Chapter 5
Inside the Harper family villa, Dale, the head of the household, bad come home early.
That was rare for him; something must have happened.
As Beatrice, Mabel, and Rhea stepped through the door, they spotted Dale planted on the living room sofa, his face a thundercloud of fury.
Mabel’s chest tightened with reseniment the second she saw Dale’s familiar, loathsome face.
The
In her previous life, this scheming man had played the role of a strict, upright father while plotting behind her back to steal vast inheritance Calvin had left her. By the time Mabel realized what he was doing, she’d been so entangled in his lies that escape felt impossible. She had come within an inch of dying, still unaware of her true lineage.
Mabel wasn’t someone who held grudges without reason. If the Harper family had shown her even a shred of genuine kindness in her past life, she wouldn’t have hesitated to share Calvin’s wealth with them. But they hadn’t. They had treated her like a pawn, scheming at every turn until they’d backed her into a corner.
Well, if they’d given her no mercy then, she wouldn’t show them any now. This time, she was ready. The Harper family would crash and burn, and she’d be there to watch..
Dale at stiffly, his brow knotted in a scowl that could wilt flowers. Mabel knew that look all too well. Whenever Dale wore this expression, it meant one thing – something had gone south for him, and someone in the house was about to be his emotional punching bag.
That “someone” was usually Mabel Dale had a knack for picking her apart, finding the smallest flaws to criticize, all while wearing the mask of a stern, concerned father.
When Mabel was younger, she’d taken his lectures to heart, genuinely believing she was the problem. She had tried harder to please him, thinking it might stop the constant barrage of criticism.
But Mabel now saw the truth. The Harper family’s version of “parenting was just a twisted coping mechanism. They groveled to the powerful outside their home but came back to lord their frustrations over their children. They called it “discipline,” but it was nothing more than a desperate bid to hold on to control.
Mabel could tell by the storm brewing on Dale’s face that something must’ve gone wrong at work again. He’d be itching to lash out and pin the blame on someone. However, if he dared to aim that fury at her again today, she was fully prepared to introduce him to the business end of his precious antique vase.
But to her surprise, his anger wasn’t directed at her this time – it was aimed squarely at his golden child, Rhea.
He slammed the table so hard the sound echoed through the room, then harked, “Rhea, Are those photos online of you–or
ΠΟ
Rhea froze, her expression a mix of shock and disbelief. Since she’d returned to the Harper family, Dale had doted on her endlessly. This was the first time she’d seen him lose his temper at her.
“W–what photos?” she stammered, her wide eyes darting nervously.
“WHAT PHOTOS? You know that better than me. Dale roared, his face growing redder by the second. “You’re an adult! Don’t you know how to dress properly? Are you trying to ruin the family’s reputation? Why would you leave the house in a ripped dress? Do you have any idea how humiliated I was in front of Mr. Mayer today?”
Rhea’s face drained of color as the memory of her incident today came rushing back. She hadn’t imagined the photos would spread like flood or that her father would see them so soon.
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Chapter 5
Still, Rhea reacted quickly. Tears welled up in her eyes, and her voice cracked as she whimpered. “Dad, I didn’t mean to It was Mabel – she insisted I wear that dress!”
Mabel effortlessly stepped back from the brewing tension. “Oh, I had absolutely nothing to do with it. Rhea came to me asking for the dress. Mom was with us at that time. Right, Mom!
get so
Beatrice shifted uncomfortably under Dale’s burning glare. She tried to calm him, her voice wobbling, “Honey… don’t mad just yet. Rhea really didn’t mean for this to happen. But… the real question is, how did those pictures spread so quickly? I mean, is it really that big of a deal?”
Dale’s fury ignited all over again. “It made the local news – what do you think?”
Beatrice’s face went ashen. The news? What are we going to do now? Will this hurt our busines
Rhea’s jaw clenched as her expression darkened. Her embarrassing moments had gone viral, but instead of comforting her. her
parents were panicking about business. It stung, even for someone as entitled as her.
