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?”

Layla seemed to regain her confidence the moment she saw Ethan. She threw herself into his arms. “Ethan, you are finally here. This crazy woman bullied me…”

The two police officers straightened their posture and spoke with forced respect. “Mr. Stanford, do not worry. We were about to deal with these troublemakers and make sure Mrs. Stanford receives justice.”

Vanessa trembled with rage. She pointed at Ethan and demanded, “Ethan, look at what they did to Nora!”

Ethan raised his hand to silence her. His gaze swept over me with a strange expression. “Nora, why are you causing trouble?”

I looked at him and slapped him across the face without hesitation. “Explain when you got another wife.”

A flash of shock and anger crossed Ethan’s eyes. He slapped me hard in return, his jaw tight. “Lunatic. What are you talking about? My wife has always been Layla and only Layla.”

Layla’s eyes filled with triumph. “I knew you were lying. Someone hold her down and beat her. Take that urn from her and give it to my dog as compensation.”

Punches and kicks landed on me again. I held the urn tightly, refusing to let go.

A flicker of hesitation crossed Ethan’s eyes. He stepped closer and whispered, “Layla is the little princess of the Lewis family of Oceania. We cannot afford to offend her. Just endure it. It is only an urn. Your dad’s spirit will not blame you.”

Endure it. Only an urn.

I tightened my grip on the urn and forced out each word. “The little princess of the Lewis family? We have been married for seven years. Do you really think I am just an ordinary employee and my dad works in an ordinary company?”

Ethan froze for a moment. Layla urged him impatiently.

Ethan grabbed my hair and spoke coldly. “Nora, what is the point of this act? I advise you to stop resisting.”

He signaled the officers. They rushed forward, tore the urn from my arms, and handed it to Ethan.

My eyes burned as I screamed, “Ethan! How dare you? My father is a martyr. If you touch his ashes, all of you will pay the price!”

Ethan paused, then let out a mocking laugh. “Nora, I told you this act is pointless. When we married, your father said he was a security guard.”

He opened the urn. The gray‑white ashes scattered across the floor.

My world shattered.

“Dad…” I fell to my knees. Blood seeped from the skin where I hit the ground, but I felt nothing. My shaking hands tried to gather the ashes, but they slipped through my fingers.

“Dad… Dad…”

Tears dripped onto the floor, mixing with the ashes.

Vanessa rushed to support me. “Nora, do not worry. We will make this cheating couple pay today.”

Behind us, Layla laughed. “These ashes look cheap. They even smell cheap. Security guards are supposed to be useful. Giving this urn to my dog is his good fortune.”

She laughed, and Ethan laughed with her.

Everyone laughed.

A deafening roar suddenly filled the air. A military‑green helicopter hovered above us like a watchful eagle.

Vanessa looked up, her eyes bright with hope. Her voice trembled with excitement. “Nora, it is my dad. My dad’s men are here.”

The smile on Ethan’s face froze.