When I slapped her,Olivia was stunned.She covered her face and her eyes widened with shock.She never expected I would dare to hit her.

"Clara,have you lost your mind?”James's roar thundered like a clap of thunder.Then a foot suddenly hit me.

Bang!

The force of James's kick knocked me to the ground and a searing pain tore through my stomach.

He rushed forward,grabbed my hair and pulled me up,shouting in a low voice,“How dare you hit Olivia?What gives you the right to hit her?"

He yanked my head back high,like a dog and spoke each word slowly,“You're just a fake heiress,a worthless commoner!Olivia is the apple of the Snow Family's eye,the wife of the O’Hara Family.Who do you think you are,dare to touch her?”

I wept silently as I struggled in vain.

Before I could say anything,Olivia had already raised her voice,with a“wronged”expression on her face,“Do you really want me to go to prison?I swear I didn’t mean to!Would you only be happy if I died instead?”

After she spoke so pitifully,she suddenly bolted out of the house.

"Clara,Olivia came here herself to apologize to you and this is how you treat her?Do you even know what shame is?”

He shoved me hard and I crashed heavily to the floor.

“If you keep this up,we're getting a divorce!”he snarled and went after Olivia,completely ignoring whether I was injured or not.

I dragged my body slowly from the floor,picked up the scattered ashes,then carefully gathered them into a clean little bottle.When my tears fell into them,I hurriedly wiped them away.Though my voice cracked and was barely audible,it was full of determination,"Alright,divorce it is!"

I returned to my room,opened my phone,dialed the lawyer's number once and said calmly,"Please draft another divorce agreement for me.I want to end this marriage as fast as possible.”

I put my child's ashes in a bottle,strung it onto a silver chain and hung it around my neck,close to my heart.

That night,James returned home drunk,still reeking of alcohol.As soon as he opened the door,he came over and embraced me.

"Clara…don’t be mad anymore,okay?”After trying to bring me back to the familiar warmth,he coaxed me,"Olivia is staying out tonight.Look,she's already made the first move.”

"I know losing the child is hard on you,but you have to trust me that what I did with Olivia was just an act.I just wanted to get the O’Hara Family's shares that she had.Once we get it,we can soar to new heights.Just bear with it a little longer.Once I get that money…I’ll cut ties with her completely,I promise,"he said softly.

When his hands began to wander restlessly up my waist,I pushed his hands away.“I’m not feeling well.Don’t touch me.”

I had already printed out the divorce agreement that afternoon and stuffed it into my pocket.I planned to find a way to trick him into signing it before inheriting the estate the day after tomorrow.

Seeing that I refused his advances,James wanted to say something,but before he could,Olivia's video call suddenly came through.He casually pressed to answer and the next second,blood spattered across the screen.His expression changed drastically.“Olivia!”

In the video,she was wearing a white dress,sitting in front of a water tank in the hotel.A horrifying,bloody gash marred her wrist,with blood trickling down and dripping onto the cold floor.

While sobbing,she said with a weak and shaky voice,"James…will Clara only forgive me if I die?I swear I didn't mean to harm the baby...I just wanted to see him,I really didn't mean to,but she kept scolding me,saying I killed the child.I really couldn't take it anymore...Wuwuwu...Am I too wicked?Is living a mistake?If I die,will you all be happy?Right?"

I coldly stared at that overly dramatic face,not believing a single word.

But James panicked.He suddenly turned around,grabbed me and dragged me out like a puppet.“Go,go and see her!”

“I don’t want to,”I muttered.

But he snapped,"If anything happens to Olivia,can you handle the consequences?Haven’t you already hurt her enough?If she dies,you’ll never have peace for the rest of your life!”

By the time we arrived at the hotel,the Snow Family was already there.

The moment I stepped through the door,a piercing roar of anger ripped through me,followed by—

Smack!

Mrs.Snow slapped me hard across the face without mercy.

“You heartless bitch!How dare you push my daughter to this point!”Her hair was disheveled and her eyes bloodshot.

“So,what if your son is dead?Huh!He was just a bastard…how could he compare to the precious daughter of the Snow Family?Who do you think you are,daring to sue Olivia?Do you have any conscience?Are you trying to drive the Snow Family to ruin?”

My head spun and I stumbled backward from the blow,my face swelling rapidly on one side.

Mr.Snow also lunged forward,pointing at my nose and shouting,“The Snow Family has raised you for twenty-five years!And now you repay us with ingratitude?What right do you have to blame Olivia?She's your sister...the one you should be grateful to!”

“You're just a fake who was brought here by mistake.We've raised you all these years and now you keep calling her a‘murderer.’Do you even have any humanity left?”

Mrs.Snow cursed me even more fiercely,“Your son was a short-lived bastard.He suffered while he was alive!Now that he's dead,he's finally at peace!And he's caused our daughter so much suffering!”

Her mother wrapped her arms around Olivia as she pressed her face against her shoulder.Although she was crying bitterly,she still managed to glance at me with her eyes that were filled with undisguised triumph.

