Are You Skylar Green?
1182 Words
The room fell silent for a moment after those words were spoken.
Charles stood up, his expression cold and stern, and scolded, "Enough, Selena! How long are you going to keep this up?"
"What? Selena? She's Selena? Lady Lambert?"
"No way, wasn't she supposed to be plain and dull? With that face and figure, you call that plain? You women and your jealousy!"
The Hall family had always looked down on Selena because of her humble origins. They never took her to any high-society events, so over the years, people only knew of the Hall family's young lady but rarely saw her. Most had heard she was unattractive and unpresentable, but the rumors couldn't have been further from the truth.
Ruth's face turned from green to white, and after hearing Charles's words, she looked even worse.
She stood up shakily, her face pale but still trying to be strong, and said, "Ms. Green, I don't know why you're saying this, but there's nothing improper between Charles and me!"
Her demeanor and words immediately drew sympathy from the crowd, who began to look at Selena with disapproval.
Robert could hardly believe his eyes as he pointed at Selena.
"You—you're Selena? How can you be Selena?"
In his mind, Selena had always been a dull, timid figure with her head hung low. But the woman standing before him was bright, bold, and irresistibly alluring, bearing no trace of her former self.
Selena lightly patted his cheek with a hint of disdain. "What’s wrong? Feeling guilty for lusting after the woman you always looked down on, your own brother's wife?"
"Selena, that's enough!" Charles' voice was as cold as ice, silencing everyone in the room instantly.
Yet Selena met his gaze fearlessly, her smile tinged with sarcasm. "Oh, Mr. Hall, are you planning to teach me another lesson, maybe make me bleed again?"
Charles frowned, pressing his lips together as he stepped forward to grab her arm. "Come with me."
With a swift twist of her wrist, Selena slipped out of his grasp effortlessly. She looked at Charles with a playful smile. "I can handle anything, but I won't be taken advantage of. You falsely accused me and got me hurt. Let's settle that score today."
Ruth glanced at Selena, "Miss Green, you might want to take a heart pill to avoid fainting again later."
Ruth had a bad feeling, but forced a smile, "Selena, I think there might be some misunderstanding between us..."
Before she could finish, Selena had already pulled out her phone and fiddled with it. Soon, a video began playing on the large screen in the room.
"Have you got those intimate photos ready for me?"
On the screen, Ruth was impatiently talking on the phone.
Though the other side's voice couldn't be heard, Ruth's expression soon relaxed, "Good, later hack into Selena's phone and send me the photos. Then, post her scandalous pictures with different men online. I want her reputation ruined!"
As she spoke, her gentle face twisted into something sinister, sending shivers down the spines of those watching the video.
Immediately after, Ruth pretended to be shocked by seeing intimate photos of Charles and Selena when the butler and maid entered, and dramatically fainted...
By now, everyone understood what was happening. It was a clear setup to frame and tarnish Selena's reputation.
Everyone looked at Ruth with complex expressions, her face pale as a ghost.
For the longest time, Ruth had been the goddess of many in their circle—pure, kind, untouchable. But tonight, everything they thought they knew about her was turned upside down.
Charles stared at the screen with a blank expression, and then he cast a deep, disappointed glance at Ruth.
Sensing his disappointment, Ruth dug her fingernails into her palm, filled with regret and anger.
Regret for being too careless, anger that Selena had managed to catch her in a trap!
"Miss Pearson, I really don't understand," Selena's cool voice broke the silence, laced with undeniable sarcasm. "Charles was already planning to divorce me. Why did you feel the need to falsely accuse me?"
"Are you worried Mr. Hall might fall for someone else? Rest assured, I never go back to old flames, especially not ones that are blind to the truth!"
Charles looked at Selena coldly, his eyes dark with emotion.
Meanwhile, Ruth stood there, feeling as if she had been stripped bare, overwhelmed with shame and anger. She wanted to deny the video's authenticity, but she knew no one here was a fool. Denying it would only humiliate her further.
She forced herself to calm down.
No one else mattered as long as Charles forgave her.
With this thought, she looked at Selena, tears brimming in her eyes, and bowed deeply. "I'm sorry. I lost my mind, worried that Charles couldn't let you go, and that's why I did what I did..."
Selena raised her hand to interrupt. "You started it, and I'll finish it. You slandered me, so I retaliated. Now it's Mr. Hall's turn."
As she spoke, she walked over to Charles, casually took the cigarette from George's mouth, and slowly pressed it onto Charles's shoulder.
The burning cigarette scorched through the expensive shirt fabric, leaving a charred mark on his shoulder.
Everyone gasped in shock. Was this woman out of her mind?
Charles's dark eyes were fixed on her, cold flames flickering within, yet he didn't stop her.
Ruth went wild, lunging forward with her fingers reaching for Selena's face, screaming, "Selena, you're crazy! If you're angry, take it out on me!"
Selena's gaze turned icy, and she slapped Ruth, sending her stumbling into Robert's arms.
Selena pulled out a tissue and slowly wiped her fingers, speaking softly, "You should be grateful I've learned to control my temper over the years, or it could've been worse."
Everyone looked at Ruth's swollen face, the bright red handprint leaving them in silence.
If Selena hadn't held back, would Ruth have been disfigured with just one slap?
"Selena," Charles croaked, "isn't that enough?"
Selena smirked, took a step back, and spread her hands, "Alright, let's call it even. I wish you and Miss Pearson a blissful life together, hand in hand till the end."
Charles's face was unreadable, but his gaze was fixed on her.
Up until yesterday, this woman had looked at him with adoration, her mood entirely dependent on his, always trying to please him.
Now, she seemed like a completely different person.
Bold, confident, and vibrant, with a striking personality, and not a trace of love for him in her eyes.
Had she truly moved on, or was she playing hard to get?
Suddenly, he asked, "What's your relationship with Henry? When did you meet him?"
Selena raised an eyebrow, "Does it matter to you, ex-husband?"
Charles squinted his eyes. "We haven't divorced yet. You're still my wife, and I have the right to know if you've betrayed me."
Ruth, nestled in Robert's arms, turned even paler.
What did Charles mean by that? Could it be that he actually couldn't let go of that woman, Selena?
- Writer
