Lily Evans trembled, her voice shaky: "What did you just say?"
Helen Parker shouted, "Your husband sneaked into my daughter's room in the middle of the night and ruined her innocence! Lily, are you still playing dumb with me? Did it but won’t admit it, huh? Get Lucky out here!"
"You're slandering us! Lucky went hunting in the mountains with Mark Hunter three days ago and hasn't come home since! If you don’t believe me, ask Mark!" Lily Evans’ chest heaved with anger.
"Mark Hunter is close to you people, of course he'll take your side! Asking him is pointless!" Helen Parker retorted.
Margaret Evans was shocked too. "Impossible, my son-in-law isn't that kind of person. Lucky is honest, he’d never do such a thing."
"You only know his face, not his heart! Lucky’s a fool—who knows what he might do when his head’s not right!" Helen Parker shoved Margaret Evans hard. "Would I joke about my daughter's reputation!?"
May Parker sobbed, her words broken by tears: "Brother-in-law has had his eye on me for ages. He’s sought me out several times, saying Lily Evans is too controlling and he feels stifled at home, not like a real man. He says I’m gentle as water, not bossy and unbearable like Lily."
Lily Evans stared at May Parker, her face ashen. "You’re lying!"
May Parker glared back. "You know whether I’m lying or not! You’re so domineering, like a shrew—what man could stand that? Even Lucky’s patience has its limits! Lily, why don’t you reflect on yourself? Why did your husband go looking for someone else? Tonight he told me he likes me and wants to marry me as his equal wife."
As May Parker spoke, she threw a blood-stained handkerchief at Lily Evans. "See for yourself—I’m already his woman!"
Lily Evans instinctively recoiled from the handkerchief, feeling sick just looking at the glaring blood.
Steeling herself, she turned to the Village Chief. "My husband would never do such a thing."
The Village Chief said, "Lily, it’s not that I don’t want to help you. But May Parker pointed right at Lucky, and there’s this handkerchief as evidence. Why don’t you call Lucky out and let him confront them face to face?"
"My husband isn’t home," Lily said, taking a deep breath. Lucky was out hunting in the mountains. Now she saw through it—May Parker and Helen Parker must have plotted this, smearing Lucky’s name while he was away, accusing him of ruining May’s innocence. With Lucky unable to defend himself, the Village Chief would think he’d run off out of guilt.
"Brother-in-law must be hiding because he’s afraid you’ll get angry," May Parker glared at Lily Evans. "Look at you, always out and about, never acting like a proper wife. You’ve scared your husband half to death! If I were a man, I’d go find someone else too!"
"Shut up! You’re no saint yourself—coming here just to smear my husband! You’re only after our money!" Lily Evans glared at May Parker in disgust.
May Parker cried to the Village Chief, "Village Chief, since Brother-in-law’s already taken my body, if I don’t marry him, I might as well be dead!"
"If you want to marry into my family, forget it!" Lily Evans clenched her fists tight. She believed Lucky would never betray her.
The Village Chief sighed. "Lily, I know you’re upset and angry. But since Lucky’s already taken your sister’s body, and you’re family, you can’t just drive your sister to her death, can you? Lily, you’re a good person, just a bit too headstrong. Lucky’s a man, he’s bound to feel stifled and seek someone else. Try to be more understanding. What’s done is done, and Lucky has to take responsibility. If your family refuses, Clearwater Village won’t tolerate a woman-ruining scoundrel like him!"