Web of Deceit: The Final Showdown

I drained my savings to throw a grand 50th birthday party for my mother-in-law Maria, making sure the banquet was a lively affair.

Out of nowhere, someone claiming to be "my husband's girlfriend" and a self-proclaimed arbiter of virtue barged in with a mob, accusing me of being a homewrecker and smashing everything in sight.

They slapped me across the face in front of everyone, but Maria stopped anyone from helping me. "She deserves it for being shameless. Young people make their own messes. We elders shouldn't get dragged into it," she said.

I screamed through tears, "Maria! Please help me, save me!"

Maria ignored me completely.

My husband's girlfriend grew smug. "You filthy homewrecker, you deserve to be abandoned."

I struggled to call the police, but they snatched my phone and found a wedding photo of Maria and my husband.

In an instant, my husband's girlfriend grabbed Maria's hair and shrieked, "So you're the real old homewrecker!"

1

For Maria's 50th birthday, I emptied my savings to make it special.

I booked a five-star hotel, hired a top-notch chef team, and ran around coordinating every detail.

Maria, though, posted snarky comments online, criticizing me for being reckless with money, unlike her frugal self.

I stayed up late planning, contacting relatives and friends, arranging their meals, lodging, and travel.

Maria complained to everyone that I was young and sloppy, lacking even a shred of her emotional intelligence.

At the banquet, Maria wore the outfit I picked out, stood in the five-star hotel I reserved, and ate the food I arranged, all while tearing me down.

"Amelia looks like a vixen, always seducing my son or some random guy. No idea how her parents raised her," she said.

"I keep telling this idiot not to be so shameless, to manage the household better, to learn from me. If she picked up even a fraction of my wisdom, it'd last her a lifetime."

"Amelia doesn't even measure up to a single finger of my son's new secretary, Olivia. That girl's smart, pretty, and knows how to handle things. No wonder everyone likes her."

Maria's words grew harsher, and as my face flushed with embarrassment, relatives tried to calm her down.

The more they tried, the more worked up she got.

I lowered my head, noticing a notification from someone I knew, showing a livestream by Olivia, my husband's secretary.

She seemed to be broadcasting a mission to catch a homewrecker.

Olivia led a group, hurrying along with tears streaming down her face.

"Everyone, my fiancé used our house-buying money to throw a birthday party for his mistress! In just three days, he spent over a million!" she said.

"I'm pregnant and need a home for our baby. My fiancé's broke now. I know he's naive and was tricked, so I don't blame him."

"But I have to get that money back. Not a single cent should go to that mistress. If you support me, join me to fight for justice, take down the homewrecker, and reclaim what's ours."

I watched as the livestream's viewership skyrocketed.

The comments scrolled faster and faster.

Meanwhile, Maria kept comparing me to Olivia.

I thought Maria must really adore Olivia, believing I didn't even compare to her little finger.

So I showed Maria the phone, partly to distract her and ease my embarrassment, but also for her own sake.

When she saw the "catch the homewrecker" livestream, Maria slammed the table, buzzing with excitement. She grabbed my phone, threw in a huge donation, and even paid to boost the stream's visibility.

"Olivia's a good girl, always level-headed. She's been wronged, and we can't just stand by," Maria said.

2

I gasped in shock. "Maria, how could you spend a hundred thousand dollars just like that? That was the last of our family's money!"

Maria smirked, tossed the phone back to me, and scoffed. "Your money is my son's money. It's just a little cash. Stop acting so stingy. You're embarrassing yourself."

Suddenly, a group of uninvited guests stormed in, heading straight for the head table.

Leading them was none other than Olivia, my husband's secretary.

Maria frowned at the sight. "I've never met Olivia, but my son Mason raves about her to me all the time, showing me her photos and videos, saying she's gentle, thrifty, and responsible. This... doesn't match what he told me."

I furrowed my brow and asked loudly, "Maria, does Mason talk about Olivia to you all the time?"

Before I could finish, Maria cut me off.

Soon, I couldn't ask anything at all.

Olivia, holding her livestreaming phone, pointed at me and yelled, "That's her, the shameless homewrecker who used her cheap tricks to steal my fiancé's house-buying money, leaving my unborn child homeless. And just now, she had the nerve to spend a hundred thousand dollars, probably on livestream donations!"

I froze, waving my hands frantically to deny it.

But she ignored my protests, sobbing dramatically for the camera.

She grew angrier as she spoke. "A hundred thousand dollars, folks! That's a year's salary for most people. How dare this filthy homewrecker spend my fiancé's money on livestream donations? How dare she flaunt her wealth!"

Olivia signaled her group to grab me. Trapped, I couldn't break free.

Taking advantage of my helplessness, she raised her hand and slapped me hard, several times.

The sharp sound echoed through the banquet hall.

Someone tried to intervene, but Maria stopped them.

Dressed in an elegant gown, Maria stood poised and graceful, a serene smile on her face. "Let young people handle their own problems. We elders shouldn't meddle. We've seen more of life than they have and should set an example," she said.

The relatives gaped, stunned.

Some still wanted to step in, but Maria offered each of 500 dollars to stay out of it.

Desperate, I summoned all my strength and shouted, "Maria, you can't do this to me! Aren't we family? Please, save me!"

Maria turned away, pretending she couldn't hear.

Olivia smirked triumphantly. "You pathetic homewrecker, you deserve to be forsaken. Even your own mom won't stand up for you."

3

They pinned me down, forcing me to kneel before Olivia.

I refused, so Olivia grabbed a bottle of red wine from the table and poured it over my head and face.

I looked pathetic and disheveled as she zoomed in with her phone camera, broadcasting my misery to her livestream audience.

