"Reese..."
"Don't worry! I'm here."
Reese had been here for a while now, and had also seen the video of her mother's death.Her eyes
were just as red and puffed like Wendy's.
"Wendy, I'll fight by your side today."
"Okay."
The sisters clutched each other's hands tightly.Then, Reese asked Roger for a microphone before
turning to the reporters.
"Hello, everyone.My name is Reese, and I am Wendy's sister."
"Reese, did you just say that you're the witness? Is there anything you want to bring to light?"
"Four years ago, Wendy was drugged.Was it really Cacia who did this to her?" The reporters
scrambled to ask their questions.
"Please listen to me carefully," Reese said calmly.
The reporters quieted down and waited in barely contained anticipation.
"I am here today to prove Wendy's innocence, and to reveal the true colors of Ruben, Cacia and Eris!"
The reporters looked at each other in shock.
‘'Eris? What does she have to do with this?'’
"Reese! Shut up right this instant!"
Ruben roared, but he was a tad too late.
Reese raised her chin defiantly.
"Do you think I'm still the same naive girl who would do whatever you said, Ruben?"
He knew what she was about to do.
"If you expose us, you won't be able to get away scot-free.This will hurt you, too, and you will be too
ashamed to live in this world," he threatened Reese in a low voice.
Reese ignored his threat and faced straight ahead.
Ruben's eyes flared with fury, but there was nothing else he could do to stop her.
"In order to make you all understand the truth better, I will be starting from the beginning, from the
moment my mother passed away.After my mother's death, Ruben and Cacia successfully took over her
properties.They sent Wendy and me to our grandmother in the countryside.We stayed in the
countryside for five years, until our grandmother died.You may verify my words in our hometown's
records.I'm sure our old neighbors and other villagers would also testify on my behalf."
Reese took a deep breath before continuing, "A kind neighbor informed Ruben of our grandmother's
passing, but he didn't want to support us.Our neighbor then threatened him that he would round up
other village authorities and sue Ruben if he neglected his obligations as our father.In the end, Ruben
had no choice but to take us from the countryside and bring us back to Ywood.It was only then that we
discovered that he and Cacia had squandered all the money left by our mother! To make matters
worse, they lost everything to the casino.Ruben was even arrested at some point.He has a criminal
record, so you can verify this with the police as well."
"Reese, you ungrateful child! I told you to shut up!"
This time, it was Wendy who whirled around to give him a cold glare.
"Seize him! He's the one who needs to shut up."
A couple of uniformed men instantly walked over to Ruben, pulled his hands behind his back, and
stuffed a piece of rag into his mouth.
"Hmm..."
Reese took a moment to glance at Ruben before taking another deep, fortifying breath.
"By the time my sister and I returned to Ywood, Ruben had lost his house and was running only a small
business.He asked me to help with the finances and told me to entertain clients.He said he couldn't
afford to send me and Wendy to school anyway.But it was all just an excuse.He was, in fact, trying to
pimp me out to some rich man.I was only seventeen at the time, at the prime of my youth, some would
say.He eventually found me a middle-aged divorcee, who is now my ex- husband.I won't divulge his
name, since we're already divorced and no longer have any business with each other."
"And then what happened?" one reporter piped up eagerly.
Reese had to close her eyes to block out the wave of horrible memories from her eleven years of
marriage.
"Reese?"
"I'm sorry.I just had some terrible flashbacks."
She cleared her throat.
"That man, my now ex-husband, took a fancy to me and agreed to marry me.He offered a house in
Ywood as a wedding gift.I never agreed, but Ruben was ruthless.He threatened that if I didn't marry the
man, he would break Wendy's hands and feet, scar her face, and cut out her tongue.And then he
would send my sister to the streets to beg for money from passing strangers."
A collective gasp came from the reporters, followed by an uproar.
"Fuck! I really want to beat him up! And he calls himself their father?"
"He did murder his first wife for her properties.It's not that surprising that he's also a monster to his
biological daughters."
"That scumbag needs to be punished!"
The reporters were now glaring at Ruben with menacing looks, hurling curses at him.
"I had no choice," Reese said in a hoarse voice.
Tears welled up in her eyes.
"I had to marry that old man in the end."
"Reese," Wendy whispered in worry.
Reese sniffed and patted her sister's shoulder in a gesture of comfort.
"It's all right.Let bygones be bygones.If it happened all over again, I would have made the same
choice."
This time, it was Wendy who looked about to cry.
Even a few of the female reporters sniffled, moved by the sisters' support for each other.
Reese turned back to the press.
"The house that Ruben and Cacia currently resides in is actually the house that my ex-husband gifted
our family for the wedding.You may also confirm this with the real estate management in charge of the
area."
Both Ruben and Cacia were trembling with rage, but they couldn't do anything as they were still being
held down by security.
'’Reese! How dare you! How dare you expose your awful past to everyone! “
"Because I wasn't of legal age to marry at the time, my ex-husband decided not to hold a wedding
ceremony, but we did live together as husband and wife.Since then, Ruben and Cacia reverted back to
completely neglecting Wendy.I had to save up some of my grocery allowance in order to pay for
Wendy's tuition.My sister is a good and sensible girl.She studied very hard, and loved me
unconditionally.Knowing how miserable my life was, she made sure to get some part -time job during
her winter and summer breaks to help ease my burden.And when she was in her third year of high
school, she met Brian."
For the second time in less than an hour, the reporters found themselves shocked by the revelations.
'Brian!' They were waiting for Reese to continue.
"I was there, so I can vouch for the events and confidently say that it was Brian who pursued Wendy
and professed his love.My sister was only sixteen years old then! I am not aware of the details of their
romance.All I know is that four years ago, when Wendy turned nineteen, something happened."
The reporters were now leaning forward in anticipation.
"Four years ago, our cousin, Rosie got married to Kane.The ceremony was held in a mountainside
villa.It was a very grand affair.Our cousin has always been close with Eris, and she even took Eris as
her bridesmaid.On the day of the wedding, however, Eris claimed that she wasn't feeling well and
asked Wendy to take her place.As part of the entourage, Wendy naturally partook of the drinks.Eris
drugged Wendy's drink."
Another, much louder, gasp came from the reporters.
"Eris!"
"So, it was Eris who drugged Wendy? Not Cacia?"
"Oh, my god! This is all too crazy."
One of them raised a hand and asked, "And why did Eris drug Wendy?"
"Because she was in love with Brian," Reese answered without batting an eye.
"In fact, she had been hanging around as the third wheel just two years after Brian and Wendy started
their relationship."
Boom!
The reporters were appalled yet again.
"Reese! Do you mean to say that Wendy did not seduce Brian, rather it was Eris?"
"Is Eris the other woman?"
"Reese, are you certain you aren't just saying these things to defend your sister?"
"That's right, do you have any evidence or witness to back up your claim about Eris spiking Wendy's
drink at the wedding?"
Of course, Reese had already known that she wouldn't be believed if she presented no proof.
"You want evidence? Then I'll give you all the evidence you need!"
She turned to Roger, who nodded in silent affirmation.
Reese then instructed, "Bring him up!"
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