Chapter 2

I walked out of the office building in a daze, and only then did I realize it was coming down in buckets outside.

I wanted to order a ride, but my phone had died at the worst possible moment.

Just then, Julia stepped out of the building, with Henry following behind her.

"Wow, you can't even call yourself a cab now, huh?" Julia taunted.

Suddenly, I exploded with rage, and I rushed toward her, ready to slap the smug look off her face.

But just as I got close, Henry shoved me aside.

I staggered and went down hard, the back of my head slamming into the pavement.

The agony shot through me, and my vision went black. I couldn't even get up for what felt like ages.

Julia clung to Henry and gloated with a wicked smile. "You really think you're still some spoiled princess? You're just a pathetic stray dog now, and you actually thought you could lay a hand on me?"

I couldn't bear to look at the sickening couple another second. Clenching my teeth, I rose to my feet and disappeared into the pouring rain.

But Henry wasn't going to let me go. He drove behind me, creeping along slowly.

"If you beg me right now, maybe I'll drive you to the hospital," he said.

The wind whipped around me. The rain soaked through every layer, making me shiver uncontrollably. But I gritted my teeth, refusing to let him see me break down.

Henry pulled over ahead, got out with an umbrella, and walked straight up to me, inspecting my pathetic look from just a few inches away.

He sneered, "Diana, when your dad died, I was the one who picked up his corpse. The stench was so disgusting that it made me gag. Even now, I can't scrub it from my memory.

"Bet you didn't know this. People said your old man suffered like hell before the end. I guess they are right. I saw his face twisted in agony when I collected him."

I bit my lip until I tasted blood. Tears spilled over with fury and shame.

Blinded by rage, I charged at him, desperate to slap his smug face. But he just kicked me onto the wet ground.

He yelled, "Diana, your family always acted like they were superior to me, didn't they? Well, I'm going to make sure you hang your head in shame for the rest of your life."

I collapsed in the pouring rain, my consciousness slowly fading.

*****

When I woke up, I realized I was in a hospital bed.

Sitting by my bedside was someone I knew all too well.

It was Simon Duncan, heir to the Duncan Group and once a close business partner of my family.

As soon as I woke up, Simon handed me a glass of water. "How did you end up like this?"

It turned out that it was Simon who happened to walk by and took me to the hospital.

Simon had always been a fan of my abilities back in the day, and he kept trying to poach me for his team.

"We just opened a new branch," Simon said. "Any interest in joining us?"

I thought of how Henry and Julia strutted off arrogantly.

I had hit rock bottom. If I wanted revenge, I had to find my footing again first.

So I didn't think twice before agreeing.

That was how I ended up at Simon's company.

Simon put me in charge of a role I'd done before. I could handle the job with my eyes closed.

Thanks to my hard work, the branch started booming, and business just kept taking off.

*****

On the other hand, things for Henry were a total train wreck in comparison.

After he took over my dad's company, he managed to reel in some investors riding on my father's reputation. But then he started skimping on construction materials, passing off junk as premium quality. People caught on fast, and soon other companies didn't even want him near their projects anymore.

With his bossy and abrasive personality coming out in full force, industry folks got fed up with him, and nobody wanted to throw another cent his way.

But in Henry's mind, it was all my fault.

One day, he barged into my office, practically. He shouted at me, totally out of control, "Diana, what kind of dirty tricks are you pulling to trash my reputation? Are you out there slandering me or what? Otherwise, why the hell would all those CEOs suddenly refuse to work with me?"

I sneered, not even bothering to hide my contempt. "If your reputation is trashed, that's on you, Henry. Don't pin the blame on me."

With that, I turned away and went right back to my work, ignoring him completely.

But Henry wouldn't let up. He grabbed my wrist hard and snapped, "You're supposed to be my employee. I haven't fired you yet. Who gave you the right to show up and work here?

"You're going to rewrite a new proposal for me right this second, then go out and publicly defend my reputation at the press conference. Do that, and maybe I'll let it slide that you ran off to someone else's company behind my back."

I couldn't help but feel a mix of anger and amusement. He was just unbelievable.

Didn't he and Julia think they could just sit back and cash in after taking over the company? Now look at him, shamelessly coming to me for help.

I said, "Henry, did you forget? We're divorced. The paperwork spelled it out. I left your company ages ago. Where I work is my own business now.

"Besides, you've got a new wife now, haven't you? Why not ask her to release a statement to clear your name?"

Henry's face turned bright red with anger, and he said fiercely, "Fine, Diana. If you're going to be heartless, don't blame me for being ruthless."

With that, he turned on his heel and stormed off.