Chapter 9
He stared at Tina in disbelief, then whipped around to look at me, eyes filled with the agony of complete betrayal.
The carefully prepared bouquet slipped from his loosened grip.
It hit the ground with a dull thud, bright petals scattering everywhere.
“You.”
His Adam’s apple bobbed violently, voice carrying one last desperate challenge.
“Savannah, did you really take fifty million from my mother?“[]
Was everything you did for me–was it all just about money from start to finish?!”
He pushed past my parents who were still screaming about “fifty million.”
He stumbled toward me, eyes bloodshot with unshed tears, voice breaking into a desperate roar.[]
“Tell me! All that care, those notes, helping me with everything… was it all fake? All for MONEY?! Answer me!!!”
The lobby fell dead silent.
Every eye locked on me.]
I didn’t explain. Didn’t get angry. Didn’t even flinch.]
I just looked calmly back into his bloodshot eyes.[]
Then, with everyone watching, under Dylan’s desperate gaze…]
I gave a small nod
“Yes.”
That single word shattered the last glimmer of light in Dylan’s eyes.]
He staggered back a step, face going deathly pale, like all the strength had been sucked out of him in an instant.[]
“Did you never… not even once… actually like me?”
I answered honestly.
“I did.”
“But the moment you started making jokes at my expense, I realized you weren’t worth my feelings.“]
I didn’t spare him another glance, didn’t acknowledge my raving parents behind me.]
I called security and had all the troublemakers escorted out.
As expected, my parents weren’t about to give up their golden goose without a fight.]
First came the endless phone calls and abusive texts.
Then they somehow found social media reporters to camp outside my building, livestreaming with their phones raised.]
“International designer Savannah Lane–ungrateful daughter! Abandons parents, hoards fifty million fortune!“]
Next, they dragged themselves to the local women’s federation, wailing about how I’d “gotten too big for my britches and disowned my parents.”
Online criticism and hate started pouring in from people who didn’t know the full story.
Too bad for them–they seriously underestimated me.]
I wasn’t that helpless little girl anymore.
My legal team immediately fired off cease–and–desist letters and public statements, quickly filing evidence with the courts.]
Meanwhile, my PR firm started managing the narrative and exposing the truth.[]
The most devastating counterattack came from my witnesses.
My high school homeroom teacher gave detailed testimony about how my parents had sabotaged my education.]
Several neighbors who’d watched me grow up confirmed the chronic abuse I’d endured at home.]]
One neighbor lady was particularly fired up, pounding the table as she testified:
“Absolutely shameless! Savannah wasn’t even eighteen when her parents tried to sell her off to some old widower in the next village for money! The guy was older than her father! If Savannah hadn’t been smart enough to run, they would’ve destroyed hert
The forensic medical reports documenting old injuries were damning evidence.
Public opinion flipped overnight.]]
C
