“Mr. Hayes, we were blind! We truly had no idea they were Mrs. Hayes and the young miss! If we had known, we wouldn’t have dared to touch them even with ten times the courage!”
“Exactly!” A man in the corner quickly stood up, trembling as he pointed at Marcus and Vanessa, shouting, “These two tricked us! They said Mrs. Hayes was a prostitute, and they spread all sorts of rumors! This isn’t our fault, please spare us!”
They kept kowtowing until their foreheads bled and their faces were covered in dirt.
Caleb Hayes finally nodded slightly, signaling them to stop.
He rose from his seat and slowly walked past them, his gaze icy. “So, by your logic, if she weren’t my wife, Aurora Hayes, you could just bully her however you want? And lock her in a cold storage?”
Sweat beaded on their faces, and they kept their heads down, not daring to look up.
Caleb Hayes let out a cold laugh. “Starting today, your companies will be permanently blacklisted from all partnerships with Hayes Group.”
<
Without this powerful backing, while they might not go bankrupt, their companies were certainly doomed to decline.
Caleb Hayes’s voice was sharp as a blade. He continued, “And since you enjoy cold storage so much, you can strip naked and live in there for a few days. Don’t worry, I’ll have people monitor your vital signs to make sure you don’t die.”
With that, he disregarded their pale faces and waved his hand, signaling the bodyguards to take them away.
Next, it was Marcus and Vanessa’s turn.
Watching Caleb Hayes slowly approach, Marcus finally snapped out of his daze.
“What do you want to do?! Caleb Hayes, do you think being rich makes you invincible?! Do you think you can just oppress people like this?!”
He shrieked like a cornered mad dog.
But Vanessa ruthlessly shoved him away, crying and cursing, “Get lost! It’s all your fault, you useless loser, with no money and no skills! That’s why I’ve fallen to this! You’re a complete waste!”
She finished speaking and immediately crawled to Caleb Hayes’s feet, deliberately pulling open her collar to expose her shoulder, striking what she thought was a seductive pose. She said softly, “Mr. Hayes, I truly know I was wrong. I’ll do anything you want. Please, give me a chance, okay?”
Marcus had not expected her to turn on him so quickly. His face turned from green to pale, and his heart was clogged with frustration.
“What are you doing?! I’m right here! Why are you acting like a loose woman? You’re useless yourself, and you blame others?!” He stormed forward, slapping her.
Vanessa shrieked, clutching her face. “Who are you?! We’re not even married! What right do you have to tell me what to do? If a woman like Aurora Hayes can climb the social ladder, why can’t I? And so what if I’m not married? If you hadn’t been somewhat decent and could actually provide some money back then, I would have dumped you ages ago!”
She completely shed her lady–like facade and wildly began to fight Marcus.
Caleb Hayes watched the two brawling with disgust. His voice was cold. “Do you really think you can compare to my wife? You’re not even fit to tie her shoes.”
“You like hitting people, don’t you? Then let’s make sure you get enough of it.”
He gestured to his bodyguards.
Two bodyguards immediately restrained Vanessa, and slap after slap rained down on her.
“Hit her a hundred times, then throw her into the cold storage with those other people.”
The sound of the slaps was sharp and clear, mixed with Vanessa’s screams, filling the entire room.
Caleb Hayes smiled faintly, turning to Marcus. “Don’t forget, a month ago, the Sterling family fáced a huge problem. You came begging me for help, you came to my office pleading.”
“What did you say then? That you’d go through fire and water for me? And how do you repay me now? By bullying my family?”
With every word Caleb Hayes spoke, Marcus’s face grew paler.
His lips trembled, wanting to explain, but he eventually fell silent.
Caleb Hayes’s lips curled, his tone calm. “The weather’s getting cold. It’s time to close down the Sterling family business.”
These words sounded like a joke, but Marcus couldn’t laugh.
His eyes were hollow, as if all hope had vanished.
Because Caleb Hayes never spoke empty words.
<
From tomorrow on, the Sterling family would disappear.
9
.
Caleb Hayes looked at me, his gaze softening immediately. “Wife, was that enough of a lesson? Did you get your anger out?”
I nodded gently, my voice hoarse. “Just throw them out. I don’t want to see them ever again.”
Hearing this, Caleb Hayes waved his hand dismissively. “Get them out. Don’t let them dirty this place.”
Soon, only he and I remained in the room.
The sternness on his face completely vanished. Like a big dog begging for affection, he burrowed into my arms, his voice full of grievance, “Wife, it’s my fault. I’ll never leave you alone again.”
“Mmm–hmm, mmm–hmm,” I could only helplessly stroke his messy hair.
Suddenly, as if remembering something, Caleb Hayes frowned in displeasure and protested, “You always said you didn’t want outsiders to know you were Mrs. Hayes because you were afraid of being too flashy. But precisely *because* you didn’t reveal your identity, these pieces of trash dared to bully you! No, I’m going to make you public right now! Who would dare to mess with my wife then?!”
With that, he pulled out his phone and immediately posted a picture of our family of four on the Hayes Group’s official social media.
Seeing how eager he was, my heart warmed.
I had never truly experienced this feeling of being cherished.
Over the next few days, Caleb Hayes kept his word. He took me everywhere he went, sticking to me like glue, as if he couldn’t bear to be apart.
Finally, while he was in an important meeting, I secretly slipped out for some fresh air, taking a walk by the sea. Who knew I’d run into the last person I wanted to see–Marcus Sterling.
As he approached, Ryan, my bodyguard, immediately tensed up, becoming alert.
