Chapter 55 Public Humiliation
"Seriously, I can't believe I used to think she was pretty! She's just throwing her life away!"
"At such a young age, why can't she do something decent? Instead, she chooses to be some old guy's mistress. It's disgusting!"
"Some people just look glamorous on the outside. Who knows how much money she spent on that face?"
Where did the money come from?
Obviously, it was given by that old man!
Everyone had already pieced together the whole story in their minds.
The commotion drew a lot of attention. People looked at Sophia with eyes full of gossip.
Sophia finished her last sip of orange juice and casually took a napkin to wipe her lips.
Her movements were calm and unhurried, showing no sign of panic.
Flynn's gaze at Sophia was filled with fury, as if he could burst into flames.
But Sophia remained composed, her expression unchanged, as if Flynn didn't exist.
Flynn had been pampered by the Brown Family since childhood; he had never been humiliated like this. He was about to explode in anger.
Sophia then spoke slowly, her tone carrying a hint of coldness, "Who told you I ran off with someone?"
"After doing such disgraceful things, you expect people not to talk? Let me tell you, Sophia, our family doesn't have a daughter like you!"
Flynn stared at Sophia, saying, "The Brown Family never deprived you of anything. Why would you degrade yourself by sleeping with an old man?"
The sudden sound of a glass shattering broke the silence. Everyone turned to Sophia, their eyes filled with shock.
Her eyes were so cold.
Despite her delicate features, her gaze was chilling, as if it could freeze someone to death.
Flynn was startled and took a step back, shouting at Sophia, "What are you doing? Am I wrong?"
Sophia stood up and slowly approached Flynn, her red lips parting, "Flynn, do you know the truth? Have you ever asked your parents why I left the Brown Family? You keep talking about being kept and sleeping around, but don't you know the saying 'seeing is believing'?"
Ignoring Flynn's reaction, Sophia turned to the crowd, saying, "Flynn, do you dare to repeat what you just said in front of everyone?"
"So what if I repeat it? You're a malicious, self-degrading woman! The Brown Family will never recognize you as a daughter again."
Sophia sneered and pulled out some papers from her bag.
The papers were thick and folded.
Under everyone's puzzled gaze, Sophia held up one of the documents, her eyes cold as she looked at Flynn.
"The eldest daughter of the Brown Family, Sophia, promises to marry Benjamin White of the White Family, voluntarily renouncing all inheritance rights from the Brown Family to sever all familial ties."
Sophia stood tall, her gaze steady, and her tone indifferent as she spoke, as if discussing something trivial.
The onlookers were stunned, their faces filled with shock and confusion.
What was going on?
Flynn had just confidently claimed Sophia had eloped with an old man. Now it seemed she voluntarily severed ties with the Brown Family?
Flynn was equally shocked.
He shook his head in disbelief, "No, you're lying! You think saying this will earn my sympathy?"
Sophia's expression remained unchanged as she pulled out another document.
This one was way thicker than the severance agreement.
It was the investment contract from the White Group to the Brown Group.
This whole thing had been buzzing around Silverlight City.
As one of the city's top enterprises, the White Group's moves were always under scrutiny.
Just a few days ago, word got around that the White Family suddenly invested in a small, struggling company.
Everyone was scratching their heads, trying to figure out why the White Family would do that.
Many business leaders were baffled, wondering what made the Brown Group so special to get a $30 billion investment from the White Family.
Now, it all clicked.
The Brown Family had struck a deal with the White Family.
To save their sinking company, the Brown Family sacrificed their own daughter to the White Family.
Realizing this, everyone was stunned.
If memory served, the Brown Family was a minor family, hardly worth mentioning among the elite.
Their only claim to fame was their connection to the Martinez Family, second only to the White Family.
"This girl is really pitiful. I heard the Brown Family found their lost daughter a month ago. I thought they'd treat her well, but..."
People looked at the speaker, confused, and he continued, "You know Isabella, the famous actress? She's the Brown Family's adopted daughter!"
The crowd erupted in astonishment.
Isabella was the Brown Family's adopted daughter?
Then the girl standing here must be the Brown Family's real daughter?
"I thought she was the adopted daughter. Who'd have thought they'd be cruel enough to sell their own flesh and blood!"
"The marriage arrangement with the Martinez Family should be Sophia's, right? Then why..."
A bystander hesitantly spoke.
Though the sentence was incomplete, everyone understood.
The marriage arrangement with the Martinez Family should have been Sophia's, so the one going to the White Family should have been Isabella?
The Brown Family was despicable!
Favoring an adopted daughter over their biological daughter and treating her like a bargaining chip!
Suddenly, everyone looked at Sophia with sympathy and pity.
Many onlookers were parents themselves, and their anger surged.
"If going to the White Family is true, then Flynn's claims of being kept and eloping are false!"
"Exactly, it's shameless! Not only did they use Sophia as a bargaining chip, but they also slandered her! What are their intentions? Flynn is unfit to be a brother!"
Flynn quickly became the target of everyone's ire.
He shook his head in disbelief, "No, this can't be true! My mom said..."
His mom had told him Sophia eloped with an old man.
Why was this happening?
Flynn shook his head in disbelief, stepped forward, and snatched the documents from Sophia's hands.
When he saw the last page, he froze.
$30 billion.
There really was $30 billion.
Flynn's legs went weak, and he stumbled back.
He hung his head, unable to meet Sophia's gaze.
His hands clenched into fists, veins bulging. Flynn still stubbornly told himself it was all fake.
Hayden and Olivia had treated Sophia well.
They brought her home and provided for her.