I looked up unexpectedly and looked at the person in front of me.

Rudolf avoided my sight, so I could see his red ears clearly.

I remembered that he seemed to be the marriage partner that the Ryan Family had originally chosen for me before I got married to Maxine.

Maybe if Maxine and I divorced, I would continue to be a tool of the Ryan Family and be sent for marriage.

I laughed at myself and said, “If I had the final say, I'd promise you.”

Rudolf had not left until I got home and went upstairs.

He leaned against the car and watched me go upstairs.

I remember when I was in high school, he was the best student in the class and did the same thing, wearing his school uniform, leaning on his bicycle, watching me go home.

Nowadays, everyone had changed, it seemed that only Rudolf had not changed at all.

I looked away, not daring to look again.

When I got home, I went into the bathroom to take a shower and change the gauze on my shoulder.

I did not know when Maxine came back. He pushed open the bathroom door, hugged me without saying a word and kissed the back of my neck.

I was trembling all over and feeling sick, so I immediately pushed him away.

He did not look very well.

“Betty, what are you doing? Are you playing hard to get? Are you feeling aloof now? 

“Are you stimulated? Was not it you who took the initiative to climb into my bed and seduce me?”

Maxine rarely had such a cold face. I guess he did not coax Valerie well, so he took his anger out on me.

I turned pale and said weakly, “I feel unwell.”

“Are you hurt? Why didn't you tell me when you got hit?!”

He then saw the horrible wound on my shoulder and subconsciously wanted to touch me, but I His expression was stiff, obviously he did not expect me to do this.

This was the third time and I had never resisted his touch like this.

Maxine took a deep breath and said like coaxing a kitten or puppy, “Betty, you are Mrs. Jones now. You are no longer the girl who can do whatever you want.

“You know, I marry you because I am responsible for you, but you cannot force me to love you, right?

“Love is something you cannot force. Don’t try to use such childish tricks to make me feel sorry for you. I will only think that you are too thoughtful and annoying.”

He sighed before adding, “Don’t be greedy…."

So, I cut off, “I understand, I will never be greedy.”

I interrupted Maxine because I felt tired with everything. So, from that moment on, I would no longer be greedy for any of Maxine's feelings.

Maxine watched me walk into the guest bedroom. He felt depressed, but somehow, he could not say anything to comfort me.

He turned on the tap, thinking I was just not feeling well.

The matter of Valerie could not be suppressed after all and the Ryan Family still lost face.

The next morning, Mariah Jones, Maxine’s mother, appeared at my door with an unfriendly look on her face.

She was well-dressed, but her eyes were stern and her tone was as calm as the silence before a storm, “Change your clothes and come with me.”

She was going to give Valerie a lesson.

The Ryan Family would not allow any scandal involving mistresses to be spread.

The car drove into the Ryan Group and went straight to the VIP reception room on the top floor.

As soon as I entered, I saw Valerie wearing an elegant white dress.

She held a gift box in her hand. When she saw Mariah, she smiled sweetly and handed it to her, “Madam, this is the aromatherapy I brought back from my business trip yesterday. I heard that you have severe insomnia. This is very popular in the French sanatorium.”

Mariah's face was instantly wiped away. She took the gift box and said, “You are quite thoughtful.”

“I am very grateful that you are willing to let me explain it to you.” Valerie lowered his eyebrows and looked gentle and obedient.

“Madam, I really don’t want to take anyone's position. Mr. Ryan is so outstanding that anyone would be tempted to join him, but I know I should not have this thought, so I'm ready to transfer to another position.”

Mariah looked at her for a few seconds and smiled with some appreciation, “You are quite sensible.”

Valerie had obviously made sufficient preparations and everything she said was extremely pleasing to Mariah, making people laugh.

I stood aside and watched coldly, watching this harmonious drama of a loving mother and an obedient daughter. I felt like a huge rock was pressing on my heart and I could not breathe.

Mariah glanced at me and turned to advise me, “Betty, don’t be too sensitive. Valerie has said that she and Maxine are innocent. Don’t scare yourself.”

I curled my lips, “I understand, you guys can do whatever you want.”

I turned around and was about to leave, but Valerie suddenly grabbed my hand.

“Ms. Maddox, don’t misunderstand me. I can explain it to you…." As she spoke, her voice suddenly rose for a moment, “Ah!”

Before I could react, she fell to the ground, with a glaring bloodstain on the back of her hand, as if she had been scratched by a fingernail.

She shrank back crying, “Ms. Maddox, why... why did you pinch me?”

There were hurried footsteps at the door and Maxine rushed in. When he saw Valerie was injured, his whole face turned pale in an instant.

“Valerie!” He rushed forward and hugged her when he asked, “What's going on?”

Valerie's tears fell down as she explained, “Mr. Ryan, it seems that only if I resign and stay away from you, can Ms. Maddox be at ease with me."

Maxine turned his head suddenly and stared at me, his eyes burning with anger as he scolded, “Betty, are you crazy?!”

I stood there, trying hard to hold back my trembling and said coldly, “It's not me, it's her herself….”

Snap!

A crisp slap interrupted me.

My face tilted to the side and hit the corner of the coffee table behind me and the scalding coffee flowed down my waist.

There was complete silence all around, save for the clatter of coffee cups falling to the ground.

I slowly stood up, blood oozing from the corners of my mouth.

Maxine's face was full of anger and disgust when he scolded me, “How much filth is in your heart?! Would you be happy if you forced Valerie to death? You even hurt others, how can you be so vicious?”

This man who once hugged me and gently said, “Don’t be afraid, I'm here,” was that moment humiliating me angrily for another woman.

I pulled out the document I had prepared long ago from my bag and slapped it on his chest. “Since you hate me so much, let's get a divorce.”

Maxine was slightly startled, but Mariah exploded first. “Betty, how dare you? Do you really think you have the final say on marriage and divorce?!

“Don’t forget who raised you to this age….”

I gritted my teeth and said in a low but firm voice, “Of course, I won't forget. But I will never forget that I am also a human being, a human being with dignity.

“Mrs. Jones, I will repay you for raising me and I also want a divorce.”

Maxine suddenly sneered and he grabbed my wrist tightly, “You still want to pay it back? You are just an orphan, what can you give me back?”

“Do you really think that you can become a rich and powerful person just by taking off your skirt and climbing onto my bed? Without the Ryan Family, what else do you have?”

There was a loud bang in my head, as if something had shattered.

I suddenly laughed.

My parents were soldiers who sacrificed their lives fighting the flood.

The Ryan Family adopted me as a charity out of kindness.

Maxine once said that he admired them and worshipped them, but then he mocked my parents for being just ordinary people.

“Yes, I am nothing.” 

I turned around and left without saying a word.

Mariah kept scolding me from behind and Maxine roared like thunder, “Betty, do you dare to leave? If you leave, you will have no home!”

Outside the company, a black car was parked quietly. Rudolf was leaning against the car. When he saw me come out, he immediately came forward.

When he saw me covered in coffee, his eyes suddenly darkened.

“Get in the car,” he said.

The moment the car window slowly rose, I heard Maxine yelling hysterically from behind, “If you leave now, don’t beg me to come back later!”