Chapter 174
174:
Panic shot through Marisol and Joanna like ice water. How did they know? How had the truth about Linsey gotten out?
A flicker of unease danced in Marisol’s eyes, quickly masked by a haughty sneer. “You rude, unreasonable nobodies!” she snapped. “I haven’t the slightest idea what drivel you’re spouting!”
Joanna jumped in, her voice shrill. “Did Linsey put you up to this?” she yelled. “Let me warn you, what you’re doing could get you in serious trouble! We’re the real victims here, got it?”
The crowd, however, wasn’t fooled for a second. They erupted in a chorus of jeers and mocking laughter.
“Are you two living on another planet?” someone shouted. “Linsey exposed your dirty tricks ages ago! And you’re still playing innocent? Unbelievable! Shameless!”
Just then, Marisol’s phone buzzed to life.
This time, she snatched it up without hesitation, a look of bewildered hope on her face. Deep down, a tiny, desperate part of her hoped it was Linsey, finally groveling for forgiveness.
“Mrs. Wells!” her assistant shrieked through the phone. “Why didn’t you answer sooner? Something huge has happened! You have to check the Internet right now!”
The sheer panic in her assistant’s voice sent a chill down Marisol’s spine. Something was seriously wrong.
She abruptly ended the call and fumbled for her phone. The moment the screen illuminated, her world went black. She staggered backward, nearly falling.
“No… this can’t be real,” Marisol whispered, her voice laced with disbelief.
She had assumed Linsey had orchestrated the crowd outside, but now she knew they were telling the truth. The evidence was undeniable. Linsey had been playing her cards close to her chest, secretly gathering an arsenal of damning evidence.
She had bided her time, waiting for the perfect moment to strike the final, crushing blow.
Joanna stood beside her, equally stunned. Her hands trembled uncontrollably as she stared at the phone screen, the shock making her feel lightheaded.
“How… how is this possible?” Joanna stammered, her voice trembling. “When did Linsey get all this? I called her… she even secretly recorded our conversation!”
Before Marisol and Joanna could even begin to process the devastating blow, the crowd outside the villa grew even more enraged.
“So, the truth finally hits home, huh? You thought you could play us all for fools? Pathetic!”
“You’re nothing but cold-blooded vipers!” another voice chimed in.
A barrage of rotten eggs pelted Marisol and Joanna, splattering across their clothes and faces before they could even react.
“Stop it! Please, just stop!” Marisol shrieked, her voice raw with desperation.
Panicked, the two women scrambled back into the villa, slamming the door shut to escape the wrath of the enraged crowd.
With the door securely closed, Marisol and Joanna finally exhaled in relief. Without exchanging a word, they rushed to the bathroom, eager to cleanse themselves of the disgusting mess.
Despite their frantic scrubbing, the repulsive odor stubbornly persisted. Having cleaned up as best they could, the two women collapsed onto the living room sofa, feeling utterly defeated.
The angry shouts of the crowd outside still reached them, echoing through the villa.
A brief silence fell, but then a wave of fear washed over Joanna, hitting her with the force of a delayed reaction.
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