As she reminisced about the past, the smile that she tried to hide was all too visible to Stella. Stella had a vague inkling that whether it was during their childhood when she encouraged her to get close to Erin, or as they grew older when she manipulated her into falling for Erin, it was all part of Karenâs plan.
Even the later harm inflicted upon her, which she blamed on Erin, was just because Karen knew that Thomas wanted Erin to be the heirâ¦
She was ultimately just a pawn in Karenâs handsâ¦
Yet, the person who treated her as a pawn was still holding her hand and shifting the blame onto others.
âStella, no matter when it started, you have to know that it was Erin who provoked me first. From the moment I stepped into the picture, he constantly insulted me and even called me a homewrecker in private. If you want to blame someone, blame him.â
Stella curled her lips in a bitter smile and suddenly burst into laughter.
âArenât you the homewrecker?â
With tears in her eyes, she stared at her unfamiliar aunt.
âIn order to escape the identity of a small-town girl, you climbed into Thomasâs bed, knowing full well that he was married. Erin saw you wearing his motherâs clothes, fooling around with his father in his motherâs room. He hated you for that. And whatâs more, you forcefully moved into the Simpson family, driving his mother crazy to the point where she jumped off a building. Who else should he blame if not you?â
These things were what Stella had heard from others as she grew older, and even though her worldview had been greatly shaken at the time, she still chose to believe Karenâs explanations.
After all, Karenâs excuse was that she had no power or influence, and she couldnât escape from someone as powerful as Thomas.
But now, Stella realized that Karen was truly talented. She could turn black into white. At that time, she was even grateful to her aunt..
If the harm Erin caused her was a score of ten thousand, then Karenâs was a hundred thousand. The gentle and kind aunt that she believed in turned out to be a facade⦠Even the love she showed her was just a lieâ¦
No wonder Erin treated her like that. How could she not treat Erin well while secretly tormenting him?
Karen hadnât read many books, but she had exceptional acting skillsâ¦
She pretended to care about Erin on the surface but tortured him behind his back. She deceived Stella from beginning to end, there was nothing truthful about herâ¦.
Stellaâs heart ached so much that it felt like it was bleeding This truth, presented in front of her, was more painful than death itself because she truly regarded Karen as her mother, a mother who had redeemed herâ¦
Stella couldnât control herself anymore. She raised her hand and covered her tearful eyes. How could Karen be so cruel? Why did she treat her as a mere pawn, a pawn she had used for over twenty years? How could she hurt her like thisâ¦.
âStella, as Iâve told you, Thomas forced me into this. I didnât willingly become the homewreckerâ¦â
Hearing such a deceitful excuse, Stella stopped talking, Arguing with someone of twisted morals would only make her seem foolish.
She wiped away her tears, pushed away the hand that had been covering hers, and slowly stood up, supporting herself against the edge of the sofaâ¦
There was no need to ask anymore. Those people who fell into the water by accident, Erin must have sent someone to get rid of them after he found out about his own gang rape. The others who escaped and were imprisoned, Karen must have bribed them not to speak Only Karen knew, but she wouldnât tell Stella. After those thugs were released from prison, Erin sent people to kill them.
At the time, those thugs sought refuge with her, threatening to expose the truth if she didnât give them money to leave the country. In order to keep them under control, Karen used Bartâs account to transfer money and help them escape.
Erin never investigated the thugsâ accounts at that time; he just sent people to track them down and have them killed. Most of the accidental deaths of those thugs were the result of Erinâs actions.
Erin probably never expected that because of his hatred, he not only solved her hidden dangers but also allowed her to reap the benefits.
Karen thought of this and looked up at Stella, who had turned to grab her bag.
âStella, Iâve never killed anyone. Even if you know the truth, you can only hate me, but I will never face legal consequences for these old mattersâ