"Clara,I really didn’t mean any harm…If you hate me this much,then…then I’ll cut myself again…Would you only stop your suffering if I die?”she sobbed,pretending to struggle free from her mother’s embrace.

“Olivia!”Mrs.Snow quickly grabbed her and shouted angrily,“If anything happens to you again,just wait and see how I’ll deal with this slut!”

Olivia's tears flowed like broken pearls.“You’ve always looked down on me,thinking I stole your husband.But I didn’t…James is indeed your husband,but he’s always loved me…If you want to blame someone,blame our deep connection.He said from a young age that I was the one he wanted to marry…”

“Enough!”James growled,then he shoved me roughly and glared at me coldly.“Clara,you’ve gone too far!”

“You've driven Olivia to this point.Are you satisfied?She's already harmed herself.What more do you want?She didn't do it on purpose.Do you have to push her to the brink of death to be happy?"

“Apologize to her immediately!Get on your knees,beg her not to give up on life!”

My nails dug deeply into my palms and my body trembled slightly with anger.

My eyes travelled around the hotel room.These people who once gave me a“home”and“support”were now attacking me like wild beasts,defending a woman who had killed my child.Then I laughed and as my tears streamed down my face,I felt cold to the bone.

I gently wiped the blood from the corner of my mouth,my gaze growing colder by the second.“Mr.Snow.Mrs.Snow.You’d better remember this.Your so-called precious daughter is the murderer who took my son’s life.I will never give up suing her.”

The moment I refused to bow,the Snow Family exploded.

“Ungrateful wretch!”

“Good-for-nothing!”

Mrs.Snow's face twisted with anger as she spat at me,pointing her finger as if I were the greatest disgrace of her life.

For them,my son’s life wasn’t even worth a single tear from Olivia.

"Clara.”James’voice was as cold as ice.“Stop this nonsense.What do you want?Do you want to destroy all of us?If you really take this to court,do you think you’ll win?”

“If you insist on being unreasonable,there’s only one solution—divorce.”His face was cold.“If it comes to that,you won’t even have the last of my love left.”

My eyelashes trembled slightly and my heart clenched painfully.After all,I had entrusted all my weakness and loneliness to him through countless painful struggles.

I had once told him,“It feels like I never really belonged to any family.My birth parents died and my foster parents never treated me like family.Sometimes,I think…maybe I’ll just end up alone for the rest of my life…”

He had pulled me into his arms,pressing his forehead to mine,promising with deep sincerity,“Then I’ll be the closest person to you.I’ll give you a home.”

And yet,now,he had shattered my dreams of a home with his own hands.But it’s fine.After all,I had already planned to leave him.

I drew in a deep breath slowly and pulled out the papers I had long prepared from my pocket.

“Alright,”I smiled,my voice as cold as snow,“You wanted a divorce,right?Sign it.”

I slapped the paper onto his chest,forcing him to take it.

James froze.

“You've already...prepared this?”he stared at me like looking at a stranger.

I sneered,“I'm not afraid of divorce.Today,I'll make you sign.If you refuse,I'll go to court to sue Olivia and I'll see who among you can protect her!”

The Snow Family panicked.

“We can’t let her file charges!”Mrs.Snow’s face turned ashen as she grabbed James’s arm.“Hurry,sign it!If she really drags this to the O’Hara Family’s attention,we’re finished!”

“Sign it and she’ll shut up!”

“Yes,yes!Just get the divorce first to calm her down.Then she won’t really sue Olivia…”

The atmosphere in the room flipped instantly.A moment ago,they had been so arrogant.Now,every one of them was pushing James to sign the papers.

They didn't care whether I,their“daughter,”got divorced or not.They were afraid I would expose Olivia's crimes.

The Snow Family hadn't yet taken the drastic measures of silently killing someone as old as me to keep the truth.

James remained motionless,frozen in place,his eyes filled with unprecedented fear and resentment.Because for the first time,he realized I was truly determined to leave him.

“You actually…want to divorce me?”he muttered.

I stared at him,speaking slowly and deliberately,“Sign it.”

“Don’t force me.”His eyes grew colder,his jaw tight as he ground his teeth,pressed the pen hard to the paper,scrawled his name and flung the divorce agreement aside with a furious shout.

“Fine!You want a divorce,don’t you?Then get out!Get out of my house!Never come back!Don't regret it!"

My eyes were red,but my heart was completely dead.

I picked up the divorce papers.Without another word,I turned and walked away.

Behind me,the Snow Family sighed in relief.They all thought that by signing the divorce agreement,I had given up everything.

How wrong they were.

I would give everything to send Olivia to hell!

The next morning,I went alone to the law firm to finalize the inheritance transfer.

This was the only arrangement my grandmother made for me before she passed away and it was the last protection she left behind.

The lawyer explained that,according to proper procedure,before the inheritance could be transferred,he was required to notify the family members,even those who had long since severed ties with me.

