Second Chance: Marrying into Wealth Chapter 149

Just as I was trying to figure out what Raina meant by pulling me aside, she gave me a reassuring smile and then turned to Ophelia, snapping, "Who do you think you are, coming in here and talking trash? Even if Melinda's divorced, she's still the best, and you have no right to talk about her like that."

"I didn't need to follow the news to know that Melinda's divorce wasn't her fault. It must have been that guy's. Men only mess up in one way—cheating. Did you come here just to bully Melinda? Are you the shameless person who caused all this?"

Ophelia's face froze. She clearly hadn't expected the previously gentle and seemingly frail Raina to suddenly become so fierce and protective.

Raina's support and trust made me feel like I was floating on air.

Raina didn't stop there. She turned to me and said, "Melinda, don't listen to this woman. You're the best, and the divorce wasn't your fault. Tell us, did this woman bully you?"

Although Ophelia wasn't the mistress, I didn't hesitate to nod ambiguously. "Yes, she bullied me."

I wasn't exactly lying. After all, she did try to humiliate me with money.

And besides, Ophelia was a mistress who had worked her way up. Such a person didn't deserve any sympathy. She had nothing to do with me, but she chose to provoke me, and I despise mistresses.

Ophelia hadn't expected me to admit it. She glared at me. "Melinda, how can you lie like that? You know I'm not..."

"Ms. Scott, she's glaring at me!" I interrupted, feigning distress.

Raina got even angrier, raising her cane as if to strike. "How dare you! Melinda didn't even hold a grudge against you, and now you're glaring at her? This isn't your turf. Don't think you can bully Melinda just because we're a bunch of old folks. Do you think we're pushovers? We were a force to be reckoned with back in the day. We've seen more than you can imagine."

At that moment, a few other elderly folks returned.

They moved surprisingly quickly, pointing at Ophelia and scolding her, "Why would you choose to be a shameless mistress, seducing someone else's husband? And now you dare to provoke Melinda? Do you think she has no support? We are her support. You won't get away with bullying her."

"Who raised such a disgraceful woman? In the old days, you'd be sentenced to death for this. Get out of here." Another elderly person, leaning on a cane, approached, looking frail but determined.

Surrounded by the elderly, Ophelia's face turned sour. She knew better than to mess with them, so she held back her anger and said, "You've misunderstood. I'm not Melinda's ex-husband's lover..."

"You think we'll believe you just because you say so? We can see right through you. You're a mistress, pretending to be innocent while seducing men!"

I had to admit, the elderly folks' experience and insight were impressive. They saw right through Ophelia. Seeing Ophelia's frustration made me secretly pleased.

Ophelia, probably provoked by my expression, couldn't help but retort, "You don't know the truth. If you don't believe me, check the news. Melinda isn't as innocent as you think. Look..."

She started to pull out her phone. I guessed she was about to show them the video of me and Lawrence.

I knew everyone was on my side, but the video would reveal more than just my divorce and losing my child. I didn't want them to see that, so I reached out to grab her phone.

"No need to look. We don't need to see anything!" The elderly folks, understanding my intention, immediately knocked Ophelia's phone to the ground.

"My phone... Even if I don't care about the cost, there is important information inside. Can you afford to compensate me?" Ophelia said angrily.

I knew the elderly folks had done it for me. The phone had fallen on the grass, so it probably wasn't damaged. Even if it was, I could afford to pay for it.

But I wouldn't let Ophelia threaten the elderly. Just as I was about to say I'd pay for the phone, one of the elderly suddenly lay down, clutching her chest. "My chest hurts. You're not here to do good; you're here to harm us. My heart hurts..."

Seeing the elderly person lying down, I panicked and knelt to check on her. To my surprise, she winked at me, and I immediately understood. I winked back, silently letting her know I got it.

I gently patted her chest and then looked coldly at Ophelia. "I remember the contract is up in a few days. Mrs. Bennett, do you really want headlines about you bullying elderly folks and causing them to faint? I don't mind making that happen. As for your phone, if it's really broken, I'll pay for it. But are you sure it's actually broken and not just a ploy?"

This time, I decided to play the "bad guy."

Ophelia, startled by the elderly person's sudden act and my threat, glared at me and quickly left.

Whether she realized the elderly person was faking it or not, I didn't care. I didn't want to waste another word on her.

The elderly folks' support made my eyes well up with tears. "Thank you all for believing in me and standing up for me."

"There's no need to thank us. We were just telling the truth. We've lived long enough to see through people. That woman was bullying you, and you're the one who deserves our sympathy. You're a good person, and you'll find someone who deserves you." After I helped the elderly person up, she spoke first.

The others chimed in with agreement.

Still, I felt the need to apologize for my lie. "Actually, that woman was right about one thing. She's not my ex-husband's mistress. I'm sorry for lying to you."

"Let me ask you, did she harass and bully you? She doesn't look like a good person. It's not your fault. We're here for you," Raina said firmly.

I nodded. "She did harass me. And while she's not my ex-husband's mistress, she did work her way up as a mistress."