My father died in the line of duty during a confidential assignment and received the highest national honor.

I retrieved his ashes and escorted him home for burial.

As soon as I reached the entrance of the residential area, I collided with a woman.

The urn fell to the ground and injured her dog.

In the next second, her palm struck my face. “You lunatic, you killed my dog! Can you afford to pay with your worthless life? Hand over the urn while kneeling so my dog can rest in peace!”

I stood there in shock. Her dog had run into me without a leash, yet she tried to blame me.

“There are security cameras here. Call the police if there is no other way. The box holds my father’s ashes. Watch your mouth.”

The woman laughed as if she had heard the biggest joke. “He is a nobody. My dog was flown in from France. Can you afford to compensate me? If you know what is good for you, hand over the urn. My hubby is Ethan Stanford, the heir to Stanford Group. Can you afford to offend me?”

I froze. I had no idea my husband had another wife.

Vanessa Summer, the princess of Capital City and my best friend who had been spoiled since childhood, laughed in anger. She stepped in front of me and said in a firm voice, “Who do you think you are? You keep calling people nobodies. Nora Quinton is Ethan Stanford’s legally married wife. Who are you pretending to be?”

When Vanessa revealed my identity, I expected the woman to show a dramatic reaction. She only paused for a moment before sneering. She pulled a marriage certificate from her Hermès bag and tossed it at my feet. “Open your eyes and look. What is on it?”

The photo on the certificate stung my eyes.

Ethan wore a neat suit and smiled gently. The woman beside him was Layla Lewis, the arrogant and domineering woman standing in front of me.

My mind went blank as I stood frozen.

“Do not ask why I carry my marriage certificate. I have seen many women try to climb the social ladder and pretend to be Mrs. Stanford.”

Her gaze shifted to the urn in my arms. Her eyes turned cold. “I only wanted you to compensate my dog with that stupid urn. I did not expect you to be bold enough to pretend to be Mrs. Stanford. You are asking for death.”

She waved her hand, and several bodyguards in black suits surrounded us. “Beat them. Let them learn what happens when they pretend to be Mrs. Stanford.”

“Let us see who dares,” Vanessa shouted, pulling me closer.

We did not have time to react before the tall men closed in.

I held the urn tightly. Vanessa rushed forward and shielded me from most of the blows.

In the chaos, one bodyguard pulled a sharp fruit knife from his pocket and slashed Vanessa’s arm.

“Ah!” Vanessa cried out as blood soaked her sleeve.

The situation grew worse by the second. I shouted, “Do you know who she is? She is Vanessa Summer from the Summer family of Capital City. I am Nora Quinton, Ethan Stanford’s wife. Stop now, and there will still be room to talk.”

I had barely finished speaking when Layla burst into loud laughter, as if she had heard the funniest joke. “Have you lost your mind from the beating? You still dare to call yourself Mrs. Stanford?”

She stopped laughing, grabbed my hair, and slammed my head against the ground.

Thump.

My forehead hit the cold floor, and the metallic taste of blood filled my mouth.

Layla did not stop. “Shameless woman. I will teach you to watch your mouth. If you say you are Ethan’s wife again, I will kill all of you.”

A bodyguard stepped on Vanessa’s hand, yet she still yelled, “I dare you to call Ethan right now. Make him come here. Make him tell us who his wife is.”

Her words struck a nerve. Layla grew even angrier.

“You want to seduce my husband even when you are about to die? Beat her to death.” She stomped on Vanessa’s arm.

“Ah!” Vanessa screamed.

Another fist came down on her. She curled up on the ground, her cries growing weaker. I knew she would die if this continued.

In a split second, I broke free, grabbed a brick from the side, and struck Layla on the head.

Bang.

Layla screamed, turned around, and stared at me in shock.

My phone vibrated in my pocket. The caller ID showed Ethan.

Layla noticed the name Ethan flashing on my phone screen. She grabbed the phone from my hand and pressed the speaker button without hesitation.

Ethan’s gentle voice came through the line. “Nora, why have you not come home yet…”

Layla heard the affectionate way he addressed me, and her face twisted. Her sharp voice cut through the air. “Ethan! Tell me who this woman named Nora is. You had better explain yourself!”

There was sudden silence on the other end.

A few seconds later, Ethan spoke in a shocked and panicked voice. “Lay… Layla? How are you… with her? Do not do anything rash. I will be there soon!”

Before he could finish, Layla smashed my phone against my face.

“Bitch! How did you get my husband’s number? You still dare to say you are not a homewrecker? I will tear your mouth apart today!”

Pain shot through my head, and dizziness washed over me.

She pounced on me, grabbed my hair, and slapped me again and again.

I lay pinned to the ground, my face and body burning with pain. None of it compared to the pain in my chest.

Ethan really knew Layla. There really was another woman between us. The marriage certificate probably was not fake.

It took him seven years to rise from a penniless nobody to the heir of the Stanford Group.

I had used my father’s connections to help him reach that position. The thought of it now felt painfully ironic.

I held the cold urn tightly against my chest. Its icy surface felt like the only thing keeping me steady. I thought, Alright, Ethan. I will wait for you here. I will wait. Let us see how you explain this to me and to my father.

“Nora, do not worry. If Ethan dares to treat you like this, the Summer family will punish him first!” Vanessa shouted, even though the bodyguards held her down.

Layla burst into loud laughter, as if she had heard the funniest joke. “You will punish the Stanford family? Who do you think you are? Two useless women who deserve each other. I will show you what death feels like today.”