However,this did not deter me.After all,in the past,I held onto foolish scraps of hope,wishing that just once,they might truly treat me like family.I had not even dared to accept my grandmother’s inheritance because I wasn’t the Snow Family’s biological daughter.I was afraid people would say I didn’t deserve it.

But now,looking back,I had spent twenty-five years treating them as family,yet when I knelt before them begging for justice for my child,they drove me out of the house like a dog.From the moment I was thrown into the basement and tortured to the point of death,I was no longer part of the Snow Family.

So today,even if they were to kneel before me and beg,I would not yield an inch.

The lawyer opened the will and read out the core content solemnly,"I,Daniel Atkinson,bequeath all my legally owned assets,including real estate,company shares,bank deposits and equity trusts,with a total valuation of one and a half billion dollars to the sole legal heir—Clara Snow.”

There was no“daughter of the Snow Family”prefix.

Only my name.

Just me.

Suddenly,there was a commotion at the door.

Mrs.Snow and Mr.Snow stormed in,followed by Olivia and several relatives.

When Mrs.Snow caught sight of the document,her face drained of color.

“Ridiculous!”she shouted.“Why should she inherit this?She’s not even part of the Snow Family!She’s not even related by blood!”

Mr.Snow roared right after,“This must be fake!A fraud like her has no right to inherit the family money!”

Olivia’s expression was the most awful.She glared and her voice was sharp,“This is unfair!I’m the Snow Family’s biological daughter!Have you lost your minds,letting a fake heiress inherit billions?”

The lawyer gave a cold smile.Then he spoke in a matter-of-fact tone,“First,the old lady had already completed the legal notarization.She was of sound mind when she made the will and there is no evidence of coercion.”

“Second,Miss Snow.”He looked at Olivia,pausing for emphasis.“The will does not mention you.You are not one of the heirs.”

“Third,although Miss Clara Snow has no blood relation,she was formally adopted by the Snow Family for over twenty years under legal terms,possesses legal status and holds an irrevocable right of inheritance.”

Mrs.Snow was so enraged that she nearly fainted,while Mr.Snow slammed the table in anger.“Impossible!That old woman must be mad to give all that money to her—”

“Grandma wanted to leave it to me,so she did.There was no explanation needed.”I interrupted him,speaking coldly,“You call me not a member of the Snow Family,so you have no right to touch this money either.”

“You think I'm lowly and after forcing me to kneel,forcing me to divorce and now you want to take the inheritance my grandmother left me?”

"Well…dream on!"

Olivia glared at me hatefully.“Clara,you are so despicable!You almost killed me and now you want to steal my family's property?”

She was grinding her teeth.The dowry she received when she married into the O'Hara Family had been almost entirely invested in the Snow Family and what was left had been spent over the past three years!

I turned my head and looked at her,speaking slowly,“If you want to die,go ahead.You don’t need me to push you.And Olivia…"

"I'll personally send you to prison.You killed my son and you can get away with it.This is what you owe me and him."

Olivia trembled with anger,her voice hoarse as she screamed,“You dare to threaten me?”

“It’s not a threat,”I sneered,pulling out a formal court summons and handing it to her.“This is the official notice of litigation.”

“See you in court,Olivia.”

The entire Snow Family panicked.

“Clara!”Mrs.Snow shrieked.“Are you insane?You actually dare to sue Olivia?Are you trying to push the Snow Family to the brink of ruin?”

I remained unmoved,staring expressionlessly as they raged and gestured wildly.

And then,James suddenly appeared at the doorway.

It seemed someone had called him.Seeing the chaos,his brows knit in disapproval.He didn't know yet that I had inherited a multi-billion-dollar fortune;he was just following the Snow Family's lead and trying to persuade me with a gentle approach.

“Clara,”he said gently,stepping closer.“Don't act impulsively.Go home and live a good life.We can sit down and talk about anything.”

I tilted my head slightly and smiled coldly."James,you and I no longer have any connection.So,you have no right to negotiate with me.”

His expression stiffened.He could not accept that we had truly divorced and were no longer connected in any way.

He tried to continue persuading me,but I cut him off with one sentence,"You’re nothing more than Olivia’s ex-brother-in-law,her boyfriend for now and perhaps her husband in the future.”

“But you will never be a family to me,Clara.”

“Never.”

James's expression darkened,his gaze intense as if he wanted to devour me.

The Snow Family was in an uproar.Apparently,they wanted to control me first before discussing the inheritance.To put it bluntly,I was alone now and couldn't stand up to their entire family.

Of course,I wasn't completely unprepared.

“Vroom—”

An awesome engine roar suddenly pierced the air as a bright red Ferrari came to a smooth stop at the law firm's entrance.

The door opened and a lazy voice echoed,“I hear that the Snow Family helped my older sister-in-law cheat on her husband with another man?”

Finn O'Hara,the second young master of the O’Hara Family,casually scanned the Snow Family and James,speaking each word clearly,“Come on,I’d like to see who has the nerve to steal someone from the O’Hara Family.”