Chapter 17: How Could You Cheat On Me?

Bianca remained unaffected as she held up another photo. It showed Haris kissing Stacey at the door of his apartment, leading her inside with his hand on her buttocks.

There was a loud slap in the hall. Peter had slapped Stacey across the face, causing her cheek to swell instantly.

Peter glared at her with bloodshot eyes, showing no remorse.

“How could you cheat on me?” Peter growled dangerously.

“Peter, it’s not true! She’s lying!” Stacey grabbed onto Peter’s trouser legs and sobbed. “I never cheated on you! I went to see him that day to discuss something for the engagement party. I didn’t expect him to drag me into his apartment and try to take advantage of me. I managed to escape, so nothing happened between us, I swear! Peter, you have to believe me!”

Stacey’s skilled acting and tearful display of emotion started to shake Peter’s resolve.

“Even if you don’t believe me, you have to, for the sake of the baby in my belly!”

Both Peter and Haris were stunned by Stacey’s sudden confession.

“You... You’re pregnant?” Peter’s anger quickly turned into shock.

Stacey nodded, looking pitiful. “This is our first child together. You have to believe me. How could I be involved with another man during my pregnancy? We’ve been together for so long. You know me, I’d never cheat on you! I love you with all my heart. If you don’t believe me, I’ll... I’ll kill myself!”

As Stacey finished speaking, she tried to run away, but Peter quickly pulled her back.

Though he had always seen Stacey as a beautiful caregiver, deep down, he also wanted another child.

Hearing that Stacey was pregnant, most of Peter’s anger melted away. And seeing Stacey willing to die to prove her innocence moved him deeply. Now, he felt inclined to believe her.

Haris frowned as he stared at Stacey. She had once told him that Peter was impotent, meaning the baby in her belly was likely his own!

He realized marrying Bianca was impossible now, but he had leverage over Stacey. She was too proud to admit the truth, but a paternity test would reveal everything. If he played it right, he could use this to blackmail Stacey for hush money.

But if Stacey was kicked out of the Scott family, he’d lose his leverage.

Haris took a deep breath and made up his mind.

Haris decided to help Stacey regain Peter’s trust.

“Mr. Scott, I... I’m really sorry. I got drunk that day and thought Mrs. Scott was Bianca. It was all my fault. Nothing happened between us, I promise. She just slapped me a few times and then left. When I sobered up, I felt terrible!”

As he spoke, he made sure to blame Bianca. “Bianca always said she hated Mrs. Scott and would eventually kick her out of the family. I never thought she’d stoop so low as to spy on us!”

Now, Haris despised Bianca. She not only took photos of him with other women but also showed them to everyone. It was so embarrassing! But now that the truth was out, he had to accept it. He decided to drive a wedge between Peter and Bianca.

Stacey caught on to Haris’s plan and joined in. “See, Peter? I’d never betray you!”

Then she looked at Bianca with sadness and cried, “I know you don’t like me being with your father, but you shouldn’t have done this to me!”

Their act worked, and Peter’s expression softened.

He gave Bianca a disappointed look, then helped Stacey up. He gently stroked her belly and said, “Okay, okay, I trust you. Don’t cry. We don’t want to upset the little one.”

“Dad, how can you just believe her? What if the baby isn’t even yours? What if she and Haris try to plot against you again?” Bianca looked at Peter in disbelief. How could her father be so trusting?

“That’s enough!” Peter scolded Bianca, putting an arm around Stacey’s shoulder. “Stacey has explained herself. What more do you want? When your mother and I got divorced, Stacey took care of me. She’s done a lot for me and our family. Even if you don’t like her, you can’t accuse her like this!”

“And this is all Haris’s fault, not hers. I haven’t dealt with him yet!” Peter turned around to confront Haris but realized he had slipped away during his argument with Bianca. Haris’s disappearance only strengthened Peter’s belief that Stacey was the true victim.

Bianca hadn’t expected her father to be so eager for a child that he’d ignore the truth, even when it was right in front of him.

She smiled bitterly and said, “Dad, I’m your daughter. Why don’t you trust me?”

“Look at the mess you’ve caused! You have no right to criticize Stacey. Besides, where were you the night you disappeared? Tell me the truth. Did you bring shame to our family that night?” Peter questioned Bianca aggressively.

Bianca was stunned at first; then she lowered her head in defeat.

Indeed, that night, she had an intimate moment with a man.

Bianca couldn’t bear to look at Dave, standing right beside her. If he found out she spent a night with a stranger, how would he see her? Would he lose respect for her?

Mia seemed to understand Bianca’s worries and used them to her advantage. “Sir, don’t be fooled by this woman,” she said seriously to Dave. “She’s not as innocent as she pretends to be. Look!”

She showed him the hotel surveillance footage from that night. Since Bianca stayed silent, Mia smiled even wider.

Dave frowned. He had already arranged for the hotel surveillance footage to be handled, so how did Mia get hold of it?

Finally, he couldn’t stand Mia’s cheap perfume any longer. He wrinkled his nose in disgust and stepped back from her.

Then he spoke to the crowd, his voice steady and resolute.

“Bianca is not that kind of person.”

Bianca looked up in surprise. She and Dave had only met a few days ago, and he didn’t know her well. Still, he chose to support her when everyone else doubted her.

It felt like a beam of light piercing through the darkness, warming her heart.

“Moreover, this video is fake,” Dave said, giving Mia a disdainful look.

“How… how could that be?” Mia stammered, avoiding eye contact. “We have a witness! He saw her going into a man’s room.”

“Oh, really?” Dave smiled and turned to Bianca. He brushed her hair aside, revealing her slender neck.

There was a small pink birthmark on the back of Bianca’s neck, like a blossoming peach.

“Bianca has a birthmark here, but the woman in the video doesn’t.”