Their Mistake, Her Rise - Chapter 379: Chapter 379

Sophia was nervous at first. But seeing Shawn hold back his anger and stay silent, she thought to herself, 'Rick really made the right bet. Turns out age does bring wisdom.'
The challenger blurted out, "So who exactly is your woman, Shawn? Are you really so gutless you can't even admit it?"
Shawn remained silent, his jaw clenched tight. This was already his limit. There was no way in hell he'd ever admit to anything with Sophia in front of Zoe.
Sophia understood the situation and flashed a knowing smile before addressing the crowd, "Come on, isn't it obvious? Shawn deliberately kept my identity a secret to protect me."
"Then who was that woman he just kissed?" someone shouted from the crowd.
A bystander jeered, "Seriously? Even the legendary warrior keeps a mistress now?"
"Damn, who would've thought his personal life would be this messy?" said someone else.
Sophia saw everyone gossiping about Shawn and immediately jumped in, her voice trembling. "No, it's not what you think! It's her—this shameless woman! She used dirty tricks to blackmail Shawn, and he only went along with it to protect me.
"She's the real shameless one here! It's her who's trying to ruin my engagement with Shawn!" Sophia cried out dramatically.
Sophia grew more and more aggrieved as she spoke and then burst into tears on the spot. Her pitiful display melted the hearts of many onlookers.
"Damn it! Who would've thought there'd be such a vicious woman like her?"
Someone in the crowd sneered, "Look at her innocent face. You'd think she was a good girl. Turns out she's just a two-faced tramp."
"Who knows what kind of dirt she's got on him? A woman like her deserves to rot in hell!"
Seeing so many people targeting Zoe with such malice made Shawn's blood boil. His expression turned cold as he snapped, "Enough! One more word against Zoe, and I'll end you."
Shawn spoke up to defend Zoe because he couldn't bear to see his beloved humiliated by these false accusations. But to those convinced of the horrible things Zoe had done, it only looked like Shawn was shielding a villain.
Someone scoffed, "Are you really that pigheaded? This woman is evil to the core!"
"Exactly! Even if she's got some dirt on you, you can't just let her walk all over you like this."
"Let's all teach her a lesson together and make her pay for what she's done!"
A group of men, under the pretense of helping Shawn teach Zoe a lesson, tried to grope her.
Zoe saw right through their intentions, and so did Shawn. His restraint snapped; he was ready to knock down every man daring to get close to her.
But just as Shawn was about to strike, Zoe's hand shot out and grabbed his arm.
Shawn turned to Zoe, who shook her head at him.
"Zoe, I swear I won't let you be humiliated in any way. I owe you for today, but this is where I draw the line. Don't try to stop me," Shawn said, his voice low and tense.
Shawn intended to explain things to Zoe later, but these men's attempts to humiliate her had crossed a line he could never tolerate. He definitely wouldn't back down.
"Never once have I needed anyone's protection," Zoe said coldly.
Shawn's heart sank. 'Is it that she's disappointed in me or even resents me, so she's about to give up on me?'
Zoe shoved Shawn aside and faced the men head-on.
Sophia wasn't about to let up. She sneered, "Zoe, you shameless wretch! You used underhanded tricks to force Shawn to be with you. Now that your dirty schemes have been exposed, are you going to throw a tantrum like a spoiled brat?
"Listen up! You're just some nobody from an insignificant family—an abandoned stray left to rot for years. Trash like you could never deserve to be Shawn's wife."