Aurelia's POV

I had just informed a few clients that I was cutting ties with the Ellingtons, and before the news could even settle, the headlines exploded everywhere.

They wanted to corner me and leave me with no way out.

I grabbed my phone and headed for the door, but Philip caught my arm.

“Aurelia, you’re pregnant. Don’t go out there. I’ll handle it.”

But I pushed his hand away. “I’ve already crawled out of hell once. A little storm doesn’t scare me.”

The moment I stepped outside, I understood why Philip’s assistant had been so panicked.

It wasn’t just reporters.

Lined up at the entrance were several major figures from the city’s business circle—people with influence, the kind who never show up unless something big happens.

And among them were Callum’s parents.

Soon, Mrs. Ellington spotted me from afar, and her face immediately softened into a smile as she hurried toward me. The moment she reached me, she grabbed my hands.

“Aurelia, I don’t know how things escalated like this. It must be because of that forty-million contract, right? Did we upset Mr. Ashford somehow?”

Mr. Ellington chimed in, smiling like nothing was wrong. “She’s right. You can’t just cancel a deal like that and expect no consequences. So, be a good girl. Go apologize, get the contract back, and once the reporters leave, this will all blow over.”

I gently pulled my hands away and smiled. “Mr. Ellington, Mr. Ashford isn’t upset at all. I just signed that contract with his company under a friend’s name. He’s in a great mood, actually.”

I watched as their faces went from red to ghostly pale, and a cold, bitter smile tugged at my lips.

So, they were in on this, too.

All these years, I’d poured my blood and soul into saving their family, only to realize I’d been feeding a pack of ungrateful wolves.

Mrs. Ellington’s smile instantly disappeared. “Aurelia, what are you saying? You signed the deal under someone else’s company? You’re our daughter-in-law. Why are you helping outsiders?!”

I met her gaze, reached into my bag, and pulled out the divorce papers. “Sorry. I’m no longer part of your family.”

I handed them to her and stepped away.

But the crowd of reporters surged forward like a tidal wave.

In eight years, I’d stood in front of the media more times than I could count. So, I knew better than anyone that at moments like this, the more you talked, the more mistakes you made.

Knowing that, I just turned and headed for the back exit.

That was when a sugary, mocking voice called out behind me. “Well, well. Isn’t this the always-so-poised Ms. Crawford? What’s the matter? Feeling guilty, so you’re running away now?”

Melina appeared arm-in-arm with Callum, walking toward me with a smirk.

Even so, I ignored her and kept moving. But I’d barely taken two steps when someone grabbed my wrist.

Aurelia's POV

She stepped right up to me, pointing a finger in my face. “Listen, Aurelia. Don’t think the Ellingtons can’t live without you. Forty million? Four hundred million? Forty billion? If I say it’s nothing, then it’s nothing!”

Crossing her arms on her chest, she added, “Mrs. Ellington was kind enough to give you a way out, but you ignored her and embarrassed her in public. Get over here and apologize. Now!”

Callum then joined in coldly, “Aurelia, you really crossed the line today. If you don’t apologize to Mom, you’re not leaving.”

The crowd outside kept growing, and I even saw some of our clients’ cars pulling up.

They really went all out for today’s show.

I glanced toward the entrance, calculating my next move, when suddenly, a sharp pain exploded at the back of my head.

It turned out, Melina yanked me by the hair and dragged me toward Mrs. Ellington.

But in the chaos, someone pushed me, and I stumbled, falling hard onto the ground. To make it worse, a nearby reporter also lost his balance and his camera slammed straight into my lower abdomen before he collapsed on top of me.

As a result, a sharp, piercing pain shot through my stomach, and within seconds, I felt warm blood spreading beneath me.

Unknowingly, Mrs. Ellington was already in front of me, but Melina still pulled my hair, dragging me closer as she yelled, “Move! Apologize to Mrs. Ellington right now!”

Mrs. Ellington’s eyes flickered with hesitation when she noticed the blood pooling beneath me. She knew better than anyone that for the past eight years, I had been crucial to their family.

So, she bent down, about to help me up.

But Melina cut her off sharply. “Auntie, you can’t go soft on someone like her. Don’t worry about your family business. Trust me and leave everything to me. I’ve already talked to my grandfather about the four-hundred-million project I mentioned earlier, and the money will be in your account soon!”

Hearing that, Mrs. Ellington’s hesitation vanished instantly. Her eyes lit up, and when she looked at me again, her expression had completely changed into arrogant and condescending.

“Aurelia,” she said coldly, “you’re older than Melina, yet you still don’t act as mature as she does. Out of respect for all these years as mother-in-law and daughter-in-law, just apologize to me and return the clients you took from our family. Do that, and we’ll let this go.”

Melina took a step forward. She glanced at the blood soaking through my clothes, then leaned close to my ear and hissed through gritted teeth, “Aurelia, you’re pathetic. You can’t even hold onto a man, let alone a child.”

She chuckled and then sneered, “Once my grandfather transfers that four hundred million to the Ellingtons, your real suffering will finally begin.”

I clenched my teeth, pushed myself up, and without a second thought, swung my hand across her face with a loud slap.

“Your grandfather will be here any minute,” I said coldly. “When he arrives, we’ll see whose suffering is really about to start.”

Melina’s eyes widened in fury, and she opened her mouth to argue. But before she could speak, a deep, steady elderly voice roared from behind her. “Melina!”