“Let’s have two children, one like you and one like me. What do you think?”

I looked at his dreamy expression and couldn’t help but bite my lip.

He started lying to me again.

For the past five years, he had always kept me hooked with one wish after another.

Was he now using children as a bargaining chip?

But as early as the day after we got our marriage certificate, I knew that I would never have my own children in this life.

Because Calvin said he feared pregnancy and feared children—his mother had died during childbirth.  

He loved me and I couldn’t bear to see him hurt, so I voluntarily drank the sterilization potion.  

He had forgotten all of that.

“Honey, please?”

His question interrupted my thoughts. Afraid that he would notice, I could only hug him tightly, but my gaze grew icy.  

He thought I was just too excited, so he rushed off to tell the servants to prepare a candlelit dinner, not forgetting to glance back at me suggestively.

Watching his back, I whispered, “Calvin, you saved my life but deceived me for five years. That’s enough to settle the debt.”

After saying that, I sent another message to that number.

After my parents passed away, the Carpenter Family had long since faded out of the US social circles, so exposing Tami would give me no chance of success.  

The only opportunity was the award celebration three days later.

**

The next morning, when I woke up, Calvin was already gone.  

I hastily drafted a divorce agreement and went to the Weber Corporation, but was stopped at the entrance by the front desk.  

Calvin's phone was unanswered, so I had no choice but to call his secretary.

“Miss Carpenter, I'm sorry, the front desk staff is new and didn’t recognize you. I’ll scold her later. Please come in first.”

I had no intention of arguing with a junior employee, but before I had gone far, I heard whispers behind me.  

“Is that really Mr. Weber's wife? But I just saw Mr. Weber personally come down to pick up someone else and they were holding hands. I thought that was his wife.”

“Secretary Vance, it's not my fault. She was dressed so shabbily, who could tell?”

“Of course she's shabby. Five years ago, her family couldn't make it in the US anymore. Now they're completely dependent on Mr. Weber. She's just a parasite. I wonder what Mr. Weber sees in her?”

“The one who went in earlier is different. Have you been to the Pearl of City A? She designed it herself. Now it's an indispensable tourist attraction in the area and the government even awarded her a prize. Only someone like that is worthy of Mr. Weber!”

I clenched my fists tightly, ignoring everything.  

I walked straight to Calvin's office door and was about to knock when the sound from inside stopped me.

“Tami, how have you been these past few years?”  

“Didn’t you know I wrote you so many letters? There have been many men around me over the years, but the one I’ve loved from the very beginning is only one person. Unfortunately, he’s married now. I wonder if I still have a chance.”

Calvin looked up in shock with tears in his eyes.

“Yes, there will be. It definitely will be.”

“Calvin, thank you. If it weren't for your willingness to help me back then, I never could have achieved this on my own.”

Then, Tami added, "But before the celebration, I’d rather not meet with Sylvia. Last time, she misunderstood me. After all, I used to be an employee of the Carpenter Family and now our positions are reversed. I’m afraid she’ll find it even harder to accept.”  

I sneered, “How could it be a misunderstanding?”

When I was rejected in my first competition, I secretly investigated. 

I discovered that the work she submitted was very similar to my design. 

 ###Chapter 4​​

I reported her through official channels, demanding that she show me the source of the blueprints, but the police arrested me for spreading rumors.

Everyone said that I couldn't accept my own failure and was slandering others.

Only Calvin stood up for me and negotiated on my behalf, believing in me unconditionally as always.

But the truth was that it was he himself who handed the blueprint over to someone else.

Through the crack in the door, Calvin looked bitter as he took a piece of paper from his desk and handed it to Tami.

“This is Sylvia's latest design. With it, you will be able to gain a foothold in the US at the celebration party in three days. Consider it a gift to celebrate your return.”

Tami took it with a smile, her eyes brimming with pride.

Seeing that scene, a wave of cold anger surged in my chest. I gripped the agreement tightly and turned to leave, my heels echoing with resolve.

“Miss Carpenter, leaving so soon? Haven’t you met with Mr. Weber yet?” the secretary asked casually.

Her words made Calvin freeze. His eyes were tense as he hurried toward me. “Sylvia, why are you here? What's the matter?”

He even made a reason for me, “Do you still remember Tami? When she came to the Weber Family, you took her in. She just came here to discuss cooperation with me and she also said that she wanted to invite us both to the banquet to express her gratitude in person.”

Calvin gave a subtle glance and Tami put the documents behind her, immediately smiling and agreeing, “Yes, Sylvia, I wonder if I have the honor!”

Watching her extend her hand slightly, she exuded the air of a successful person standing above others.  

It seemed like a role reversal—I was the one who had once humbly begged for shelter as an employee.  

