Chapter 206
Chapter 206:
That evening, Haley picked up her phone and dialed every major media outlet in Chona. She had an explosive piece of news—and it was time to drop the bomb.
By the next morning, a hot topic had exploded online, and more followed in quick succession. At the center of the storm was a single name—Stella.
Directly beneath her name, a sensational headline screamed: “Stella trades loyalty for ambition—ditching her long-time husband in pursuit of success.”
Another hot topic chased after it, stirring debate. “Are women on the rise, or falling behind? Independent or dependent—what’s the truth behind Stella’s story?”
As all this played out online, Stella finished her morning routine, ready to head out for work at the research institute. Before she could leave, her phone lit up with an incoming call—Sharon’s name flashed across the screen.
“Stel, have you seen the trending topics? Someone’s out there trashing your reputation!”
Stella, still adjusting her watch, barely frowned. She’d weathered online storms before and didn’t flinch. “Let them say what they want. It’s not a big deal.”
Sharon’s anxious voice grew sharper. “How can you act like this doesn’t matter? This is slander, Stella! They’re making things up about you, and rumors move faster than wildfire. If you stay silent, things might spiral out of control.”
Hearing Sharon’s genuine alarm, Stella’s fingers stilled. Maybe this storm was bigger than she’d thought.
She hesitated, set her bag down, and sank into the living room sofa. Opening her phone, she braced herself and started scrolling through the trending headlines.
Her eyes landed on the smear campaign, and she let out a short, incredulous laugh.
“Former Walsh Group CEO’s wife Stella Russell, suspected of being under a new identity. Not only did she leave Marc Walsh, but she’s now flatly denying she was ever Stella. What a master of deception!”
“Stella Russell rebranded herself as Sylvia Gilbert, ruthlessly cutting Marc out of her life. She now refuses to acknowledge her past and is openly clinging to Choria’s rising star, William Briggs. Their staged displays of affection ignore Marc and their marriage as if it never existed.”
“Of course, William is just another stepping stone—Stella’s golden ticket into elite society. Before she met him, she was nothing—just another wealthy housewife…”
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Coasting on Marc Walsh’s fortune. But after she crossed paths with William, she started making the rounds at high-profile business events, quickly building a new reputation. Anyone who thinks this wasn’t all part of her plan is either naive or blind.”
Stella couldn’t hold back a laugh, breathless at the sheer absurdity. The idea that she’d ever clung to William for support—what a joke. If these so-called journalists ever found out that William preferred men, their headlines would evaporate overnight.
The article’s closing lines took on a self-righteous tone, wrapping the whole smear job in a bow of moral outrage.
“In the end, whether she calls herself Stella Russell or Sylvia Gilbert, she’s just a woman who traded family for fortune. A person like this will inevitably pay the price for her choices. Cities like Choria don’t need selfish, opportunistic frauds poisoning the atmosphere. Such people are nothing but trouble for society!”
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