She pulled out a fruit knife. Her eyes turned fierce as she stabbed toward my abdomen without hesitation.

Pain shot through me, and I curled up. My will to survive and the strength I gained from my father’s training kept me from collapsing.

I struck her jaw with my elbow, used her moment of pain to push her down, and fought back.

“What are all of you waiting for? Get her!” Layla screamed.

The bodyguards rushed forward.

Vanessa, despite her pain, grabbed one bodyguard’s leg to slow him down. “Who dares touch us? I am from the Summer family of Capital City. My dad is…”

She did not finish before a bodyguard punched her in the face.

My strength faded, and I collapsed to the ground. Pain spread through my limbs, and a metallic taste filled my mouth.

Layla snatched the urn from my arms. She weighed it in her hand with a mocking smile. “The Summer family of Capital City? You think I believe they would come to a place like this? At least this urn is made of expensive material.”

She raised it high, ready to smash it.

“No!” I cried out and lunged forward.

The heavy urn struck my back. A sweet taste rose in my throat, and blood spilled from my mouth.

“Nora! Nora, are you alright?” Vanessa crawled toward me, her eyes red. “I texted my dad. He is in a meeting at the nearby military base. He will come with reinforcements soon!”

Layla leaned close to Vanessa’s face and spoke in a cold voice. “A meeting at the military base? What a joke. Who do you think your dad is? By the time he gets here, both of you will be dead.”

She stomped on my hand and glared down at me. “As for you, I will make your father’s bones turn to dust to pay for what you did to my dog. Remember to apologize to my precious dog on his behalf. Some people are born low. I cannot imagine what kind of coward your father was to raise a shameless homewrecker like you.”

Hearing her insult my father, a man who had given his life for the country, made my chest burn with rage. I bit my lip, my nails digging into my palm. Hatred and despair surged through me. I did not know where the strength came from, but I forced myself to stand and punched her.

A commanding shout came from the doorway. “Stop!”

Two officers in police uniforms rushed inside.

The leading police officer frowned and spoke in a stern voice. “What is going on here?”

Vanessa forced herself to stand despite her pain. She pointed at Layla, her voice shaking. “Officer, I am Vanessa Summer from the Summer family of Capital City. This woman stabbed my friend with a knife and tried to set us on fire with a lighter. The evidence is clear. My dad is already on his way.”

My tense body relaxed slightly.

I believed everything was finally coming to an end. The two police officers exchanged glances after seeing Layla, and their expressions changed. When they looked at Vanessa and me again, their eyes were filled with anger.

“You two beat someone in broad daylight. Do you know what kind of crime that is?”

The other officer walked toward Layla with a respectful smile. “Mrs. Stanford, are you alright? Tell us how you want us to handle them. We will give you a result that satisfies you.”

“A result that satisfies you?” Vanessa’s eyes widened. She pulled open her sleeve, revealing deep cuts and bruises. “Look at this. She attacked us first. We are the victims. You have to be fair…”

A loud thud cut her off.

They allowed Layla to swing an iron stick and strike Vanessa’s forearm.

Vanessa cried out and stumbled back.

“Be quiet,” the leading officer snapped, his tone full of flattery. “Mrs. Stanford’s husband is a well-known philanthropist in this city, and Mrs. Stanford herself is extremely wealthy. If you touch her, you go against us. The Summer family? No one will believe that. We will enforce the law today even if it really is the Summer family.”

“Who told you she is Mrs. Stanford?” Vanessa forced herself upright and pointed at me. “My friend Nora is the real Mrs. Stanford. Your superior attended their wedding. If you do not believe me, call him here for a confrontation.”

The officers paused and glanced at Layla. They burst into laughter.

“If you are Mrs. Stanford, then I am the richest person in the world.”

One officer turned to Layla. “Mrs. Stanford, what do you want us to do?”

Layla smoothed her messy hair and smiled coldly. “She killed my two‑million‑dollar pedigree dog. I only wanted to use her father’s urn. She refused, beat me, and pretended to be me to scam me.”

It was complete slander.

I never claimed to be Mrs. Stanford. We never killed her dog. She was the one who tried to take my father’s urn.

“Take these two troublemakers away immediately,” the officers shouted, cutting off my thoughts.

“This is abuse of power. You want to hand over the urn for Mrs. Stanford’s dog?”

I stood up. “Do you know who is in that urn? It is my dad. My dad is a national hero. If you touch him, the entire Capital City will be shaken today.”

I had no choice but to reveal my father’s identity. I hoped it would make them hesitate until the Summer family arrived. One officer pulled out a stun gun and drove it into my waist.

The electric current shot through me. My mind went blank. My limbs felt hollow as I collapsed. I held the urn tightly and forced myself not to cry out.

Vanessa rushed forward and was shocked the same way.

The officer laughed. “Keep making things up. Pretending to be related to a high‑ranking official is an even bigger crime. Keep talking. We will still get credit even if we beat you to death today.”

He turned to Layla with a fawning smile. “Right, Mrs. Stanford? Your problem is our problem.”

Layla looked down at us, her smile relaxed and cruel. “Officers, you saw it. They are lunatics. Send them to a mental hospital so they do not cause trouble again.”

The officers grabbed Vanessa and me and dragged us toward the car.

A screech of brakes echoed through the air.

A black sedan stopped in front of us, and Ethan stepped out. His gaze swept across the scene before landing on Layla.

He rushed toward her, his voice shaking with panic. “Layla, are you alright?”