“You even planned to put all the blame on your colleague? I really underestimated you!” Mrs. Smith’s voice was sharp, full of disgust as she slapped Joyce across the face. The force of the blow sent Joyce stumbling, losing her balance, and falling to the floor with a cry of pain. “Ahh!” she screamed, clutching her cheek.
Stella stood quietly, watching from the sidelines. In her hand was Joyce’s phone, which she had been browsing through. What she discovered was enough to make her blood run cold: not only had Joyce been badmouthing her to Mr. Smith, but she had been pushing him about when he was going to get a divorce. Stella hadn’t suspected a thing—she had been Ruby’s private tutor for so long, unaware that Joyce had been secretly involved with Ruby’s father all this time.
Mrs. Smith wasn’t done. She was still seething with rage, her hands shaking as she spat, “You’re a real piece of work, aren’t you? No one dares to mess with me! Do you know who I am? Well, I’ll teach you a lesson today!”
Joyce, still reeling from the slap, tried to stand up, but before she could regain her footing, Mrs. Smith struck her again. This time, she dropped to her knees in pain. But Mrs. Smith didn’t stop. She jumped on top of Joyce and began hitting her repeatedly.
“Help! Help!” Joyce screamed, her voice cracking with fear. “Security! Hurry up! Someone get this woman away from me!”
The security guards, unsure how to handle the situation between two women, hesitated. Joyce’s desperation grew. “Ella!” she pleaded, her face bruised and blotched with redness from the assault. “Please, help me! Ella!”
Mrs. Smith shot back, her voice full of venom. “You’ve got the gall to call for her help? After everything you’ve done? You changed your name and photo in my husband’s phone to hers so she could take the fall for your lies! You’re not just shameless—you’re a vicious snake!”
Stella remained still, unfazed. She knew now why Joyce had been acting so strange around her—she’d been planning to blame everything on her. Joyce had thought she could manipulate the situation, pin the affair on Ella Steele, and walk away scot-free, all while making sure Ella took the fall. But the tables had turned.
The crowd, which had gathered to watch the chaos unfold, stood in stunned silence. Some people even pulled out their phones, eager to record the drama. Seeing the crowd grow larger, Stella decided it was best to leave. But as she turned to go, she collided with Yvonne, who had just arrived.
“What’s going on here?” Yvonne asked, her eyes darting between the chaotic scene and the gathered onlookers.
Stella took a deep breath and recounted what had just happened. As she spoke, Yvonne’s expression darkened. She turned her sharp gaze toward Joyce.
“I can’t believe she’s such a conniving liar,” Yvonne muttered under her breath.
Despite the tension in the air, Yvonne knew she had to take control of the situation. As the manager of the training center, she couldn’t let this scandalous scene escalate further. She gave a firm instruction to the security guards to break up the fight and separate Mrs. Smith from Joyce.
The guards hesitated for a moment, but when Yvonne spoke, they moved quickly to pull Mrs. Smith away. Mrs. Smith, her anger simmering down, let out a deep breath, though she still appeared furious.
“I’m sorry, Yvonne,” she said, her tone softer, though still tight with emotion. “I didn’t mean to cause you any trouble. But I couldn’t stand seeing this woman try to seduce my husband, sneaking around behind my back. I had to come here and teach her a lesson.”
Yvonne and Mrs. Smith shared a cordial nod, their acquaintance evident. Yvonne knew Mrs. Smith well enough to recognize her motivations—shopping and chasing women away from her husband were her primary concerns.
“I understand, Mrs. Smith,” Yvonne replied, her voice calm but firm. “I don’t want to get involved in your personal matters, but my training center is closing soon, and Joyce is no longer one of my employees. I’d appreciate it if you could resolve this elsewhere.”
“Yes, of course,” Mrs. Smith said, smoothing down her messy hair, the anger still flickering in her eyes. She turned to Joyce, her gaze filled with contempt. “Just you wait! I’m not done with you yet! I’ll make sure you pay for what you’ve done.”
Her tone was cold and menacing, a far cry from the polite, controlled demeanor she had shown toward Yvonne just moments ago.
Then, her eyes shifted to Stella. She hesitated for a moment, her face flickering with uncertainty. “I… I’m sorry I misunderstood you,” she said stiffly, clearly embarrassed by how her rage had gotten the better of her.
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