Chapter 4 I'll Ruin Your Reputation!
1044 Words
The next evening, Liliana arrived at the birthday party.
The moment she stepped into the grand ballroom, her eyes landed on the woman standing among the crowd, Savannah.
The lighting in the bar that night had been too dim to see her clearly.
But now, beneath the dazzling chandeliers, Liliana could finally see her face.
The resemblance was striking. Savannah looked almost like a more polished version of herself, more delicate, more beautiful. There was a softness to her features, the kind that came from a life spent being cherished and spoiled.
And Anthony stood beside her. He leaned slightly toward Savannah, listening as she spoke. The sight twisted something sharp in her chest.
She quietly moved to the most inconspicuous corner of the room and sat down.
But she hadn't been there long when she noticed a man in a flashy suit striding toward Anthony.
The man wore a smirk that screamed trouble. His gaze lingered shamelessly on Savannah.
"Well, well. You actually brought a date tonight? Now that's something you don't see every day. First time I've ever seen a new face next to Mr. Hester!"
He intentionally raised his voice, his eyes gleaming with the thrill.
The man had been Anthony's business rival for years.
They had fought fiercely over several major projects, but each time Anthony had crushed him.
Clearly drunk, he slapped a document against Anthony's suit jacket.
"Mr. Hester," he said with a careless grin, "you can't seriously expect to swallow the entire Jerelden north project by yourself."
"My family has been doing business here for years!"
He nudged the document forward, grinning widely.
"I've got a very generous partnership proposal here. Why don't you take a look? We could both make a fortune."
Anthony barely glanced at it. His eyes were cold.
"Trash like this isn't worth my time. My family's empire doesn't need to ally with scavengers."
The words hit like a slap. His face flushed red instantly.
His jaw tightened as he suddenly smashed his drink onto the floor.
"Fine! Anthony Hester, you arrogant bastard! You want to play hardball? You think your family's precious reputation makes you untouchable? Let's see how long that lasts!"
With a manic glare, he pulled a USB drive from his pocket and shot a signal to the AV control booth.
The next second, the giant screen at the front of the ballroom lit up!
"Look at this, everyone! Look at the great Anthony Hester! He acts like he's some untouchable gentleman, but behind closed doors, he's just another womanizing jerk!"
He screamed, pointing dramatically at the screen.
"See the woman on that screen? That's his real girlfriend! The one he brought tonight? She's just the other woman!"
Every head in the ballroom turned toward the screen.
Photo after photo flashed across it, dozens of intimate photos of Anthony and me.
The room exploded with whispers.
"Oh my god... I can't believe she would stoop so low! So she's the mistress?"
"Mr. Hester's playing both sides?"
"Wait... That woman looks familiar."
"Didn't we see Mr. Hester with her somewhere before?"
"And Savannah Nolan? Isn't she a socialite? How could she be involved in something like this?"
Savannah suddenly covered her face and began to cry.
Her shoulders trembled delicately, as though she had just suffered a terrible injustice.
Anthony's expression darkened instantly.
He strode forward and grabbed the guy by the throat, slamming him hard against the table.
His voice was a low, terrifying growl.
"Think before you open your mouth!"
The man's face turned blue from the pressure, but he still choked out the words.
"You... You refused... So I'll destroy you! I'll ruin your reputation! I'll drag your whole family down with you!"
Amid the chaos, someone suddenly noticed Liliana standing frozen in the corner.
The man wrenched himself free from Anthony's grip and stumbled toward her.
Before she could react, he grabbed her arm and dragged her straight into the center of the crowd!
"You! You're Anthony's wife, aren't you?"
His fingers clamped onto her arm like a drowning man grabbing a lifeline.
"Come on! Tell everyone the truth! Expose him! Tell them he's a cheating bastard and that woman beside him is the mistress!"
He turned to the crowd, whipping them into a frenzy.
"Look, everyone! This is the real victim! Don't worry. We'll help you get justice tonight!"
Anthony's gaze locked onto Liliana. His fists tightened.
Then he walked over to her slowly, ignoring the dozens of eyes watching.
He leaned close, his voice barely above a whisper against her ear.
"Think very carefully before you answer. Remember the special medication your mother is waiting for at the hospital."
Liliana's head snapped up.
She stared at him in disbelief. Her cheeks burned instantly with humiliation and fury.
She had never imagined that Anthony would use her mother's life-saving medication to threaten her, just to protect Savannah!
The man standing before her suddenly felt like a stranger.
"You want me to admit I'm the mistress?" she asked.
Anthony said nothing.
Liliana had thought she had already reached the limit of disappointment. But Anthony always found new ways to hurt her.
She let out a quiet laugh. "Fine."
The smile on her lips looked both tragic and resolute.
She lifted her chin and faced the entire room. Her voice rang out clearly. "He's wrong."
She paused. Anthony's gaze sharpened instantly.
"Ms. Nolan is not the other woman. It's me. I'm the one who shamelessly chased after Mr. Hester."
The words hit the room like a bomb. For a moment, everyone was stunned.
Then the whispers exploded again.
"Well, of course, Ms. Nolan isn't the mistress. She's a socialite from a powerful family. She and Mr. Hester are perfect together."
"Who the hell is Liliana anyway? Look at the cheap trash she's wearing!"
"I heard she's just a mechanic's daughter. Didn't she use to work at a bar because she couldn't afford her mother's hospital bills?"
Each word stabbed deeper than the last. Liliana felt her heart tightening painfully in her chest.
She didn't look at anyone again. She turned slowly and walked toward the exit of the ballroom, her steps unsteady.
'Anthony. You got the answer you wanted. From this moment on, we owe each other nothing.'
- Writer
