From the day Lucian angrily expelled Mrs. Tan and Lina from the Lucian mansion, slamming the door shut on their greedy schemes and warning them never to set foot inside the property again, the two women confidently believed that their lives would simply return to how they had been before. They assumed that Ella's soft personality would eventually let them back into her life, that Mr. Carter would continue supporting them financially, and that their temporary embarrassment would fade quickly. They were severely, bitterly mistaken. The downfall that followed was slow, painful, and absolute, a perfect reflection of the cruelty and selfishness they had poured onto Ella for most of her life.
Mrs. Tan had never viewed Ella as a daughter. From the moment she married Mr. Carter, she saw the young, motherless girl as nothing more than a servant, a burden, and eventually a convenient tool to advance her own social status and wealth. She had forced Ella into the marriage to the "blind Lucian" with nothing but selfish calculation. She fully planned to use Ella's new connection to the powerful Lucian family to squeeze out large sums of money, demand expensive gifts, secure high-society invitations, and ultimately marry her own beloved daughter Lina to an even wealthier, more influential man. She imagined herself attending glamorous parties, wearing designer clothes, and living a life of luxury, all thanks to the stepdaughter she had abused and neglected for years. She never once considered Ella's feelings, her safety, or her happiness. The idea that Lucian would actually care for Ella, defend her fiercely, and treat her like a beloved wife rather than a disposable arrangement had never crossed her narrow, greedy mind.
When they were permanently banned from the mansion, Mrs. Tan was consumed by rage. She ranted and raved to every neighbor, former friend, and distant relative who would listen, spinning lies about Ella being ungrateful, Lucian being cruel and unreasonable, and herself being a poor, wronged mother figure. She claimed that she had raised Ella with love and care, and that the girl had betrayed her the second she gained wealth and status. But no one believed her.
Word of her years of systematic abuse toward Ella spread like wildfire throughout their entire social circle and neighborhood. People who had once been polite to her now learned the full truth: how she had starved Ella, forced her to sleep in a small, cold attic room, made her do all the housework alone, scolded and humiliated her in front of others, and refused to buy her proper clothes or school supplies. They learned how she had selfishly married Ella off to a man labeled as "broken and blind" without a single care for what might happen to her. Friends and acquaintances immediately distanced themselves. Former social contacts blocked her calls and refused to invite her to any gatherings. No one wanted to associate with a woman so cruel, greedy, morally bankrupt, and shameless. Overnight, Mrs. Tan went from a woman who dreamed of high society to a complete outcast, looked down upon by everyone around her.
Lina, who had been raised in extreme indulgence and entitlement, was equally unwilling to accept reality. She had spent her entire life mocking Ella for being poor, quiet, and "unattractive," while dreaming of a luxurious life filled with designer bags, fancy cars, and a rich, handsome husband who would worship her. She had never worked a day in her life, never learned any skills, and never considered the consequences of her selfish attitude. She refused to believe that her dreams were now completely and permanently shattered. Instead of finding a job or helping support the household, she spent every last bit of the family's remaining savings on expensive makeup, trendy clothes, and useless accessories, desperately trying to pretend that she was still part of the upper class. She wandered around shopping centers and cafes, hoping to attract the attention of wealthy men, but without money, status, or a clean reputation, she was invisible. No one invited her to parties. No wealthy family took her seriously. Men who approached her only wanted short-term fun, not a real relationship. She was nothing more than a vain, desperate girl with no future.
Meanwhile, Ella's father, Mr. Carter, finally woke up from his years of ignorance and cowardice.
After visiting Ella in the Lucian mansion and seeing how happy, safe, loved, and confident she was, he was overwhelmed by guilt and regret. He realized how terribly he had failed his daughter, ignoring her suffering to keep peace with his cruel wife. He saw clearly how greedy and heartless Mrs. Tan and Lina truly were, never caring about anyone but themselves. Without hesitation, he completely cut off all financial support. He stopped paying their rent, stopped giving them allowance, and refused to cover any of their expenses. He made it clear that he would no longer let them waste his money on their selfish, empty lifestyles. He chose his daughter's peace of mind over their endless demands.
Without income, without status, without friends, and without any means of supporting themselves, their lives fell apart completely and irreversibly.
They were forcefully evicted from their comfortable, decent home and forced to move into a tiny, run-down, filthy apartment in one of the most dangerous neighborhoods in the city. The building was old, poorly maintained, and filled with crime. The electricity was frequently cut off without warning. The tap water was dirty and sometimes discolored. The walls were thin, allowing noise to echo day and night. Drug dealers and gang members lingered in the hallways, making even walking to the entrance a frightening experience. They could barely afford enough cheap food to survive, often skipping meals to save money.
Mrs. Tan, who had once spent money without thinking twice, throwing cash on luxury skincare and fancy meals, now had to count every single coin. She was forced to bargain with street vendors for overripe vegetables and expired bread. She washed old, tattered clothes by hand in a dirty bucket. She lived in squalid conditions she once would have considered beneath animals, and the stress turned her hair gray and her face haggard. Lina, who had mocked Ella for being poor and useless, now had to scrub public bathroom floors, wash dishes in small restaurants, and beg for temporary, low-paying jobs just to earn a few dollars. She was humiliated on a daily basis, treated poorly by employers and strangers alike. She became bitter, miserable, and resentful, aging rapidly under the weight of her own choices and the harsh reality of her life.
Lina still desperately clung to her dream of marrying a wealthy man, just as her mother had planned. She dressed as nicely as her limited budget allowed and hung around expensive locations, hoping to catch a millionaire's eye. But every wealthy family rejected her immediately. They knew about her bad reputation, her broken family, her laziness, and her greedy personality. No respectable man wanted a wife with her background and attitude. She ended up in a series of short, toxic, abusive relationships with men who pretended to be successful, only to use her for her looks and then abandon her without a second thought. Some even stole the little money she earned. She never found the rich, loving husband she had obsessively dreamed of. She only found loneliness, regret, and pain.
Mrs. Tan's health declined rapidly. The constant stress, poor living conditions, malnutrition, and overwhelming guilt wore her body down completely. She developed severe chronic illnesses, including heart problems and joint pain, but could not afford proper medical treatment. She could not even buy basic medication. She spent most of her days lying on a worn-out, broken sofa, coughing in pain, complaining about her misfortune, and crying over her lost lifestyle. But never once did she sincerely apologize to Ella for the way she had treated her. Never once did she admit her own mistakes. She blamed everyone but herself, refusing to accept that her suffering was the direct result of her own greed and cruelty.
They had spent their entire lives using others, chasing empty wealth, and treating Ella like trash. They believed they deserved a luxurious life without working for it. They believed that greed, manipulation, and cruelty would bring them happiness and respect. They believed that they could abuse a kind girl and never face consequences.
In the end, they had absolutely nothing. No money. No status. No respect. No friends. No love. No happiness. No hope.
They lived out the rest of their days in deep, unending poverty and misery, isolated and despised by everyone around them. Every difficult day was a quiet, constant punishment for the years of pain they had inflicted on an innocent girl. Their fate was a perfect, undeniable lesson: those who live by greed and cruelty will ultimately be destroyed by them.