Betrayed by All, Loved by My Stepbrother Chapter 09
Scarlett
Dead silence filled the room.
Blake’s words echoed like thunder in my mind: “She betrayed me by having an affair with her brother, Alexander Sterling!”
Every gaze in the room pierced me like swords. I felt like I was tied to a stake, with nowhere to escape.
“What? Siblings?”
“My God, how shameless!”
“How could this happen?”
The guests‘ whispers surged like a tidal wave as the blood drained from my face.
*No! This isn’t true!*
I jumped to my feet, my voice trembling with anger:
You’re lying! Blake, you cheated first! You betrayed me!”
Blake gripped the microphone, a venomous smile spreading across his face. “Cheated? Scarlett, do you have any proof? Can you prove I cheated?“
I was completely tongue–tied.
Proof? I had seen him with Victoria, but I hadn’t taken photos or videos…
[It’s over!]
[He came prepared!]
[Fight back, now!]
The comment system frantically flashed warnings, but I was powerless.
Seeing my silence, Blake’s smile grew more triumphant. “See? She’s speechless. Because she’s the real cheater!”
“Siblings together? That’s absqlutely depraved!”
“How can the Sterling family tolerate this?”
The accusations from the crowd grew louder, each word stabbing my heart like a dagger.
“But I have evidence,” Blake gestured to his assistant. “Irrefutable proof of their inappropriate relationship!
The ballroom’s large screen suddenly lit up.
My heart nearly stopped.
The screen displayed photo after photo–Alexander embracing me, moments of us kissing, security
footage of me moving into his apartment…
“No… we truly love each other…” my voice was barely audible.
But no one heard me.
The room erupted with even more vehement accusations:
“They really are together!”
“That’s disgusting!”
“A scandal for the Sterling family!”
Each word hammered at my heart.
Then came the most devastating blow.
Harrison and Emily slowly walked onto the stage, their faces etched with “profound disappointment.”
Seeing my adoptive parents appear, a flicker of hope rose within me. Maybe… maybe they would speak up for me?
But the moment Emily took the microphone, I knew I was wrong.
“Everyone, we must clarify something…” Emily’s voice cracked.
No, they weren’t here to help me.
Harrison pulled several documents from his jacket’s inner pocket: “These are DNA test results. Though many of you may have heard rumors, today we’re making an official announcement…”
My heart sank to the depths.
“Scarlett is not our biological daughter!” Harrison’s voice echoed throughout the ballroom. “Victoria is our true daughter!”
Though I already knew this, hearing my adoptive mother announce it publicly still felt like a sledgehammer to my chest.
The crowd below instantly erupted:
“What? She’s not really a Sterling?”
“Then what right does she have to stay there?”
“Impostor!”
Emily continued her accusations, her voice filled with anger: “She knew her true identity, yet to stay in our family, she deliberately seduced Alexander! She used our kindness to deceive everyone!”
I collapsed into my chair, feeling the betrayal from my adoptive parents.
The people I had considered family for years now stood on stage, passing judgment on me from above.
“We always treated her as our daughter,” Harrison said angrily, “but she committed these unspeakable acts!”
“So she’s adopted!”
“She’d do anything for money!”
“Seducing her adoptive parents‘ son–how despicable!
“Get out of the Sterling family!”
Everyone was accusing me, cursing me, despising me.
The people I once thought were my family now stood on stage against me.
Blake was triumphant on stage: “Did you hear that, everyone? This is the truth! She knew her identity but would stop at nothing to stay with the Sterlings, even seducing Alexander!”
Victoria pretended to cry below the stage, her voice pitiful: “I never imagined she would do something like this…”
Tears blurred my vision.
[Hold on!]
[That’s not the real truth!]
[Someone’s coming to save you!]
The comment system desperately encouraged me, but I had no strength left.
*Abandoned by everyone.*
These words echoed repeatedly in my mind.
I sat there alone, bearing accusations and contempt from all directions. No one believed me. No one stood by my side.
“She’s nothing but a fraud!”
“The Sterling family has been used by her for years!”
“Throw her out now!”
The accusations reached their peak as I desperately looked toward the entrance of the ballroom.
Alexander… where are you…
Just then, the ballroom doors suddenly swung open.
Everyone turned to look.
Steady footsteps echoed through the silent ballroom, but the backlighting made it impossible to see the newcomer’s face.
The entire room instantly fell silent, even the air seemed to freeze.
I looked toward the door with tear–filled eyes, the last spark of hope igniting in my heart.
[The savior has arrived!]
[The tables are about to turn!]
[The real show is just beginning!]
The comment system flashed frantically, as if predicting what was about to unfold.
The footsteps drew closer, the ballroom eerily quiet.
Everyone held their breath, waiting for this mysterious visitor to appear.
And I, abandoned and alone in this desperate situation, stared at the backlit figure, clinging to one last thread of hope…