Chapter 4: Can You Wipe the Slate Clean After Cheating?

Crestwood City, suburban outskirts.

Vanessa, having tidied herself up, got out of the taxi. At a glance, she saw a wall outside her yard covered with big-character posters.

The posters were straightforward and crude.

"Vanessa, the third party, shameless!"

Her father and brother were tearing them down, while her mother cried beside them.

The curious neighbors who had been watching, upon seeing her return, quickly asked, "Vanessa, what's going on? Why are they calling you the third party?"

As they spoke, the auntie had a playful expression, her eyes filled with an excited gleam.

Before Vanessa could say anything, her father, in anger, threw the iron spatula used to scrape off the posters to the ground. He turned around and glared at Vanessa fiercely. "You shameless creature, what have you done? You've ruined our reputation!"

"Dad, I don't know! I haven't done anything!" Vanessa quickly denied.

"Is someone deliberately framing me?"

She knew well that her father cared the most about his reputation. She quickly smiled and explained to the curious neighbors, "Auntie, I got married and have three children to take care of. I'm always busy; how could I possibly be a third party? This is absolutely impossible; it must be a misunderstanding!"

The auntie nodded with a smile upon hearing this. "That's what we guessed."

"Vanessa, we've watched you grow up. We know what kind of person you are."

"Yes, auntie, let's disperse, shall we?"

Vanessa said, pulling her weeping mother into the yard.

Her father and brother entered with gloomy faces, closing the gate behind them.

However, the onlookers outside did not disperse. Instead, they gathered in small groups, murmuring.

It wasn't just a murmur; the voices were barely concealed.

"I've always said that Vanessa is an unruly one."

"Exactly. Have you seen anyone who stays at home with children but dresses so flamboyantly? She looks like she's out for business."

"Look at her family. Since she got married, it's been lavish living every day. Where does the money come from? Probably from the men she entertains."

"Exactly, still claiming it's a misunderstanding. I think she definitely did it."

...

Vanessa, peeking at the gate, saw the situation and was furious.

"Mouthy bunch, be careful not to lose your tongues in hell!"

Could those gossiping aunties outside give her a break?

Since Vanessa had torn off all pretenses, they didn't bother to lower their voices.

Someone immediately snorted, "What? You committed a sin, and now you don't want people to talk about it? If it's really a misunderstanding, why don't you report it to the police? If you dare not report it, but dare to talk back, then you've really cheated. You, who destroys families, will die without knowing which layer of hell you'll end up in."

"That's right. She really thinks she's innocent. I saw her arguing with Old Li before. Later, she went into Old Li's shabby house and came out still all dressed up."

Once this was said, everyone was astonished.

"You really saw that?"

"My goodness, I remember Chad's father always bringing food to your house and asking if Vanessa was home."

"Exactly. And her children, always buying them sweets."

"Isn't this lining up? Just a woman who's willing to do anything for money. Her father scolded her right."

...

Vanessa's heart surged with anger as she listened. She couldn't let these gossiping aunties off so easily.

But her father didn't give her time to plan revenge. In the blink of an eye, he had already rushed into the house, grabbed a broom, and came out with a wooden stick, delivering a fierce blow to Vanessa's leg.

"Ah? Dad, what are you doing?"

Vanessa, in pain, immediately jumped up and ran away.

She hid inside the house, saw the children, and quickly pulled the oldest, Olivia, in front of her. "Dad, I'm already in my thirties!"

"You're old enough to know better! What have you done? We've been waiting for Xiaojie to come to our house for days, and it's all because of you. You're going to make our old Xu family line extinct!"

Her father, in tears, said while Nathan Davis glared at Vanessa, "Sis, you did such a thing, can't you at least clean up after cheating? Luckily, it's us who got the posters. If it was in your community, my brother-in-law would definitely divorce you!"

Hearing this, Vanessa's mother, Lorraine, seemed to be frightened. She hesitated for a moment and then pleaded with Vanessa, looking worried, "Vanessa, you mustn't. You can't get divorced!"

Vanessa, unimpressed, said, "Divorce? Chad wouldn't dare."

Nathan rolled his eyes.

"You cheated, and my brother-in-law wouldn't dare?!"

"He's just a coward. Rest assured, I can make him do anything."

Lorraine, after hearing Vanessa's confident assurance, breathed a sigh of relief. But upon careful thought, tears rolled down her cheeks again.

"But, who posted those? You have to do something about it!"

"Yeah, you did something bad, don't drag our whole family into it!"

Twelve-year-old Olivia was already mature for her age. Initially indignant upon seeing the big-character posters, after listening to her grandparents and uncle, and then hearing her mother, she subtly felt that the words on the posters might be true.

She raised her head, her eyes full of grievances. "Mom, are you really the third party?"

The next moment.

"Smack!"

Olivia covered her small face, tears streaming down.

Vanessa said angrily, "I'm your mother! Is this the way you speak?"