Chapter 80

The netizens who watched Gabriela'shigh school teacher's video were completely stunned.

Some of them suddenly realized that she had only taken that bar job to scrape together her tuition,rather than mess around with unsavory characters.

But then came the voice of a baffled netizen."Gabriela busted her back working part-time just to stay in school, yet her cousin dragged her name through the mud, calling her shameless and without dignity. Here's what I don't get. Why did she suddenly burn with a raging fever on the very days of the college entrance exams? Something about the whole story feels off, like puzzle pieces that don't quite fit. I just pray the truth isn't as cold and ugly as the thought gnawing at the back of my mind."

Farley had been quietly tracking the online chatter all

When he saw the latest rumors swirling,he made a snap decision and asked his young neighbor to post the photos of Gabriela's burned arm.

Because the post carried Gabriela's name, it ignited like dry tinder. Shares multiplied, comments poured in, and by morning, the young man's account had surged by over a hundred thousand followers.

He was left blinking at the numbers, utterly floored.

Farley then recorded another video and clarified the story behind those photos. "When Gabriela was a child, Phyllis made a sport of tormenting her by kicking her out of bed in the dead of night, slicing her school uniforms into rags, and letting her starve. At school, Phyllis rallied others to shun her, spreading lies that tarnished her reputation. And Gabriela...she just clenched her jaw and endured it. Before her college entrance exams, Phyllis stormed into her room at midnight with a kettle of boiling water.Gabriela woke in time to shield her face, but her left arm... The skin came away in layers. She burned with fever until the exams were over. If she hadn't woken up, her face would have been ruined forever."

Farley's eyes glistened red as he spoke. The memory alone was enough to tear him apart.

If Alanna had known what her daughter endured,it would have shattered her.

The video revealed the harsh truth with photos of angry red burns on Gabriela's arm, accompanied by Farley's raw account.

Viewers couldn't watch without feeling a knot in their chests. Comments flooded in.

"Honestly, Phyllis is a monster. She and her family are toxic to the core. Alanna paid off Phyllis's mother's debts, gave them a home, even handed them a company. No one asked them to treat Gabriela like royalty, but the bare minimum of treating her like a human being wasn't too much to ask."

"If Alanna had left her daughter with a random family,Gabriela would have had a far better life than this." was wrong to criticize Gabriela. I owe her an apology."

"Count me in."

"Same here."

The moment Gabriela returned to her room at Moss Manor, she locked the door and sat by the window,phone in hand, watching the online tide turn in her favor.

In just hours, she had flipped the board entirely.

Now, it was Phyllis and her family who were in the crosshairs, with public fury beating down on them like relentless waves. Any hope of a quiet New Year had gone up in smoke.

Soon, some netizens gathered outside Rosemont Gardens, shouting for Phyllis and her family to return the house to Gabriela.

The gates stayed sealed, the windows dark. Not a single face dared show itself to the mob outside.

Inside, the air was equally tense. Marie's voice sliced through the living room like a whip. "I told you to stop, but you just had to keep going. Now Wesley doesn't even have to lift a finger. The netizens are lashing out at you."

Phyllis's complexion had turned ashen. Her hands shook, and her eyes darted toward the curtained windows.

She couldn't fathom how netizens who had been hurling stones at Gabriela just yesterday had,overnight, turned their pitchforks on her. Now they were at her very doorstep, and it overwhelmed her.

Questions spun in her mind, each one colder than the last.

What was she supposed to do now? And,her future?What would her friends think of her now? Could she still command the room, bask in the glow of admirers,like before? Her chest tightened; panic threatened to spill over.

Seeing her unravel, Dustin wrapped his arms around her. "Don't be afraid. We'll handle this. I've already called the police. They'll be here soon to clear out the crowd."

Josh was baffled. "Marie, explain this to me. Didn't we already agree to give the house back to Gabriela?So why the hell are we still being dragged through the mud like this?"

Marie's eyes narrowed, her tone a mix of disdain and resentment. "Because your sweet niece isn't just some helpless victim. She knows how to work the crowd. And because your darling sister kept her will from you when she entrusted her daughter to you."She leaned in, each word deliberate. "Call Gabriela.Tell her we'll be out after the New Year. And make it very clear that this mob at our gates needs to vanish.Today."

When Gabriela picked up, Josh's voice cracked instantly. "Gabriela! It's me!" The sound of him crying made something in her chest tighten with guilt, unwelcome but undeniable.No matter what Marie and Phyllis had done, Josh had never treated her with malice.

But guilt wasn't enough to soften her resolve. She'd swallowed her pride for years, enduring quietly, and this was the moment she'd been sharpening her patience for.

