Chapter 14
Stella has a short temper, like a firecracker that goes off at the slightest spark.
She dragged Evelyn to the parking lot, still cursing Benjamin.
"Benjamin acted all high and mighty before, but when something actually happens, this is his attitude. No wonder you don't like him - you had good reason!"
"I don't dislike him..."
"Evelyn!" Stella got anxious. "You're so great in every way, why is your taste in men so terrible? You just got out of the mud pit that was Matthew, and now you're about to fall into the ice cellar that is Benjamin?"
Thinking of his cold face, Evelyn thought the nickname was actually pretty fitting.
"Isn't that kind of nice though?" She smiled and leaned in. "We can save a lot on air conditioning in summer."
"You'll just spend it all back in winter. Won't save a penny."
They looked at each other, and both laughed.
After laughing, Stella's face fell: "Such a wonderful Evelyn, why do you always end up with the wrong people?"
"Benjamin is good."
Facing Stella's shocked expression, Evelyn said seriously: "We both know what he's done for me before."
"I was the one who kept pushing him away, and even used him to get favors for Matthew and Sophia."
"Now he's angry and doesn't really want to deal with me - that's normal."
She waved her arm: "I won't let this little thing defeat me! Things will work out, Sophia will pay the price, and I'll be happy."
"Can you please not throw caution to the wind every time you like someone? Even if Benjamin is great and loves you a lot, that doesn't mean he'll love you forever."
Even the greatest feelings can wear down.
There's no such thing as unchanging feelings in this world, and she knew better than anyone how willful she'd been and how many things she'd done to hurt Benjamin.
But in her past life, at the moment of her death, he still rushed over...
Even if just for that alone, until he let go, she would never give up on him.
This was her respect for their relationship, and also her redemption.
"He's worth it. Benjamin is worth it."
That evening, after her shower, Evelyn curled up in the bedroom's bean bag chair, holding her tablet and reading the one-sided news condemning her.
It wasn't that she was being masochistic - she wanted to find some loopholes to fight back.
But she had trusted Matthew too much before. Now her parents were abroad, Preston was in a coma, and the entire Thomas Group was under Matthew's control.
Even though she was the daughter of the Thomas family, she couldn't use the Thomas Group's PR and legal teams.
Worse still, the Thomas Group was probably fanning the flames of this whole thing.
Without Benjamin's help... she had to learn to grow up and stop relying on others all the time.
She collected herself and looked at the merciless abuse online. She decided that even if it cost her dearly, she would definitely hurt her enemy more.
When Benjamin came home, the villa was already dark.
But standing on the second floor, he could still see light coming from under the master bedroom door.
He stood there for a moment, then walked over and pushed the door open.
Evelyn was curled up in the bean bag chair, a small ball.
Her long lashes cast shadows under her eyes, making her look fragile and delicate.
He unconsciously reached out to touch her face.
Before his palm could touch her, she mumbled and dodged away: "I already said I don't like you, why do you keep pestering me?"
Her unclear sleep talk made him freeze.
"Then why do you have to have Matthew?" Benjamin picked her up and asked quietly.
Evelyn, deep in sleep, naturally didn't answer, and the wound he had just healed was silently torn open again by her words.
At nine in the morning, Evelyn woke up in bed.
She stared at the ceiling, a bit dazed. Wasn't she curled up in the bean bag chair?
After getting up, she quickly washed up, changed clothes, and went downstairs.
"Pearl, did Benjamin come home last night?"
"Yes, Ms. Thomas."
"Then is he now..."
"He left early this morning."
The smile on her face faded, and she walked to the dining table, looking a bit wooden. She took out her phone to see if Benjamin had sent her any messages.
Plenty of people had contacted her, but the name she wanted to see wasn't there.
Evelyn ate the breakfast Pearl brought her while opening Messenger to see a message from Stella.
"You go, girl, your taste in men is improving!"
She paused, then replied: "Of course, but your change of heart is pretty quick."
Stella replied instantly: "What he did makes me want you two to get married right now!"
What?
Reading Stella's reply again, Evelyn's brain was still frozen, unable to process it.
Not getting a reply from Evelyn, Stella called directly.
When she answered, Stella's urgent voice came through: "Every major website and app - the top push notification is an article apologizing to you! How are you acting like nothing happened!"
Evelyn was completely stunned, repeating her words: "Apologizing to me?"
"Did you just wake up? For the past two days, videos of you beating up Matthew have been everywhere, saying you turned love into hate."
"But starting at midnight yesterday, all the major websites and apps seemed to coordinate - they all switched sides, all clearing your name. You can tell someone's controlling public opinion."
They definitely spent a lot of money.
Eliminating the impact from the source of public opinion was way more sophisticated than just hiring trolls.
"...He didn't tell me." Evelyn's voice sounded a bit dazed.
Stella was quiet for a few seconds: "Evelyn, he really has you in his heart, and he's really fighting everyone for you."
"All websites and apps switching sides together - that's not just something you can achieve with money. There's pressure from the government level, you understand?"
In recent years, the media have become so powerful that they have been almost unrestrained. Reporters had truly become uncrowned kings.
They had the power to completely package an event however they wanted.
In this situation, Benjamin making everyone bow to Evelyn not only showed his formidable backing, but also proved his heart for her burned incredibly hot.
Evelyn had no appetite to finish breakfast. She went upstairs and grabbed her tablet.
She didn't need to search - she could see it by opening any webpage.
[Evelyn, we're sorry.]
An article by a well-known journalist, reposted across all websites and apps.
Not only that, but detailed content about Sophia setting up a trap to ruin Evelyn's reputation, and Matthew knowing about it, was also published.
Evelyn scrolled through in a daze until she saw a comment—
[Even if this is whitewashing by someone powerful, I can only say it's domineering! And I have to admit, this is the most romantic confession. Even if Evelyn really did like someone else before, I don't believe she won't be moved by someone who's done so much for her now.]
Moved.
Benjamin.
Her lashes trembled lightly. Every cell in her body seemed to be clamoring, and a burning sensation seemed to surge in her chest.
Yesterday it was his coldness that made her leave, and he deliberately left early and came back late to avoid seeing her.
But... she had to see him.
Evelyn rushed downstairs at top speed, grabbed her car keys, and quickly headed toward the parking area.