A ringing filled my ears. I was so furious I almost laughed.

My three years of devotion were truly wasted on dogs.

Just then, the doctor came out with the report.

“The baby is perfectly fine. The mother just has a case of acute gastroenteritis.”

They all let out a collective sigh of relief.

I sneered and threw my handbag on the floor.

“You accuse me of poisoning, you strike me without a second thought, and now I’m taking this to the Don! To my father, Don Falcone! If you can prove I poisoned her, I will accept the Family’s punishment!”

I pointed at their embarrassed faces.

“But if you can’t, then Isabella is guilty of framing the future matriarch, a grave crime in the Family! And you are all her accomplices!”

“I wouldn’t stay in this rotten house for another second!”

Marco’s parents’ faces were ashen, their lips trembling, but they couldn’t utter a word.

Marco stepped forward and grabbed my wrist, his tone pleading.

“Amelia, just let it go. Apologize to Isabella, promise it won’t happen again, and we can put this behind us.”

I violently shook him off, pointing to my swollen cheek.

“Apologize? I did nothing, I get slapped around by all of you, and you want me to apologize?”

Seeing my defiance, Carlo trembled with anger.

“Marco, let her go! We have Isabella and our grandson, that’s enough. We don’t need this curse!”

But Marco held on to me, lowering his voice.

“My parents were just anxious about their grandson… We have so many years of history, Amelia. I trust you.”

“Just swear you didn’t do it, and I’ll believe you.”

I stared at him, and then I laughed.

“Fine. I swear, if I poisoned her, may my soul be damned to hell when I die.”

I glanced at Isabella.

“Your turn, Isabella. Do you dare swear on the cross that if you framed me, you and your child will both die?”

A dead silence fell over the room.

Isabella’s face went white, her fingers twisting the hem of her clothes.

“I… I only saw you pour the water… I didn’t see clearly if you put anything in it…”

I was so exasperated I burst out laughing, then spun around and slapped Marco hard across the face.

His head snapped to the side. Before he could react, I slapped him again, and then a third time.

Marco clutched his face, glaring at me with fury.

“Are you insane?”

I looked at him with a cold smile.

“The first was to pay you back. The other two… those were for your parents. It’s only fair.”

Elena shrieked and feigned a heart attack, her body swaying.

“Come after me! Don’t touch my son!”

Seeing this, Marco rushed to support his mother, his heart aching for her.

Elena wouldn’t let it go, crying and pushing Marco away as she pointed a trembling finger at me.

“It’s my fault! I shouldn’t have hit you! I’ll kneel, is that what you want?”

Elena’s health was already frail, and in her agitated state, she stumbled and fell, looking even more pathetic.

Furious, Marco gave me a hard shove.

Bang!

I crashed into a decorative cabinet. Glass shattered, and shards sliced into my arm, blood instantly welling up.

Marco only had eyes for Elena. He cried out, his voice pained and hoarse.

“Fine, go!”

“It wasn’t me who betrayed you! It’s you who has no respect for my family!”