Chapter 4

Consumed by rage, I roared the words out loud.

Brandon merely gave a mocking smirk.

"Still won't accept reality until you hit rock bottom, huh? Open your pathetic eyes and look at who the real homewrecker is!"

He grabbed my collar, choking me, and shoved his phone screen right into my face. Practically pressing it against my eyeballs.

Without warning, pictures of Serena's bare, exposed skin flashed across the screen.

I saw dozens of intimate photos in his camera roll.

Holding each other in hotel suites, kissing in elevators, cuddling in bed... and worse.

Doing *that*.

Brandon proudly flashed the ring on his finger right in front of me.

"Serena had this custom-made just for me. You've never seen anything this expensive, have you? And check out this watch..."

I watched in cold horror as he pulled out one familiar item after another, using them as trophies to brag in front of me.

Those were the sentimental gifts I had given Serena. Couple accessories we had picked out together. Anniversary presents I spent months looking for.

And she had handed every single one of them to another man.

My heart felt like it had plummeted into the depths of a frozen lake, turning numb and lifeless.

The chilly evening breeze rustled through my hair.

Almost like it was mourning how pathetic I was.

What a sick joke.

*Spit.*

Brandon spat right in my face again.

"Still want to show off in front of me? Serena just gave you a fingerprint pass, that's all. The one she truly loves is me. You've never seen luxury like this before, have you?"

"You're disgusting, you know that? Out of all the things to do, you sold your body to be a homewrecker. Wonder what your dead parents would say if they saw you now..."

Hearing him drag my parents into this was my breaking point.

I couldn't take it anymore.

Summoning every ounce of strength, I broke free from their grip and threw myself at Brandon, landing several solid punches right on his jaw.

Seeing him get hit, the classmates swarmed me to defend him. Punches and kicks rained down on me like a storm. My tailored suit was ripped and covered in dirt.

Pain shot through every inch of my body.

The corner of my mouth tore, and my cheek swelled rapidly, sticky with blood.

Brandon pinned my head against the stone and dragged the marker across my face, writing out four bold words:

*I am a homewrecker.*

"Hahaha, looks perfect on him!"

"Suits a scumbag like him! Teach him a lesson so he never dares mess with Brandon's marriage again!"

The classmates laughed hysterically, whipping out their phones to snap photos of my bruised, defaced face.

I gasped for air.

My eyes swept over every single face in that crowd. I memorized every one of them. You will pay for this.

Suddenly, Brandon yanked open my collar. He noticed the small silver pendant resting against my chest and burst out laughing.

"Oh? What's this? Is this your dead mom's ashes? You still wear this shit?!"

With a cruel grin, he reached out to rip it off.

"Today is Brandon's big engagement day! Why the hell did you bring such bad luck here? Gross, carrying someone's cremated ashes against your chest. Aren't you sick in the head?"

I trembled violently with raw fury, my voice dropping to a guttural snarl:

"Stop! Trash my house, call me a side piece—do whatever you want. But if you touch that pendant... you're dead!"

I grabbed Brandon's wrist with a death grip, trying to stop him.

My family had been poor. My father fell sick when I was little and passed away despite medical efforts. My mother raised me all by herself.

During the cold winter nights when I stayed up studying, she would wash dishes at a diner late into the night just to afford fresh fruit for me, her hands chapped red and swollen from the freezing water.

Countless times, I swore to myself that I would study relentlessly and make it big.

I wanted to give my mom a good life.

I never wanted her to suffer again.

Yet right before my college entrance exams, she passed away quietly in her sleep.

My mother had walked me through the darkest days of my life.

All she left behind was a small urn of ashes. This pendant was the only piece of her I had left in this world.

I couldn't let Brandon destroy it!

I lunged forward with everything I had.

But I was too late. Right in front of my eyes, Brandon yanked the chain with vicious force and slammed the pendant onto the stone pavers.

The small capsule cracked open. Ashes scattered across the cold ground.

Laughing maniacally, Brandon stomped his heavy leather shoe right onto the scattered ashes, grinding them into the dirt.

"Brandon!"

My vision turned completely red. My entire body shook so hard my lungs felt emptied of oxygen.

I lost my mind.

I threw myself on him, raining blows straight into his face.

I broke his nose. Blood sprayed everywhere, mixing with snot and dirt.

I pounded his eyes with relentless fury.

*Thud!*

The crowd finally realized Brandon was getting demolished and rushed in, kicking me savagely until I crashed to the ground.

"I won't... let any of you get away with this..."

One man couldn't fight off twenty.

Curled up on the ground, bruised and bleeding, stars danced in my blurred vision.

"You? You dare hit me?!"

"Come on then! You think I'm scared of you?!"

"I'd love to see how you make us pay! Look at you right now, beaten like a dog, unable to even move! Hahaha!"

Brandon laughed through his bloody teeth.

Suddenly, the front doorbell chimed. Outside the gates, a row of towering men in crisp black security uniforms stood in formation.