Rebirth: A Second chance at life

Hearing the commotion, a small crowd began to gather around them. Sensing the growing attention, Sasha's gaze turned sharp and menacing. "Did I say anything wrong?" she spat. "You clung to Alexander like a leech, even though he didn't want you, and schemed your way into marrying him!"

Moxie, emboldened by Sasha's words, joined in with a sneer. "Exactly! Sasha's right. And now that Alexander dumped you, are you trying to hook up with some old man for money?"

Whispers rippled through the onlookers, their judgmental stares cutting into Aurora.

"How disgusting. Girls her age shouldn't behave like this," one muttered.

"She looks so innocent, but she's just hiding her true colors," another remarked with a shake of their head.

"She's shameless. If she were my daughter, I'd have taught her a lesson by now," an older man scoffed.

The trio basked in the growing disdain aimed at Aurora. Veronica, hiding her satisfaction behind a façade of concern, stepped forward. Her tone was soft, almost pleading. "Sasha, that's enough," she said, feigning a reprimand. "My sister might have struggled growing up without proper guidance, but she still has moral values. She wouldn't do something so indecent as… hooking up with an older man."

Her words dripped with subtle malice, twisting the narrative under the guise of defense. The implication was clear: Aurora lacked proper upbringing, and her current situation was the result of her own flaws.

The crowd's disdainful murmurs grew louder, their scorn now fully directed at Aurora.

But Aurora remained unbothered. Her calm voice sliced through the chaos. "If your eyesight is so poor that you're imagining things, I suggest a visit to an optometrist. Tell me, which of your eyes saw an old man with me?"

Her words silenced the crowd momentarily, but then she turned to Veronica, her gaze like ice. "You're right, Veronica. I may not have been raised with the moral values you were, because your mother abandoned me. She didn't groom me to marry rich men or manipulate others for my own gain. And for that, I'm grateful. I'd rather grow up alone than become a home-wrecker like you."

Her words hit their mark, and the crowd's collective attitude began to shift. The onlookers exchanged uncertain glances, and murmurs of doubt broke out among them.

"Wait a minute… Is this some twisted family drama?" one whispered.

"Feels like something straight out of a novel," another muttered. "The pitiful white lotus sister, stealing the spotlight and the male lead while the real one suffers injustice."

The suspicious stares now turned toward Veronica and her friends. Veronica's composed mask cracked for a split second before she quickly regained control.

"How can you speak about our mother that way, Sister?" Veronica gasped, her voice trembling with hurt. "She's been so worried about you. You've been gone for days! She hasn't eaten properly and has been searching everywhere for you. Is this how you repay her concern?"

Veronica reached for her phone, her expression a perfect mix of hurt and determination. "Let me call her and tell her I found you. Were you shopping for her? Is this a gift to apologize for making her worry?"

Her words were an attempt to reclaim control of the narrative, but the murmurs around them hinted that the crowd wasn't as easily swayed this time.

The tension in the air was palpable, every eye in the room fixed on the unfolding drama. Sasha seeing this, her voice dripping with malice, sneered, "If you don't have a sugar daddy, how are you able to shop here? You don't have a job, you've never completed your education, and you clearly don't have money. Were you planning to steal from this high-end store?"

Her words hung in the air like a poison cloud. Murmurs rippled through the gathering crowd.

"She's so young. If she's stealing now, what will she do in the future?" one onlooker whispered.

Another shook their head in disapproval. "I almost felt bad for her, but now it makes sense why her mother abandoned her. Poor thing's just trouble."

Veronica stood off to the side, tears shimmering in her eyes, though the faint upturn of her lips betrayed her inner satisfaction. "No, please don't say such things," she said softly, her voice trembling as though overwhelmed by emotion. "You all must be mistaken. My sister would never—"

Slap!

The sharp sound reverberated through the store, silencing everyone. Veronica's head snapped to the side, her cheek instantly reddening. A stunned hush followed.

Aurora stepped forward, her eyes blazing with a fury no one had ever seen before. "First strike," she said coldly. "Get your dogs out of my sight."

Before Veronica could recover, another slap resounded. "Second strike: stop this pathetic act in front of me.

The third slap hit even harder, leaving Veronica's cheek swollen. "Third strike: my grandmother raised me right. Do not ever forget it."

Veronica stumbled backward, clutching her face in shock and humiliation. Is this really Aurora? She thought her mind racing. The same Aurora who used to cry and cower in a corner, terrified of being bullied? How dare she lay a hand on me?

Before anyone could react, the mall manager and the store manager arrived, their hurried footsteps announcing their presence. The former recognized Veronica immediately. She was the fiancée of Alexander, the owner of the mall and heir to the influential Brown family. The rumors about their engagement were everywhere and here she was—humiliated in public.

The store manager rushed to her side as she was a VIP customer, "Miss Veronica, are you all right?" he asked, his tone dripping with concern. Then his gaze shifted to Aurora, hardening with disdain.

Sasha, seizing the opportunity, erupted. "Aurora, you miserable little bitch! How dare you bully Veronica in public? You slap her here for everyone to see—imagine what you must do to her behind closed doors! And look at Veronica, so kind, still trying to defend you. Pathetic!"

She turned to the store manager, her voice rising. "What kind of store allows someone like her in? How will you compensate Veronica for this damage? Allowing a thief into your establishment—disgusting."

The store manager straightened his expression grim. "Miss, we have reason to suspect you of theft. My sales assistants saw you browsing but not purchasing anything. Our surveillance shows you lingering—were you trying to find a blind spot to steal from us? Open your bag now. If you don't cooperate, I'll have no choice but to call the authorities."

Aurora's lips curled into a smirk, her confidence unshaken. "How dare you accuse a customer without proper evidence? You call yourself a store manager? Go ahead, call the cops. In fact, should I call them for you?"

Her calm yet defiant response made the store staffs hesitate. But Veronica, her voice shrill with desperation, jumped in. "No! Don't call the police! Please, she didn't mean to steal. She must have taken something by mistake, but she's not a thief!"

Aurora's smirk deepened. "Mistakenly taken something? Is that the best lie you can come up with?" She raised her hand again, ready to deliver another strike, but this time, a firm grip stopped her mid-motion.

She turned sharply, only to find herself face-to-face with a tall, imposing figure. His dark eyes burned with unreadable intensity, and his presence alone was enough to make the crowd fall silent.

"Enough," he said, his deep voice commanding the attention of everyone in the room.

Aurora's breath hitched. Her expression faltered for the first time that evening.

The man's gaze flickered between her and Veronica, his expression darkening. "Care to explain what's going on here?"