CHAPTER 254: CHAPTER 254 KARMA

Meanwhile, Alexa’s condition was possibly the worst of all. The moment William’s maids shoved a bucket and brush into her hands, her pride cracked like glass. She, the once-perfect socialite in a blazing red gown, was now on her knees scrubbing a toilet floor that stank of disinfectant and filth.

Her nose wrinkled, her face twisted in disgust as she scrubbed at the grime that clung to the edges of the tiles. The floor was cold, her gown was dragging against it, and every stroke of the brush scraped her dignity away.

Her fingers, once adorned with expensive rings, now clutched a filthy rag. Her delicate manicured nails, painted to perfection just hours ago, were ruined as dirty water splashed back onto her hands.

Worst of all were the women who came deliberately, pretending they needed to "retouch their makeup." In truth, they had come for the show.

"Oh my, Alexa? Is that you? I almost didn’t recognize you down there." one lady said, dabbing her lips with a crimson lipstick while smirking down at Alexa.

Another giggled, pulling out her powder compact. "Careful, you missed a spot under the sink. You always did like shining in public, didn’t you?"

Laughter echoed against the marble walls, and Alexa’s cheeks burned hotter than fire. She clenched her jaw until it ached, but she couldn’t lash out. William’s maids stood by the door, watching her every move with arms crossed, their faces stern.

Her humiliation grew worse when one of the ladies snapped a secret picture, whispering to another, "Who would believe the great Alexa, once flaunting in red gowns, now scrubbing toilets?" They laughed so loudly Alexa thought she would faint from the rage.

She wanted to scream, to claw their faces, to remind them who she was. But she couldn’t. Not tonight. Tonight, she was nothing more than a fallen jewel, ground into the dirt where everyone could see.

Her body trembled with rage, but she kept scrubbing. Each brush stroke was another reminder of how low she had fallen.

****

"We came here to see little sister-in-law~" Casper said, pressing his hands together like a begging puppy as he looked at the bodyguard. His eyes were wide and dramatic, like a child asking for candy.

Zion, standing beside him, covered his face with one palm. "For God’s sake, Casper... stop embarrassing yourself."

Alan rolled his eyes with a faint scoff.

The bodyguard didn’t move, his expression stern and professional. "I will need to confirm with ma’am," he said simply, pulling out his phone.

Inside the room, Bella was lying on the bed, half-asleep. She shifted uncomfortably, still in the silver dress from earlier, her makeup smudged from rubbing her eyes. The shrill ring of the phone jolted her awake.

"Hello...?" she mumbled in a small, groggy voice.

"Ma’am," the bodyguard said carefully, "Sir Casper, Zion, and Alan are here. They say they want to visit you. Should I let them in?"

Bella blinked, rubbing her eyes, then sighed softly. "Oh... okay, let them in."

Within minutes, the door opened and the three men walked inside.

"Little sister-in-law!" Casper practically shouted, rushing to her side. He plopped onto the bed without hesitation, making Bella bounce slightly where she sat cross-legged. "How are you? How’s your injury? Do you need anything? Should I feed you grapes? Call a nurse?" His questions tumbled out in a rush.

Bella blinked at him, then laughed despite herself. "Thank you for your concern, Casper. I’m fine, really."

She gave him a small smile, then turned her gaze to Zion and Alan, who both stood a little more reserved. Zion gave her a nod of greeting, while Alan’s dark eyes lingered a little too long, as if searching her face for every detail.

Bella’s smile widened gently, trying to put them all at ease. "See? I’m okay."

Casper pouted dramatically, clutching his chest. "Don’t just smile at them—smile more at me too! I’m your favorite brother-in-law, right?"

Zion groaned. "God help us."

Even Alan’s lips twitched slightly at the corners, though his eyes never left Bella.

"Okay... okay, you really missed something fun!!!" Casper said dramatically, already pulling his phone out of his pocket. His grin stretched ear to ear as he tapped the screen. "You’ll thank me later."

Bella leaned forward, curious. Casper proudly turned the screen to her.

The first video showed Stella in the kitchen, her glamorous black gown now hidden under an apron two sizes too big. Her curls bounced wildly as she tried to scrub a greasy pan. The chef, an old man with a sharp tongue, was scolding her non-stop in the background.

"Faster! That is not how you scrub! Even my granddaughter does better!" he barked.

Stella’s face turned red as she muttered curses under her breath—only to have the chef snap, "What was that? Louder!"

Bella blinked in disbelief, then her lips curved into a tiny smile.

"Wait, wait! Look at this one!" Casper swiped, cackling, and showed her Sherly on her knees in the grand hall, sweeping confetti and paper cups. Every time she tried to toss trash in a bag, her so-called ’friends’ giggled behind her, taking pictures and pretending to "help" but really mocking her.

Bella’s eyes widened, and a small laugh finally escaped her lips.

"And Alexa..." Casper’s grin turned wolfish. "Ah, I shouldn’t shoot her because she was in the women’s toilet."

Bella leaned back against the pillows, her smile lingering. She didn’t feel bad for Stella, Sherly, or Alexa. If they had done something bad to her—or to anyone else—then this was simply their karma catching up to them. Watching them struggle after all the cruelty they’d shown her felt less like revenge and more like balance being restored.

Still giggling softly, she suddenly sensed someone’s intense gaze on her. Her laughter faded, and she slowly lifted her eyes.

Alan.

He was standing just a little apart from Casper and Zion, his dark suit sharp against the warm light of the room. His expression was unreadable, but his eyes... his eyes were fixed on her.

Bella blinked, her lips parting slightly before she smiled at him, soft and polite, as she always did with people.