video arrived from Juliet.

On screen, my father was cornered and beaten by fellow inmates inside his prison cell.

He curled into a tight ball on the cold floor, his uniform stained bright red with fresh blood.

There was an accompanying message.

Juliet: [Keep making trouble, and I cannot guarantee his safety.]

My hands trembled as I gripped the phone.

The hunched figure of my father, his face battered and covered in wounds, burned itself into my eyes.

I dialed Orion's number at once. "I surrender."

A triumphant laugh came from his end. "That is the sensible choice."

"I will halt all my plans and disband my company." My voice sounded hollow and drained of all strength.

*****

To completely tarnish my father's reputation and paint himself as a man of righteous justice, Orion took the initiative to hold a grand press conference. His men even dragged me to the venue by force.

"Let her witness this historic moment in person," he ordered his subordinates.

Orion began, his voice echoing across the hall. "Dear members of the press. Holding this conference is the most painful decision I have ever made in my life."

He paused for a moment, feigning teary emotion. "Samuel Vance, my wife's father, abused his position to embezzle tens of millions of dollars. As a legal professional, it is my duty to uphold the law. Even for family, I will never shield a criminal."

Camera shutters clicked wildly, the harsh flashes stinging my eyes.

Orion continued his dramatic performance. "Suffering greatly from the truth, my wife Sylvia has fallen into an unstable mental state. She has even slandered me maliciously."

He turned to me in the corner, his eyes filled with fake sorrow. "But I believe justice will prevail. I will wield the law to deliver fairness to everyone."

Juliet stepped forward just then, dabbing at her eyes with a tissue, her voice choked with emotion. "Mr. Frost has endured endless pressure through all of this. Not even Sylvia understands his struggles. He has lost sleep for countless nights, and I have even noticed new gray hairs on his head."

Sympathetic murmurs rose from the audience.

"Mr. Frost is such a noble man!"

"He upholds justice above family—a true guardian of the law!"

Security guards held me firmly in my seat.

Orion carried on with his impassioned speech. "I hope this case can serve as a warning to all: no one stands above the law. Not even the people closest to me will receive special leniency."

A reporter raised a hand. "Mr. Frost, reports say your wife has been obstructing the investigation. Is this true?"

Orion sighed heavily. "Sylvia... she is far too emotional. I understand her pain; after all, the accused is her own father."

Another reporter spoke up. "Ms. Graves, we hear you have been assisting Mr. Frost throughout this ordeal?"

Juliet stood up, her eyes glistening with tears. "I only do what I can to help him through this difficult time. Sylvia is not herself right now, and I do not blame her in the slightest."

Applause erupted from the crowd.

In the middle of the questioning, the rear doors of the conference hall burst open.

A restless crowd surged inside, led by a burly middle-aged man clutching a large bucket filled with dark red, murky liquid. "Where is that crazy woman Sylvia?"

Security tried to block their path, but the crowd was too large.

Chaos erupted across the venue in an instant.

The man charged straight toward me, rage twisting his features. "You are the reason we lost everything!"

He lifted the bucket high and poured the thick, foul-smelling liquid over my head and shoulders.

The sticky red substance coated my hair and clothes, and a putrid stench filled my nostrils, threatening to choke me.

"Sylvia is a lunatic!"

"She is dragging Mr. Frost down with her!"

"A woman like her has no right to live!"

Jeers and insults flew through the air.

Bottles of water were thrown in my direction.

I sat motionless, letting the dirty liquid drip from my hair onto the floor.

On the stage, Orion made a show of trying to calm the crowd, yet a flicker of smug triumph lingered in his eyes. "Everyone, please stay calm!"

Juliet covered her mouth, putting on a terrified expression. "Good heavens, Sylvia! Are you all right?"

She leaned close to my ear, her voice sharp and venomous. "Divorce Orion and step aside sooner, and none of this would have happened. You ruined your entire family all by yourself. How pathetic."

I lunged forward to grab her, but the guards behind me pressed me hard against the ground.

A triumphant smirk played across Juliet's lips as she raised her hand to slap my face.

Just then, a clear, steady voice cut through the noise. "Hold on a moment. Mr. Frost, are you absolutely certain that all the evidence you submitted is authentic?"