I stared at Monica in disbelief, "You paid my mortgage?"

Monica hung her head, and her cheeks flushed. Then she managed to stammer out, "Jean, we're like family. It's no big deal..."

I let out a humorless laugh.

"Monica, when exactly did you pay my mortgage? I bought this house outright. You weren't conned into giving money, were you?"

Hearing this, Liam quickly turned and grabbed Monica's arm. "Didn't you say you contributed to this house? We could use it as our wedding house? What's really going on?"

Monica's face grew even redder as she looked at me with reproach. "Jean! Didn't you say I could live in this house as I pleased? Why are you bringing this up now?"

I scoffed, "It's my house, I can let anyone I choose live in it. It's none of your business."

Monica was confused by my sudden change in attitude. After all, in my past foolishness, I did promise to give her this house when they got married.

Liam, catching Monica's anxious look, realized she had lied again. After a moment's thought, he decided to play the scoundrel to the end.

"I don't care, Jean Spencer, you've been friends with Monica for years, didn't you say she's like family? If you don't give us this house, I won't marry her!

"Think about it! She's carrying my child!"

I was completely taken aback and looked at Liam, who I thought was an idiot. "Whether she marries or not is not my concern, I'm not her mother!"

Monica looked at me in disbelief, "Jean! I've always considered you like a sister! How can you say such a thing?"

I didn't entertain their accusations and focused on the movers, instructing them to toss all their belongings out the door.

Liam, enraged by the scene, turned and slapped Monica in front of everyone, "You useless thing!

"If you can't secure this house as our wedding home, forget about getting married! I'll see who wants you after you've had a child out of wedlock!"

Monica watched Liam storm off, then covered her face and wept bitterly. She turned to me with resentment. "Jean Spencer, you did this on purpose!

"Did you have a crush on Liam, so you're trying to use the house to force him to leave me and marry you?

"You're well aware that Liam's mother adores this house and would approve of him marrying anyone who could provide it. Have you been scheming to betray me all along?"

I was at a loss for words.

What a repulsive imagination!

I couldn't hold back any longer and slapped Monica across the face.

"What's the matter with you? Are you off your medication or something? Why do you spout such nonsense! Liam's a spineless mama's boy, not even as tall as me with his lifts, and only a fool like you would even consider him!"

Monica went berserk.

It used to be that she was the one barking orders at me, and I never dared to utter a harsh word to her.

I had always put Monica first in my life.

Now, reflecting on it, I couldn't help but feel the urge to slap my past self.

While others might be hopeless romantics, I had been utterly Monica-brained.

"Jean Spencer! How dare you do this to me? Don't you forget, I've got dirt on you!"

I furrowed my brow. "Like what? Why am I unaware?"

Monica seemed to gain a sudden sense of triumph. "You've had several boyfriends and even lived with them. If I spread the word, do you think you'll be able to get married in the future?"

I was at a loss for words, again.

Weren't we living in the 21st century?

What century did she time-travel from?

"In any case, you'd better stay away from Liam and transfer this house to me, or I'll expose your past to your company and the Internet, and we'll see how you handle that!"

Monica strutted away like a victorious rooster. She left the house to chase after Liam.

I let out a sigh and cursed my bad luck. Then I contacted the real estate company to put the house up for sale.

I couldn't live here anymore. They'd just keep making trouble.

After renting an apartment close to the office, I resumed my work and life as usual.

However, within only a few days of this peaceful interlude, there was a new development.

"Ms. Spencer, you... you should go check, Monica's boyfriend seems to be waiting for you downstairs."

My assistant, Ruby, blushed and looked like she wanted to say something more.

I was confused. "You're talking about Liam, Monica's boyfriend?"

Ruby nodded, looking helpless.

Monica was a familiar face around the company. She'd often come by to bring me lunch or pick me up after work.

As for Monica's boyfriend, Liam, he too had made a few appearances, so Ruby should have no trouble recognizing him.

I wasn't sure what Liam was up to, so instead of rushing downstairs, I peered out the window.