I suppressed the inner monologue and replied calmly, “No need.”

Suddenly, my phone buzzed with a message. Before I could open it, Calvin spoke up.

“Sylvia, if you have something to do, go ahead. I still have some work matters to discuss with Tami. See you tonight when I get home.”

Seeing how eager he was to send me away, there was nothing left for me to misunderstand.  

“You guys go ahead and do your work. I'll see you tonight.”

After returning home and packing all my belongings, the auction house representatives arrived at the Weber residence.

Calvin had purchased an item a week earlier, but the phone number he had provided was off by one digit, so they had contacted me instead.

When signing to receive it, the other party opened the box to verify.

Inside was a pair of exquisite wedding rings.

I froze for a moment, looking at the simple, hastily written wedding ring on my hand, making my heart skip a beat.

Calvin's call arrived as expected.

“Sylvia, I bought a piece of jewelry for a client. My phone just ran out of battery. Can you help me receive it? I'll ask Secretary Vance to come get it.”

“Also, don't dwell on what happened today. Tami and you are both in the construction industry. I had to go to great lengths to get her to give you some advice.”  

“You've always wanted my dad to recognize you, right? This is the best opportunity.”  

Hearing him acting as if he was thinking about me, I suddenly felt like laughing.

In order to help Tami, he abandoned his upbringing and became a thief.

Now that his aspirations were about to be realized, why bother using the Weber Family’s approval to bind me?

“I know you are doing this for my own good. Take care of yourself. I will wait for your news.”

Hearing my words, his tone lightened.

I hung up the phone and put the box away.

Calvin, you’ve lied to me so many times, but I’ve only deceived you once.

That night, the secretary took the box from me and told me that something happened in the company, so Calvin needed to go on a business trip.

But the next day, I saw a photo of a mysterious tycoon successfully proposing on the news. Even though they were blurred, I recognized the identical wedding rings on their hands.

So, that was what your business trip was about.  

I left a comment under this news, [May you have a hundred years of happiness and children soon.]

Three days later, Calvin finally sent a driver to pick me up for Tami's celebration banquet.

Just as I was about to enter the hall, I was stopped by the security guard at the entrance.

“Ma’am, is your last name Carpenter?”

Seeing that I didn’t respond, the security guard handed the invitation back to me.  

“Sorry, you can't come in. Our boss had instructed us since five years ago to not serve anyone with the surname Carpenter. Please leave immediately.” 

The people waiting to enter all turned to look at me.  

“Isn’t that Mr. Weber’s wife? Still acting like she’s the young miss of the Carpenter Family?”

“She’s been hiding under the Weber name for five years. If Mr. Weber hadn’t honored his word and married her, she’d have been driven out of the US long ago. And let’s not forget—the parents of this hotel’s owner were killed when a Carpenter building collapsed!”

“Well, the Carpenter Family did have a century-old reputation. But mistakes were made and from what I’ve heard, Mr. Weber spent the last five years reviving that fallen legacy. He even burned through his own wealth to help her join 99 design competitions… all of which she lost. What a disgrace. She doesn’t deserve him.”

Just as the whispers died down, Tami arrived with her entourage.

The crowd immediately split and the hotel security rushed to welcome her.

“Miss Frost, welcome! The venue is fully prepared. If anything isn’t to your liking, just say the word—we’ll adjust everything immediately.”

“We also hope you’ll put in a good word to Mr. Weber, so all of Weber Group’s future events can be hosted here.”

Then one of the staff barked at me coldly, “Didn’t I tell you to leave? Don’t block Miss Frost’s path. The Carpenter Family is not welcome here. Don’t make me throw you out myself.”

The security guard pushed me aside. His humble demeanor was a far cry from his earlier pretentiousness.  

Tami looked at me with a smug, mocking smile.

“Enough! Is this how your hotel treats guests? I welcome anyone who wishes to attend my banquet.”

She turned to the staff with feigned innocence.

“Besides, Sylvia is my savior. If it weren’t for her, I would’ve never met Mr. Carpenter. Just inform your boss that she’s here at my invitation—he’ll surely give me that much face.”

Then she glanced back at me, her eyes gleaming with condescension.

“But Sylvia, if you’re curious about my latest design, just ask. Don’t go peeking and plagiarizing again like you did last time.”

When she mentioned plagiarism, the recently calmed discussions erupted again.  

Countless disdainful glances fell upon me.  

“Oh, right! I almost forgot this. Do you know why she, despite being backed by the Weber Family, achieved nothing? Her work is all plagiarized! Even when she took in Miss Frost back then, it was just to exploit her talent!”  

“Pfft, what a shameless person! I even felt sorry for her because her parents were deceased!”

