Their Mistake, Her Rise - Chapter 355: Chapter 355

By now, everyone finally realized this was no minor offense. Sophia had nearly cost Zoe her life. She committed such a despicable act and still refused to apologize. That was simply unforgivable.
"Sophia, you owe Zoe an apology." someone from the crowd demanded.
Someone in the crowd spoke up, "To nearly get her killed over a personal grudge? That's downright vicious. Even if you were manipulated by schemers, it doesn't change the fact that you did something terribly wrong. You must apologize."
The crowd demanded, "Apologize. Apologize now."
Everyone convinced of Sophia's guilt now rallied behind Zoe, voicing their support.
Sophia's arrogance evaporated. Realizing even Rick had abandoned her, panic set in. "If this keeps up, everyone will turn against me, and I'll never recover my reputation," she thought.
Desperate to salvage the last shred of her dignity, Sophia rushed up to Shawn and pleaded, "Shawn, please do something about Zoe. She's clearly just settling a personal score with me. I'm innocent. It was all Eunice. She used me. I'm the real victim here."
Shawn didn't even glance at Sophia, stepping around her to approach Zoe. His stance was crystal clear. Zoe was the only one he'd protect. He would never stand for Sophia.
Sophia never expected Shawn to treat her like this. Resentment surged through her. "This is all Zoe's doing. She must have poisoned Shawn against me," she thought.
Zoe glanced at Shawn. "Aren't you going to help her?"
"You're my fiancée. The only reason I'm not stepping in to punish her myself is out of respect for the White family," Shawn declared in front of everyone, making sure Rick heard every word.
Rick's expression turned grim, but he dared not contradict it.
Sophia looked around and didn't find a single soul standing up for her. A pang of grievance twisted in her chest.
A high-up with a raspy voice defended Zoe, saying, "Sophia, you misled everyone and almost got Zoe investigated. Whether it was a coincidence or revenge, your baseless accusations and hasty judgment are unacceptable. You need to apologize."
Seeing an opportunity to curry favor with Zoe, other higher-ups stepped forward one after another, voicing their support for her and demanding an apology from Sophia.
Under the relentless pressure from so many higher-ups, Sophia quickly caved in.
Rick snapped, "What are you waiting for? Apologize now." For the sake of the White family, regardless of who was right or wrong, Sophia had to be the one to quell this scandal.
Rick's decision crushed Sophia. "I'm just a pawn to the family, disposable when their interests are at stake," she thought, her heart sinking. She forced out, "I'm sorry." As the words left her lips, tears streamed down her face.
Rick couldn't bear to watch and looked away.
With the apology barely out of her mouth, Sophia spun around to escape, desperate to find somewhere to hide and lick her wounds after Zoe had torn her dignity to shreds in front of everyone.
Zoe didn't press Sophia further, but the others weren't about to let her off the hook so easily.
Someone from the crowd shouted, "Stop right there. Is that supposed to be an apology?"
Another chimed in, "After what you've done, you still show no remorse? And now you think you can just get away with a half-hearted apology?"
One of the onlookers demanded, "Get back here and apologize properly this time. Show everyone you're truly sorry."
Sophia watched helplessly as her escape route was blocked, her composure crumbling. "Are they really trying to drive me to the edge?" she thought desperately.
Just as Sophia was pushed to the brink of madness, Shawn's voice suddenly cut through the tension.
Shawn wrapped his arm around Zoe, making their relationship clear to everyone. Facing the higher-ups, he said, "Honorable leaders, things have come to this. I ask you all to witness. Today, I formally apply for approval to marry Zoe."