Zoe Carter took advantage of her silence, her slander growing more brazen.

“Don’t be fooled by how proper she looks. She’s actually loose. The moment my son didn’t want her, she immediately found another man and got married. Honestly, I’m impressed—these days, there’s never a shortage of fools willing to be taken advantage of.”

Just as expected, the people behind her shot her looks of disgust as soon as Zoe Carter finished.

“So she’s the desperate type after all. I thought she was some rich heiress, but it turns out she’s just a little homewrecker.”

“She only came here to snag herself a rich husband. No wonder she dressed up like that.”

“Look at her—prancing around like a fox spirit. Not sure who she’s trying to impress.”

“Good thing your son didn’t want her. If it were my son, I’d never let her set foot in my house!”

The group of older women grew bolder with every word, their gossip spiraling. Suddenly, Lauren Shaw stood up from her seat, her gaze cold as she looked at them.

“Excuse me, ladies, would you mind quieting down a bit? I have a bit of a temper—if you keep grating on my nerves, I can’t promise I won’t do something drastic.”

Her smile was polite, but not the least bit warm. When her gaze landed on Zoe Carter, it was downright chilling.

That was enough to quiet the ladies right away.

But Zoe Carter wouldn’t give up so easily. "What? Can’t I say what’s true? What, you think you’re off-limits to criticism just because you’re pretending to be so high-and-mighty?”

“Shengsheng, what are you doing sitting here?” Mrs. Chen approached Lauren Shaw, sensing instantly that something was wrong as she looked over at the group of gossiping women behind her.

One woman recognized Mrs. Chen immediately and tried to cozy up to her. "Mrs. Shen, do you remember me? We met at the banquet last time."

Mrs. Chen looked at her with a distant, frosty smile. “Oh? I don’t remember.”

The woman’s smile froze on her face. She chuckled awkwardly. “Well, there were a lot of people at that banquet. It’s normal if you don’t remember.”

Mrs. Chen glanced at Lauren Shaw and noticed that she didn’t look happy—she’d seen from a distance that her mood was off.

The hostile stares from those women were obvious.

So Mrs. Chen decided to come over and back up her daughter-in-law.

Zoe Carter didn’t recognize Mrs. Chen, but seeing her stand right by Lauren Shaw, she figured there must be a close connection.

“Shengsheng, is someone bothering you?” Mrs. Chen asked.

Lauren Shaw cast a sidelong glance at Zoe Carter. "Bothering? Not really. Some people just have filthy mouths—like they’ve been rinsed with pig slop."

The group all stared at Zoe Carter.

Her face turned green with anger. "You’re saying I’ve got a filthy mouth?!"

“Am I wrong? You said all that nonsense just now—everyone here heard it loud and clear. You make up rumors and point fingers. I just told you off and you can’t handle it? Or did I say anything untrue?”

With Mrs. Chen present, the gossipy ladies instantly quieted down—even their family businesses had some connection to the Shen family.

Most of the women here tonight came from Ancheng’s wealthy circles, but the Shens stood at the very top.

If the Shen family said the word, countless companies in Ancheng would go under overnight.

Zoe Carter looked at the other women, those who had been siding with her only moments ago. Suddenly, they shrank back as if they’d seen a cat among mice, each one silently shutting up.

“You…” Zoe Carter tried to protest again, but someone gave her a tug, gesturing for her to stop talking. The woman in front of them was not someone they could afford to cross.

Mrs. Chen shot her a glance. “Shengsheng’s exactly right—your mouth does seem filthy.”

She sat Lauren Shaw back down, her presence radiating protection. With her there, who would dare say a word against her daughter-in-law?

Zoe Carter couldn’t stand the humiliation of being put in her place so publicly. Her temper flared as she glared at Mrs. Chen.

"And who are you, anyway? Do you know what kind of woman she is? You’re so protective of her—what, is she your daughter-in-law or something?"

Zoe Carter had met Lauren Shaw’s parents before, so if Lauren Shaw’s mother were here today she might not have dared to act up. But not recognizing Mrs. Chen, she assumed she was just another rich wife from Ancheng, nothing to worry about.

Mrs. Chen arched an eyebrow and smiled scornfully. "That’s right. Shengsheng is my daughter-in-law."

Zoe Carter looked delighted by this revelation. She pointed at Lauren Shaw in disbelief. "She’s your daughter-in-law? How funny! Do you know who I am?"

Mrs. Chen had already guessed, but played along. “Oh? And who might you be?”

Zoe Carter lifted her chin disdainfully. "She used to chase after my son. But he never wanted her—and now your son’s the one picking up the pieces."

Mrs. Chen looked at her in sudden realization, then turned to Lauren Shaw.

Lauren Shaw wasn’t the least bit upset. She knew better than to waste emotion on someone like Zoe Carter. When it came to people like her, sometimes the only thing that worked was fighting fire with fire.

Mrs. Chen let out a light laugh. "So you’re that shameless ex’s mother. What a pleasure."

Zoe Carter didn’t even realize what had just happened. Mrs. Chen, on the other hand, was beaming.

"I really should thank your shortsighted son. Otherwise, such an exceptional daughter-in-law might have been ruined by your family. Shengsheng is both kind and capable. For Yancy Shaw to marry her—he’s truly blessed."

Everyone listening was dumbfounded by Mrs. Chen’s words. Thinking back on their earlier remarks, cold sweat broke out along their backs.

"So she’s the third young madam of the Shen family? No wonder we didn’t recognize her earlier."

"She really does have the air of a noblewoman—prettier than those celebrities, and matches Third Young Master perfectly."

"Some people just aren't cut out for that kind of fortune. Claim their son was too good for her, spreading rumors—shameful, really."

The tables had turned so quickly. The women who had been mocking Lauren Shaw earlier were now tripping over themselves to flatter her, leaving Lauren Shaw a little taken aback.

Zoe Carter could hardly believe how things had changed. Furious, she turned on the women who’d been on her side.

"Weren’t you all just criticizing her too? What happened—now you’re playing the good guys and leaving me to be the bad one? Aren’t you ashamed?"

"We never criticized her. You were the one leading us on, making things up!"

"Right, all your rumors. If not for that, we never would’ve misunderstood Third Young Madam."

Lauren Shaw had no interest in arguing further. She tugged Mrs. Chen’s hand.

"Mom, it’s too noisy here. Let’s find somewhere else to sit."

Mrs. Chen glanced at Lauren Shaw indulgently. "Of course. Wherever Shengsheng wants to go, that’s where we’ll go."

She shot Zoe Carter a meaningful look as they left.

After they walked away, the remaining women glanced at Zoe Carter. "Do you have any idea who you just offended?"

Zoe Carter was still fuming.

One of the women said, "That’s Mrs. Shen. Let me put it this way—if she says something in her husband’s ear when they’re home, your whole family could go bankrupt."