Chapter 9
Mid–conversation, a woman covered in needles like a porcupine was
wheeled in.
I barely recognized Stephanie.
Jack slammed his palm down–half the needles plunged deeper into Stephanie’s body while the rest pierced his own palm.
Dripping blood, he dragged her out.
Stephanie’s arrogance vanished completely. Sobbing uncontrollably, she crawled on her knees toward me, banging her head against the floor at my feet.
“I’m sorry, I’m so sorry… Katherine–ah! Ms. Roberts–ah! Ms. Ramirez, Ms. Ramirez, please forgive me. Just let me go like some worthless bug. Tao Tao’s so young, he can’t lose his mother!”
For every wrong word Stephanie uttered, Jack pressed a needle into her.
I waved my hand dismissively, wanting no further entanglement.
“Give the police the footage from the Roberts estate showing Stephanie inciting others to humiliate me.”
The secretary complied.
Rather than resenting my refusal to forgive her, Stephanie kept banging her head as if granted immense mercy.
100%
“Thank you, Ms. Ramirez! Thank you for your great mercy!”
This continued until she was dragged away.
J
Jack still sounded bitter:
“If you let this slide, my uncle will definitely have her fed to sharks.”
I almost laughed.
My hesitation had nothing to do with mercy.
It was because Samuel promised to cut ties with the underworld–we were going to live safe and happy lives in the sunlight.
“Jack, you never understood me. How could I have loved you?”
I watched plane tree leaves drifting outside the window, suddenly remembering my first day brought to the Roberts family.
That stormy night, I stood barefoot in their gilded hall wearing faded clothes.
When Stephanie’s princess dress got damp from rain, Mother immediately scooped her into arms:
“Change upstairs now, darling. Don’t catch cold.”
Meanwhile, my feet bled from stepping on rocks along the path, yet no one bothered to look.
Only Jack handed me the hot coffee Stephanie refused in her tantrum.
In my most helpless moment, he gave me a glimmer of light.
30.54L
Back then, I was too needy for warmth.
Even a sliver of affection slipping through his fingers could light up my
whole day.
Later, love blinded me to all flaws.
Every small kindness, filtered through rose–tinted lenses, transformed into tender devotion.
Realization struck like vomiting out the knot in my heart.
I resolved never to speak to him again.
Our bond had frayed beyond repair–time to part ways.
On Samuel’s discharge day, we held a lavish wedding.
Capital Elite Socialites filled the venue.
Yet the Wedding Parental Seating stood hauntingly empty.
Outside, heart–wrenching cries pierced through the doors.
“Katherine! Open the door! Mom brought your present!”
“Katherine, Dad begs your forgiveness. We truly know we were wrong!”
It was Donna and Ronald.
On the day Samuel was wheeled into surgery, they knelt outside the hospital, kowtowing in apology.
But I refused to see them.
At my most vulnerable moment, they’d personally pushed me into the
12.90%
abyss.
Did they think a few tears could wash away their sins?
Dream on.
Samuel held my hand as we entered the church.
Vows exchanged, bells rang out.
From this day forward, happiness would be my constant companion.
