Chapter 461 Fall of a Matriarch
Yunice closed her eyes and fell asleep. She refused to waste emotions on vague illusions of love. No love breaks the trap of affection. No emotion breaks the whole game. She wouldn’t allow herself that kind of weakness.
The next day, just as promised, Wyatt sent a lawyer to the detention center to make contact with Lily. Yunice went too, but stayed in the car. Before the lawyer headed in, she simply leaned forward and gave him a quiet instruction.
The lawyer nodded.
Inside the detention center, Lily rushed over the second she saw the lawyer, her eyes full of hope. “Am I getting out? I knew Elsie and Oscar wouldn’t just leave me in here!”
The lawyer replied, “I’m here on behalf of Miss Yunice.”
Lily’s face fell, twisting instantly into a mask of disgust. “Yunice sent you?” She turned to walk away, not even willing to entertain a conversation.
Behind her, the lawyer said casually, “Mr. Owen is busy preparing for his wedding. If you’re waiting for him to find you a lawyer, I’d say… maybe next year.”
The sound of her ankle chain suddenly halted. She stopped in place and turned her head, staring at him.
Had she heard that right? Did he just say Owen was planning a wedding? Was Elsie getting married? That was the only kind of wedding Owen would take seriously enough to ignore her!
The lawyer clarified, “Mr. Owen is arranging his own wedding.”
Lily let out a disbelieving laugh. “What kind of joke is that? Oscar’s never even had a girlfriend. Who the hell is he marrying?”
“You and Yunice are both full of bad intentions.” The lawyer’s voice remained calm. “Whether or not you believe me is your choice. But whether Mr. Owen is getting married or not has nothing to do with why I’m here today. I’m simply following Miss Yunice’s request to ask you one question: Madam Lily, do you regret what you’ve done?”
At those words, Lily flared up. “What did I even do?! I’m his mother! I said a few words and now my own daughter throws me into jail—and you ask if I did something wrong?!”
The lawyer ignored her outburst, continuing as if she hadn’t spoken: “If you feel remorse, Miss Yunice is willing to give you a chance to make a public apology. If not, you can finish out your year in detention. Though, just a friendly reminder–by then, you might be a grandmother. You’ll be out just in time to hold your grandchild.”
He turned to leave.
Lily’s face turned bright red with panic. Just as the cell door was closing, she shouted, “I’ll apologize!” Her voice was sharp, furious: “I said I’ll apologize! If Yunice thinks she can handle it!”
The lawyer paused and smiled–calm, in control.
Soon after, the media, in coordination with officials, held a public press conference. Lily was brought into the spotlight, dragged under the glare of the cameras. She scanned the crowd nervously, searching for Owen and Elsie. This public apology had stirred massive attention. She was sure they’d show up–they had to. To stop her, to help her, to defend her dignity.
But after scanning the entire room–nothing. No Owen. No Elsie. Not even a familiar face in the crowd. Lily’s confusion grew. Why didn’t a single one of them come?
Her stomach turned with fury. Ungrateful little brats. She cursed them over and over in her mind. But with no one there to save her, she had no choice but to face the press.
“I am Lily, the source of the false accusations in the recent SAT incident. After two weeks of criticism and detention, I’ve come to deeply understand the mental harm and public pressure that slander causes for its victims.”
“I would like to sincerely apologize to those I’ve hurt in this incident, and to the public for the disturbance caused. From now on, I will actively participate in public service to atone for my actions.” She bowed deeply. “I hope everyone can forgive me and give me another chance.”
After the long bow, Lily slowly straightened up. The storm of the slander scandal was finally over. But as the crowd began to disperse, Lily tried to sneak away, only to be immediately swarmed by reporters. They shoved mics toward her with aggressive force, practically trying to cram them down her throat.
“Madam Lily, can you explain your relationship with Yunice? What made you want to destroy her?”
“Using such vicious tactics to ruin a young woman’s future—was she involved with your husband? Was she your husband’s mistress?”