The house was just the first domino. Next came the company, until every ounce of power was back in her hands.

"Uncle Josh, I'll make sure everyone knows you've always been good to me," Gabriela said softly, but with an edge beneath it.

That way the public's anger wouldn't reach him.

Josh broke entirely, words tangled with sobs. "I didn't know... God, I didn't know you'd been through all that. Gabriela, I'm so,so sorry."

When his sobs ebbed intosilence,she ended the call and typed a short message to Farley. "We did it."

After reading the message, Farley looked around at the peeling wallpaper and sagging beams of his home. In his mind, he was back in the glittering boardrooms of years past, standing at Alanna's side,untouchable.

His eyes stung, his jaw tightened.

"I kept my word, Ms. Haynes," he mumbled under his breath.

Aubrey had stayed quiet through the entire online firestorm, watching it burn from the sidelines.

By the time she called Gabriela again, the exhilaration of witnessing Phyllis's downfall had faded.Her voice quivered on the line. "Gabriela, how could your life have been this awful? You must have been so desperate back then. If I'd known you then,I swear I would've ripped Phyllis to shreds for you!"

"| wasn't desperate," Gabriela replied with a soft laugh that carried a hint of mischief. "If I'd had spare time, I'd have rather spent it on a good meal and a long nap."

Aubrey paused, certain Gabriela was just putting on a brave face. Her voice dropped to a tender murmur. "I really want to hug you right now."

Gabriela smirked. "Go hug Kevin instead. I'm actally in a great mood, and your crying will wreck it."

Aubrey, primed for a teary sisterly moment,blinked at the rejection.

How could Gabriela be so mean?

After ending the call, Gabriela tucked away any trace of emotion, squared her shoulders, and planned to head downstairs to make dinner.

The moment she opened her door, however, she nearly collided with Loretta and Miriam.

Miriam had been glued to every scrap of online gossip about Gabriela. When the mob attacked,she'd dived in headfirst, battling strangers in the comments section like a knight with a Wi-Fi connection.

When the tide turned, her heart ached for Gabriela's past struggles. She'd grabbed Loretta by the arm,determined to check on Gabriela in person.

They stood outside her room, pacing like sentries,torn between knocking and leaving her in peace.

The moment Gabriela stepped out, Loretta and Miriam turned toward her like sunflowers tracking the light, their faces brimming with tenderness.

Without hesitation, they each wrapped an arm around her, sandwiching her between them.

"You've been through enough, Gabriela," Miriam said firmly. "From now on, this is your home."

"That's right," Loretta chimed in, her tone fierce."Stick by my side and I'd like to see anyone try to mess with you again."

Even Brenden muscled his way into the huddle, his hand landing gently on her shoulder. "Stay strong, Gabriela. You're the best."

Gabriela couldn't decide whether to laugh or cry.

Yes,the past had carved its marks into her, but she'd never been the type to sit in the ruins and weep over them.

If she'd let grief swallow her whole after her mother's death, she'd never have made it through those endless, poisoned nights under the same roof as Phyllis, who seemed born for the sole purpose of breaking her spirit.

"I'm fine," she said at last, a faint smile tugging at her lips. "So... what are we having for dinner? I'll cook."

"Absolutely not," Loretta replied, finger raised in mock severity. "The garden's in bloom, and you're going to enjoy it. Go walk among the flowers,breathe some fresh air, and let your mind settle. Tonight, I'm the one cooking for you."

With Loretta's order and Miriam's encouraging nod,Gabriela knew resistance was pointless. She gave a lighthearted salute and turned toward the garden path.

Brenden moved as if to follow, but Loretta caught him by the arm.

"And where exactly do you think you're going?" she asked."Come with me."

Brenden's gaze followed Gabriela's retreating figure,and a quiet sigh slipped from him.

She liked him, but he couldn't return the feeling.Better to keep his distance than risk turning things painfully awkward.

So he stayed put beside Loretta.

Out in the garden, Gabriela wandered along the path until her steps slowed.

By a cluster of blossoms stood Wesley. The pale white of his sweater caught the light, setting off the clean lines of his frame. His taIl figure seemed almost carved into the scene, a quiet anchor amidst the spill of color. For a moment, she forgot to breathe.

Wesley, aloof and untouchable as he always was,looked entirely different here, softened by the dappled light and the delicate flowers. There was a refined grace to him now, something almost magnetic.

Gabriela let out a bitter laugh.

He was such a remarkable man, yet his heart held no room for women.

Wesley's gaze shifted, meeting hers. His voice,stripped of its usual cool edge, came low and steady."Come here."