I locked eyes with Stella. "If you don't want people to know what you've done, it's best not to provoke me."I walked out and addressed the doctor who had escorted me in. "Sir, could you please take me back?"He calmly nodded. "Certainly."I was worried that leaving the doctor there might put him in danger.Back in the car, a wave of nervousness washed over me, causing my hands to tremble. I turned to the doctor and said, "I'm sorry for involving you. They won't harm you, will they?""No, it won't be that serious," he replied. Then he started driving."How is his condition?" I asked the doctor, still feeling concerned."You saw it yourself." He glanced at me. "The injuries to his limbs aren’t too serious, but the head injury is severe.""So when do you think he'll wake up?"His response was ambiguous. "That depends on how he responds. It could be anytime." We reached the spot where we had switched cars earlier. The other car was still waiting. I thanked the doctor and return
Lauren was aware of the situation and offered to accompany me, but I declined. I didn't want her to get involved. I suspected she had ulterior motives for wanting to be there, but I told her to let it go. There was no need for her to get mixed up in this mess. Lauren relented, so I brought Carol, who used to work at Tanum Corporation. I had my reasons for bringing her, and I didn't have to explain them. Carol was perfectly capable of handling the situation on her own.The party for the baby took place at La Dolce Vita. The venue was packed, and Matthew stood at the entrance, welcoming guests from all directions. When Johnson brought my car to the entrance, Matthew rushed down the steps and opened the car door.He seemed a little unhappy when asked, "Chlo... where's my little girl?"I calmly said, "Everyone already knows you have a son and a daughter.”He forced a smile and said, "Well, you better come in!"Carol quickly stood by my side and handed two cash envelopes to Matth
She approached gracefully, but her smile didn't quite reach her eyes. Those serpentine eyes were fixed on my face, and I could see the tension in her jaw. Such restraint must’ve been painful.Maintaining a calm smile, I watched them eagerly begin the performance. Myra was so nervous that she hardly dared to breathe. She nudged me several times, and Carol was gearing up for a fight. I grabbed her and gently pushed her back down."Oh! I was wondering who it was. It’s my sister-in-law!" I smiled at her. "Melanie, what game are you playing? We had never called each other that before. Where's the 'sister-in-law' coming from?"Carol wasn't going to let it slide. She immediately chimed in, "Exactly! Matthew is already yours, so where's the 'sister-in-law' coming from? You have a son now, so maybe start acting like a mom. Chloe has already taken a step back for you."Suddenly, Melanie adopted a pitiful look. Her eyes reddened, and her lips quivered as if she had been wronged. The whole
I gently held Carol’s wrist with a strained smile. "Melanie, are you sure about this?"Seeing that Carol was already upset, Stella added fuel to the fire. "Melanie, why bring this up at a time like this?"Melanie knew her words were having an impact and continued to play the victim."I'm happy. Otherwise, none of you would get to see my son today, and Matthew wouldn't be as happy as he is now! Let’s not hold grudges, Chloe. I won’t blame you for causing me to give birth prematurely. Can’t we all get along? After all, we're all part of the Murphy family!”"I'm not part of it," I couldn't help but retort.The onlookers immediately turned their stern gazes toward me. I could tell that if I said "no," they might tear me apart. I smirked, realizing how cunningly they had orchestrated this.It was a blatant attempt to turn everyone against me. One wrong step and my reputation in the city would be irreparable. I would be labeled a scheming woman.This was precisely what the three women
Carol reacted incredibly fast. Before the shadow reached me, she swiftly pulled me away. Just as I got up from the chair, the shadow collided with it, resulting in a loud thud. The entire room gasped in shock. I was still trying to process what was happening.As I gathered my wits, I realized Grace had lunged at me and ended up on the ground. Her forehead had hit the chair during the collision, and now she was hurling insults in my direction."Chloe, you wretched woman! After serving you for ten years, I never expected you to be so heartless and vile!"She listed my crimes, "You not only took the Murphy family's property but you also got involved with a man who brutally beat up my son. He was left battered and bruised. Chloe, you're a despicable person! Have you no shame?"The crowd of onlookers gasped again, staring at me like a demon.Carol's face flushed with anger, and she roared, "Hey, why are you twisting the story?"Liora watched with folded arms, seemingly relishing my di
The sudden brightness in the banquet hall stunned everyone. All the large screens had lit up, capturing everyone’s attention.A familiar video played on the screens. It was footage of Ava’s birthday when Matthew had carried her out of the school gate to collect her gift. Then, Melanie arrived.The people in the banquet hall were puzzled and started whispering, “What’s going on?”Even I was surprised, wondering who had orchestrated it. It seemed I had an unexpected ally in attendance. I couldn’t help but glance at Johnson, who had come over with Matthew earlier. Besides Matthew and Melanie, Johnson was likely the only one who knew the whole story.As the video played for the second time, someone exclaimed, “Oh my, isn’t that Melanie? What's she—?!”The person’s exclamation drew even more attention as everyone focused on the repeated violent scenes. Finally, someone made a bold guess, “Isn’t that Melanie? She’s pregnant yet causing trouble at a kindergarten. She even kicked someone
Everyone turned to the entrance when they heard the slightly mocking voice. To my surprise, I saw the uninvited Lauren walking in. I instinctively face-palmed in amazement.Lauren's presence shocked everyone. She had exposed Matthew’s affair at our wedding anniversary a few months ago. The supposedly upright Matthew even went to court for our divorce.Lauren’s actions caused Matthew and I to divorce. His notoriety skyrocketed immediately after. Although Lauren was once his mistress, she had exposed him for his affair with Melanie.Today, she again appeared at Matthew’s son’s full moon banquet. I knew she wasn’t here to enjoy the food, either. Her appearance always held some significance, and it seemed Matthew would pay the price today.I was even more surprised because we agreed she was not supposed to come. I wondered why she came anyway. I covered my eyes, realizing that another exciting show was about to begin. Still, I didn’t know what she would do this time.As I looked aroun
I almost laughed aloud after finally realizing who that woman was. She was Melanie’s biological mother. The woman was a drama queen. She kept repeating, “You made it hard for me to find you.”However, her expression felt out of place. I wondered what she was looking for.After birthing Melanie, the woman left her with the Murphys and showed no concern over the years. Since that was the case, I couldn’t believe her struggles to find Melanie.The Murphys caused a stir when they moved out of their old place. The woman would only need to ask around to find their new place. Considering her attire, she probably didn’t fare well alone. Now, she had found a lucky break.I knew she was a troublemaker, too. Her return meant that the Murphys, especially Grace, were in for dark times ahead. I couldn’t help but glance at Grace, shaking with anger. I felt genuine sympathy for her.After all, she had sincerely cared for Ava over the years.I admired Lauren for managing to find that woman. I won