Their Mistake, Her Rise - Chapter 280: Chapter 280

Seeing that Clara and Zoe were at odds, and since the question being raised was exactly what he wanted to address, Bruce decisively took over the conversation from his wife. "Don't you have anything to tell us about your past?"
Charlie, worried Bruce might give Zoe a hard time, quickly signaled to her and said, "Zoe, just tell us about your past. Be honest. No matter what you've been through, we have got your back."
Seeing how all his sons were clearly taking Zoe's side, Bruce had no choice but to lay his cards on the table and ask bluntly, "We've investigated. You didn't grow up in a small town, right?"
The moment those words left his lips, the color instantly drained from the faces of Eunice and Clara, who had been completely in the dark.
Especially Eunice—she was completely blindsided. Never in a million years did she think Zoe's entire backstory was fabricated. But then it hit Eunice—she suddenly understood.
Eunice thought, 'There's no way a clueless country bumpkin could pull off all these extraordinary things Zoe's done lately. She must be hiding something. Could she actually be back for revenge?'
When one's heart was twisted, everything appeared distorted—and right now, that was exactly Eunice's state of mind.
Eunice pointed at Zoe, feigning shock as she cried out, "Oh my god, Zoe. You actually lied to all of us? What were you really thinking? Could Mom have been right?
"Did you come back just to get revenge on us because you think we wronged you?
"No wonder the Evans family has been in turmoil ever since you returned. Could it be that you're the one scheming behind the scenes? Don't tell me you're also behind the attacks on Sean and Charlie. Zoe, do you honestly hate us this much?"
Clara hadn't thought much about it before, but Eunice's words instantly ignited her fury. She sprang up in a fit of rage, hand raised to strike Zoe across the face. "You bitch, you came back to harm my other children.
"I'll beat you to death, you monster."
"Mom, maybe this is just a misunderstanding. I was just thinking aloud. Please, calm down," Eunice said with feigned concern, pretending to hold Clara back. But in reality, she was subtly nudging Clara toward Zoe.
Eunice couldn't wait to see how Zoe would try to talk her way out of this one. Zoe stood silent, making no move to resist.
Just as Clara's slap was about to land on Zoe's face, Gerald swiftly stepped in and intercepted his mother's hand, stopping her.
Before everyone, Bruce locked eyes with Zoe and demanded again, "Zoe, what do you have to say for yourself?"
"Yes," Zoe answered crisply, without hesitation.
Hearing this, Eunice immediately said gleefully, "Zoe, are you really back for revenge?"
"Eunice, that's enough. Not another word," Bruce snapped sternly, his tone brooking no argument.
Eunice didn't dare oppose her father and could only obediently shut her mouth.
Bruce continued, "Is it true you lived in the slums abroad?"
"Yes." Zoe gave a curt nod, her composure unshaken.
At this revelation, Clara and Eunice were utterly stunned. 'Slums abroad? So Zoe didn't actually come back from some small town? Then where did she come from?' they wondered.
Bruce nodded solemnly, his expression stern as he pressed on, "Then can you explain why you falsified the resume you submitted when you returned?"
Zoe met the question with silence. All of this led Bruce to speak with even graver solemnity. "You've fought on the battlefield, lived in the slums, and taken lives. Everything I've uncovered is true, isn't it?"
Previously, Clara and Eunice had shown nothing but disdain for Zoe. They believed that even if Zoe didn't come from some small town but grew up in the slums abroad, she was still just gutter trash.
But neither of them could have ever imagined Bruce's following words. "What? Fought in battles?" Clara and Eunice gasped in unison. "And taken lives?"