roze in their tracks as all eyes turned to the shocking scene in the center. In the center of Drakmont's main arena, there laid on the hot ground a man and woman who were being paraded

e one who's too ashamed to face his own family! "You owe me this, Eleanor. After everything he's put me through, the least you can do is expose him for the coward he truly is." Juliet's harsh words sparked a ripple through the crowd, and soon, whispers turned into full-blown gossip. "Look at them, both of them pitiful," an elderly woman murmured to her companion, her voice dripping with disdain. "They raised a man who couldn't even come home when he lost his sight. How could they ever have been proud of him?" A man beside her sneered, adding, "I heard he ran from the battlefield like a coward-didn't even try to fight back. And now look at his parents, begging for scraps like beggars on the street." Eleanor's heart shattered with each cruel word and her chest tightened with rage as the cruel words continued to sting. She could feel the eyes of the crowd burning into her, but she refused to shrink away. With a sudden burst of anger, she stood tall and faced Juliet head-on. "Enough, Juliet!" she snapped, her voice sharp and clear. "You're the one who's useless here, not my son! All the money Asher sent home, he worked his fingers to the bone for that and you squandered it on yourself and your pathetic lover!" The crowd went silent, stunned by Eleanor's sudden outburst. Juliet's eyes flashed with anger, but Eleanor wasn't done. "You're the one who's turned our lives into this nightmare, while my husband is sick and weak, and you've done nothing but waste everything he gave you on your parasitic lover!" Juliet's face twisted, her lips curling into a cruel smile. "You don't know a damn thing about what he did to me!" she hissed. "He left us! He's dead to me! And so are you!" But Eleanor didn't flinch. "If my son was here, none of this would be happening! He'd never let you treat us like this, you heartless witch! You're the disgrace, not him!" The words stung like a whip and Juliet's face darkened with fury. In a swift movement, she slapped Eleanor across the face, the sound echoing in the air. The crowd gasped, some whispering in hushed tones, others cheering the spectacle on. "How dare you!" Juliet screamed, her voice