Liora had a lot of influence. In no time, a swarm of internet influencers and streamers arrived on the scene, each holding up their phones to livestream me.
“Hey everyone, just got a huge scoop! Don’t be fooled by how refined this man looks on the outside. He’s rotten to the core!”
“For years, he’s lived off his cousin like a leech. Whenever he runs out of money, he runs crying to his cousin. Even though his cousin is married and trying to have a baby, this guy uses him like a servant, makes him run errands, drinks with him and even drags him home when he’s blackout drunk.”
“His cousin treats him so well and not only is he ungrateful, but he spends like a king and makes his cousin pay for everything. He even borrowed his cousin’s wife’s unused villa to fake being rich and keep a mistress, who knows how many desperate young girls he’s tricked!”
“And the worst part? His private life is a total disaster. He’s married, but still sleeping around women in the villa, women outside, he never stops. He even had an affair with a married woman and got beaten up by her husband. The list of women he’s been with is endless!”
“I heard he even caught an STD. Only went to the hospital when it got bad and didn’t dare tell anyone, just dragged his cousin along for treatment. Who knows how many women he infected before that?”
“Everyone, remember this face. If you’re strong enough, beat the crap out of him. If not, just stay far away. Don’t risk catching something from this walking disease.”
The streamers vividly piled on every made-up accusation.
Wild exaggerations.
Lies stacked on lies.
Soon, every major livestream platform was flooded with curses aimed at me.
“Holy crap, that poor cousin and his wife, getting stuck with such a disgusting leech of a man!”
“This makes me so mad, this guy is a walking tumor!”
“Exactly. People like this are a hazard to society!”
Public opinion snowballed and my photos shot to the top of the trending searches.
“Vampire,” “Toxic Cousin,” and “Clap-Guy” were all kinds of labels that were now attached to my name.
With the streamers fanning the flames, the crowd’s emotions spiraled.
People began hurling eggs and rotten vegetables at me.
Some diners nearby even tossed beer bottles at my feet.
I stood there like a criminal awaiting execution, buried in trash, drowning in insults.
Just then, Rhea stepped through the crowd toward me.
The moment I saw that familiar face, my frozen heart felt as if it had been wrapped in warm sunlight.
Rhea was like the sun in my life.
She loved me, believed in me and no matter what happened, she was always gentle and patient.
She wasn’t just my wife. She was the warmest harbor I’d ever known.
At that moment, I desperately wanted a hug from her.
I didn’t hesitate, lowered every defense and opened my arms to walk toward her.
But the moment I touched her, she pushed me away, ruthlessly.
Caught off guard, I lost my balance and crashed to the ground.
Shattered glass from the beer bottles scattered across the pavement pierced deep into my palms and thighs.
The searing pain shot through my nerves, but what tore through me worse was the ache in my chest.
Even Rhea didn’t believe in me anymore?
“Evren, I never thought you were this kind of person.”
Rhea spoke with reddened eyes, her voice full of disappointment and hurt.
“All these years, I trusted you completely. I cared for you in every way. I never once lost my temper.”
“Knowing your work was stressful, I kept my pain and illnesses to myself, just so I wouldn’t burden you, so you wouldn’t worry.”
“I knew your stomach was weak, so I learned to cook food that would be easy on you, always doing my best to keep you healthy.”
“And you? Your so-called work was just you bleeding your cousin dry!”
“Your so-called efforts for our family were spent supporting other women!”
“The body I worked so hard to nurture, you destroyed it through your own filthy indulgence!”
“Evren, you’re not just destroying yourself. You’re trampling our marriage into the ground!”
The always gentle Rhea was, for the first time, completely out of control.
Her voice was hoarse from yelling, every word laced with bitter disappointment.
Seeing her like that broke my heart.
I endured the pain and stood up, trying to explain.
“Rhea, I—”
Before I could finish, Rhea slapped me hard across the face.
With hatred in her voice, she shouted, “Shut up! Don’t call my name, you’re not worthy!”
Then she hurled her wedding ring at my face with all her strength.
“Let’s get a divorce!”
Her words pierced straight into my heart.
That slap shattered all the beliefs I’d been holding on to.
I stood frozen, as if my soul had been torn from my body.
Liora seized the moment to mock me.
“Evren, now you know what it feels like to be utterly ruined? A greedy, morally corrupt piece of trash like you doesn’t deserve love, let alone the kindness Ronan gave you.”
“Thank goodness I saw through you early on and distanced myself. Thinking about having ever dated you makes me sick.”
“The only useful thing you’ve ever done in your life was bringing Ronan to me. From now on, just be a rat in the gutter, despised by all. I’ll never let Ronan associate with you again. Let’s see how you survive without him.”
Liora’s dramatic speech stirred the crowd.
In that moment, the bullet screen comments, the onlookers and the streamers all erupted into a fresh wave of scolding.
The power of mass condemnation was terrifying.
Even though I had mentally prepared myself, I still couldn’t stop myself from breaking down a little.
Just then, Liora’s phone rang.
The caller was none other than Ronan.
The moment she picked up, his trembling, panicked voice came through. “Wife, your… your best friend had a miscarriage.”
At his words, Liora’s brows furrowed instantly in worry.
“What happened?” she asked anxiously.
Ronan stammered, “It was Evren. He tried to assault your best friend. She resisted and in a fit of rage, he hit her and caused the miscarriage!”
Hearing Ronan’s words, right at the height of the chaos, I let out a long breath.
Everything was finally about to end.