One glance was almost enough to take my breath away.

There was Liam, in a disheveled suit and greasy hair slicked back, holding a bouquet of red roses. Behind him was a line of people carrying banners that read: [Jean Spencer, Marry Me.]

I was pretty close to passing out.

"Ms. Spencer, what's happening?"

I gave my temples a good rub, which were throbbing with irritation, and told Ruby, "Get security to remove them, or call the police if they can't handle it."

Ruby saw my bad mood and didn't push for more information.

Out of the blue, my cell phone buzzed with an unknown number. I answered it without thinking too much.

"Jean, I heard from Monica that you've had a crush on me for a long time. Since that's the case, I'll give you a chance."

It was Liam.

I couldn't help but sneer. "What do you really want?"

"I will agree to take the house and marry you, but you must accept the baby Monica is carrying and raise him as your own son."

I hung up the phone without saying a word, deleted the number, and blocked it.

Liam and Monica were cut from the same cloth when it came to being idiots.

The thought of people like Liam and Monica with such disregard for human life just sent chills down my spine.

They had been able to kill me for money in my past life. It wasn't out of the realm of possibility in this one.

I picked up my phone and made a call.

"Ms. Stone, do you have any strong, tall, brave men available?"

My boss, Yvonne Stone, sounded amused. "Yes, yes, yes, I'll send them over right away."

I could tell she was thinking the wrong thing.

"I mean, I need bodyguards."

Yvonne replied perfunctorily, "I know. I get it."

After ending the call, Ruby returned.

She reported that Liam initially refused to leave and caused a scene, demanding to see me, but once she threatened to call the police, he cursed and left.

I breathed a sigh of relief and got back to my work.

It was already ten o'clock when I clocked out from work at night. As I made my way to the underground garage, a sense of unease washed over me, and instinctively, I switched on the recorder I had with me.

The moment after, Liam emerged in front of me, flanked by two men.

"Jean Spencer, I'm showing you respect, if you know what’s good for you! Don't turn down the friendly gesture and then suffer the consequences."

I looked at Liam coldly. "What are you trying to pull now? I'm through with you and Monica."

Liam frowned and said, "Playing hard to get, are you?

"Monica mentioned that you've had a crush on me for a long time, which is why you're holding onto the house, trying to force my hand into marrying you."

I saw no point in continuing to argue with him. However, fearing they might resort to something I couldn't avoid, I turned and sprinted to my car.

Liam yelled, "Bitch, you dare to run? Get her!"

Once I was inside, I locked the doors and immediately reached for my cell phone to call the police.

I didn't start the engine. I just wanted to drive Liam crazy.

Liam and his goons approached the car, kicking the tires viciously.

The phone rang, and it was Liam on the line.

"Fucking bitch, you want me to play hardball? Get out of the car!

"Either hand over the house and marry me, or I'll plaster Monica's sneaky photos of you all over the internet. It's your call!"

I sneered and said, "The house is already sold, so I can't give it to you.

"On top of that, the mere thought of dealing with people like you makes me sick."

A vile person like Liam was easily baited.

The moment I hung up, the backseat window shattered with a crack.

I glanced up at the security camera, silently counting down the minutes until the police arrived.

"Finally, just as the last of the glass fell from the window and the tires were slashed,

the police arrived."

I stepped out of the car and looked at Liam, pinned to the ground by the officers. Then I laughed heartily.

I retrieved the surveillance footage from the garage and submitted the recording of Liam's blackmail threat. I refused any private mediation and immediately filed a lawsuit against him in court.

Apart from the blackmail and harassment, Liam had also vandalized my car, a crime severe enough to cost him dearly.

I hired the best lawyer to fight my case and made sure Liam faced a stiff sentence.

In the week leading up to the trial, Monica kept trying to approach me.

But I was shielded by bodyguards sent by Yvonne, so she couldn't get near.

However, I was curious about what Liam had said about Monica taking my pictures, so I decided to confront her.

