Chapter 3

I hadn't even left the community when Marcus called and told me to check the news.

Overwhelming accusations came crashing down.

Cursing me as a heartless woman greedy for money.

Cursing me as an opportunist exploiting my husband's family resources.

Cursing me as a cold-blooded person willing to hurt my disabled spouse for profit.

Various fabricated accusations were pinned on me.

Composite images were interspersed in the reports, looking quite convincing.

"Handle all the false information involving my father. For the rest, prepare legal documents."

I hung up the phone, letting public opinion ferment.

After lunch, I announced this afternoon's livestream.

David called me over a hundred times. I didn't answer any of them.

Finally, he came to Marcus's apartment building, holding a sign and shouting through a megaphone:

"Katherine, everyone is criticizing you now!"

"Your livestream won't help! As long as you're willing to apologize and turn back, I'm willing to forgive you."

I stood upstairs behind the glass, looking down at him coldly.

Sophia grabbed the megaphone with a tone of reconciliation:

"David says he's willing to let it go. Why make things harder for yourself? The livestream will only get you cursed at worse!"

"Just admit your mistake honestly. Your father can still get good care!"

Old Mr. Anderson came too, sitting under an awning, saying gravely:

"Katherine, young people shouldn't act so impulsively."

"Where in the world does a wife divorce her husband just because he changed the lock?"

The constant voices sounded more like final threats to me.

Watching the time reach the scheduled moment.

The livestream started.

As expected, the live comments were full of attacks.

David wasn't about to back down. He started his own livestream using the company's verified account and requested to connect.

The screen instantly split into two frames.

"Katherine, since you're so stubborn, don't blame me for being ruthless."

On David's side of the screen, forged records of my consumption at high-end clubs and compromising chat records scrolled by.

[Sure enough, it's all about money!]

[David is so pitiful. I support the divorce!]

[I'm a lawyer. This kind of woman definitely won't get a cent!]

"How about it? Today let everyone judge for themselves!"

David leaned back smugly in his chair, tapping the table impatiently with his fingers.

I smiled coldly, turned down the air conditioning a bit, and said calmly:

"Do I need to remind everyone how many times this has happened?"

Hearing this, David froze, his movements stiffening. Then he withdrew his hand from tapping the table:

"Stop being mysterious. What do you know about the law?"

"Whether I'm being mysterious or not, you know in your heart, don't you, David?"

Marcus couldn't help but laugh beside me.

This big gift was about to be revealed.

Clearly, everyone was expecting me to drop a bombshell.

The screen switched. My side began playing a surveillance video:

The timestamp showed late at night.

David, wearing a bathrobe, walked freely out of the bedroom door.

He walked to the living room with steady steps, even easily bending down to pick up a cushion from the floor.

Then he faced his phone camera, showing a smug smile, and deliberately walked a few steps to demonstrate his unimpeded stride.

The live comment section exploded instantly:

[This can be livestreamed?]

[So he's perfectly fine?]

[What's wrong with that? Can't he recover well?]

The comments started turning toward David again.

David collapsed completely in his chair, his lips trembling, not daring to look at old Mr. Anderson.

Sophia jumped up to defend him:

"Katherine! What's your intention in showing this video?"

"You clearly know David's rehabilitation training has been remarkably successful! He's recovered well—is that also a crime?"

"How can there be such a narrow-minded woman as you!"

Another wave of attacks in the live comments.

[She's right! The wife doesn't want her husband to recover!]

[If he recovered well, isn't that a good thing?]

[So malicious! Publishing someone's private videos!]

Sophia was extremely pleased, comforting David with one hand while distributing lottery prizes in the livestream to attract more viewers.

"David was driven to this by a cold wife like you. If you hadn't neglected him, how would he have become like this!"

"You deliberately secretly recorded this kind of video—is your psychology twisted?"

"Or do you want to ruin David's reputation so you can win the lawsuit and divide the assets?"

I found it absurdly ridiculous. All the blame was pinned on me, completely absolving David.

As if I were the perpetrator.

David slumped in his chair, crying so hard he almost passed out.

Old Mr. Anderson was so angry his hands shook, pointing at the screen and cursing:

"I thought you really had some grievance! Didn't expect your mind to be so vicious!"

"I'll make sure you leave with nothing. Compensation for damage to my son's reputation—not a cent less!"

One of David's friends couldn't sit still either. He rushed to the camera and glared at me viciously:

"Katherine, when your father was sick, David's family paid for everything. If you have any conscience at all, delete the video immediately!"

"By spreading this video, how can David face people in the future?"

"You've ruined him!"

The number of viewers in the livestream doubled.

Some even threatened to come find me.

The comments were filled with all kinds of insults.

The trending topics were almost entirely accusations of me being ungrateful and defaming my husband.