The livestream comments were flying.
"I know that complex—notorious mistress den! Confirmed whore, case closed."
"Poor guy. Stuck with some tramp everyone else already had a turn with."
The screen was a cesspool, and reading it made my stomach turn.
But the bigger question gnawing at me was what the guards had said about the resident records.
I'd paid for this condo with money I earned myself, every last cent. My name was the only one on the deed.
From signing the contract to closing the transfer, start to finish, no one else had a hand in any of it.
So how could the registered owner possibly be listed as male?
Christine took my silence as fuel.
She shoved the phone screen right into my face. "Go on, say it to the camera!"
"What's your sugar daddy's name? How much did your father embezzle?"
"You don't come clean today, I'll turn you into the biggest disgrace on the entire internet!"
I pushed the phone away and stared at the group, ice in my voice.
"I've already called the police. What you're doing right now is harassment and defamation."
"And you two," I said, turning to the guards. "Are you sure the information you received says the owner is male? I have the original title deed right here."
"You'd better verify your records. If you're covering for harassers and obstructing a legitimate resident, can you afford the consequences?"
The hallway went dead silent.
Then the elevator chimed.
Two police officers stepped out.
I started toward them, but a shrill voice cut through from behind their backs.
My feet locked to the floor.
What was she doing here?
Sylvia squeezed past the officers, arms folded, lips curled in a dismissive pout.
"Ava, you are so out of line! A little lovers' quarrel between the two of you, and you actually called the police?"
I caught the look on the officers' faces, the way they hesitated, and it clicked.
No wonder they'd taken so long to come up. She'd been stalling them downstairs.
I cut her off with a cold laugh. "Who's 'the two of us'? I've met him exactly once."
Sylvia's expression hardened, and she launched into a public dressing-down right there in the hallway.
"So what! Sebastian cares about you—he came all this way to marry you!"
"What kind of girl runs her mouth with zero upbringing? You're exactly like that mother of yours."
She didn't spare a glance at the fury in my eyes before turning to Christine with a warm smile.
"Now, now, in-law, don't be angry! Ava's been spoiled rotten since she was little."
"She's just got a temper, that's all. She's not bad at heart."
With Sylvia vouching for them, Sebastian and Christine found their footing in an instant.
"We're not unreasonable people," Christine said.
"Ava gets on her knees and apologizes. Signs the condo over. Then she puts it in writing that she'll obey her husband from now on."
"Do all that, and we can let today go. We'll still let her marry into the family."
Sylvia nodded along, all smiles. "Exactly, exactly. We're all family here. No need to let a little misunderstanding ruin things."
"Ava! Did you hear that? Settle this right now, in front of the officers."
"You're twenty-five. I found you a good man, and you can't even appreciate it!"
"Don't think owning some lousy apartment makes you special. What the hell good is a big place? A woman still needs a man at the end of the day!"
I drew a long breath and turned to the two officers.
"Officers, you can see the situation for yourselves."
"These two have been banging on my door, harassing and threatening me. They've been livestreaming lies about me online. I'd like you to handle this."
The officers exchanged a glance. The older one let out a slow breath.
"Ms. Bennett, I'll be straight with you. This kind of situation—it's not the first time we've dealt with it."
