Almost without thinking, I shot back. "Otto's card has always been in the safe. There's no way it could have been taken out like this!

"That card of yours has to be fake!"

My confident tone didn't faze Ruth at all. If anything, it only made her more arrogant. She ignored me and handed the bank card to a credit verification officer. "We'll know soon enough if it's real or fake."

Behind me, Agnes was practically curling up, clutching her chest. "Ronnie… my… my chest hurts."

I quickly patted her back and helped her to her feet. "Agnes, let's get you to the hospital."

"Wait! Who said you could leave?" Janette dug her sharp nails into my shoulder, making me wince. "Two impostors trying to run? Not so fast."

The officer spoke up, returning the bank card with a respectful gesture. "Mrs. Garrett, this card is genuine."

Agnes' eyes went wide, and her face drained of color. "How… How can this be? This card… Otto said it was just for me."

Her voice wasn't loud, but everyone heard it.

Ruth, more than anyone, snapped. She lunged forward with her fists raised. "You think you can spend my family's money like it's yours? I'll beat the crap out of you!"

I shot out an arm to stop her, keeping my own anger in check. "I don't care how you got that bank card. I'm warning you—back off. Right now."

Ruth looked almost amused. "Are you talking to me?"

She grinned viciously and yanked me by the hair, dragging me closer. "I was just dealing with that mistress. I almost forgot that I had to take care of you, too!"

Janette jumped in eagerly and slapped me twice. "Your mother-in-law is seducing my future father-in-law, and you're after my future husband. You two really make a hell of a team, huh?"

Seeing me get hit, Agnes panicked and frantically dialed Otto's number, but no one answered. Ruth noticed this and smashed her phone.

"Still thinking you can tip someone off? Let me make this clear—my husband already blocked your number.

"And me showing up to catch you today? That was his idea!"

Agnes went pale when she heard that. Her face went ashen, and her tears wouldn't stop falling.

Janette took advantage of the moment, driving blow after blow into my stomach.

I had no choice but to play the Marshall family card. Gasping for air, I choked out, "Janette, let go of me! Not unless you want the Saccone family dragged into this."

Janette froze, her eyes darting nervously toward Ruth.

"First, you tried to leech off the Garretts, and now you're trying to pass yourself off as a Marshall?"

Ruth crossed her arms, smirking. "You really know the rich, don't you? You heard Ms. Marshall grew up overseas, so you thought you could get away with impersonating her, right?"

Emboldened, Janette straightened up. "Even if you were really a Marshall, so what? I've got more than just the Saccones behind me. The Garretts have my back, too."

She glared at me, daring me to challenge her, and I felt a wave of helplessness. "Give me my phone, and I'll prove it!" I snapped.

Ruth didn't hesitate. She pressed her heel down on my phone. "Trying to call for backup? I'm telling you, not a chance."

"What's going on? Why has the auction stopped?"

In the distance, a familiar figure slowly came into view. I shouted desperately, "Mr. Lambert! It's me—Veronica Marshall!"

Silas Lambert, the manager of the auction house, cautiously pushed his way through the crowd. The moment he saw me, his expression shifted abruptly.

Then his gaze fell on Ruth, and his face immediately twisted into a sickly sweet smile. "Mrs. Garrett, what an honor to have you here! Why didn't you let me know ahead of time?"

He snapped his fingers and continued, "I'll have a private room ready for you with tea right away."

Ruth soaked it all in, clearly enjoying herself. She waved him off with a careless flick of her wrist. "No need to make a big deal. I'm not here for the auction today.

"I'm here to catch the tramp!"

The atmosphere immediately tensed, and guests began speaking up for Ruth.

"Mistresses today have no shame at all. She shows up in front of the real wife and doesn't even feel guilty!"

"Mr. Lambert, how could you let trash like this into your auction house?"

Feeling the pressure, he shot a quick, uneasy glance at me.

I took my chance and said, "Mr. Lambert, it's me! Don't you recognize me?" I motioned to Agnes beside me. "This is my mother-in-law. They're the impostors here!"

My voice shook with desperation. "Call the police—now!"

But under my expectant gaze, he put some distance between us. "Ms. Marshall, we're not acquainted."

He sneered. "Why would I call the police for you? Unless you're hoping to end up in jail."

As he spoke, he leaned close to my ear. "Ms. Marshall, don't say that I didn't warn you. The woman across from you? She's the wife of the richest man in this city. I advise you to be smart. Apologize, let her vent a little, and maybe this whole thing will blow over."

I clenched my jaw. "Have you lost your mind, Mr. Lambert? You of all people should know who I really am!"

