Laura’s Victory Second Chance

Laura felt a wave of relief wash over her as the tension inside her finally eased.

David raised his hand, his fingers shaking. His cold gaze was fixed on Olivia wishing desperately that this was all just a bad dream. “What else do you have to say for yourself?”

Olivia’s mind raced as she scrambled for the best words to save herself.

Robert’s heart raced with anxiety. He was the one who had started this mess. If Olivia told the truth, he’d be seen as a scumbag. For the first time, the guy who had always been considered excellent since childhood was gripped by fear of the price for what he had done.

Elara rolled her eyes. “It’s clear. Olivia saw my son’s charm and tried to seduce him.” Her tone was sharp, a warning to Olivia to keep quiet or face the consequences.

Olivia wasn’t naive; she had planned to shift all the blame onto Robert. But doing that could ruin her reputation and cut her off from the Brown family. After weighing her options, she decided it was better to protect them–for now, at least. “Dad, I’m sorry. Laura, it’s all my fault. It has nothing to do with Robert.”

The video showed Robert was the one making the first move, and if Olivia backed down now, she could save herself. Playing the victim would make people think she was the only one suffering.

David finally gave her a slap. “You’ve brought shame to the Sharpe family.”

Blood trickled from the corner of Olivia’s mouth, her cheeks flushed from the impact of Elara’s and David’s slaps. She stumbled toward Laura, her eyes wide with guilt.

“Laura, I’m so sorry. I should have told you sooner. I never meant to come between you and Robby. I hid it because I was afraid it would hurt you. All of this is my fault…”

Tears streamed down her face. The two of them made a mistake but she was the only one to bear the consequences.

Laura had to admit she was impressed by Olivia’s talent for playing the victim. No matter what Olivia did, she could shift everyone’s sympathy her way. Now, as tears streamed down her cheeks and her body trembled like a leaf in the wind, it almost felt like Laura owed her something.

“Afraid I would be hurt?” Laura sneered. But Olivia continued, not letting Laura get a word in.

“I’m ashamed to face you or the Sharpe family after everything that’s happened.”

Suddenly, Olivia bolted toward a pillar in the hall. Laura was stunned as she thought, ‘How could this woman, who just moments ago looked fragile, run so fast in her high heels?‘

“Liv!” Emma and David rushed forward, but it was too late. Olivia hit her head against the pillar, blood spraying across her face.

“Laura, I owe you… I’ll repay you with my life…” With that, she collapsed into David’s arms.

Laura was only speechless.

The story had veered so far off course that no one knew where it was headed now. But Laura knew Olivia’s selfish nature well; she wouldn’t sacrifice herself so easily. This was just her way of fighting back.

Acting on his instincts, Joshua quickly stepped in to check on Olivia. “Mr. and Mrs. Sharpe, don’t worry. I’ll stop the bleeding right away. Everyone else, please step back and let me handle this emergency.”

Robert stared at the alarming red pool on the floor. He had been involved with Olivia, so he couldn’t completely ignore the situation. Seeing her take all the blame filled him with an uncomfortable mix of gratitude and guilt.

The guiltier he felt toward Olivia, the more he despised Laura. “Laura, this was supposed to be between us. Sure, I’m sorry for what I did to you, but by dragging the two families into this, are you really happy with how it turned out?”

Laura knew his cold glare revealed his true feelings.

Emma’s eyes brimmed with tears and anger. “Laura, if we had known you were so ungrateful, we would have never let you into our home!

“I treated you like my own daughter and gave you the best of everything. Before Liv got back, I talked to you, and you said you were fine with her

return and would treat her like a sister.

“Is this how you treat family? You’ve schemed to ruin her reputation and the Sharpe family’s name. Are you satisfied now?”

Emma’s words stirred the crowd. People who had criticized Olivia before were beginning to rethink their stance.

“Sure, Robert and Olivia shouldn’t have had an affair behind her back, but pushing her to this point? That’s too much.”

172

3:23 PM

Chapter 28

“Maybe Robert knew what kind of person Laura really is, which is why he fell for Olivia.”

“To be honest, Olivia is kind and loving; I can’t believe she could be the ‘other woman. Robert must have pressured her. Now that it’s all out in the open, she feels guilty and thinks the only way to make it right is to end her life. That’s sad.”

“Laura is being too harsh. Robert has a point: this should have stayed between the three of them. Making it public seems cruel. Poor Olivia is the one being sacrificed here.” Contentt bel0ngs to N0ve/lDrâ/ma.O(r)g!

“Thinking about it, Laura has known about their affair for a while but chose to expose it today. She clearly doesn’t respect the Sharpe family. Even if Olivia hurt her, David and Emma have treated her kindly. What she’s done is a betrayal of their trust.”

“That saying about women’s hearts? It rings true here. Everyone is just a pawn in Laura’s game. Who knows, she might have even drugged Robert and Olivia.”

“Wow, that’s a bit harsh. It gives me chills. Laura really is a cold–hearted woman.”

“Or a fickle, treacherous backstabber.”

Laura watched the crowd’s reactions with a steady expression. Olivia was truly talented at flipping the situation to her advantage. In a matter of moments, she had turned the narrative around, and now everyone was on her side blaming Laura.

“Have you all finished?” Laura asked, straightening up and casting a sharp glance over the crowd.

“Ms. Sharpe, are we mistaken?” someone asked.

With a smile, Laura replied, “Mr. Sinclair.”

“Here,” Gary Yarwood from James’s legal team stepped forward. “Ms. Godfrey, what do you need?”

“Did you record everyone who insulted me here?”

“Don’t worry, Ms. Godfrey. There are surveillance cameras in the hall. Everything that happened is on tape, and we can pull the footage anytime. Plus, there are plenty of witnesses.”

A young man interjected, “Insult? We’re just speaking the truth here.”

Laura stood confidently beneath the crystal chandelier, her hands clasped behind her back. “Whether it’s the truth or defamation will be settled in court. Honestly, any statement that strays from the truth made here is grounds for

my lawsuit.”