your scapegoat 7

Sapphire’s POV 

Sylvester froze, staring wide–eyed at Melinda, learning who she really was. All along, he’d beer completely fooled. 

My dad picked his phone back up, his voice heavy with concern. “Sapphire, just rest. I’ll take care 

of the rest.” 

But I shook my head from where I leaned against the pillow. My voice was soft, but firm. “No Dad. I want to see them pay for what they did myself.” 

The room went silent. Everyone inside trembled when they heard my words. 

Then Melinda suddenly scrambled forward, crying into the phone. 

“Sapphire! I was wrong! I swear I was wrong!” she sobbed. “Ever since we were kids, I was jealous of you, jealous you had loving parents, jealous of your beautiful clothes!” Her voice cracked, desperate. “But I’m a victim too! My dad forced me! He said if I could marry Sylvester our family would finally rise again!” 

Yet her words only filled me with disgust. Even now, she was still trying to push the blame ontc someone else. 

That was when Sylvester finally snapped out of his daze. His face darkened, and he glared at Melinda. 

“So you pretended to be Mr. Shepherd’s daughter just to get close to me? To wreck my relationship with Sapphire?” 

Melinda shook her head frantically. “No, Sylvester, it’s not like that! My feelings for you were 

real!” 

“Real?” Sylvester gave a cold laugh. “You built your whole life on lies. And you dare talk about love?” 

Watching them tear each other apart, I couldn’t help but feel a sharp, bitter satisfaction. 

Soon after, the police arrived in response to my dad’s call. Ted, Sylvester, Melinda, and the rest including the bodyguards who helped them, were all taken away. 

I thought it was finally over. 

But three days later, Ted’s company, Webster Group, struck first. 

An edited, twisted, and malicious video began circulating online like wildfire. In it, I looked disheveled, drunk, leaning close to Ted in a way that made the scene look indecent. The parts where I fought back, where they forced alcohol down my throat had been completely cut out. 

Then came Webster’s press releases, flooding every platform. 

[Sapphire seduces to steal trade secrets, then bites the hand that feeds her!] 

[Heiress of the Shepherds caught in scandal, scheming honey trap gone wrong!] 

[Behind the glamorous socialite was nothing but dirty business deals!] 

Lying in my hospital bed, I stared at the comments on my phone screen. My fingers trembled as I scrolled. 

40046 

7:43 pm 

DE 

Lying in my hospital bed, I stared at the comments on my phone screen. My fingers trembled as I scrolled. 

[Disgusting woman. Pretty face, rotten soul.] 

[Daughters of rich families are all the same, money–hungry trash.] 

[Mr. Webster was the real victim. She played him.] 

Every word was like a knife to my chest. 

My mind then spun back to that night, to the humiliation, to Ted’s filthy hands on me, and my stomach churned violently. 

Meanwhile, our company’s stock price plummeted overnight, and the company phones never stopped ringing. 

My dad stood by my hospital bed, face stormy as his phone buzzed nonstop with reporters calling. 

“Mr. Shepherd, the stock’s already down thirty percent!” Mr. Brooks rushed in with the report. Guilt crushed me. Because of me, the entire Shepherd Group was going under. 

“Dad… I’m sorry.” My voice cracked as tears blurred my eyes. 

But Dad walked over and gently smoothed my hair. 

“Sapphire, this isn’t your fault,” he said firmly. “This is Ted’s game. He’s attacking you just t short our company.” His eyes hardened, cold as steel. “But if he thinks that’ll break us, he’s deac wrong.” 

I suddenly sat up, a thought sparking like lightning. “Dad. It’s time we hit back.” 

For a moment, he was taken aback. Then, slowly, admiration lit his eyes. “Sapphire, how do want to fight?”