Chapter 34 CHAPTER 34
The Slap
“Lies! All of it is lies!” Ayisha’s voice exploded through the living room, the television light flickering across her furious face. She leapt up from the sofa, knocking over the bowl of popcorn she’d been holding. “That evil snake! That lying witch! Look how she twisted everything! Ares sure put her to this.”
Tessa sat frozen, her wide eyes locked on the screen even though the interview had already cut to another program. Her chest rose and fell as though she’d been running, her hands trembling in her lap. “It’s… it’s not entirely a lie,” she whispered hoarsely, her throat dry.
Ayisha spun on her, stunned. “What?”
Tessa’s gaze lowered, shame coating her voice. “Not everything she said was false. But ninety percent…ninety percent is nothing but poison she twisted to fit her story.”
Ayisha slammed her palm on the table, making the glass cups rattle. “So what if there’s a ten percent truth? She made you sound like a monster, Tessa! Like some… some trash girl who abandoned her kids! Do you hear yourself? You’re defending her!”
“I’m not defending her!” Tessa snapped suddenly, her voice breaking. Tears welled in her eyes, spilling down her cheeks as she shook her head. “I’m just saying… I’m not perfect either. I made mistakes. I did leave once. I thought I was protecting them—I thought it was best. But Chloe twisted it, Ayisha. She twisted everything.”
Ayisha’s chest heaved as she paced the room. “That woman’s playing dirty, Tessa. Dirtier than we even thought. And the whole world just saw it. You didn’t leave, you were kidnapped!” She jabbed a finger toward the dark television screen. “She’s painted you as a demon, and you’re sitting here admitting she has even a drop of truth? Snap out of it!”
Tessa pressed her palms over her face, muffling a sob. “What am I supposed to do? She’s Ares’ wife now. She has my children. She controls everything. And the world already hates me.”
“No!” Ayisha grabbed her by the shoulders, shaking her lightly. Her eyes burned with fire. “Listen to me, Tess. The world does not hate you. The world saw you crying in that hospital bed. The world trended #JusticeForTessa! They believe you. But now Chloe is fighting back with lies, and we need to hit her harder. This is war, and you don’t fight war by crying on the floor!”
Tessa’s breath hitched, her tears falling faster. She hugged Ayisha suddenly, clutching her tight like a drowning woman clings to a rope. “I’m scared,” she whispered. “So scared.”
Ayisha softened slightly, hugging her back. “I know. But I’m here. We’ll face her lies together.”
“Ares is not their real father…” Tessa said.
“What?” Ayisha muttered in shock. “How…who is their father?”
Lady Bianca lay propped against plush pillows in her enormous bedroom. Her usually flawless face was pale, drained of all its commanding sharpness. Sweat glistened across her forehead, and her hand rested weakly over her chest.
Marcus sat on one side of the bed, his jaw tight, his eyes shadowed with worry. On the other side, Ares sat stiffly in a velvet armchair, his elbows on his knees, hands clasped tight as if praying for strength.
Lady Bianca tried to speak, her voice thin, broken. “Marcus… Ares… we… we can’t let her…”
“Shhh,” Marcus interrupted firmly, leaning forward to take her hand. “No, Bianca. Don’t waste your breath. You need to rest.” His voice cracked despite his attempt to stay strong. “That foolish girl nearly killed you tonight with her lies. Don’t let her steal any more of your energy.”
“But Marcus…”
“No.” His tone hardened, though his eyes softened. “Please. For once in your life, just listen to me. Rest.”
Bianca’s lips quivered. She swallowed, closed her eyes, and leaned back into the pillows. The beeping of the heart monitor in the corner filled the silence, sharp and steady, a reminder of her fragility.
Ares sat in silence, his fists clenching tighter. Rage simmered beneath his calm façade. He hadn’t spoken since bringing Bianca upstairs after she collapsed. His mind was torn between his mother’s condition and the woman downstairs who caused this storm.
Across the estate, in another wing of the mansion, Chloe was celebrating as though she had won a crown.
She danced barefoot in the living room, music blasting from her phone as she twirled in her designer nightgown. “Who’s the villain now, hmm?” she sang to herself, giggling breathlessly. “Who’s the evil witch now, internet? Not me! Oh no. I am the angel wife, the savior mother, the perfect Mrs. Langford!”
She snatched a champagne bottle from the table, popping the cork and letting it spill onto the marble floor. She lifted the bottle to her lips, drinking straight from it as she swayed her hips, her laughter echoing off the walls.
Her phone buzzed again, notifications flooding in. Clips of her interview were trending, news headlines spinning the story. Chloe Speaks Out: The Truth About Tessa. She laughed louder, clutching her stomach. “Yes! Yes! Now the world knows who she really is. Finally!”
The doors burst open.
Ares walked in.
His presence was thunder. The music seemed to die instantly, though the phone still played. Chloe froze mid-step, the champagne bottle slipping from her fingers and shattering on the marble with a sharp crash.
“Ares,” she breathed, forcing a smile, her chest rising and falling quickly. “Did you see? Did you see me? I fixed it. I fixed everything. I saved us!”
But Ares wasn’t smiling. His face was carved in stone, his eyes dark, dangerous. He stepped closer, each footstep deliberate, heavy.
Chloe faltered, her smile trembling. “W-what’s wrong? You should be happy. They were making a fool of me, of us! I had to do something. I had to protect our family.”
“Protect our family?” Ares’ voice was low, guttural. It dripped with venom. “You call what you did tonight protecting our family?”
Chloe blinked, confused, almost offended. “Yes! I went on live TV. I told them the truth about her. I showed them who Tessa really is. They’ll stop mocking me now, Ares. They’ll respect me. Respect us.”
Ares took another step, his chest rising and falling with fury. His jaw tightened so hard it looked like it might break.
“You lied.”
Chloe flinched at the razor edge in his tone. “I… I didn’t lie. Not really. I just… bent the truth a little.” She gave a nervous laugh, waving her hands. “Everyone does it on TV. It’s…”
“Lied.” The word cut through her voice like a blade.
Chloe’s face fell. “Ares, I…but you’re not their real father…at least that part is true.”
“Enough!”
The shout thundered through the room, shaking the very air. Chloe stumbled back, her hand flying to her chest. Her eyes darted nervously as she tried to laugh again, desperate, fragile. “You’re overreacting. Baby, listen…I did it for you. For us. For your mother. You saw how she was humiliated by Tessa. I had to act! And it worked. It really worked. The world is on our side again.”
But Ares’ expression didn’t soften. It only hardened.
“You humiliated my children.”
The words sliced through her like a whip. Chloe’s mouth fell open. “What? No…I protected them. I…”
“You told the world they weren’t mine.” His voice was low now, deadly calm, more terrifying than his shout. His eyes burned with something deeper than rage—betrayal, disgust.
Chloe’s lips trembled. “I…I only said it because… because it’s the truth and I was desperate! They were turning against me, calling me names, mocking me. I had to give them something bigger, something to shut them up…”
Ares moved so quickly she barely saw it coming.
His hand shot up, and before Chloe could take a step back, the sound of the slap cracked through the room like thunder.
Her head snapped to the side, her hair whipping cross her face.