Cassandra sensed the pressure when she arrived at the Callum residence. 

Jack perched on the couch in the living room with a sullen expression on his face. Clad in a luxurious dress, Sophia stood beside him with a complicated expression and kept her silence.

Clara sat on the other couch. She kept her head low, and her face was pale. 

Clearly, she had been berated by her parents before this. She knew she was in huge trouble because the pool incident had trended online.

"You brat. You're finally home," Jack addressed Cassandra icily with a glare.

She calmly looked at him and asked coolly, "What's the matter?"

She seemed to be talking to a stranger. In truth, he was less important than a stranger to her. She still felt resentful toward them for killing her mom.

"I'm your dad! What's with that attitude?" Jack's authoritative voice boomed in the air.

"We've cut ties, haven't we? Just 

Tristan turned around and frowned when he saw Cassandra's pale face.

Sensing her downcast mood, he asked gently, "What's wrong?"

She shook her head. "It's nothing. I just feel a little tired."

He did not press on. Instead, he gently held her hand. The warmth from his touch sent an electric jolt through her body.

"Tell me if anything happens." His voice was firm and steady, offering her a sense of security.

She nodded at him. "Yeah. It's fine now. I've left those horrible people and their actions in the past."

He knew she must have returned to the Callum residence. The horrible people she referred to had to be her dad and the other two.

"Yeah. Stop thinking about it if you've left them in the past. I'll treat you to dinner." He shifted the topic of conversation.

"Okay."

Without warning, a car appeared and nearly rammed into them. The driver quickly stepped on the brakes.

Cassand

Aidan was surprised when he heard Cassandra's remark. Was that her impression of him? He was once the most important person to her.

"Cassandra, don't forget that you rely on me to pay for your grandma's medical bills. No other man will be as generous in doing that if you leave me!"

Cassandra remained aloof in the face of his harsh words.

"I used my bonus from F&W Jewelry to pay for my grandma's medical bills. You've never paid me a cent in the past few years. How about we sort it out now?"

He was shameless for bringing up money matters, she thought.

Caught by surprise, Aidan felt both embarrassed and angered. "That's ridiculous!"

He slammed the door shut and left.

She stood there with the same flat expression on her face. Then, she chuckled. She wondered if she was blind in the past for dating a jerk like Aidan.

She had thought she married for love, but love was insufficient against the cruel reality and the thrill of meeting someone new.

When she was deep in thought, her phone rang. She picked it up.

"Cassie, did you see the trending topics? Check them out!" Victoria's excited voice came through the phone.

"What trending topics?"

"It's about the incident at the business dinner last night! Clara blamed you for pushing her into the pool, but the security footage was leaked today. Everyone could see that she had pulled you into the water. What a shameless bitch she is!

"The truth has topped the trending topics. Everyone knows Clara's true colors now."

Cassandra was surprised at the speed at which the truth was exposed.

Aidan and Clara were a perfect match in terms of their shamelessness.

"Cassie, is this the work of your man?" Victoria couldn't think of another man who was capable of pulling this off except Tristan.

The thought of a rich man like Tristan standing up for his beloved wife was super romantic.

Cassandra felt touched when she recalled how Tristan had given out instructions to Liam last night. Holding her phone, she unknowingly smiled. She replied in a whisper, "I guess it was him."

"Oh my God! Tristan Freeman is so cool! He's a Mr. McDreamy who defends his wife! Cassie, you're so lucky!" Victoria yapped on happily.

Her excitement brought warmth to Cassandra. Cassandra felt herself melting when she remembered the tenderness under Tristan's cold facade yesterday.

Although their marriage happened by chance, she felt a sense of security like never before under Tristan's protection and care.

"Victoria, stop the nonsense," she replied, feigning calmness, but her voice was tinged with sweetness.

"It's not nonsense! You gotta appreciate Tristan. He's so nice to you!" Victoria said with mirth.

"Anyway, Clara really deserves it! I bet she won't bully you again in the future!"

