Rise of The Abandoned Husband (Liam Knight) novel Chapter 216

216 Chapter 216 – Fame’s Shadow and a Public Shaming

216 Chapter 216 – Fame’s Shadow and a Public Shaming

She reached into her designer purse, pulled out several bills, and held them out with trembling fingers.

Yoyo’s voice rose again, now addressing her online audience directly. “My followers are saying I should call security. What do you all think I should do with him?”

I smiled faintly. “Most rumors don’t.”

Behind her, Eamon had quietly approached the tripod, subtly adjusting the phone to ensure I remained in frame. If she wanted an audience, I’d give her one.

I gently removed her hand. “So do I.”

hadn’t come here seeking more attention. Yet somehow, in trying to escape my unwanted fame, I may have just added fuel to the fire. The “King of Eldoria” standing up for a common worker–I could already imagine the headlines.

“This is disgusting,” I muttered, taking a step

forward.

As we continued our tour, I felt the weight of eyes following me–the construction workers, Yoyo still standing shell–shocked by her tripod, and beyond them, the invisible audience witnessing it all through their screens.

“And that gives you the right to humiliate a man over an accident?”

Eamon shook his head. “Nothing yet. He’s searching, but such materials are exceedingly rare.”

The construction worker, a weathered man in his fifties, bowed his head repeatedly. “I’m very sorry, miss. I didn’t see you standing there.”

“Fame rarely asks permission before arriving,” Eamon replied philosophically.

Niamh nodded earnestly. “It’s our honor. The Thornton family has been clear about your… importance.” Her voice lowered reverentially. “Is it true you single–handedly brought the entire Thornton clan to their knees?”

I didn’t need to see her phone to know what was happening. Her audience was turning against her.

216 Chapter 216 – Fame’s Shadow and a Public Shaming

She blushed slightly. “Of course, forgive me. Please, follow me. I’ve selected several potential locations based on Mr. Thornton’s specifications.”

The construction worker pulled out his wallet with trembling hands. “Please, miss, I can pay for cleaning. I don’t have much, but-”

Yoyo scoffed. “Mind your own business. This is between me and him.”

“Is that all people are to you? Content?”

“Mr. Knight?” she asked, extending her hand. “I’m Niamh Rhodes, site manager. Mr. Thornton called ahead–we’ve been expecting you.”

Niamh reached for my sleeve. “Mr. Knight, please. She has powerful connections-”

I frowned, taking in the scene. The young woman wore expensive designer clothes that seemed impractical for a construction site. A small tripod held her phone, apparently recording the entire exchange.

Hesitantly, the man rose to his feet.

“Who do you think you are?” she demanded, but her voice had lost some of its edge. “I’m someone who believes power–whether from money, fame, or strength–comes with responsibility,” I replied calmly. “Not the right to abuse others.”

Yoyo slapped the wallet from his hands, sending bills scattering across the dusty ground. “You think your pathetic money can replace limited edition sneakers? These cost thirty thousand!”

The man’s face crumpled in humiliation. Several of his coworkers looked away, ashamed but unwilling to risk their own jobs.

Her eyes darted to her screen. As she scrolled, her expression shifted from anger to confusion, then alarm.

“Then you shouldn’t be so careless!” she snapped, turning toward her phone. “Everyone, look at this! I’m just trying to create content, and this man deliberately stepped on my new shoes!”

“This one,” I said, stopping before a modest villa partially hidden by towering pines. “The energy concentration is ideal here.”

216 Chapter 216–Fame’s Shadow and a Public Shaming

“Do you have any idea how much these shoes cost?!” The woman’s shrill voice carried clearly across the distance. She gestured dramatically at her white designer sneakers, now bearing a small smudge of dust.

The screen showed an exaggerated account of my confrontation with the Thornton Family, complete with absurd claims that I’d forced Conrad Thornton to kowtow nine times and swear loyalty with a blood oath.

We were driving toward White City, leaving behind the whispers and pointed fingers that had followed me everywhere in Havenwood since my confrontation with the Thorntons. What should have been a private matter had somehow leaked to the public, with each retelling growing more fantastical than the last.

“Get away from me!” Yoyo shrieked, backing away. “He’s touching me! Everyone saw that, right? He’s harassing me now!”

The construction worker had regained his composure. “It’s okay, sir. I don’t want trouble.”

Her lips curled into a cruel smile. “Let me tell you,” she said, pointing at the kneeling worker, “my viewers said that you have to kneel down, clean my shoes with your tongue, or they’ll report you for being a hooligan!”

She sneered, looking me up and down. “Who are you supposed to be? His lawyer?”

“Necessary,” I finished for her. “Now, about that villa-”

Something in my tone made her step back. For the first time, uncertainty flickered across her face.

“What’s happening there?” I asked Niamh.

Other construction workers began to gather, watching nervously but afraid to

-intervene.

I noticed how her eyes widened slightly when she looked at me, that familiar flash of recognition and awe. The rumors had preceded me, even here.

“Public sentiment is a fickle thing, isn’t it?” I said quietly. “One moment they’re cheering for blood, the next they’re calling for yours.”

“Thank you for accommodating us on such short notice,” I replied, deliberately keeping my tone neutral.

216 Chapter 216 – Fame’s Shadow and a Public Shaming

The worker dropped to his knees, frantically gathering his scattered money. “Please, miss, I have a family to support. It was an accident.”

“Of course,” she said quickly, gathering herself. “Though I have to say, the rumors about you barely scratch the surface of who you really are, Mr. Knight.”

“I’m sorry,” she finally said to the worker, her voice small. “I… I got carried away”

“This isn’t… they’re not…” she stammered.

The worker hesitated, then accepted them with a nod.

Walking deliberately toward the scene, I placed myself between the kneeling worker and the furious influencer.

“This area once housed an ancient temple,” Niamh explained. “The feng shui masters

the spiritual convergence here is unparalleled in the province.”

say

“Didn’t see me?” she scoffed, flipping her long, highlighted hair. “Are you blind as well as stupid?”

I turned to the worker, who was watching our exchange with wide eyes. “Sir, please stand up. You don’t need to kneel before anyone.”

The worker’s face paled. “Thirty thousand? That’s… that’s three months of my salary.” “What do you think you’re doing?” Yoyo demanded, her eyes narrowing.

Her eyes widened with indignation. “Do you know who I am? I have three million followers!”

She sighed. “That’s Yoyo. She’s some sort of internet celebrity–comes here. occasionally to film content. The workers have been instructed to stay out of her way.”

I smiled slightly. “Just someone who’s been on both sides of power. I know how it feels to be powerless. And I know how it feels to hold someone’s fate in your hands.”

“Will survive if you act like a decent human being,” I finished for her. “Apologize. Pay for this man’s lost time. And learn that true power isn’t about forcing others to kneel before you.”

I shrugged. “Cancel away. But before you do, you might want to check what precious followers are saying right now.”

your

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216 Chapter 216 – Fame’s Shadow and a Public Shaming

I tossed the phone aside with a sigh. “I didn’t ask for any of this attention.”

Yoyo’s hands began to shake. “You don’t understand. My brand–my sponsorships-”

Something snapped inside me.

Two hours later, we arrived at the scenic area Conrad had recommended. Rolling hills stretched before us, vibrant with spiritual energy that tingled against my skin. Perfect for what I needed.

I closed my eyes briefly, extending my senses. She wasn’t exaggerating. The natural energy flows were perfect–exactly what I needed.

Eamon placed a cautioning hand on my arm. “Sir, perhaps we should stay focused on our purpose here.”

Yoyo snatched her phone from the tripod. “My followers are going to cancel you! You’re ruining everything!”

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