Chapter 20

Without water or electricity, Daphne couldn't live in the house, even if she wanted to. Wilson was clearly determined to fight her to the bitter end on Yvonne's behalf.

Closing her eyes to steady herself, she slowly exhaled and then instructed Wendy, "Let everyone know they can head home. Apologize for the wasted trip and compensate them for their time."

Through the window, Daphne watched the workers hauling in appliances and furniture that would now sit unused. Her whole body trembled with frustration.

Fine. If she couldn't stay here, neither could Wilson and Yvonne.

She stormed outside, calling to the workers, "Alright, everyone, take it all apart. The floors, the windows—everything you can. Rip it all up. Seal the drains while you're at it."

The workers exchanged confused glances. "What?"

Daphne didn't bother explaining. "Just do it. You'll get paid."

Once the house was thoroughly wrecked, Daphne stood amidst the chaos and called Wilson.

"Wilson," she began, her voice steady but cold, "You can have the house, but I have two conditions."

"Go on," Wilson replied, sounding smug, as though he had expected her to back down.

"First, you give me the villa at Lakeside Estates in exchange."

Lakeside Estates was the most exclusive neighborhood in the city, and the villa's value was double that of her current home. If she had to let this place go, she'd make sure she came out on top financially.

"Fine," Wilson agreed without hesitation.

Daphne continued, her tone sharp, "Second, you use your verified account to clear up the rumors about me cheating."

While Sebastian's statement had helped shift public opinion, it wasn't enough. Wilson was the key player in the story. Unless he publicly denied the rumors, they'd always hang over her like a cloud, waiting to resurface and cause trouble.

Wilson's voice turned icy. "Don't push it, Daphne." He hadn't expected Daphne to come up with such a condition.

She smirked. "I'm already compromising. And let's be honest, you don't want the world thinking you're a cuckold, do you?"

For a man like Wilson, pride was everything. She knew he wouldn't let the rumors damage his reputation any further.

After hanging up, Daphne didn't spare the house another glance. She walked to her car and dialed Sebastian's number.

"Mr. Turner," she said with teasing formality, "I need a favor."

Sebastian chuckled. "You're practically my wife now. Call me Sebastian."

She hesitated, feeling a bit awkward. "Sebastian," she tried, though it didn't roll off her tongue easily.

"Perfect, Daph," he replied smoothly. "What can I do for you?"

"I need you to trace the IP address of whoever started those cheating rumors. It shouldn't be hard for you, right?"

She had met Sebastian's tech-savvy friends before and knew they were capable of just about anything.

"Tracking them is easy," Sebastian said casually. "What are you planning to do once you find them?"

Daphne smiled, her tone laced with determination. "I'm going to do exactly what needs to be done."

While waiting for Sebastian to handle the trace, Daphne spent the morning looking for office space for her new company. She toured several buildings, but either the prices were outrageous or the locations were less than ideal.

Frustrated, she ducked into a nearby café to take a break. Just as she sat down, her phone rang.

"Daphne, what did you do?" Ava's voice was a mix of shock and excitement. "Wilson just posted a public statement clearing your name!"

Daphne smiled, opening her phone to see for herself. There it was, Wilson's statement pinned at the top of the trending list: #WilsonFarrellClearsRumors. The comments were overwhelmingly supportive.

"I knew it! Daphne would never cheat!" "So, Yvonne's the homewrecker, after all? And she still won't admit it?" "Our girl, Daphne, is completely innocent!"

Daphne's follower count was climbing steadily, and she couldn't help but feel satisfied.

Her moment of triumph was interrupted by a wave of dizziness. She realized her head felt heavy—likely the beginnings of a cold. She needed medicine.

Thankfully, there was a pharmacy nearby. She walked in and asked the cashier, "Do you have any cold medicine?"

"You're in luck. This is the last box," the cashier said with a bright smile, handing it to her.

Before Daphne could take it, a familiar voice cut through the air.

"Daphne, what a coincidence."

She turned to see Yvonne.

Before Daphne could respond, Yvonne reached for the medicine. "Wilson's waiting for me outside. You're alone, so you're probably not in a rush. Why don't you let me have it?"

Daphne snatched the box back, her voice sharp. "What Wilson does or doesn't do has nothing to do with me. Medicine is like everything else—it's first come, first served. Men, medicine, you name it."

Before Yvonne could respond, the door opened, and Wilson walked in. He wasn't in his usual tailored suit, opting instead for a casual black shirt. It gave him a laid-back air that only added to his good looks.

Back when Daphne had been in love with him, that face had been her weakness. Now, it just annoyed her.

"What's taking so long?" Wilson asked, his gaze landing on Yvonne.

Yvonne put on her best damsel-in-distress act. "Daphne isn't feeling well, but there's only one box of medicine left. I was going to give it to her, but—" She broke into a fit of coughs, clutching her chest.

Wilson didn't hesitate. He grabbed the medicine from Daphne's hand and handed it to Yvonne. "She's strong. She'll be fine without it."

Daphne laughed, though there was no humor in it. "So, if Yvonne doesn't take medicine, she'll die? Better let her have it, then. You wouldn't want her dying on you. That'd make her little homewrecker gig a waste, wouldn't it?"

Wilson's face darkened. "Why do you have to be so spiteful?"

Yvonne chimed in, her voice shaking. "Daphne, you can insult me but don't drag Wilson into it. He's just worried about me. He's not as careless with his feelings as you think."

Daphne snorted. "Him? Worried about you? Please. You wouldn't even be in the picture if he were so loyal. You think slapping some lipstick on a pig makes it anything other than a pigsty?"

Wilson's patience snapped. "That's enough!"

"Right," Daphne said, turning to leave. "Talking to either of you is a waste of my time."

Her head throbbed as she left. All she wanted was to find a place to take her medicine and get some rest.