“Tina! Look at this! Which heartless scoundrel is spreading such nonsense!”
Looking at those twisted words on the phone and the unsightly comments below, I didn’t get angry-instead, I laughed.
Megan, do you really think the internet is your last weapon?
Then you have seriously underestimated me,
Right in front of Valerie, I took out my phone and dialed the number of Russel Sandoval, the head of the village council.
“Mr. Sandoval, hello, this is Christina. I’d like to use the village loudspeaker for a moment. There are some things I want to clarify to all the villagers.”
Half an hour later, the village loudspeaker sounded.
Holding a script I had prepared long ago, I stood in the village council office, spoke calmly into the microphone, and explained the entire story from beginning to end.
Then, I read out my most important piece of evidence-the official disciplinary decision from the military, stamped in bright red, word for word.
After reading it, I personally posted the copy on the most prominent bulletin board at the entrance of the village council.
Black and white on paper, irrefutable evidence.
All the rumors seemed pale and ridiculous in the face of the authoritative official document.
The village loudspeaker spread the truth to every corner.
In the WhatsApp group chat, the villagers were in an uproar, speaking up for me and fiercely condemning the woman who spread the rumors.
Megan’s vicious counterattack not only failed to hurt me in the slightest, but instead landed like a resounding slap on her own face, completely destroying her and Tristian’s reputation in the village.
After all this, I did not stop.
I consulted my lawyer again.
The lawyer told me that the military family allowances Tristian fraudulently obtained in my name must be fully returned to me, and that I could also sue him for emotional damages due to his deceitful divorce and infidelity.
I did not hesitate for a moment.
I immediately submitted the relevant evidence and applications to the military and the court.
I wanted him to understand that every cent he owed me must be paid back!
When the news reached Tristian, he was completely panicked.
He was now penniless and still had to pay for his mother’s support-how could he possibly afford this sum?
1 288 Vouchers
Shamelessly, he asked someone to pass on a message, hoping to “settle privately,” begging me to “show mercy” and “consider our past relationship” and let him off.
Past relationship?
Hearing those words only made me feel disgusted.
When he schemed to trick me into divorce and ran off with another woman, did he ever think about our “past relationship”?
I told the messenger to tell him: “See you in court.”
My tolerance and kindness would only be seen by him as weakness to be exploited.
The only way to deal with someone like him is to use the sharpest blade-make him hurt, make him afraid, and make sure he remembers this lesson for the rest of his life.
After painstakingly unraveling and settling the past, life finally turned to a brand new page.
With the portion of my allowance that I managed to recover, along with a humanitarian subsidy from the army, I rented a small shop at the entrance of the village that had been vacant for years.
I repainted it, cleaned it thoroughly, and opened a small eatery.
The name of the shop was simple: “Tina’s Diner.”
I put to use all the cooking skills I had honed at home over the years.
My pasta was chewy and delicious; my ravioli had thin skins and generous fillings, with plenty of savory broth; I also learned to make some simple salads and sandwiches.
Because I used quality ingredients, set fair prices, and made tasty food, the diner quickly earned a good reputation in the village and nearby towns.
Every day before dawn, I would get up to prepare the ingredients.
Being busy left me no time to dwell on unpleasant memories.
Watching my customers eat with such satisfaction, and hearing their repeated praise-“Ma’am, your cooking is amazing”-filled me with a sense of security and fulfillment I had never known before.
I also spent money to get my driver’s license.
The first time I drove that secondhand Volkswagen by myself to the wholesale market in Tarrant County, I looked at my own hands-roughened by years of hard work-on the steering wheel, and my eyes grew moist.
From now on, I would never have to look to anyone else for approval, nor depend on anyone ever again.
I was my own steering wheel.
Some of the young people in the village, seeing how well my business was doing, taught me how to livestream on my phone and how to open an online shop.
New Book: Back Home to Marry Off Myself
Loredana’s father left the family for his mistress, leaving them to fend for themselves abroad. When life was at its toughest, her father showed up with “good news” after 8 years of absence: To marry off Loredana to a paralyzed son of the wealthy Mendelsohn family.