I Dumped My Ex and Married His Uncle

Dayana Stone felt a flicker of annoyance at the maid's words, but she rose and headed for the dining room.

There, Nora Porter—elegant in a vintage-style gown—stood surrounded by a cluster of wealthy heiresses. A cup of coffee balanced between her poised fingers. She was just about to take a sip when an urgent voice cut through the chatter. "Miss Nora, don't drink that! Someone tampered with it!"

Nora startled. "What do you mean?"

The maid's gaze slid to Dayana, knowing and sharp. "I saw it with my own eyes. Miss Dayana went into the kitchen and put something in your coffee—some kind of drug, most likely."

Faces went taut.

The Porter family was all too familiar with the kidnapping three years ago. Nora had vanished after drinking drugged coffee—that was how her abductors had taken her without a sound. Hearing that her drink might have been compromised again drained the color from Nora's face. The cup slipped from her fingers and shattered on the floor.

The crash of ceramic drew curious glances from nearby guests.

Nora's eyes welled with tears. She buried her face in her mother's arms. "Mom... I'm scared..."

Her mother, Sheila Stone, knew exactly what Nora was remembering. Gently, she soothed her. "That's in the past now. Don't worry."

Then she turned to Dayana. "Haven't you learned your lesson?"

With so many guests watching, Sheila didn't dare accuse her outright—not with the family's reputation on the line. But Dayana understood the warning.

The old accusation resurfacing made Dayana want to laugh. She never thought Nora would use this again—twisting the knife in the same old wound.

"It wasn't me." Dayana's gaze flicked to the coffee pot. Nora loved coffee; the setup seemed tailor-made for her. "I did go to the kitchen, but only to grab a bite. I didn't drug her."

The maid pressed on. "But I swear I saw Miss Dayana add something. I'd stake my life on it."

With that impassioned claim, the maid looked like a defender standing up to power, and the crowd answered with murmurs and judgmental stares.

Sheila was worried about the fallout—especially since it was family business—and would have preferred to handle it privately. Yet Nora spoke up, calm as ever. "Mom, it's probably just a misunderstanding."

"Dayana spent three years reflecting and working on herself. She wouldn't make the same mistake twice—I believe she's innocent."

Gasps rippled through the crowd.

The revelation that the second Munoz daughter had spent time in prison—rather than studying abroad, as everyone believed—stunned the elite circle.

To these wealthy ladies, the word prison was worlds away from their lives. They understood that a mark like that could taint a reputation forever, bar her from any political ambitions, and even affect future generations.

The room buzzed with fresh gossip.

Nora suddenly covered her mouth, feigning surprise at her supposed slip. Her face filled with remorse. "Oh, I've had too much to drink. I'm babbling nonsense. Please, everyone, don't mind me. How could my sister have been in prison?"

But it was too late. Her words had landed, and the more she tried to take them back, the more the crowd believed what she'd said the first time.

"Dayana, you just got back from abroad—have you settled in with the time difference?" Nora asked, her sweet tone doing nothing to hide the tension underneath. "It's our birthday today. I've prepared a special gift for you. Shall we go see it?"

Perhaps drawn by the commotion, Carter Munoz and his friends came downstairs. They caught Nora's vulnerable act as she apologized to Dayana—eyes moist, hands fidgeting.

Dayana met Nora's eyes.

This wasn't the first time Nora had played the blameless victim—and it surely wouldn't be the last.

Dayana pressed her lips together, feeling the weight of suspicion settle around her.

Had she really done anything wrong?

Why should she be falsely accused and dragged through Nora's schemes again?

Was three years behind bars not punishment enough?

By exposing her imprisonment, wasn't Nora making it clear she meant to ruin whatever was left of Dayana's life?

Fine. Then let it all collapse.