A few kind-hearted people couldn't stand it and stepped forward to help.

But then, Olivia waved her phone, shouting into the livestream, "This is the homewrecker! We're here for justice, to take her down. Anyone who defends her is her accomplice, and we're live! We'll show your faces to the whole world!"

Her camera panned over the crowd, and the would-be helpers hesitated. Some still pressed forward.

I managed to turn my head and said earnestly, "Maria's right. This is our business. Please don't get involved."

Silence fell.

Those who had tried to stand up for me stared at me like I was a fool.

Olivia grinned, praising my "self-awareness," and patted my head like I was a dog.

Perhaps feeling too confident, too inflated, one of her followers suggested, "This banquet's so lavish, all paid for with your fiancé's money. Why not smash it up? It'll teach this homewrecker a lesson."

The livestream comments exploded, with online spectators egging them on, eager for chaos, with donations pouring in.

Olivia cracked her knuckles, thinking she could not only make a quick buck from the donations but maybe even gain fame.

She yelled, "Smash it! Smash everything!"

4

Her words barely landed before her crew sprang into action.

They moved lightning-fast, as if they'd planned it all along.

A loud crash rang out.

The main table flipped over, sending king crab, abalone, and lobster spilling across the floor.

Another crash followed.

Someone smashed a chair onto a table, leaving debris everywhere. Maria, drenched in leftover food and sauce, looked even more wretched than I did.

More crashes echoed as table after table got overturned, the destruction swift and relentless.

Even Olivia seemed dazed, muttering, "I only brought a dozen people. Why does it look like there are thirty smashing tables? I didn't bring that many."

Before she could dwell on it, her crew offered an explanation. "The homewrecker must be that hated. These days, there are plenty of righteous people like us."

Olivia nodded, fully convinced.

She didn't notice the faint smile I hid.

The carefully planned, vibrant banquet turned into rubble in moments.

Maria, a crab shell stuck on her head, screamed in fury, "My banquet! My 50th birthday! Olivia, who gave you the nerve to ruin my celebration!"

Olivia planted her hands on her hips. "So you're the one who's been spending my fiancé's money! You old hag, not only are you not dead yet, but you have the gall to throw such a big party. You don't deserve it, and now you're getting what's coming to you."

Maria clutched her chest, seething. "You think I won't get Mason to fire you? I'll have you blacklisted from the industry!"

I quickly jumped in, "Maria, Mason's at a critical point for a promotion. He can't afford rumors or scandals. You can't do that to him!"

Olivia chimed in, "Exactly-wait, you're trying to call the police?"

She moved like lightning, snatching my phone and canceling the call.

As the screen reset, Olivia caught sight of a wedding photo of Maria and my husband.

Yes, a wedding photo.

When my husband and I got married, Maria insisted I had stolen her son from her.

On our wedding day, during the ring exchange, Maria secretly slipped into a wedding dress and walked down the aisle. Under the shocked gazes of our guests, she stood on stage next to my husband, dressed as the groom.

That photo spread everywhere back then, and I happened to have it on my phone.

Olivia went ballistic, pointing at Maria and screaming, "So you're the real homewrecker! Is Mason blind? How could he spend so much money on an old fossil like you? You don't deserve it! You ancient homewrecker, why don't you just die?"

5

Olivia lost it completely. She lunged forward, knocking Maria to the ground, and slapped her four times.

Her hands moved fast, striking hard from both sides.

Her sharp nails left several bloody scratches on Maria's carefully made-up face within seconds, red blood trickling down.

"Old homewrecker, so shameless at your age! I'll beat you to death!" Olivia screamed.

Maria cried out to me, "Help! She's killing me! Amelia, save me, please!"

I gazed at her coldly, unmoving.

Maria's eyes widened in fear at my stare, and she turned to beg others for help.

I raised a hand, stopping them, and threw Maria's own words back at her.

I said, "Elders' problems aren't for us youngsters to meddle in."

"Maria, you told me to learn from you. I'm listening now, doing exactly what you'd do. You love Olivia so much, so I'm just helping make that happen!"

Maria's eyes bulged, practically popping out of her head.

Her trembling finger pointed at me, her face twisted with the urge to curse me.

But Olivia had her pinned, choking her words.

Suddenly, Elyse, one of Olivia's crew, shoved the livestream phone in her face. "Sunny, we've got over three hundred thousand in donations! We're climbing the livestream charts fast!"

6

Olivia's eyes widened, stunned at the unexpected cash.

She glanced at the comments, which showed the internet cheering her on against the "homewrecker."

"Wow, no respect for her age, stealing men at that stage? Beat that old homewrecker!"

"I thought this was wild already, but it's even crazier. This guy's got weird taste, must be desperate."

"Keep hitting, don't stop! I hate old homewreckers like her. I'm sending a donation!"

"That's not enough punishment! Make it hurt more. If it's entertaining, I'll keep donating."

More donation gifts flooded in.

The gift animations overwhelmed the screen, nearly covering it entirely.

Olivia's companion nudged her, urging her to keep going.

Olivia nodded, roughly kicking Maria to the ground and beating her in front of the camera.

"You filthy old homewrecker, gobbling up everything! My fiancé's thirty years younger than you, thirty years!"

She turned to the camera, shouting, "Folks, friends, everyone's watching! We're the righteous judges of virtue, here to punish shameless trash like her. If you support me, hit follow, thank you all!"

As things unfolded exactly as I'd hoped, I couldn't hold back a laugh.

At first, Olivia might have been genuinely hurt, trying to win back her boyfriend by exposing a "homewrecker."

But now, this had turned into a full-blown livestream spectacle.

The kicker? Olivia was beating up her boyfriend's actual mother!