They were right. Raelynn truly was a fool! A fool so blind that she ignored her own flesh and blood while doting on her rival's child! She even helped raise him! Even though Zac wasn't John's biological son, the fact that John believed otherwise meant only one thing. During the very month she conceived Arthur, John had indeed been with Renee. Every time Raelynn thought about it, a wave of revulsion surged through her. And then there were the names, Zac and Arthur. Arthur's name had been chosen by John. At the time, Raelynn had questioned him about it. But John had insisted it symbolized being "grounded and steadfast." She had been beyond redemption back then, so hopelessly naive that she actually believed his nonsense! John's face had already darkened like a storm cloud. The sight of the bystanders, eagerly feasting on the spectacle, only fueled his rage. Every single word, every piercing remark, stabbed into him like a dagger. It was true. He had raised Zac as his heir while deliberately suppressing Arthur. But that was a secret he had vowed to bury deep within himself, a truth no one could ever speak of, no one could ever uncover! Now, because Zac's illegitimacy had been exposed, all those hidden, disgraceful secrets had been ripped into the open! Because of Susie! It was all because of her! He had loved that daughter for nothing! John even felt that when he struck her earlier, he had gone too easy on her! Outside the room, hushed voices continued to stir. Unable to endure it any longer, John roared, "Get out! All of you, get out! Zac is my rightful son! He is not an illegitimate child!" The crowd fell silent, momentarily stunned. Among them were high-ranking individuals, people who would never tolerate being berated by a man as fallen as John. One of them immediately retorted, "Not an illegitimate child? You had a wife and four children, yet you fathered a son with another woman! If that's not illegitimacy, then what is?" John froze. His mouth opened, grasping for an argument, but reality was undeniable. Zac had been born of his infidelity. Regret surged through him once more. I should've divorced Raelynn back then! No, I should've never married her at all! Renee is so kind, so gentle, yet I betrayed her. The mere thought of it was like a blade twisting in his chest. And with it, his guilt toward Zac deepened even further. The crowd, seeing that the drama had ended, began to disperse. Yet the scandal of Zac's illegitimacy had already exploded across the internet. In this digital age, all it took was a single phone for news to spread like wildfire. Zac's face turned deathly pale. The words "illegitimate child" were a lifelong wound, one that had never healed. His mom had been a woman forced into the shadows, and so had he. Before, John's protection had kept the truth tightly sealed. Even if rumors arose, they remained just baseless speculation. But now, his shameful identity had been laid bare for the world to see. The exposure scorched him, searing his very being, filling him with a maddening agony! In the dimly lit corridor, Renee clenched her fists so tightly that her nails dug deep into her flesh, yet she felt nothing. Her teeth sank into her lip, eyes burning with raw hatred. Illegitimate children were words she despised most in the world! John! That pathetic excuse for a man! He has failed Zac! I trusted him with my son, and this is how he takes care of Zac? Susie! That wretched daughter of Raelynn! It's her! She's the one who humiliated Zac, the one who disgraced him! Just as I thought, nothing good ever comes from that vile woman's bloodline! The scandal continued to spiral online. Even those who wished to suppress it were powerless against the insatiable curiosity of the masses. Internet sleuths dug up every instance of John's favoritism toward Zac. Some even compared photos of the two. And in doing so, they unearthed something unexpected. "Why don't they look alike at all?" "I always thought they didn't resemble each other, but I never considered this possibility." "Maybe Zac takes after his mom?" "Speaking of which, who is Zac's real mom? Does anyone know?" "That's a question for Zac and John. So far, there's no sign of Raelynn confronting a mistress." "I'm at the hospital right now. I heard John personally admit that Zac is his son! The funniest part is he actually had the audacity to claim Zac is his rightful child!" "Cheating during marriage, an illegitimate child is exactly what this is! And yet he still dares to speak of legitimacy? What a shameless man!"