When I married Clement, Silas had attended the wedding and even gifted me a pair of emerald earrings.

That was why, moments ago, I had pinned my hopes on him. However, I never expected things to turn out like this.

Silas shrugged casually and leaned in, speaking at a volume that only I could hear. "The head of the Garrett family is still Mr. Otto. Indeed, you're Clement's wife. That part's true.

"But here's the thing—in a wealthy family, if the mother-in-law isn't on your side, divorce is almost inevitable."

My stomach sank. So this was what he had been thinking.

With no other choice, I swallowed my pride. Agnes was struggling to breathe. My voice softened with desperation as I said, "Alright, Mr. Lambert. I'm begging you. Since we know each other, please call an ambulance.

"My mother-in-law… She has a heart condition."

My voice caught when I mentioned Agnes. Over the years, I had come to see her as my own mother. I could endure being wronged, but I couldn't bear to watch her being treated this way.

Ruth scoffed, impatient. "Heart condition? So having an illness gives you the right to steal someone else's man?"

Her temper flared, and she swung her arm—only to be stopped mid-motion.

"Mrs. Garrett, Mr. Clement sent me ahead to back you up!"

Everyone turned toward the voice. I recognized the man at once—it was Clement's personal secretary, Bruce Wagner. A flicker of hope stirred inside me.

But before I could say a single word, Ruth cut him off, clearly annoyed. "Where the hell is Clement? The audacity!

"I called him myself, and he still didn't show up."

Her overbearing glare scared Bruce so much that he looked like a scared rabbit. "Please, Mrs. Garrett, don't be upset.

"He is on his way. He should be here any minute now."

No matter what he said, Ruth wasn't satisfied. She pulled out her phone and made a video call to Clement. "Clement, what's wrong with you? I'm about to be driven crazy by this homewrecker, and you're nowhere to be found.

"I asked you to return and have my back. Where are you?"

A few seconds later, a familiar voice came through the phone.

Clement let out a helpless laugh. "Mom, come on. I already sent Mr. Wagner ahead, didn't I?

"Don't worry. I'm on my way. When I get there, I've got your back, and you can handle things however you want."

Those few sentences crushed whatever hope I had left.

Agnes' face drained of color. She asked, "Why would Clement call anyone else 'Mom'? I carried him for nine months and went through everything to have him. How could he do this?"

Before I could react, she faltered and collapsed right in front of me.

"Agnes! Agnes! Please, wake up!

"Call an ambulance! Please, I'm begging you. Someone help us!"

Right then, a wave of regret washed over me. I never should have brought her here. The scene turned chaotic, and the crowd grew nervous, afraid that something terrible was about to happen.

After a lot of pleading on my part, someone finally agreed to call an ambulance.

But when Ruth saw this, she looked annoyed. She aimed her phone at my face. "What are you yelling for? You're way too loud!"

I looked up and met Clement's eyes through the screen. He froze for a moment, then slammed on the brakes. "Ronnie? What are you doing there?"

Ruth pounced on his words, her eyes blazing. "Clement! She's claiming that you're her husband! Care to explain? Since when did you have a wife I didn't know about?"

I let out a bitter laugh. "Clement, when did you get yourself another mom?"

His face turned as pale as a ghost. His hands trembled, and his voice faltered.

Under the watchful eyes of the crowd, he clenched his jaw and forced the words out. "Mom… I'm not married. I don't even know her."

After saying that, he hurried to hang up the phone. At that moment, all the hope in me disappeared.

Clement, my husband, had just flat-out denied our relationship. Even worse, he had called a stranger his mother.

Ruth looked smug as she jabbed her finger at my forehead. Her freshly done nail easily pierced my skin. "You just don't know when to quit, do you? Now what? Even my son says that he doesn't know you. And you're still going to mouth off?"

I bit my lip in despair, tears streaming down my face helplessly. The scene from earlier kept replaying in my mind, crushing me all over again.

"Ronnie! Honey, where are you?"

Suddenly, a strong voice rang out. I waved my arms frantically. "Otto, over here!"

Everyone exchanged confused glances. "Why is Mr. Garrett here?"

"Did he just call her 'Ronnie'? That's short for Veronica, isn't it? Could it really be…?"

Otto stormed in, his composure shattering the second he saw Agnes unconscious. "Did anyone call an ambulance? What happened? How did this all happen?"

Then his eyes fell on Agnes' swollen face—and mine. His voice trembled with pain, almost breaking. "Ronnie… tell me, who did this to you and Agnes?"