Wed To The Forbidden Uncle

CH 21

"Cathy?! It really is her!" Esther exclaimed, feeling a wave of regret wash over her. "Mercy, I should have listened to you and kept an eye on those two sneaky people. Then we wouldn't be caught off guard like this."

"It's okay, it's not too late to know now," Mercy reassured her, then turned to Dexter. "Uncle, could you help us get these photos exposed online?"

"No problem. My team has also found some evidence," Dexter nodded slightly and sent the photos Mercy had taken to his contacts.

"Thank you so much, Mr. Dexter," Esther said, suddenly recalling that she had seen Dexter from afar at a business gala she attended with her father. She never imagined Mercy's boyfriend would be the CEO of the Walker family.

Dexter's team worked quickly and it wasn't long before the online narrative completely shifted. Zachary and Cathy became public enemies, with everyone eager to criticize them.

The celebrities who had previously supported Zachary for publicity's sake fell silent. Even Cathy's friend, who had initially provided false testimony, claimed she had been deceived by Cathy.

It was a classic case of kicking someone when they're down.

"Huh?" Mercy suddenly noticed that, besides the screenshots she had found, there was a high-definition video online. She clicked on it and Cathy's shrill voice immediately filled the air, "Ah..."

Dexter quickly flipped her phone over and locked the screen.

"Kids shouldn't watch this, it'll hurt your eyes," the man said seriously.

Mercy's face turned bright red in an instant.

Esther, who initially found it a bit gross, couldn't help but laugh at the two of them. It was just too sweet!

Esther was getting a bit giddy from all the cuteness up close.

Just then, her phone rang and she heard Zachary's hysterical yelling on the other end, "Esther, didn't you say you liked me? It's one thing not to cover for me before, but why are you being so ruthless now?"

He was left with no way out and his career was completely ruined.

Zachary had been so bold with his lies because he thought Esther loved him enough to help cover it up. He figured he could just buy her something afterward to make it up to her and she'd treasure it like a prized possession.

Esther almost laughed at his shamelessness. How could someone be so brazen? She wondered how blind she had been to fall for such a jerk. She didn't want to waste another second on this loser. All her past feelings might as well have been fed to the dogs!

"Zachary, you jerk! I'm telling you, we're done. Get as far away from me as possible!"

Esther yelled at him, then swiftly blocked and deleted his contact.

"Your aura just now was like nine feet tall!" Mercy quickly tried to comfort her, worried she might be upset.

Then Esther's mom called, asking where she was. Esther said she was with her best friend. Her mom told her that her grandpa had woken up and not to worry.

Esther, who had been full of confidence just moments ago, suddenly deflated. She tugged on Mercy's sleeve. "Mercy, come take a walk with me. I don't want to go home just yet."

Mercy glanced up at Dexter. He didn't stop them, only saying, "Let Gavin drive you."

"Make sure you eat on time, okay?" Mercy reminded him, worried he'd forget once he got busy.

"I will," Dexter replied, a rare gentle smile gracing his usually stern face.

Esther couldn't help but feel a pang of envy. Would she ever find someone who cared for her like that?

"Let's go," she said.

Mercy and Esther linked arms and headed out.

They arrived at the city's largest mall. Esther waved her hand dramatically. "Buy whatever you want. It's on me."

If it weren't for Mercy, she didn't know how deep in trouble she'd have been with those two jerks.

Mercy laughed at Esther's boldness, teasing her, "Looks like I've hitched myself to a little rich lady!"

"Hmph, stick with me, little beauty and you'll be just fine," Esther quipped back, playfully stroking Mercy's chin. The smoothness of her skin made her linger a bit longer.

Wow, Mercy's skin is so soft, Esther thought to herself as Mercy picked out a couple of outfits from the rack.

But instead of going into the changing room, Mercy handed the clothes to Esther. "Go on, try them on for me, little rich girl."

Esther was taken aback. So Mercy had picked them out for her.

She looked at the clothes in Mercy's hands, which were quite different from her usual style and hesitated. "Mercy, do you think this style suits me?"

"Of course! Trust my taste. You'll discover a whole new you!" Mercy said confidently.

The phrase "a whole new you" tempted Esther. "Alright."

A few minutes later, Esther stood in front of the mirror wearing one of the outfits Mercy had chosen for her.

The black jumpsuit elevated her waistline, making her legs look long and straight. The top had two rows of silver buttons that gleamed coolly under the lights.

The once vibrant and lively girl transformed into someone with a cool and aloof aura, her presence suddenly more commanding.

"Something's still missing," Mercy said, scrutinizing her from head to toe. She snapped her fingers. "Your hair!"

With the VIP membership card given by Dexter, Mercy took Esther to [Lan].

Mercy flipped through a style book and pointed to a hairstyle.

"Short hair?" Esther touched her long locks, then bit her lip. "Cut it!"

Half an hour later, Esther stood before the mirror. Her once wavy hair was now a chic short cut and the makeup artist had given her a cooler look.

She could hardly believe it. The stunning, fierce woman in the mirror—was that really her?

"I always knew this was how you were meant to look," Mercy said with a satisfied smile.

Mercy was pleased with her makeover. "That's the kind of cool, elegant beauty I'm talking about. Your features are delicate, so you don't need heavy makeup. Only someone like Cathy, with less defined features, needs to rely on heavy makeup to make up for it."

Esther used to pretend to be aloof, but her personality was a bit soft. After everything that happened, she became more clear-headed and rational. She wouldn't trust others so easily anymore.

"You're right, Mercy. Thank you." Esther reached out and hugged Mercy.

Mercy didn't want Esther to buy her anything, so Esther treated her to a big meal instead.

As they walked down the street to digest their food, Esther spotted a cozy bar and pulled Mercy inside.

Mercy knew that this young girl, despite not shedding a single tear and acting strong the whole time, was still hurting. After all, being betrayed by someone she liked for two years couldn't possibly leave her completely unfazed. It was just the pride of being the Landon family's daughter that kept her from showing weakness.

With each drink, Esther finally let down her guard. Her eyes were hazy with tears as she leaned on the table, staring at the glass in her hand and began to open up to Mercy.

"Mercy, I really did like him back then."