Chapter 103
103
The air seemed to freere , as
itself had stopped ,
The crowd watching the drama all wore expressions of shock and disbelief .
They wondered , Aria Saxon married Liam Cole when she was only twenty . Could it be that she had been married off as a child bride in her teens ?
Vanessa’s eyes narrowed , her face lcy and full of fury . “ What the hell are you spewing ? Keep spreading lles , and rip your mouth apart
Liam had no intention of letting this matter go public . His first marriage to a woman who’d been sold off as a child bride to some crippled old farmer was a humiliation he wanted buried forever , But Arla wouldn’t back down , constantly targeting him and Hannah ,
For the sake of the family’s reputation , he couldn’t let her keep running wild and making a mockery of them .
Hannah fell a rush of satisfaction as she spoke , “ I didn’t want to bring this up , but you left me no choice . ” She turned to Aria , her expression fut of feigned pity . “ You were born into the Saxon family and should’ve lived a life of privilege .
“ But because of one mistake , you ended up growing up in some remate , impoverished area . At just ten years old , you were sold off to marry a man in his forties . When I first heard about it , I was shocked and even falt sorry for you . But that doesn’t give you the right to come after us .
“ Bringing this up might have been wrong , and if the internet wants to drag me for it , take it . ”
Liam pulled her close , his arm draped protectively over her shoulder , his voice gentle yet firm . “ Hannah , I fell for you first . If people want to blame someone , let them blame me . ”
Anu’s lips curved into a faint smile as she looked at them . “ Got any proof ? ”
“ Of course . ” Hannah met her gaze directly , her tone unwavering . “ We’ve got the indenture your adoptive parents signed . They sold you for one thousand dollars when you were just ten . ”
Ania asked flatly , “ Really ? And who can prove it ? ”
Hannah said proudly , “ Henry Lester admitted it himself
Aria let out a cold laugh , her words sharp and cutting . “ You talk about women standing together against injustice , yet here you are , waving around an Indenture to accuse me of bigamy . Everyone says you’re the pride of Mandino City , Gibson – pure , elegant , and unmatched . But I suppose that’s just a
Le after witnessing your true colors !
Even if the story about being sold as a child bride were true , Aria was supposed to be the victim . Why should she be the one blamed ?
The crowd exchanged uneasy glances , their sympathy for Aria growing while their disdain for Hannah became evident .
Sensing the shift in the atmosphere , Hannah blurted out , “ You’re right , you are a victim . We never wanted to reopen your wounds . But you kept pushing us to this point . Besides , Henry Lester didn’t restrict your freedom . If you didn’t want it , why didn’t you go to the police ? Why stay silent all these years ? ”
Aria calmly asked , “ Ms. Gibson , are you blaming victims of abuse for not reporting it ? ”
What kind of parents would sell their own child ? Reporting them wouldn’t magically stop their abusive behavior , would it ?
Hannah pressed her lips together , her face stiffening for a moment . She took a deep breath and snapped , her voice sharp , “ I’ve already admitted that exposing this was wrong and am willing to take the blame . You don’t need to twist the narrative to ruin my reputation . ”
Aria chuckled . “ No wonder I felt like I recognized you the first time we met , Ms. Gibson Turns out you’re just like Liam – always eager to paint yourself as
When Hannah was about to refute in anger , Aria cut her off , her voice steady and firm , “ Human trafficking is a crime . Don’t try to sugarcoat it by cal some child bride deal. ”
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Liem froze for a moment before quickly questioning “ So , you’re admitting that your foster parents sold you to Henry Lester be a child brides
Arla countered , “ And how exactly does that connect to your accusation of me committing higamy ? ”