Cassandra's eyes became cold. Indeed, Clara deserved it.

After hanging up, Cassandra checked her phone. As expected, the headline topping the trending topics read, "Clara Callum Framed Cassandra in Drowning Drama—Leaked Footage Reveals the Shocking Truth!"

She clicked into the topic. Most of the comments were bashing Clara. Reading them felt cathartic for Cassandra.

Her phone rang again when she was absorbed in reading the comments. She checked it out. It was a call from Tristan.

"Oh, it's you!" She answered the call, her voice softening instantly.

"Have you seen the trending topics?" His deep, calm voice was music to her ears.

"Yeah. I saw it," she whispered. "Thanks."

A few moments of silence later, he said coolly, "You don't have to thank me. I should be doing this for you."

Holding the phone, Cassandra felt moved. Tristan never said much, but he'd always show his care through his actions.

The marriage didn't feel as bad as she had thought.

"Wait for me after work tonight. I'll treat you to some good food," he offered.

"Okay," she replied.

After hanging up, she still felt the whole situation was a little surreal.

Meanwhile, Clara was nearly driven crazy when she learned that she was trending online. Her mind was a mess, and her heart was beating crazily.

Now, she had no way of arguing with proof from the security footage. She nearly lost her mind when she saw the doubtful look Aidan cast at her.

Damn it! Who exposed the security footage?

She never thought that the incident from last night was caught on camera, and she never imagined the footage to go viral online and become the talk of the town.

"Aidan, hear me out…" She attempted to explain herself in a trembling voice.

"Clara, why did you do that?" Aidan was puzzled. He felt like a joke for even trying to defend Clara last night.

She opened her mouth, but no words came out. The footage clearly showed her pulling Cassandra into the pool.

"I… I just…" Tears welled up in her eyes. She sounded emotional as she continued, "I did it because I was so upset at her arrogance. In the heat of the moment, I…"

Aidan let out a sigh. "Don't do that again. You're the one I love."

She gave him a back hug. "I understand. I won't do that again."

Aidan immediately made a call to remove the video from the trending topics. Oddly, the people in charge insisted that the trending topics could only be removed after 24 hours.

If so, everyone who was online would read the trending topics.

Clara was enraged.

Elsewhere, Jack and Sophia could not stand it anymore. This was a scandal involving the Callum family. 

Jack's blood pressure soared when he watched the security footage. He immediately called Cassandra and Clara.

Cassandra was surprised that he called. Her eyes became ice-cold. Still, she answered.

She let out a soft chuckle when Jack demanded that she return home. In her eyes, the Callum residence was not home. 

In any case, she knew the reason behind his call. She was curious to see how shameless they could be.

After work, she called Tristan apologetically, telling him she had to make a trip back to the Callum residence. He told her to take care and to call him if anything happened.

Prior to this, he had looked into the Callum family's treatment of Cassandra. Not that it mattered, of course. He would dote on his woman regardless.

After hanging up, Cassandra hailed a cab to the Callum residence. That place was a lion's den, but she had no fear because she was no longer a doormat.

She thought, "We shall see what happens!"

Cassandra sensed the pressure when she arrived at the Callum residence. 

Jack perched on the couch in the living room with a sullen expression on his face. Clad in a luxurious dress, Sophia stood beside him with a complicated expression and kept her silence.

Clara sat on the other couch. She kept her head low, and her face was pale. 

Clearly, she had been berated by her parents before this. She knew she was in huge trouble because the pool incident had trended online.

"You brat. You're finally home," Jack addressed Cassandra icily with a glare.

She calmly looked at him and asked coolly, "What's the matter?"

She seemed to be talking to a stranger. In truth, he was less important than a stranger to her. She still felt resentful toward them for killing her mom.

"I'm your dad! What's with that attitude?" Jack's authoritative voice boomed in the air.

"We've cut ties, haven't we? Just spit it out, or I'm leaving," she retorted coldly.

"You little wretch! How dare you ask me what's t

Chapter 17