Mabel, standing silently to the side, found herself feeling a sliver of pity she hadn’t expected. Despite all her resentment for Rhea, even she could see how transactional Dale and Beatrice’s affection truly was. They fawned over Rhea when it served them, but the moment things went sideways, their so–called family loyalty evaporated.
Dale let out a long, frustrated sigh, his anger cooling slightly as he began to explain. Luckily, no one online knows who she is. The only reason Mayer recognized her was because he came here for dinner that one time. That scumbag actually brought the photos to me and asked if it was her. I had to tell him that was someone else.”
Beatrice clutched her chest and exhaled in relief. Oh, thank goodness. That’s a relief, at least.”
Rhea, however, was seething. “Dad, can’t you do something to get those pictures taken down?”
Dale gave her a hard look. “Do you think we’re made of money: Just look for yourself! So many people are sharing them- it’d take a fortune to get them all wiped off the internet!”
The explicit nature of the posts made the situation even worse than Mabel had imagined. Rhea’s dress had been torn so badly that one entire side of her body had been exposed. Even in the censored versions circulating online, it was obvious how much had been revealed.
Mabel’s sharp eyes darted to Rhea, watching her reaction with an almost clinical curiosity. She wondered if Rhea still thought her social status made her untouchable.
Judging by the crimson flush of shame spreading across Rhea’s face, the answer was clear.
Rhea sat frozen, her trembling hands scrolling through the vile comments under the photos and videos. Each new line felt. like a dagger.
“Wow, her dress was ripped AND she wasn’t wearing underwear? What kind of upbringing is that?“]
[“Half–naked in public? Some people have all the luck, seeing it live.“]
“Has she no shame?”]
[“She’s pretty, but now no decent guy would ever want her. Shame“]
Where I’m from, girls like that can’t even give themselves away I mean FOR FREE.]
[This is why big–city women have such bad reputations.“]
[“What kind of lady goes out like this? Must be an order for her umm… MASTER, you know what I mean.”]
Oh, she’s playing sick games with some man, right?“]
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Chapter 5
“If you know, you know. Don’t ask too many questions.“]
[“Different circles, different rules. Don’t try to force your way in]
That’s city life! I need to live that for once.“]
[Can’t believe they were only charging $2 for the high–res versions.“]
[“Two bucks? Nah, I saw it going for a dollar earlier. Stop inflating prices.”]
[“Resources like this shouldn’t cost a dime. Drop an emoji, and I’ll send it for free.“]
d it for f
The sheer vulgarity of the comments was suffocating
Rhea’s hands clenched around her phone as her entire body shook with rage. Her skin had turned a sickly pale, and her eyes filled with unshed tears. She, the pampered daughter of a wealthy family, had been reduced to a cheap spectacle. Strangers were leering at her most humiliating moment, and her photos were being passed around for mere dollars
free.
some even for
The rapid escalation of the incident was largely due to the location of the incident a popular hotspot for influencers and social media users. Once photos and videos hit the internet, they caught fire, spreading across platforms faster than the Harper family could dream of controlling. With their own limited financial resources, scrubbing every trace of the incident was a losing battle.
Rhea, humiliated and seething, turned her fury on Mabel To her, this catastrophe had to be Mabel’s doing. She glared daggers at Mabel, her mind racing to piece together any semblance of blame. Yet, frustratingly, there wasn’t a shred of evidence for Rhea to grab. The dress? She’d chosen it herself. The mall? Totally Beatrice’s suggestion. Mabel had barely done: more than tag along, an innocent bystander in the entire incident.
If anything. Mabel had suffered, too her hard–earned dress was now ruined. Even more infuriating for Rhea was that, Mabel hadn’t complained about it to their parents, which in some way almost made her seem… gracious.
But Rhea wasn’t about to let the matter go. Her mind whirred with ways to shift the blame. Just as she was about to burst into tears and accuse Mabel of failing to warn her about the dress’s poor quality, Mabel’s calm, measured voice cut through the tension like a blade.
“Mom, Dad,” Mabel began, her tone steady and deliberate, ‘don’t you think it’s a bit inappropriate to hold a return party for Rhea right now, given everything that’s happened?”
Rhea’s eyes widened in shock, her breath catching. “What did you just say?”
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