You Are The Apple of My Eyes
Chapter 447 A Slap

Jake clicked on the file, and a video began to play.

The video was displayed on the LED screen. It showed the desktop of a computer.

The wallpaper of the said computer was a photo of Vivian.

It was a screen recording.

Seeing the video, Vivian shot up from her chair. Her face twisted in a fit of panic as knots formed in her stomach.

Someone had remotely accessed and controlled her computer and unlocked her encrypted folders, which were full of recordings from the bug she planted in the necklace. Jake proceeded to play the recordings, and Jessica's recorded voice filled the room.

Her voice echoed in Vivian's ears, tightening the knots in her stomach.

"How could it be? Vivi, your computer..." Julie was too shocked to speak a complete sentence.

Howard's face darkened.

He thought, 'If there are so many important things in that computer, then she should've fortified its security system.

What an irresponsible girl.'

"Surprised?" Chester kept an eerily calm expression, making him look way older than he really was. "Uncle John hacked into your computer, recorded this, and copied all the sound recordings."

'John? He did this?'

Vivian's lips trembled, and her knees threatened to buckle.

She had never expected that John would do something like this to her. This meant that he really had known everything she had done.

She thought, 'He was not testing me when we were out wedding dress shopping. He was giving me a chance.

How could this be?'

"Uncle John is so awesome." Dora missed the point per usual and only praised John while Jessica seethed in a corner and was about to go mad with rage.

Admiration apparent in his voice, Chester said, "Aunt Nina is an international hacker, so Uncle John taught himself hacker skills to keep up with her."

"I knew Uncle John loved Aunt Nina the most. How could he marry..." Before Dora could finish her sentence, her mother pulled her aside and warned, "Be quiet, Dora. Stay out of this. Let them deal with it." "And deal with it, we shall." Jessica stomped toward Vivian. "What do you have to say for yourself, Vivian?"

"What? No. It's not me. I didn't do any of this." Vivian took a few steps back to stand beside her father, shook her head, and started crying. "I really don't know what's going on. You've got to believe me. I don't know why these things are in my computer. Please."

"Bah! The truth is right before our eyes. Why won't you just admit it?" Jessica angrily pointed at Vivian. "I've always treated you like a sister. I've always rooted for you and John. I almost completely lost my brother trying to get him to marry you, and this is how you repay me? By planting a bug in my necklace? How could you be so horrible, Vivian?"

Jessica felt the back of her eyes burn with every word she screamed at the woman she thought was her best friend.

Vivian cowered further behind her father. She had never felt so cornered and humiliated in her entire life.

"Ms. Shi." Howard would never allow anyone to bully his wife and daughter publicly.

He reached out his hand to stop Jessica who was a little shorter than him. He stood there and towered over her like a big tree. "Even though my daughter did something wrong, it's our responsibility as her parents to discipline her. Let us speak to our daughter and make this right."

"Make this right?" Jessica scoffed. "Your daughter installed a bug in my necklace and invaded my privacy. How could anything make that right? People say that Vivian is the best among the ladies of the city. She is dignified, elegant, talented, and beautiful, but she just uses her talent to monitor my life without my permission. How is that dignified and elegant? Your daughter's just as malicious as a snake and as poisonous as a scorpion."

Taking a deep, long breath, Jessica whipped her head at Vivian once again and said, "Why would you do this, Vivian? What were you trying to accomplish? And what other bad things have you been up to?" Vivian lowered her eyes and sobbed quietly. Outsiders might see her as the victim in this situation and that Jessica was being unnecessarily mean to her.

Unfortunately, only the Shi family and the Ye family were present. They knew exactly who was in the wrong.

Vivian's pitiful look did not arouse sympathy. If anything, it only angered everyone around her. "She dares to do it, but doesn't own up to it. She's really shameless, Mom."

Dora wrinkled her nose and rolled her eyes at Vivian.

Her disgusted look hurt Vivian's self-esteem. Vivian raised her head and said, "I haven't been up to anything. I told you I didn't do this. Someone's trying to frame me and drive a wedge between us. Please, Jessica..."

Jessica snorted derisively. She did not want to listen to Vivian's lies anymore.

She raised her hand and was about to slap Vivian.

As soon as Jessica lifted her right hand in the air, Vivian closed her eyes and winced.

However, Howard grabbed Jessica's wrist before she could slap his daughter. He was so strong that Jessica could not shake off his grip.

"I will give you a reasonable explanation," Howard said reassuringly.

He was the chairman of Ye Group and one of the most influential men in Lexingport City. No matter how betrayed and wronged Jessica felt right now, she did not dare to be presumptuous in front of him. "Humph!" Jessica forcibly withdrew her hand.

Sitting in his wheelchair, Sam said calmly, "Howard, this is our children's business. We should not interfere.

As you know, I have four children, and Jessica is my only daughter. I have always been indulgent to her, but now I want her to handle her own problems and learn her own lessons.

Do you understand what I mean?" Without waiting for Howard's reply, Sam proceeded, "Let the children settle this on their own. If you get involved, I'll withdraw my support to your company."

It was clear that the Shi family patriarch just threatened the chairman of Ye Group.

Howard's company had been relying on the resources of Time Group lately. He could not afford to lose that now by offending the Shi family.

"Dad, I didn't. I really didn't..." With tears streaming down her face, Vivian shook her head and grabbed her father's arm.

Her father was her backer. If he stepped aside, Jessica would definitely destroy her.

"You have to take responsibility for what you have done." Howard pushed his daughter's hand away.

He wanted to help his daughter, but sooner or later, Vivian had to own up to her mistakes and face the consequences. He could not sacrifice his company for her absolution. It was time that she learned her lesson the hard way.

Vivian felt an unprecedented chill down her spine when her father shook off her hand.

She thought, 'Why is he abandoning me?

Why now of all times?

All I wanted was to win his approval and affection. I did everything to make him proud of me and love me, all to no avail. And now he's going to toss me to the wolves when I need him most. I guess he never really saw me as his daughter. Maybe all I was all along was a pawn he could sacrifice for profit.'

Vivian lowered her head, feeling hopeless.

At the same time, Jessica raised her hand once again.

Knowing that there was no way she could avoid Jessica's slap this time, Vivian closed her eyes and waited for the impact.

Jessica went for it.

A crisp sound cut through the air.

But Vivian did not feel any pain. When she opened her eyes, she saw the back of a thin person wearing a cheongsam in front of her.

It was her mother.

"Mom?" Vivian breathed with tears in her eyes.☐☐☐☐☐☐☐☐☐☐☐☐☐☐