Chapter 104



Jake evaded Kallie’s question with an icy demeanor.

Instead, he said, “Why won’t you visit the hospital? Do you realize Sarah is suffering from a severe wound? She’s got a huge scar stitched across her forehead. The doctor warned it might be permanent. Imagine how she must feel.”

Kallie sensed the accusation in Jake’s gaze, struggling to hold back her tears. She gestured with trembling hands that she didn’t mind Jake showing concern for Sarah, but requested to leave her out of it since she was not to blame.

Jake let out a dry chuckle, tinged with annoyance. “Do I need to spell it out for you, Kallie? Why are you so quick to defend Ethan? It makes me question what’s really going on between you two.”

Kallie felt her heart shatter. She firmly explained that her relationship with Ethan was none of his business, emphasizing there was nothing going on between her and Ethan, and neither of them would offer an apology over an incident irrelevant to them.

“Oh?” The word escaped Jake’s lips sharply, tightening his features in displeasure.

He stormed off after giving Kallie a parting warning: “This is your choice. Make sure you don’t regret it later!”

As the door slammed shut, a chill ran through Kallie’s heart. With Jake gone, she no longer felt the need to pretend to be strong. Tears streamed down her cheeks freely.

Even though she had prepared herself mentally and warned herself not to have any illusions about Jake, the pain was still sharp when the moment arrived.

Meanwhile, Jake sat in his car, his expression stern.

Edgar, who was at the wheel, kept silent, not daring to speak.

Jake lit a cigarette, his gaze turning frostier with each puff as he released what seemed like pent-up fury. His forearms tensed, veins standing out as he struggled to contain his rage, like a caged beast on the brink of eruption.

Suddenly, Jake’s phone buzzed. He cast a brief glance at it and then dismissively hung up without a word.

It was a call from the Miller family.

Gathering some courage, Edgar ventured, “The Miller family are all at the hospital, having caught wind of the incident. They’re all pointing fingers at your wife.”

“And? That’s not my problem.” Jake scoffed, his voice saturated with sarcasm. “I tried to help her, but she’s too wrapped up in clearing Ethan’s name. If she’s that obsessed with defending him, why should I even bother?”

Before the fall, only Sarah, Kallie, and Ethan were around the scene. Sarah’s bodyguards kept their distance.

By the time Jake arrived after learning of Sarah’s fall, he had only seen Kallie and Ethan. Outside, the media swarmed.

Truth be told, the Miller family didn’t bother Jake. However, once the story exploded online, everything changed.

Ethan had his family’s support and could deal with the aftermath if the blame was shifted onto him.

Despite the ongoing investigation regarding the truth, Jake felt shifting the blame on Ethan seemed the wise choice to protect Kallie, as it could easily distract the Miller family. Yet, Kallie only seemed to care about defending Ethan, negating all of his efforts on her behalf. What was the point, then?

Edgar could see Jake’s anger brewing. “Mr. Reeves, are we really going to just stand by?”

Jake’s eyes shifted toward the room where Kallie was. The lights were still on. He responded in a huff, “Yeah. If she needs anything, she can turn to Ethan. Why should I be concerned? Let’s head to the hospital.”

At Jake’s final sentence, Edgar sighed softly. He knew very well that Jake wouldn’t really just sit by and ignore Kallie. The couple had their complications, and as an outsider, his opinions were limited.

Kallie had endured a turbulent night, her phone inundated with messages by morning.

The incident had ignited widespread gossip, spawning numerous speculations.

Some speculated that Ethan and Sarah had been a couple, with Kallie as the interloper. They suggested that during an argument, Ethan had pushed Sarah to defend Kallie.

Others believed that Kallie and Ethan shared a secretive relationship that Sarah had uncovered, leading the duo to conspire against Sarah.

Regardless of the rumors, the situation painted Kallie and Ethan in a deeply negative light.

What added to the complexity of the situation was some insiders leaking details online. “Things aren’t as straightforward as they seem.”

A scandalous narrative of the complex relationship involving Kallie, Ethan, Jake, and Sarah quickly circulated across social media channels.

One netizen commented, “So, the injured girl was the other woman, huh? But quiet Kallie isn’t as innocent as she looks. Beneath her gentle exterior lies a woman caught in an extramarital affair.”

Another countered, “Hey, don’t spread rumors. I know the real story. Jake and Sarah have been an item since their school days. Kallie, using her status as the foster daughter of the Reeves family, coerced Jake into marrying her. Yet, she continued to be involved with other men even after their marriage. She has the audacity to label Sarah as the other woman! If I were Jake, I’d stray as well. You simply can’t pamper a woman like that.”

A third chimed in, “Nah, I think Sarah’s fall was no accident. It reeks of a setup. I suspect a conspiracy…”

The online rage escalated by the minute.

Kallie found it increasingly difficult to disregard the harsh words. Though she had always been surrounded by hostility, this was her first encounter with such widespread online condemnation.

Confronted with those vile comments, Kallie felt overwhelmed by helplessness and anger, and she was concerned about potentially dragging the Hayes family and Hayden into the mess.

Initially, Kallie had intended for Irene to contact them on her behalf, and she planned to stay indoors for a while to avoid any further complications.

However, before Kallie could contact Irene, support for Kallie had been declared online.

Hayden’s statement, in particular, caused quite a stir. His post read, “I know Kallie well. Normally, I would stay out of online controversies, but the level of malice here is astonishing. Why attack someone you don’t even know so viciously? If you’re not privy to the facts, perhaps silence is the wiser choice.”

Several of Hayden’s followers echoed his sentiments by sharing his post.

Kallie was initially taken aback, but above all, she felt a deep sense of gratitude.

However, despite these voices rising in Kallie’s defense, the onslaught was relentless.

Soon, the Miller family tracked Kallie down.

As Kallie exited the residential area, several black sedans rolled up, effectively blocking her path. Burly men emerged from the vehicles, each exuding an air of menace.

The group’s leader seized Kallie’s arm with a rough grip. “Apologies, miss, but someone’s requesting your presence. You need to come with us,” he stated firmly.

Kallie attempted to resist, but her efforts were futile against the man’s strength. Mute and unable to voice her protest, she resorted to typing on her phone: “What do you want?”

The man responded with a cold smirk. “You’ll find out soon enough. Don’t worry. It’s a lawful society. We’re not going to harm you.”

A sudden realization struck Kallie. “You’re with the Miller family, aren’t you?”

Her question was met with nothing more than a disdainful snort as she was forcefully ushered into one of the cars.

Meanwhile, Ethan, concerned for Kallie, decided to check on her. He arrived just in time to witness her being shoved into the sedan by the menacing group.

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