Chapter 180
Paulina felt her world crumbling around her as the truth dawned on her â it was her own daughter, Leila, who had taken the photo that smeared Merryâs reputation. The polite, obedient girl she thought she knew had changed, and Paulina couldnât come to with this harsh new reality
In her desperation to understand why her daughter changed so drastically, Paulina had believed Leilaâs accusation against Latham. She needed a reason to explain her change, so she believed without question that Latham had acted inappropriately towards Leila.
Now, faced with undeniable proof of her daughterâs deceit, Paulina was forced to confront a bitter truth: her daughter was not the victim sheâd portrayed herself to be, but the architect of her own sisterâs downfall.
Cain was equally stunned. When he first heard Leilaâs claims of being harassed and blackmailed into hurting Merry, he felt a sense of relief. His mind refused to accept that his daughter could be capable of such cruelty As a businessman, he was no fool, yet his paternal instincts led him to defend his daughter unconditionally. He even called in the press, hoping to blow the issue up and clear his daughterâs name, not realizing that his actions would backfire spectacularly.
The click of cameras and the relentless flashes from the reportersâ equipment captured Leilaâs downfall, and Cain regretted his earlier decision profoundly.
After being confronted by Paulina, Leila stood up, dropping her facade of meekness. With a chilling calm, she revealed her true colors, âWhy did I do it? Because if Mr. Latham hadnât called Dad, he wouldnât have doubted. me! Because I was hit in the head by a football from Daniel, and Dad defended him instead of me!â
She pointed an accusing finger at Cain and Paulina, âLook at how kind you are to me now that Iâm the âvictim.â By slandering Mr. Latham, I regained my place as your beloved daughter, right?â
âWhy did everything have to go wrong this year? Why did you stop loving me? Why did I have to have a stepsister? She took away your love from me! If she were gone, Iâd be the only one!â
Paulina and Cain were speechless.
âHaving another
member means thereâs more love to go around,â Paulina said, her voice trembling with emotion. âYes, we shared our love with Merry, but when we grow old, youâll still have a sibling in this world Thatâs what siblings are for! How can you be so selfish?â
Leilaâs laughter was cold and harsh, âThis is who I am. Iâm just like you; Iâm the bad seed, and so are you.â âYouâre insane!â Paulina exclaimed, aghast.
Leila turned to Latham, her lips curling into a sneer as she said, âI nearly won. I was not lucky enough.â Thatâs when Cordelia stepped in, saying icily, âIt has nothing to do with luck.â
Leila froze as Cordelia pointed to a monitor and continued, âThe security camera broken.â
Outside, a camera that had been toppled by the wind lay disconnected on the ground. The footage everyone thought would incriminate Latham didnât exist; his office, which also served as his private room, wasnât under surveillance.
Leila was lost for words.
Merry broke the silence with a smirk, âDid you think I went to find the security camera?â
Two hours had passed since the incident. After telling Daniel about the setup, Merry had snuck into the
adjacent office with Skyler to create a fake video. The man in the video, dressed like Latham and with his back to the window, was actually Skyler. The girl, supposedly Leila, was Merry in disguise
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Chapter 180
Cordelia had masterminded the entire . Once Skyler arrived, she instructed the duo to shoot the video, which Skyler then edited to make it look convincing. Meanwhile, Merry returned to the classroom, giving the impression that sheâd been busy there the whole time.
Leila realized she had been up and turned on Merry with venom, âYou framed me â
Merry sighed. âI learned from the best.â
The truth was that Merry had always taken the fall for her sisterâs misdeeds. Time after time, sheâd been punished for things she hadnât done â all because of Leilaâs manipulations.
Now, Merry had turned the tables, giving Leila a taste of her own medicine. But it was too late â Leila had already confessed.
Seething with rage, Leila lunged at Merry, only to be effortlessly subdued by Cordelia.
Leilaâs tirade continued even as she lay on the floor. âSo what if the truthâs out? Iâm a minor; I wonât go to jail. Iâll just go back to being unloved and ostracized. After graduation, Iâll leave this town, and what can you do about it?â
Her words, full of spite and arrogance, echoed through the room, captured by the reportersâ cameras. The principal frowned deeply. âYouâre expelled from our school.â
Expelled? Leila didnât care. âSo what? My parents will send me abroad. Iâll come back after studying overseas for a couple of years!â
She glared at Merry, âDo you think youâll be the favorite daughter once Iâm gone? No! Itâs your fault Iâm in this mess. Theyâll blame you forever! Youâll never take the love thatâs mine!â
Such was the bitter injustice of the situation.
Leila had wronged Merry, and Cain and Paulina would despise her for it.
Similarly, now that Merry had pointed the finger at Leila, Cain and Paulina would resent her.
With a sardonic smile, Leila spoke up, âNow, weâre all in the same boat, arenât we? Mom, Dad, I know you hate me, you loathe me, but at the end of the day, youâre still going to take me back home, right?â
Cordeliaâs eyes narrowed as she heard these words. She had deliberately exposed the truth, provoking Leila into making such untimely and imprudent remarks, not to drive her away but to ensure she paid the price for her actions!
Cordelia pulled out her smartphone, gazing at the barrage of texts from Mr. AllâRound.
She slowly began to speak, âI have something to say.â