Mistakenly Regarded As A Love Rival By Stepmother

So now having a good figure was my fault?

Looking up, I saw Mariyah and the group of "wealthy wives", dressed in expensive luxury designer outfits, glaring at me, though I could tell some of their clothes were fake.

I had studied abroad years ago, and many of the guests here didn't recognize me.

Wiping my face clean, I looked straight into Mariyah's furious eyes.

"You're Mariyah, right? You've made a mistake. I'm not the maid, and you'd better apologize to me immediately."

Thinking it over, I left some room for compromise, assuming my dad had done something wrong.

After all, raising me hadn't been easy for him, and now that he had given me a huge fortune, I didn't want to ruin the rest of his life.

But Mariyah just scoffed and spat out venomous words.

"I've seen plenty of whores like you. Liars, every one of you!"

She yanked on the apron I was wearing, her tone aggressive.

"I'll teach you a good lesson today. I saw you on the security cameras, and you were shaking Jaime's arm and calling him baby!

"How shameful! He's old enough to be your father!"

She showed me a video clip.

I couldn't help but laugh.

That day, my dad and I were discussing how to organize my mom's death anniversary, and I joked that if my mom were still alive, Dad would still be her baby.

A little playful teasing between father and daughter had now become material for Mariyah to twist into something else entirely.

What a joke.

"What are you laughing at?" Mariyah demanded.

I shook my head. "Nothing. Mariyah, why don't you ask Jaime yourself who I am and what my relationship with him is?"

"I don't need to ask! Fiona Zamora, I've already investigated it. I know where you're from and how many men you've tricked. You're nothing but trash, trying to make men pity you!"

I was speechless. I'd taken my mom's last name, and all Mariyah could do after all her "investigation" was slander me?

Her behavior was worlds apart from the gentleness my dad had described.

"Nothing to say now, right? Kneel and apologize in the live stream!" Mariyah taunted, growing bolder.

The other wealthy wives took the chance to vent as well.

"Do you think Jaime's going to protect you? Dream on, he's just playing with you."

"You're young. Why not get a decent job?"

"Girls like her? She's good at selling herself. She's fishing for a big catch. Ladies, we've got to keep a close watch on our husbands!"

Mariyah publicly humiliated me in the livestream, egged on by the crowd of onlookers.

"Thank goodness we have these wives standing up for justice! Let's send gifts to make sure no more whores dare to try this again!" cheered the viewers.

It was clear to me now. Mariyah thought of herself as some kind of righteous avenger.

"If you won't ask, I'll let Jaime come here and explain himself."

I pulled out my phone and was about to call my dad.

But Mariyah, emboldened by the soaring viewer count, slapped my phone out of my hand.

"You whore! Trying to play the victim and flip the story on me?

"Restrain her!"

She tossed out a dog leash, and her friends immediately tied it around my neck, binding my hands as well.

That was when I noticed they had brought along several huskies and slobbering guard dogs.

"Mariyah! What are you doing? What right do you have to tie me up?"

I struggled, but there were too many of them, and I was quickly forced to the ground.

Mariyah held the leash, looking down at me from above.

The other guests, hearing her accusations, assumed I was the whore and didn't dare step forward.

One of the wealthy wives, laughing with delight, held up her phone and started recording close-ups of me.

"Ladies, don't hold back! Whatever you want me to do to this whore, type it in the comments!"

The crowd of viewers grew frenzied.

[Make her crawl like a dog!]

[Slap her face until it's swollen! See if she'll still be able to seduce men again!]

...

The comments were getting more and more vicious, and a cold sweat broke out across my back.

"Mariyah, have you lost your mind? This is the memorial I organized for my mom. It has nothing to do with your so-called whore! What you're doing is illegal!"

But Mariyah just threw her head back, laughing, and declared to the live stream.

"You're still trying to deny it, you whore? Memorial? A filthy maid can't even afford to hold a memorial for her dead mom. What's the point of you even being alive?

"Didn't you just scam all these things out of Jaime? Why isn't he here? Because he thinks you aren't worth it!

"Let me tell you something. I'm about to become the richest wife in town, and I can do whatever I want! You, a whore, are in no position to lecture me!"

The comments in the livestream multiplied, and the wealthy wives were gearing up for action.

At Mariyah's command, they unleashed the huskies to tear the place apart, scaring the guests into running for cover.

The wives smashed the jewelry, paintings, and decorations on display.

These were all treasures my mom had loved while she was alive.

Before long, the entire memorial for my mother had been destroyed.

"Smash it all! I want everything ruined! Jaime's money is also mine! I'm the richest wife in town, and I'll break everything if I want to!"