Faye rolled her eyes. "I'm not an actress! I'm my mommy's sweetheart! None of you jerks are allowed to bully my mommy!"

All the sting from Clifford's betrayal was soothed away in that moment. My heart began to beat with vibrant life once more.

That was right—in this second life, we all had new choices. They had their lives, and I had my own family. So, why should I let someone who didn't cherish me break my heart?

With that clarity, I picked Faye up and nuzzled her cheek affectionately. "So, now that you've finished your secret fruit stash, you've decided to come save me?"

Faye blinked sheepishly. "Mommy, what are you talking about? I don't understand at all. I only ran over because I heard some meanie bullying you."

"M-Meanie?" Clifford couldn't believe his ears. His pupils widened instantly as he pointed a finger at Faye and roared, "What the hell did you just say? I dare you to say it again! She's my mom, so I can talk about her however I want. Understand?"

I shot him a fierce glance and immediately covered Faye's ears with my other hand. She was far too young to be hearing such filthy words.

Yet, when Clifford saw the look in my eyes, an expression of hurt flashed across his face. "H-How could you do this?"

Austin yanked Clifford back. "Whose child is this? Kendra, you've really stooped low. You couldn't latch onto anyone of worth, so you just settled for some random man?

"How much did he pay you to have this child? I'll double it—no, I'll give you ten times as much. Send her back to wherever she came from."

Austin looked visibly shaken. His hand, the one holding Stacy's, actually trembled as he spoke. But I couldn't bring myself to care why.

My expression turned cold as I rebuked him sharply, "Austin, if you're going to come unhinged in public, you might want to reconsider leaving the house at all.

"My husband and I are perfectly happy, and he's ten thousand times the man you are. You and Clifford mean nothing to me. If you dare utter another filthy word, don't blame me for what comes next."

"Fine, fine—just fine! Kendra, you're really something else."

Austin was so furious he repeated the word "fine" three times in a row.

Just then a server approached me to notify us it was time to be seated.

Stacy's eyes glinted calculatedly as she pointed at us and said, "Everyone at today's auction is a respectable figure. Since when do people with no money get to sneak in?"

Who in Avenir wouldn't recognize the fiancee of its wealthiest man?

At Stacy's remark, the server immediately clapped and called for security. "Get these two paupers out of here!"

Holding Faye protectively, I warned them sharply, "I advise you not to act recklessly. It was the auction house that invited my husband and me here today."

The server carefully reviewed the guest list but couldn't find my name on it.

Seeing this, he sneered, "How important can you be if you're not even on our humble list? Why don't you two wait outside? We can talk once our owner arrives."

Outside, the rain was pouring down in sheets. On top of that, Clifford had broken my phone. If I took Faye out now, we would be drenched in seconds.

Faye had been sickly since she was little. We had only managed to get her this lively by pouring money into treatments over the years. If she caught a chill in this weather, she would surely run a fever by tomorrow.

With that thought in mind, I calmed down and reasoned with them politely, "My husband hasn't arrived yet. You'll understand once he's here. Besides, it was the owner who invited us. If you really must, why not go ask him directly?"

Before the server could respond, Stacy spoke up again. "Kendra, just who did you marry? How important does he think he is that he requires the owner to come down personally to welcome him?

"This auction house belongs to Mr. Tim Nicholson. Do you even know who he is?"

If Austin was the wealthiest man in Avenir, then Mr. Nicholson was the most established and respected businessman in the city. He was a figure of such prestige that he rarely made public appearances.

Buoyed by Stacy's words, the server grew even more convinced I was there to freeload.

"Ma'am, the auction is about to begin. I suggest you take your child and leave now, so as not to compromise the ambience."

A surge of frustration caught in my throat, nearly choking me. "Just ask Mr. Nicholson—it's one simple question!"

The servers exchanged glances and laughed. "I'm not about to risk irritating Mr. Nicholson. If you don't leave with your child right now, we'll have to physically remove you."

Faye, fuming in my arms, shouted, "Just wait until my daddy gets here! He'll have every one of you fired!"

The moment Faye spoke, Clifford—who had been silent until now—exploded in anger.

"Quite the temper you have there, you little brat. I wonder what Mo—Ms. Powell even had you for. Your family can barely afford to get by, yet here you are putting on airs. Why don't you just go home already?"

Looking pleased, Stacy reached out to pinch Clifford's cheek, only for him to pull back.

A flicker of embarrassment crossed Stacy's face, but she quickly recovered. "Kendra, don't be upset. Clifford just couldn't stand to see me wronged. He and Austin are way too overprotective of me, since they're always worried someone might pick on me."

Who exactly was the one being wronged here? Wasn't I the one getting a hard time? And wasn't she the one who had been provoking others to pick on Faye and me from the start?

Just then, Austin suddenly said, "Kendra, if you beg me, I'll let you two stay for the auction."