Chapter 5

"Liam, Stella lost control again. I was only trying to help her just now. I told her there was a beautiful painting over there that she could go look at, and suddenly she got angry, shoved me, and started calling me a b*tch."

"Stella came to the banquet?" Liam looked at me in surprise, but the moment our eyes met, the anger in his gaze became impossible to hide.

"If you were coming, why didn't you tell me? Why can't you ever control your temper? Why do you always have to hurt Mandy? Do I really have to send you to a psychiatric hospital and lock you up for treatment before you'll stop?"

The crowd around us immediately began whispering.

"Stella Tanner? Isn't she that genius painter?"

"How did she end up like this? I heard she's mentally unstable now."

Watching Liam blindly take Mandy's side without even hearing me out, I almost laughed from disbelief.

"Liam, I haven't even explained anything yet, and you already believe every word she says?

"If there's so little trust left in this marriage, then what's the point of staying together? Let's get divorced."

Liam let out a cold laugh, clearly furious.

"You think I wouldn't dare?

"I'm sick of constantly cleaning up your messes behind you. Fine. Divorce it is. I'll have my secretary bring the papers over right now."

His words slammed into my chest like a heavy blow.

I pressed a hand against my aching heart and let out a mocking laugh.

"Don't flatter yourself too much. We still don't know whose mess this really is."

I took the divorce papers from the secretary and signed them.

When I saw Liam sign his name immediately afterward, without even a moment of hesitation, the last trace of warmth in my heart vanished.

I gave a sarcastic laugh and turned toward Sam.

"Sam, I have two very interesting things I'd like everyone here to see. Could you help me play them?"

Sam instantly understood. He took the things from my hand and headed backstage.

I looked back at Liam.

"Open your eyes and take a good look.

"See who the truly vicious woman is.

"And see what a complete idiot you've been."

Liam's brows tightened even further.

A moment later, the giant screen lit up.

The footage showed exactly what had happened moments ago: Mandy deliberately staging the entire scene and framing me.

I was no longer the insecure, timid twenty-eight-year-old Stella.

The moment Mandy stopped me earlier, I had already started recording with my phone.

Her venomous voice rang through the hall.

"…Tonight, I'm going to ruin you completely."

In the video, I never touched her.

Instead, Mandy grabbed my hand herself before throwing her own body into the champagne tower.

The crowd stared at her in shock.

Mandy's face instantly turned pale.

Then the footage switched again.

This time, it showed the fire from years ago.

On screen, Mandy stood there arrogantly threatening a maid.

"Go trick Stella into coming to my room. Tell her I destroyed the painting she planned to submit to the competition and want to apologize to her.

"That way, when the fire starts, she'll become the one everyone blames.

"And if you don't do exactly what I say, your mother lying in that hospital bed is going to die. Understand?"

By the time the video ended, panic had completely overtaken Mandy's face.

"No! These videos are fake! Don't believe her!"

Charles stared at her with his mouth hanging open in disbelief.

"Mandy… how could you be this kind of person?

"You went this far bullying my mom?"

Liam stood frozen before the screen, his expression terrifyingly dark.

Mandy looked at him fearfully, tears gathering in her eyes.

"Liam, listen to my explanation, I…"

Liam suddenly raised his hand and slapped her hard across the face.