Return of the Crowned Heiress

Chapter 251

The following morning, Carmen was shoved out of her home with a grocery list in hand, courtesy of her stepmother's shrill commands.

"We can't even leave the house because of you!" the woman yelled from the doorway. "Everywhere we go, people point and whisper, all thanks to your shameless ways!" Carmen froze on the front steps, already bracing for the worst.

Her stepmother wasn't done. "If you had an ounce of self-respect, you'd disappear! Better yet, just die and spare this family the disgrace!"

"I didn't do it!" Carmen shouted back, her voice raw. "Those pictures and videos are fake! None of them is real!"

But the words fell flat, drowned out by years of the same accusations. Carmen could recite the next part by heart. No one believed her. Lies told often enough became the truth.

She trudged out onto the street, her stepmother's yells still echoing in her ears. But when she looked up, Carmen froze.

The walls in the hallway, which had been covered with those damning photos just the night before, were bare. Every last one of those photos had been torn down. Only faint adhesive stains remained.

For a moment, Carmen wondered if it had all been some fever dream. She stood there, stunned, until she heard the sound of a door opening across the hall.

Out stepped Felicia, carrying a small duffel bag. She caught sight of Carmen and gave her an easy, natural smile.

though they were casual neighbors, and nothing about the situation was

was no judgment or ridicule. It was just

turned her head away without

chuckled under her breath and waited for

tenants heading out for errands or work. Carmen remained stoic,

inside the elevator shifted immediately. A ripple of laughter rose from a few bystanders while some older women clucked their tongues in disgust, their glares heavy with scorn. Carmen's face

elevator reached the ground floor just as the man stumbled back, clutching his bleeding mouth. The other passengers practically sprinted out of the elevator, eager to avoid further confrontation. The man groaned on the floor, spitting out a

the heel of her shoe. She twisted it slightly before walking off, her tone as calm as

a high-pitched yelp and cursed after her, but Felicia paid no mind. She was already heading

only one with plans that

bank, where she deposited her latest winnings to fulfill her promise to fund her new business venture.

expand her arsenal of medicinal concoctions, from salves to antidotes. Most importantly, she planned to work

all, if her physical

could even the odds. If she ever found

was just as

twisting in disdain when they saw her. One butcher barely concealed his grimace as he handed her change,