The Ex-Wife's Burning Elegance novel Chapter 35

Rachel's voice trembled as she spoke, her vulnerability palpable.

"Ms. Cameron, you don't need to remind me. I know I don't have much time left."

"Ms. Cameron, you're right. What Haynes gave me is all a sham. I'm sorry."

The scene shifted abruptly to a clip of Stella "pushing" Rachel into the water, followed by a distressing moment where Rachel apologized, looking utterly defeated.

Then, as if to seal the narrative, a video showed Rachel nearly losing her balance and almost getting hit by a car earlier that morning.

The comments under this trending topic exploded.

[Wow, Rachel only has six months left, and Stella's cursing her to die?]

[Sleeping her way to the top? Gross! This wife is so vicious. Maybe there's more to Rachel's illness than we know!]

[So, this tragic couple was separated by Stella? What a despicable woman! And I thought she was just a pretty face.]

[Pfft, pretty? My friend is a plastic surgeon, saying her face is all fake.]

[Poor Rachel, not only did this homewrecker steal her man, but she almost got her killed!]

[This is attempted murder! Let's tag the police and bring this murderer to justice!]

[It's unfair. Rachel is talented and beautiful, a brilliant violinist, and now, this illness? What a cruel twist of fate!]

[I heard Stella hasn't worked since she got married. She's a useless housewife, nothing compared to Rachel.]

The wave of criticism against Stella was overwhelming and one-sided.

Usually, in such stories, there would be a debate about the 'perfect victim' or 'victim-blaming,' but not with Stella's case. There wasn't a single dissenting voice. In an instant, Stella became the pariah, the villain everyone loved to hate.

Stella scrolled through the comments with a blank expression. After closing the news app, she took a deep breath, contemplating her next move.