Chapter 3

“The police? What do you think you're doing?”

Connor's face changed color.

He lunged for the phone in my hand.

Julius blocked him.

“What are you so afraid of?”

“You said you weren't slandering Nellie. Then let the police clear her name for you.”

Connor's whole manner shifted.

“Julius, half the reason I took such a huge risk to expose Nellie today was for your sake!”

“Marry a used-up little slut like her, and your grandfather might beat you to death. He'd cut you out of the inheritance!”

Diana chimed in too.

“Exactly!”

“Look at my Bella. Grown this old and she's never so much as touched a man's hand.”

“That's the kind of good girl a man should take home as a wife!”

Isabella Henson lowered her head, all bashful.

Julius didn't spare her a single glance. He only sneered.

“I trust who Nellie is.”

The woman glowing with white light let her eyes linger on Julius, aching with longing.

“Last time too, only he and Mom and Dad believed me. But the talk was so loud, so vicious. I couldn't bear to drag them down with me.”

I pressed my lips together and dialed 911 without a second's hesitation.

“Is this the police?”

“I'm at the Grandview Hotel.”

“There's someone in the second-floor banquet hall spreading false statements about me……”

I thought about it and swallowed back the part about passing a student's private information around.

I changed it to: “falsely accusing someone and damaging their reputation!”

In an instant Connor turned smug.

There was a thread of contempt in the way he looked at me.

“I didn't even want to say any of this. You're the one who demanded it from me. How is that spreading false statements?”

Diana let out a snort too.

“You think the police will take your side just because they show up?”

“Better own up to what you did yourself, or the only one left humiliated will be you!”

“I'm sure Old Mr. Simmons would never want a piece of trash as his granddaughter-in-law!”

Aunt Marge stepped up to talk me down.

“Nellie, apologize to your cousin and your aunt.”

“If this really blows up, Old Mr. Simmons will come after your mom and dad!”

“Your parents' business still depends on the Simmons family!”

“You wouldn't drag your own parents down with you, would you?”

Diana looked at me with meaning in her eyes.

“A girl who only cares about her own fun and freedom, how could she ever think about her parents?”

“Poor second brother and his wife, this is their only daughter. When they're old, I'm afraid they'll have no one but my Connor to look after them!”

“You two old folks had better keep your eyes open. Whatever you do, don't hand your assets to her!”

“Give them to my son, or when you're old, you won't even have anyone to see you off in the end!”

By now the fox's tail was fully out.

So this whole family didn't just want to hijack my marriage. They wanted to drain us dry, to swallow the assets my parents had worked so hard to build.

My father was shaking with rage.

“I know my own daughter!”

“I'd sooner donate every cent than leave a single dollar to people who slander her!”

“You……” Diana was livid. “Your daughter's been used up till her insides are ruined. No telling if she can even have kids. Your branch can just sit and wait to die out!”

That line was too vicious.

It had my father ready to swing at her on the spot.

Connor planted himself right in front of my dad.

“You old wreck, you touch one finger on my mother and see what happens.”

“My mom has a son. Do you?”

“All you've got is this one daughter, and she's a shameless whore!”

“Smack!”

The crisp sound of a slap rang out.

Julius had stepped in for me.

“You dare hit me? Twenty grand a slap. You're not leaving till you pay!”

Julius picked up his phone at once and transferred forty grand to him.

“Then that buys one more slap.”

“Smack!”

His backhand landed a second one.

Oh, that felt good.

Right then, the police arrived.

The whole banquet hall went quiet again.