Chapter 2

I bit my lip until it bled, trying to endure the pain, but the tears just wouldn't stop falling from my eyes.

But just as I was about to leave the Lawson Building, Chloe Johnson blocked my way.

Her voice was low, mocking, almost excited as she said, "Scarlett, you look so pathetic. Are you crying for that old hag? She died because you drove her mad.

"She never admitted I was part of the Sullivan family, so I made sure she saw how low her precious granddaughter Scarlett could go. Today, I showed her 999 HD, all-angle, uncensored pics of you.

"When she heard you're now Kuciwend's notorious party girl, any guy who wants you can have you, and that Kevin and your precious boyfriend Jack Lawson made it all possible, she couldn't handle it. Perfect, she finally dropped dead from rage."

I was shaking all over, my eyes flashing with fury.

After shaking Chloe off with all my strength, I slapped her hard across the face.

Just as I was about to swing again, Jack hurried over and grabbed my arm. His grip was so tight, it felt like he was trying to crush my bones.

"Did you ask me before hitting someone on my turf?" he snapped.

Jack's voice was icy and unfamiliar, like he was a total stranger. It ripped open my battered heart, making the pain spill out all over again.

Suddenly, the sweet words he used to coax me echoed in my mind.

He used to say, "Baby, my position in the Lawson family isn't stable yet. I'm not worthy of you. But once I'm on solid ground, I'll give you a wedding so grand, it'll be the only one like it in the whole world."

It turned out that it was all a lie from the very beginning.

So that Jack, the guy who once showered me with love day and night, saying he'd rather die in my arms, could now just stand back in the shadows and watch me get humiliated in front of everyone.

I was just a fool for all those nights of passion. If being infamous is the price, I would take it. But what did my grandma ever do to deserve any of this?

I shot Jack a vicious glare, my eyes full of hate. I wanted to rip him to shreds right then and there.

For a split second, I thought I saw a flicker of pain in his eyes, but the moment he heard Chloe's sobs behind him, it vanished without a trace.

"Hit her back," Jack said, his voice icy and cold. "Chloe, did you forget what I taught you? If she slaps you once, you pay her back three times harder."

A sneer twisted my lips, dripping with pure sarcasm, but with Jack's bodyguards pinning me down, my resistance was nothing but a joke.

Chloe ruthlessly slapped me three times, then darted back behind Jack.

Chloe said, "Scarlett, you've been spoiled since you were a kid, always thought you were better than me.

"Before Dad died, he wanted to acknowledge me as part of the Sullivan family, but you never missed a chance to put me down, always calling me the daughter of a prostitute.

"You trashed the Sullivan family's name and made Grandma die from anger, and now you even blame me for visiting her? But you're the one who's really at fault."

I wiped the blood from my lips, let out a couple of cold, mocking chuckles, and stared straight into Jack's eyes.

I scoffed, "Almost forgot, Mr. Lawson. You and she are both just kids born to whores. No wonder you stick up for her. Trash breeds trash, right?"

Jack's face froze, like he couldn't believe I'd spit out something so savage.

I sneered again and snapped at him, "Don't you dare touch me. Get lost."

He let go, stunned, and I walked away without a second glance.

At the corner, I finally couldn't hold it in anymore. I crouched down and cried my heart out.

I was so pathetic, so filthy, so stupid. I deserved to be toyed with for three years. I deserved to be dragged into hell.

One was my brother, who spoiled me rotten since I was little.

The other was my lover, the one I was glued to for three years, sharing everything.

What a joke. To them, I was just a plaything, my marriage nothing but a bargaining chip in their deals. Not once did they bother to ask if I wanted any of it.

I let out a cold laugh, wiping the tears from my face with no care. If they wanted to treat me like a pawn, then I'd just flip the whole game on them. I grabbed my phone and dialed that number in Interwian.

"Lucas, I've got a business deal to talk about," I said.

At the Interwian Mafia Headquarters, Lucas Gray, who made the whole underworld shudder, kept his cool, even though I'd just dragged him out of bed in the middle of the night.

His voice was low and rough, carrying a hint of indulgence meant only for me. "Alright, how do you want to play this?"