Laura’s Victory Second Chance

Chapter 27

Laura had thought of every possible angle and planned for them. Some might say she couldn’t see the future, but with memories of her previous life, she certainly had an edge.

As she picked up a glass of red wine from the waiter’s tray, she looked poised and sophisticated, a striking contrast to her age. “Welcome, Dr. Hammond,” she said warmly, sipping the wine before placing the glass down, leaving a tempting lipstick mark that caught the attention of many

men.

With her mental age closer to twenty–five, Laura carried herself with the confidence of a mature woman. She had no idea that even the simple act of raising a glass could mesmerize so many.

Joshua raised his cocktail in return, saying, “What an honor it is to be here for Ms. Godfrey’s coming–of–age celebration.”

‘He referred to her as Ms. Godfrey, not Ms. Sharpe, making it clear he is associated with that man, Olivia thought. She felt her lips tremble, nearly biting them until they bled. ‘Laura, that conniving witch, has put me in this awful position.

“Ms. Sharpe,” Joshua said, lowering his glass, “if you’re okay with it, I can examine you right now.”

Olivia felt trapped. Joshua wasn’t one of those inexperienced doctors; he would know if she was faking it. If he exposed her, it would be disastrous, and if he didn’t, she’d still be in hot water.

Sweat trickled down Olivia’s forehead. Emma, genuinely concerned, said, “Liv, let Dr. Hammond take a look at you. This sweat isn’t normal; it’s not worth risking your health.”

At that moment, Laura realized just how much Olivia enjoyed such mind games. It was thrilling to watch people get caught in her web of manipulation. “Since Dr. Hammond is here, better to get a check–up. You would want to blame me if you actually got sick.”

“Laura, how can you say that? You have no conscience! Are you really hoping something happens to her?” David shot back.

With a smirk, Laura replied, “Dad, save your breath. Just watch this video first.”

Robert recalled the last time he had seen Laura outside the storage room. His heart raced as he understood she was serious about having more evidence. He realized he couldn’t allow her to show that video; it would ruin him.

“Lau, can we talk for a second?” He wiped the sweat from his forehead, anxious.

She fiddled with her phone, a playfully mocking tone in her voice. “Regretting your choices?”

As she pressed play, her lips curved into a teasing smile. “Unfortunately, it’s too late now.”

Olivia’s heart pounded in her chest–this was no act; this was real. She was in deep trouble. Gripping her skirt tightly, she squeezed her eyes shut, feeling as if her soul was being drained away. The images on the projector seemed to trap her in a nightmare.

The first image froze on a frosted glass door, and everyone was curious about the secrets hidden within. Just then, sounds began to play from the static image.

“Robby, we can’t.”

“What’s the problem? Don’t you think this makes you happy? If you don’t tell anyone and I don’t, who will know?”

Even though the door was frosted, everyone could clearly see the woman’s fingers against the glass. The voices coming from inside were unmistakable, making even the least observant of them blush. It was clear: Olivia and Robert were in trouble.

“Wow, this is wild!”

“Disgusting.”

“I take back what I said about Laura. Olivia is the real shameless one. I felt sorry for her for a split second, but she’s nothing but a liar.” “It’s done for; Olivia is utterly beyond saving.”

Olivia bit her lip, listening to Laura’s casual tone, “Mom and Dad, does this look familiar? This is our storage room, now a secret meeting spot for -Robert and Olivia.

*Robert, Olivia, did you think I didn’t have any proof and you could deny everything and blame me? But it won’t just go away.”

Robert met her gaze, his expression cold. “Laura, you really are something!”

He realized that Laura had known all along but kept quiet until now, ready to crush them with the truth. ‘How crafty she is! It feels like she is pushing us to our limits, he thought.

3:23 PM

Laura scoffed, “Robert, you’ve been sneaking around with Olivia, telling me you love me while being with her. Do you think I’m that naive? You can’t just trample on me forever.”

“Laura, you’ve changed. You’re scaring me,” Robert finally admitted, dropping his facade.

Laura couldn’t hold back any longer. “I’ve changed? What do you want me to do to be less scary? Robert, I once loved you—everyone knows that. I poured my heart out for you, waited for you, and cared for you while you gave me nothing in return.

“I used to wait up until three in the morning, just hoping to hear you say goodnight. I ran all over the city just to grab your favorite cheeseburger. I don’t even know why I loved you so much, sacrificing my own dignity for you.

“Now I know you’re with Olivia, and you want me to pretend I don’t see it? To convince myself that I’m the one you love?”

Robert struggled to respond, feeling a lump in his throat. “Even if I messed up, you shouldn’t air this in front of everyone.”

Laura found his reaction absurd. Instead of reflecting on his own mistakes, he blamed her for exposing his scandal. “You can point fingers at everyone but yourself? You’re the lustful one!

“Do you think I can’t move on from you? Do you think no matter how terrible and disgusting you are, I should wait for you to come back?” A mocking smile curved her lips.

“The Laura who loved you enough to lose her self–respect? She’s gone.” Deep down, she added, ‘She died in that big fire.

She brightened her smile again, addressing Ella directly. “Mrs. Smith, now do you see who is playing both sides here?”

Ella watched in regret. “I’m sorry, Laura.”

Any woman would feel a pang of sympathy knowing Laura’s story, but Laura wouldn’t show any weakness. She didn’t need anyone’s pity. She turned her gaze sharply to Elara. “Mrs. Brown, who do you think is not a decent person now? My dad may be gone, but his daughter stands tall and has nothing to be ashamed of.”

Her words were a direct jab at Elara’s earlier comments about Alistair’s death. Elara felt the sting, her face flushed with embarrassment.

Laura then faced the crowd, her finger pointing at them. “And what about you all? Do you see who is twisting the truth? Who’s the one being in a relationship while eyeing someone else? Who has no shame and plays both sides? All of you who didn’t bother to understand the story–do you regret what you said now?”

The room fell quiet, no one dared to speak. No snowflake in an avalanche ever felt responsible.

Laura stood in front of David. “Dad, didn’t you say I had a wicked heart and disgraced the Sharpe family and wanted to slap me?”

She grabbed David’s hand and aimed it at Olivia’s face. “Go ahead, hit her now.”