Calliope nced over at Portia.
Portia caught her eye and immediately slipped away.
A few minutester, the big screen on stage flickered to life.
One by one, Calliope yed the evidence she had gathered-emails, photos, surveince footage-all of it showing everything she had ever done for the
Jewell family.
There were also files proving Kermit''s inheritance and will, and documentation of Calliope''s own assets.
She had kept every shred of proof, and now, she calmly exined to everyone where her money came from, how she got it, and why it was hers.
Everyone saw the letter Kermit had left her, too.
Then came the footage of Calliope caring for Kermit during his illness-clips of her at his bedside, holding his hand, doing everything she could.
There were even video statements from the world-renowned doctors who had treated Kermit. Each of them had recorded a message, vouching for Calliope: she had done everything possible to save him, while the rest of the Jewell family had barely lifted a finger.
One after another, the doctors said it: "Without Calliope, Kermit wouldn''t have lived as long as he did. She gave her all."
The crowd was stunned.
"Oh my God... this is so thorough!"
"Jeez, is that a video from when she was a kid? That''s heartbreaking, I''m about to cry."
"She was practically abused by the Jewell family. Look at that room-no child should have to live there. Even the housekeepers had it better!"
"And Lisette, all dressed up like a princess, but Calliope was wearing rags. She couldn''t even eat with them!"
"How could they treat her like that? I just want to give little Callie a hug!"
"My heart is breaking for her!"
"How can you y favorites like this? Young Callie didn''t even know who she was. She never understood why they were so cruel."
"She just kept trying to please them, not realizing it was all for nothing."
"It''s awful. She did so much for them!"
"Oh my God, she literally saved the brothers'' lives, and yet they credit Lisette as their ''hero''?"
"And that''s not even the worst part-when they found out Calliope was the real one who saved them, they covered it up!"
"Poor Callie! She didn''t deserve any of this."
"I''m actually crying. What kind of family does this?"
"Seriously, the Jewell family is just the worst. How can people be so heartless?
How could they hurt Calliope like this?"
"Even if she wasn''t their biological child, nobody deserves that.”
"And at the time, they thought she was their own!"
"Callie''s childhood was just tragic. It''s unbearable."
"She was such a sweet kid! How could they do this to her?"
People in the audience were openly sobbing. The more they watched, the more horrified and angry they became.
Even the Jewell family looked shaken. They''d had no idea Calliope had so much on them.
She''d kept all these receipts.<fn793e> Original content can be found at find(?)ovel</fn793e>
"Calliope, you still want to say you didn''t have an agenda?" Zelda snapped, desperate and furious. "Why else would you record all this? nning to ckmail us, is that it, you little curse?" s
"ckmail you?" Calliope let out a dryugh. "If it weren''t for me, the Jewell family would have gone bankrupt years ago." s>
The Jewell family''s faces turned even paler.
Lisette looked absolutely stricken. After all, she''d spent years stirring up trouble and taking credit for... everything Calliope had done. s