The manager arrived swiftly and after understanding the situation, he quickly reprimanded the staff and offered a sincere apology.

The staff, however, wore an expression of clear displeasure, unwilling to accept the reprimand.

“Pack up your most expensive clothes,” I said, pulling out the black card I always carried with me.

This card, Clyde had given it to me. While he had been frugal with his affections, his generosity with money knew no bounds.

The manager’s face lit up. “Of course, I’ll arrange that for you right away.”

But before he could move, the woman at the checkout muttered, “Who knows if the money on that card is even clean.”

Without hesitation, I grabbed the red dress she had been eyeing earlier. “This one,” I declared.

Ignoring her irritable glare, I turned to the manager. I continued, “Evans Group if I’m not mistaken, this store belongs to them, doesn’t it?”

Smiling, I added, “As the young madam of the Evans Family, surely I’m entitled to a little shopping privilege?”

I slid a photo from my wallet, showing the wedding photo of Clyde and me.

In Kansas City, who didn’t know the Evans Family?

The manager, the woman and the staff stood frozen, momentarily struck dumb.

“So, you’re the young madam of the Evans Family?” The manager’s tone shifted instantly, dripping with newfound respect.

The woman, her face drained of color, shot me a guilty look before hastily retreating.

Before she could vanish from sight, I subtly hinted to the manager, “If one employee’s poor service could tarnish the reputation of the entire brand, then…”

The manager didn’t miss a beat. “Rest assured, young madam, such staff will never show their faces here again.”

With my heavy shopping bags in hand, a rare sense of satisfaction washed over me.

When it came to wealth and power, no one compared to the Evans Family.

If I didn’t wield it wisely, what would be the point of such a prestigious name?

By the time I reached home, the clock had long passed midnight.

As I opened the door, I was met with the sudden sting of a slap to my face.

My mother-in-law angrily snatched the clothes I’d bought from the mall, hurling them onto the floor as if they were trash.

“Well, well, Maeve, not only did you stay out late tonight, but you also spent my son’s money so carelessly. Looks like you’ve picked up a few tricks!”

She swung her hand at me in anger, but I blocked it with ease. Her eyes widened in shock and she screeched, “Maeve, what are you doing?!”

I pushed her hand away, treating it like an unwanted object. “What? Didn’t do anything, did I?”

Before I could move, a sharp voice interrupted. “Maeve, how dare you strike Auntie? Clyde won’t forgive you for this!”

Milana stepped in front of my mother-in-law, shielding her as if I were a venomous snake poised to strike.

I touched the stinging red mark on my cheek, smirking. “So innocent, huh? You two were pretty fierce when it was your turn.”

My mother-in-law seethed. “What’s come over you today? What did that message mean? How dare you speak to elders like that?”

Milana didn’t hold back. “Maeve, you’ve crossed the line. As a woman, how can you say such things?”

I couldn’t help but chuckle darkly. “Let me ask you two what that really means. One of you sends a picture of her son dining with another woman to his wife and the other barges into someone’s home in the dead of night to play the role of detective.”

“Isn’t this what you call living without a family? Or is being a mistress really that delightful?”

“And as for elders, do you truly deserve that title?”

Both of their faces darkened in an instant and they were struck dumb, unable to respond.

“You...” Milana’s expression shifted suddenly and she looked as though she might burst into tears. “You’re going too far.”

Her voice quivered, almost like she expected sympathy.

Sure enough, it worked.

“Maeve, enough! Shut up!”

I turned my head and there he was, Clyde’s face a storm of fury.

He marched over, standing beside Milana and my mother-in-law, his voice a thunderclap, “What the hell are you doing? I didn’t go to the hospital, so why are you throwing a tantrum?”

“Apologize to them. Right now.”

Milana, ever the actress, suddenly slipped into the role of the innocent, “It’s fine, Clyde. Maeve might just be in a bad mood. I don’t mind, but I can’t stand hearing people talk about Aunt like that.”

My mother-in-law, once sharp and venomous, now appeared the picture of hurt, as if deeply wounded by her child, “I never thought that Maeve would see me this way.”

She quietly wiped away imaginary tears.

I couldn’t help but roll my eyes. Clyde’s face darkened further. “Maeve, what’s your problem? Apologize now.”

I threw my head back and laughed until my sides ached. “Why should I apologize? The fact that I didn’t make you kneel and beg for forgiveness is already generous. And now you’re all playing this act?”

"Fireworks for the mistress on our anniversary, photos of you and your lover sharing a meal sent straight to my phone and then, the audacity of the mistress barging into my home in the middle of the night, stepping on my head as if she were the legitimate wife."

"Fireworks for the mistress is 'romantic,' but when I buy a few clothes and dress up, I’m labeled as wasteful, extravagant and get slapped for it. And you, my husband, don’t even care about the truth, demanding that I apologize instead."

I fixed my gaze on him, "Clyde, who exactly owes an apology here?"

For the first time, I saw Clyde taken aback, frozen by the strength of my words.

"I’m speaking nothing but the truth. If there’s a single lie in my words, feel free to contradict me at any time," I added, my voice unwavering.

Clyde looked at me, his expression torn, "What’s happened to you? You never used to be like this."

I scoffed, "Used to be? You mean the version of me that stayed quiet while being wronged, when you stayed away for days, leaving me in silence? The one who fell ill yet had to do all the dirty, exhausting work, like a helpless target, Maeve, the pushover?"

At that, Clyde was struck speechless.

My mother-in-law’s voice sliced through the tension, "You’re the one who insisted on marrying Clyde, so all the suffering you’ve endured, you brought it upon yourself!"

Brought it upon myself?

Back then, everyone had believed I was the mistress who seduced Clyde, the one who ruined the relationship between him and Milana. But that couldn’t have been farther from the truth.

The first time I met Clyde was in a dimly lit bar where I worked as a waitress to pay for my tuition.

That night, a customer harassed me, insisting that I join him for drinks. It was Clyde who stepped in, saving me from that man. Afterward, he told me I had the kind of looks he liked and that he wanted to pursue me.

I turned him down.

But from that day forward, he came to the bar every night, offering his help, solving my problems and showering me with care as no one had ever done before.

No one had ever protected me like that. And after a month of his relentless pursuit, I finally agreed to be with him.

During that time, Clyde treated me like I was the center of his world and for a while, I believed it was true. I, Maeve, unknowingly fell deeper into his web, convinced that his affection was real.

When I married Clyde and faced the struggles that followed, I told myself there had to be a reason to endure.

But then, one day, I overheard a conversation between Clyde and his friends that shattered everything.