In the past, I would have fought to the end in order not to protect Calvin's reputation.

But now, I just wanted to escape as soon as possible.  

A group of people joined in, accusing me while praising Tami.

They said she was grateful and promising.  

I was completely isolated and I couldn't help but sneer inwardly, “Tami, I wonder if you'll still be able to laugh later.”

After a long time, Calvin came out.

He walked through the crowd and naturally took my arm.

“Why don't you go in? What are you doing standing here?”  

When Tami saw Calvin appear, she immediately stepped forward.

“Sylvia, let's go in together. It’s all my fault for forgetting that the owner here doesn’t like the Carpenter Family.”

Calvin pulled me into the banquet hall and turned to introduce me to others, saying I was there to seek advice from Tami.

Even without his words, people in the US already looked down on me.

Now, after what he said, no one even bothered to look my way.

Calvin accompanied Tami as he introduced her to various connections.

Their laughter echoed from time to time and on several occasions, Tami leaned her entire body against him.

The bitterness in my heart made me want to escape.

But as soon as I walked to the backyard, I was surrounded by a group of people.

“You, the daughter of a murderer, we’ve finally found you. How dare you still be alive?”

They were the victims from back then. How did they find me so quickly?  

Before I could think, fists and curses landed heavily on me.  

After an unknown amount of time, the leader spat on me and finally left.  

I staggered to my feet and saw Tami standing above me.

“Sylvia, does it hurt?”

“I didn’t want to tell them you were here, but they begged me on their knees and I couldn’t bear to refuse. However, I told them to spare your life, after all, you’re my savior.”  

I looked up at her fake sympathy and angrily said, “This is how you treat your savior? Don’t forget that if it weren’t for me, you’d have starved to death long ago!”

Hearing this, she dismissed the crowd and stomped her foot hard on my body.  

“What? Pfft. You call that a favor? We’re all from the same school. Why should your family be so high and mighty? You don’t treat me like a human being, so I’ll let you experience what it’s like to be looked down upon. You can’t handle it!”

“You should have known that my award-winning designs were given by Calvin. How does it feel to be betrayed by the person you love the most?”

“Oh, and your old, stubborn parents—they always said I lacked talent and was only fit to be a craftsman. I just made some changes to the drawings and numbers, but they’ve been despised by the world for years after their deaths!”

After hearing this, I couldn't hold back anymore. I flipped over and pinned her to the ground, ready to vent the pain I'd been holding in for five years.  

But as soon as I landed a blow, Calvin, who came with the security guards, stopped me.

He gently helped Tami up from the ground, carefully checked her wounds, then gave me a cold stare, “Sylvia, why did you hit her? She is no longer an employee of the Weber Family. How dare you…”

He wanted to continue speaking but was interrupted by Tami's wailing, “Calvin, this is all my fault.” 

“I just saw someone harassing Sylvia and came over to help, but she thought those people were sent by me. Never mind, this isn't the first time she's misunderstood me.”

But Tami's words did nothing to ease Calvin's anger. Instead, his gaze grew even colder.  

“I extended kindness and you repaid it with spite. Perhaps I’ve been too good to you, made you forget that the Carpenter Family is already ruined.”

“Throw her out. She’s not to set foot back in here until the press conference is over!”

After saying that, he supported Tami and was about to leave.

I watched his back as my anger grew.  

“You've been kind to me? Calvin, do you want to explain to me why my designs haven't won any awards in the past five years, but hers have won every one?”

Calvin stumbled slightly but didn't turn back.  

“If you can't do it yourself, don't make excuses. I've spent so much effort helping you—have I ever blamed you?” 

“Sylvia, go home. Don't make me regret being with you!”

Regret? Calvin, you would not regret it soon.

The security guard dragged me out of the gate like a dog and threw me to the ground.

I forced myself to get up despite the pain, straightened my disheveled clothes, looked toward the gate and dialed the phone.

"It's time. You can come over now.”

After that, I packed my luggage and placed the divorce agreement in the living room.

The moment I boarded the plane, I uploaded all the evidence online and then removed the SIM card from my phone.

Meanwhile, after I left, Tami stood on the stage holding the trophy and spoke eloquently, “Next, I will show you the latest design project of Frost's Group, which is…”

The door suddenly opened and a group of people walked in with serious expressions.  

Tami spoke with an unhappy expression, “Who are you? Don't you know where you are? Get out immediately, or don't blame me for being rude!”  

The people across from her showed no fear. He signaled with his eyes.  

The people next to her stepped forward immediately.

“This is the notice revoking your award. The competition has decided to award the prize to the true owner of the blueprints, Miss Sylvia Carpenter. Please return the trophy to us.”