“You still haven't learned the right and wrong things to do yet, huh?”

Standing with Elma were several business partners from the banquet hall. They stayed a few steps away.

No one dared to come closer as they watched Elma gripped my neck and spoke with intent, “Apologize to Arty. Beg him to forgive you.”

She smiled a little. It was the same as five years ago when she threw a plane ticket at my face.

My blood felt frozen. She threw the metal baton to the ground and caused a clear, sharp sound. Just like five years ago.

I had seen Elma cheat with my own eyes. I was crying and demanded an explanation. She only held Arthur while giving me a warning. "Arty is different from you. He is timid. Don’t scare him.”

“Jayden, we have been together too long. I no longer have passion for you. If you behave, my husband’s place will always be yours. If you hurt Arty, I will make sure you die.”

At that time, I did not understand.

I had believed Elma loved me. I trusted the years we shared and the hard times we survived together. Amidst the situation, I hired a private detective, bought the photos and posted them everywhere. No matter how much money they used to hide the story, I would always pay more to make Elma and Arthur pay.

As I expected, Arthur was expelled from school and became a public disgrace. But I paid a high price too. I still remember the day Elma forced me to sign the paper that left me with nothing.

She said coldy, “Your brother’s life is in your hands. Jayden, what will you choose?”

Soon I woke up from my daydream and returned to the present.

“Elma. Five years,” I faced her and gave a nastier smile than hers, “is this how you meet your ex-lover? If so, I have a gift for you.”

I stabbed Elma in the belly. I watched her shocked face and did not stop. I dug into her flesh. Blood stuck on the back of my hand.

I laughed louder. “Elma. Do you like the gift?”

I pulled out the knife and stabbed again. At the same time, Elma grabbed the blade. The knife cut her palm. She held the blade tightly and smiled at me like she did not feel pain.

“Jayden, five years— you really are— bold.”

Elma kicked my chest, took the knife and stood over me.

“You wanted me dead, so much?” she asked while stepping on my wrist. The old scar hurt and I frowned. Then she said, “Too bad. I control Centrapolis now. If you want my life,” she bent and threw the knife in front of me, “you are not worthy.”

Arthur ran forward, clearly in panic as he stared at the blood from Elma’s belly.

“Jayden!" He screamed at me. "You fabricated that scandal five years ago. You made me lose my studies and my future. You ruined me and Emmy! Emmy was kind and let you go away. How could you be so cruel... so much you wanted Emmy’s life?”

Arthur cried and stood in front of Elma like some protective hero.

“If I had known, I would never have been soft and let you hurt Emmy!” He did not care about gaining too much attention.

“I would never!” he yelled once more.

“I’ll kill you!”

The little beggar who once cried and begged me to take him in... the poor boy Elma once hated to even look at... has now become a man who dares to shout at me like some great noble.

I looked at Arthur and laughed. Then I looked at Elma, whose eyes softened after hearing Arthur’s smooth words. I laughed out loud.

I even clapped for them and said, “Actually, you two really do make a good match.” I smiled at the two of them.

“What’s that saying again?” I thought for a moment. Then, I remembered.

“A bitch and a dog?” I looked at Elma’s darkened face. “—what a perfect pair! Forever! Hahahahaha!”

“Right, Elma? Hahahaha!”

“You want to die that bad?!” Elma pushed Arthur aside and rushed toward me. That gave me a chance to move.

I grabbed the knife from the ground and charged at her. The knife stabbed straight into Arthur’s body. At that moment, I saw Elma’s calmness break apart.

The always-cold Elma lost control. “Arty! Arty!” she screamed.

Arthur’s face went pale as he fell into Elma’s arms, but his eyes remained gentle. He touched Elma’s cheek and looked at her with deep love.

“Emmy,” he whispered, “I can protect you too. Emmy…”

Arthur soon lost consciousness completely. And that triggered Elma's panic.

She shouted, “Doctor! Where is the doctor?!”

Before running to the hospital with Arthur in her arms, she turned to me. Her eyes were full of killing intent.

“Jayden! There’s something I wanted to tell you five years ago,” she said, eyes red with fury. “Before I made you sign the divorce papers, when I told you your brother was still alive... I lied.”

She turned and added coldly, “Your brother was already dead before you signed. The papers were just an excuse to make you leave Centrapolis.”