Monica was visibly pregnant at five months, her belly prominent, and she seemed drained and pale, likely from the stress over Liam's situation.

However, the moment she saw me, her eyes blazed with unmistakable resentment.

"Jean Spencer, what on earth are you trying to do? Do you want to destroy me completely?

"My child isn't even born yet, and you're already determined to send his father to prison. What are you thinking?

"Do you have any idea how Liam's mother has been making my life miserable? If it weren't for you, I wouldn't have been kept out of their door!"

I was astonished and asked, "Do you still want to marry him after all this?"

Monica just took it for granted. "Who else would I marry if not him? Do you think I can find a better man by leaving him?"

I couldn't help but roll my eyes, thinking that any man on earth would be a step up from Liam.

With a mocking snort, I looked at her coldly. "Monica, I've been generous to you throughout our years of friendship, not counting clothing and daily expenses, the money I've transferred to you adds up to 200 thousand dollars."

I brought this up, hoping that Monica might still have a shred of conscience to feel some shame.

But to my surprise, she impatiently shot back, "You gave it to me willingly, I never asked for it."

I swallowed the anger rising in my throat and continued, "Also, Liam mentioned that you had secretly taken pictures of me. Is that true?"

As if struck by sudden inspiration, Monica burst into laughter. "Yes, I did take pictures of you without your knowledge, photos of you nude, and even while you were showering!

"So, if you don't want those pictures to see the light of day, you better get Liam out and give me the house!"

I pretended to be panic and pursed my lips. "I don't believe that! You're just trying to scare me."

Seeing my feigned panic, Monica became even more self-satisfied, as if she was relishing the thought of me in a state of desperation and begging for mercy. She quickly pulled out her phone and opened her photo album for me to see.

I inhaled sharply.

She wasn't bluffing. She really had those pictures.

Noticing my silence, Monica became smug.

"To be honest, it was Liam who was clever. He once told me that you're not as nice as you seem and suggested I take photos of you, saying I could use them against you when necessary. I had almost forgotten about that if you hadn't brought it up."

With a cold snort, I gave a hint to the bodyguard sitting at a nearby table, who was disguised as a bystander.

Now that it was confirmed that the photos existed, dealing with the situation became a simple matter.

The bodyguard swiftly moved in and snatched Monica's cell phone from her grasp, and as realization dawned on her, she erupted into screams.

"What are you doing? Are you trying to delete those photos?

"I'm telling you, even if you take my phone, it won't matter. I have backups!"

I exhaled wearily, "Who said I was trying to erase the pictures?"

I took out my cell phone and made a call. "Hello? 911?"

In times of crisis, turning to the police was the right move.

I knew precisely when to involve law enforcement.

I declined any private mediation and submitted the evidence, including the transfer records to Monica, to press charges against her.

My lawyer paused for a moment, then remarked that this was another lawsuit, another cost to be paid.

The first to face trial was Liam, and with my lawyer's persuasive arguments and solid evidence, he was sentenced to one year in prison and ordered to pay 300 thousand dollars in damages.

Monica faced her own trial and was sentenced to six months in prison and 300 thousand dollars in restitution. However, due to her pregnancy, her sentence was not executed immediately.

The law had spoken, and Liam and Monica dared not make a scene.

I was taken aback when the lawyer informed me that Monica had actually proposed to marry Liam while he was in prison.

"Has she lost her mind?"

The lawyer shook his head and sighed, "I just feel for the baby. His parents are certainly not the epitome of stability."

I scoffed and said, "I'm afraid this kid is going to be a troublemaker as well.

After all, he was diagnosed as 47,XYY.

Even if Liam and Monica were to be released in the future, I suspected their lives would be anything but tranquil.

Just as I was thinking that the coming year might be a little more peaceful, the lawyer dropped a bombshell, informing me that Liam and Monica had been released on bail.

Upon further investigation, it turned out that the person who had bailed them out was none other than Yvonne.

I immediately made my way to Yvonne's office.