My five ghostly husbands-Chapter 216 No proof

Ruby stepped out of her shop with heavy, unhurried steps. Her long white hair caught the wind, brushing against her back like a banner of calm fury.

Angeline followed close behind, her face tense, and Karl walked beside her, lips pressed in a thin line, eyes locked on the crowd now watching like it was a stage performance.

Ruby stopped just a few feet in front of the old witch and Jepsi, and the crowd automatically gave her space. Her red eyes, now sharp as burning coals, stared directly at the old woman pretending to be pitiful.

She took a breath and spoke.. her voice calm at first, but cold.

"What proof do you have that I stole your designs?"

The crowd grew quiet. Even the whispers paused.

Ruby’s jaw was clenched now. Her hands were trembling slightly at her sides, not out of fear but rage she was holding in.

"Have we ever met before?" she asked, her voice rising, eyes boring into the old woman. "Have I ever visited your workshop? Have I ever asked you for anything? You’re accusing me of stealing... but where is your evidence?!"

Her voice cracked slightly at the end. Not from weakness but from too many emotions crashing at once.

The old witch blinked innocently, clutching her heart again. "I told you... my designs were stolen... someone must’ve... taken the papers... and now they’ve ended up here, in your hands..."

"Then accuse the thief!" Ruby snapped. "Not me!"

She turned to Jepsi now, her expression hardening.

"And you what are you smiling for?" she asked with venom.

Jepsi kept the same calm, smug face, as if she’d already won. "I’m simply standing up for my designer. Surely you wouldn’t call an elder a liar, would you?"

Ruby’s eyes darkened. "If that elder lies with a straight face and dares to ruin someone’s name without a shred of shame, then yes, I would."

A quiet gasp echoed through the crowd.

The old witch’s expression cracked slightly.

Jepsi’s smile thinned, losing its sweetness.

Karl stepped closer, his voice angry. "You better back off before this gets uglier than you can handle."

Angeline stepped to Ruby’s other side. "We’re not scared of your crowd, Jepsi. Try ruining someone else’s name next time...someone who doesn’t know how to fight back."

Ruby’s eyes scanned the crowd.

"All of you came here to see a scandal," she said, louder now. "But think clearly. I’ve been here for days, working hard with my husbands... I sold every piece with honesty. Not a single one of you saw me copying, saw me stealing. And suddenly I’m the criminal?"

The wind blew again, softly, brushing her robe against her ankles.

"If you think I’ll cry and shut down my shop because of one baseless accusation—" Ruby stepped forward, her tone colder than ever—

"—then you clearly don’t know who I am."

The crowd stirred.

And somewhere deep in the middle of those watching eyes, some had already started doubting the old witch’s words.

Jepsi’s smile cracked, just slightly.

The whispers in the crowd were starting to shift. Some ghosts and witches frowned. Some looked at the old witch with uncertain eyes. Jepsi noticed. And she didn’t like it.

"You’re quite loud for someone who got caught," Jepsi said coolly, folding her arms. "Don’t act so innocent, Ruby. Designs don’t fly on their own into your shop."

Ruby turned to her fully now, her expression unreadable. But her red eyes...cold and sharp did not blink.

"You’re right," she said, her tone flat. "Designs don’t fly into my hands. And lies don’t grow on their own either. Someone plants them. Like you."

Jepsi’s eyes narrowed.

The old witch clutched her chest again and wailed, "My heart can’t take this! I’ve been in this field for forty years—forty! I never imagined someone so young, so shameless, would take my art, my spirit—"

"Enough!" Ruby’s voice cracked like thunder. "You keep crying, but I see no proof. You say I stole your design—show me the stolen papers. Show me anything with my name on it. A witness. A camera. A draft. Anything."

The old woman stammered. "I—I don’t have them—someone must have—"

"Exactly," Ruby cut her off sharply. "You don’t have anything. Just your acting."

Angeline stepped forward, arms crossed. "Why is your story changing now? First, you said the designs were stolen, now you’re accusing Ruby of using them without proof. You’re not trying to get justice...you’re trying to destroy a small businesswoman."

Karl pointed directly at Jepsi. "You were losing sales, so you brought drama."

The crowd gasped.

Some witches muttered, "Yeah, her shop’s been empty since the fair started..."

"I thought her designs were old-fashioned anyway..."

Jepsi’s eye twitched.

She took a sharp breath and stepped forward until she was nearly face-to-face with Ruby. "Do you know who I am? Do you think your little roadside booth matters when I’ve been the top fashion witch for ten years?!"

Ruby didn’t back down.

"Then why are you so scared of me?" she whispered.

Jepsi’s nostrils flared.

"You little snake," Jepsi snapped. "You think just because a few villagers like your robes, you’re suddenly someone important? I built my name from scratch! You think you can climb where I’ve been just by copying—"

SLAP.

Gasps erupted.

But no one had moved.

The sound came from Ruby’s words..sharp, clean, louder than any hand.

"Funny," Ruby said calmly, her tone like ice. "Because I’m the one who actually started from nothing. From drinking water at public wells. From sewing on the floor. From selling one robe at a time without a coin in my pocket."

Her hands tightened at her side. "Don’t talk about building something—when all you do is try to destroy what others create."

The crowd murmured again. Now louder. More of them stepped forward to look at the robes on the rack.

"Her work’s better than Jepsi’s, honestly..."

"More practical too..."

"Lighter to wear..."

Jepsi’s face turned red. "You’ll regret this," she hissed.

Ruby leaned forward, her voice soft. "Only thing I regret is wasting my energy replying to lies."

She turned to the crowd. "Anyone who believes in honesty, you’re welcome in my shop. Anyone who believes in schemes, feel free to go."

Ruby stepped back, raised her chin, and walked into her store with Karl and Angeline at her sides.

The crowd didn’t follow Jepsi.

They followed Ruby.

And Jepsi?

She stood frozen.

Face burning.

Defeated.

But her eyes...

They promised revenge.

—To be continued...🪄

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