Thunder crashed in the sky. Lightning split the clouds. I seemed to hear my brother’s faint voice calling me.

I saw again the big truck rushing toward us. My brother Jake used all his strength to push me away. He fell straight under the truck.

He looked at me with gentle eyes, reaching out his hand.

“Jake, this hurts,” I crawled to him and held him tight, breaking down in tears. He smiled faintly and said, “But protecting my brother… is worth it.”

From that day on, I lost the only family I had in this world.

Jake fell into an endless sleep, separated from me by the thick hospital door.

At that time, Elma dragged me away from the door and pushed me to the ground. She pointed inside at the sleeping Jake and shouted,

“Jayden, do you know why your brother was there? Because he saw the scandal photos.”

“Jayden, before you hurt me, did you ever think you might hurt the only person who truly loved you?”

“Jayden, sign the papers.” Elma pushed me onto the floor.

I felt all my strength leave me. Then, I looked at the agreement on the ground.

Elma said coldly, “If you sign, I’ll make sure your brother lives. If you promise to leave Centrapolis forever, I’ll take care of him.”

But later—Just after I got on the plane, I received a video from Arthur.

In the video, my brother was buried without respect, not even a proper tombstone.

Arthur’s voice appeared from the video. “Jayden, this is what you get for messing with me,” he said with full mockery.

“That car crash was never an accident,” Arthur’s voice pierced my heart. Each words grew like sharp vines in my chest and torn my flesh.

“Emmy just wanted to teach you a lesson that day. She never thought your brother would risk his life for you.”

“And whose fault is that?” I asked.

“Blame yourself for being cheap,” he answered.

I went wild and wanted to jump off the plane and go home. But the cabin was full of Elma’s men—those she ordered to watch my movements.

I could not get out of the plane. I couldn't even return to Centrapolis.

I stayed abroad for five years. Five full years.

I watched that vine grow into a giant tree in my chest. Every breath hurt like I was choking.

I had thought even the signed paper was real. I lost my mind and tried to rush at Elma, but guards held me down. I could only watch Elma carry Arthur away.

“Elma!” I screamed like a madman. “I will make you pay! Elma! I will kill you! I will fucking kill you!”

The crowd around me snickered in mockery.

“Look at him, he’s crazy! Everyone knows Ms. Green is in charge in Centrapolis!”

“I heard that story—Ms. Green made Mr. Hall disappear, ground him to ashes. Mr. Evans even livestreamed.”

My head rang as I continued hearing people’s comments.

“She crushed him to ashes—so cruel.”

“Ms. Green said if someone makes Mr. Evans unhappy, she will make that person suffer a hundredfold—even her own husband.”

“Didn’t Ms. Green also use her ex-husband to become rich?”

The voices faded into rain. A heavy storm poured on me. Their words kept playing in my mind like a loop.

Five years ago, Arthur smiled and praised Elma, “I never wanted Ms. Green to love me so much, but she said if someone makes me unhappy, she will make that person suffer a hundredfold.”

They opened the coffin that held my brother.

I rasped, “No—” but no one heard.

I watched them cruelly open the box. Elma scooped up a handful of ashes and threw them into the air.

For a moment the air felt warm, like my brother’s last warmth. The rain and the ashes together felt like a strange, painful comfort.

“No—” I shouted again, madly begging them, “Please, don’t do this to my brother!”

A ringing pulled me back to the present. I cried and told the person on the phone, “I will get revenge! I will make Elma pay! I want Arthur dead! I want them dead!”

Arthur was not badly hurt. He only pretended to be weak to get Elma’s pity. He watched her care for him and smiled.

“Emmy,” he said, “after this is over, will you marry me?”

Even after five years, Elma loved him but would not give him a proper status. He begged for a rightful place by her side.

“Emmy,” Arthur choked, “I only want the right to stand by you officially.”

His fragile and needy look softened Elma’s heart. However, before she could answer the hospital door burst open.

I was covered in blood and mud, my hands still holding the knife. I met Elma’s shocked face. “You really won’t just drop dead—”

I felt a pang of disbelieve before I could finsih my words.

I rushed straight to Elma and stabbed her in the chest.

I grabbed her hair and laughed coldly. “Elma! Today is the day you die!”