?Chapter 206:


    That evening, Haley picked up her phone and dialed every major media outlet in Chona. She had an explosive piece of news—and it was time to drop the bomb.


    By the next morning, a hot topic had exploded online, and more followed in quick session. At the center of the storm was a single name—Ste.


    Directly beneath her name, a sensational headline screamed: “Ste trades loyalty for ambition—ditching her long-time husband in pursuit of sess.”


    Another hot topic chased after it, stirring debate. “Are women on the rise, or falling behind? Independent or dependent—what’s the truth behind Ste’s story?”


    As all this yed out online, Ste finished her morning routine, ready to head out for work at the research institute. Before she could leave, her phone lit up with an iing call—Sharon’s name shed across the screen.


    “Stel, have you seen the trending topics? Someone’s out there trashing your reputation!”


    Ste, still adjusting her watch, barely frowned. She’d weathered online storms before and didn’t flinch. “Let them say what they want. It’s not a big deal.”


    Sharon’s anxious voice grew sharper. “How can you act like this doesn’t matter? This is nder, Ste! They’re making things up about you, and rumors move faster than wildfire. If you stay silent, things might spiral out of control.”


    Hearing Sharon’s genuine rm, Ste’s fingers stilled. Maybe this storm was bigger than she’d thought.


    She hesitated, set her bag down, and sank into the living room sofa. Opening her phone, she braced herself and started scrolling through the trending headlines.


    Her eyesnded on the smear campaign, and she let out a short, incredulousugh.


    “Former Walsh Group CEO’s wife Ste Russell, suspected of being under a new identity. Not only did she leave Marc Walsh, but she’s now tly denying she was ever Ste. What a master of deception!”


    “Ste Russell rebranded herself as Sylvia Gilbert, ruthlessly cutting Marc out of her life. She now refuses to acknowledge her past and is openly clinging to Choria’s rising star, William Briggs. Their staged disys of affection ignore Marc and their marriage as if it never existed.”


    “Of course, William is just another stepping stone—Ste’s golden ticket into elite society. Before she met him, she was nothing—just another wealthy housewife…”


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    Coasting on Marc Walsh’s fortune. But after she crossed paths with William, she started making the rounds at high-profile business events, quickly building a new reputation. Anyone who thinks this wasn’t all part of her n is either naive or blind.”


    Ste couldn’t hold back augh, breathless at the sheer absurdity. The idea that she’d ever clung to William for support—what a joke. If these so-called journalists ever found out that William preferred men, their headlines would evaporate overnight.


    The article’s closing lines took on a self-righteous tone, wrapping the whole smear job in a bow of moral outrage.


    “In the end, whether she calls herself Ste Russell or Sylvia Gilbert, she’s just a woman who traded family for fortune. A person like this will inevitably pay the price for her choices. Cities like Choria don’t need selfish, opportunistic frauds poisoning the atmosphere. Such people are nothing but trouble for society!”


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