Chapter 289 The Accusation

Chapter 289 The Accusation
Scarlett's POV

Susan's hands trembled as she finally pulled out two worn photographs from her knockoff designer handbag. Her fingers fumbled with the plastic protective sleeves, and I could see the desperation in her movements as she held them up for everyone to see.

"Here!" she declared triumphantly, her voice cutting through the ballroom's tense silence. "These are Scarlett's elementary and middle school graduation photos. She paid for these herself with money from her part-time jobs."

The photographs passed from hand to hand among the curious guests, their whispers growing louder as they examined the images. I watched with detached interest as my younger face stared back from those cheap school portraits—the same features that now graced what everyone believed to be Victoria Langley.

"You see?" Susan continued, her voice gaining confidence. "The girl in these photos looks exactly like the woman standing here claiming to be a Langley!"

Several guests nodded thoughtfully, comparing the photos to my current appearance. But I caught the skeptical expressions of others, particularly those who understood how flimsy this evidence actually was.

Zoey stepped forward, her patience clearly wearing thin. She examined the photographs with clinical precision before fixing Susan with a withering stare.

"Are you seriously suggesting," Zoey said, her voice dripping with disdain, "that these grainy school photographs constitute proof of anything? Do you have any idea how many people might share similar features?"

Zoey's tone became sharper. "If you're going to make such serious accusations in this house, you'd better provide DNA evidence—not a couple of old pictures that could belong to anyone."

Robert and Susan exchanged panicked glances. The color drained from Robert's face, and I could see the exact moment they realized their carefully orchestrated plan was falling apart.

"We... we didn't think to bring..." Robert stammered.

"Of course you didn't," Zoey cut him off coldly. "Because you can't provide what doesn't exist."

But Susan, clearly desperate to salvage their scheme, raised her voice again. "There's more! Scarlett was engaged to Jack Parker—the same Jack who's now known as Jack Rothschild!"

The statement hit the ballroom like a thunderclap. The sophisticated murmur of conversation stopped completely, replaced by stunned silence. I felt every pair of eyes in the room shift between Gabriel and me, trying to piece together this twisted family drama.

"Do you understand what this means?" Susan continued, her voice gaining hysteria. "She was engaged to Jack, and then somehow ended up marrying Gabriel Rothschild while pretending to be Victoria Langley!"

The whispers exploded around us:

"She was engaged to the nephew?"

"This is why Gabriel filed for divorce..."

"The scandal of it all..."

I maintained my composure, but I could feel the dangerous shift in the room's atmosphere. Three sets of eyes burned with barely contained fury: Dad's masked face had gone rigid with rage, Gabriel's jaw was clenched so tight I could see the muscle jumping, and Everett's usually controlled expression had turned deadly cold.

The Ross family, completely oblivious to the silent storm brewing around them, continued their performance.

"Jack is right outside," Susan announced. "He can come in and verify everything we've said!"

"Fine," I said calmly, my voice cutting through the chaos. "Let him come in."

The ballroom doors opened again, and Jack entered alongside Derek Rothschild. Jack looked exactly as I remembered—weak, shifty-eyed, and now visibly terrified as he avoided Gabriel's piercing stare. Derek, on the other hand, walked with the confidence of a man who thought he was about to watch his younger brother's world crumble.

Hazel seized the moment with predatory grace. She glided over to Jack, her designer heels clicking against the marble floor with deliberate precision.

"Jack," she said softly, but her voice carried clearly across the silent ballroom. "These people are saying the 'Victoria' is an impostor. Surely you, of all people, would know the truth?"

Her voice grew more emotional, more theatrical. "If this woman really did harm the real Victoria—if she's been deceiving all of us—then someone needs to speak up!"

The crowd began to murmur agreement, caught up in Hazel's performance. I watched with clinical interest as she masterfully worked the room, turning curious onlookers into an angry mob.

"Please," Hazel continued, turning toward Dad with tears glistening in her eyes. "Mr. Langley, if someone has hurt Victoria, don't you want justice for your daughter?"

Dad stepped forward, his imposing presence commanding immediate attention. Even through his mask, his authority was unmistakable as he looked directly at Jack.

"Well?" Dad's voice cut through the air like a blade. "Speak."

Jack's knees actually buckled under the weight of that stare. He looked around the room desperately, seeking support that wasn't coming, before his gaze finally settled on me.

"Yes!" Jack suddenly burst out, his voice cracking with emotion. "She's a fake! That woman is not Victoria Langley!"

The ballroom erupted in shocked gasps. Jack pointed a trembling finger directly at me, his face flushed with a mixture of fear and vindictive satisfaction.

"Her name is Scarlett Ross, and she was my fiancée!" Jack's voice grew stronger, emboldened by the crowd's reaction. "She abandoned me without any explanation, left our engagement, and now she's here pretending to be someone else!"

The whispers around the room intensified, guests turning to each other with expressions of shock and judgment. I could feel the tide of public opinion shifting, the carefully constructed social dynamics beginning to crumble around me.

"She's nothing but a gold-digger from a small town who saw an opportunity and took it," Jack continued, his confidence growing with each word. "Everyone in Maple Creek knows what kind of person she really is!"

I turned to address the entire room, my voice steady and confident despite the accusations swirling around me. "I think it's time I proved my identity once and for all. This charade has gone on long enough."

The ballroom held its collective breath, waiting to see how this explosive confrontation would resolve. But I had one more card to play—one that would end this farce permanently.

And I was just getting started.