Chapter 2

Even from a distance, I could see flowers covering the sprawling estate.

Colorful balloons lined the road.

On a giant screen outside the mansion, videos played of the birthday twins growing up.

The parents from the class chat handed over thick envelopes of cash and showered Derek with congratulations.

“Derek, happy tenth birthday to your little ones!”

“You’re really winning at life! Will the next party be to celebrate you and Ms. Reed taking over the Hawthorne Group?”

“Guess we’ll have to start calling you Mr. CEO! You really knew what you were doing when you landed an heiress like Ms. Reed. Don’t forget us when you make it big!”

Derek wore a custom Chanel suit, looking smug from head to toe.

The homeroom teacher joined the chorus of flattery.

“Derek, you’re the most capable parent in our class. I insisted on making you president of the parent committee, and you’ve really brought everyone together!”

The other parents crowded around him, eager to outdo one another with praise.

From the aircraft, I stared at the twins who looked so much like Vanessa, and memories flooded back.

When I first met Vanessa, she was the youngest cleaner at our company.

One day, while I was out shopping, a thief stole my wallet. Vanessa happened to be nearby and chased him for ten blocks before getting it back.

Her willingness to help a stranger had touched me deeply.

After that, whenever I saw the senior cleaners forcing her to scrub toilets, or overheard them plotting new ways to bully her, I couldn’t help feeling sorry for her.

An eighteen-year-old girl should have had a whole future ahead of her. To thank her for recovering my wallet, I paid for her to continue her education. After she graduated, I arranged a teaching position for her at an international school.

I never imagined that the life I had helped her build would become a weapon for someone else to humiliate me.

Once the aircraft landed safely, I stepped out.

The parents burst into mocking laughter when they saw me.

“I thought some big shot had arrived. Turns out it’s Lily’s dad, our resident liar!”

“Did you borrow that toy from an amusement park? Couldn’t afford to rent a luxury car, so you found some weird gimmick instead?”

“Lily’s dad! Ms. Reed’s family is throwing a classy birthday party. Showing up in that toy aircraft makes the whole event look cheap! Have some shame!”

“So what if someone called you a broke loser who can’t have kids and had to adopt? It’s the truth. You can’t crash their party just because you’re jealous of their happy family!”

Their words made my blood boil.

Derek stormed over, his face dark with anger. He grabbed the pendant around my neck and shouted, “You little bastard! How dare you lust after my wife!”

He held on tight. “Why do you have my wife’s necklace? You’ve never shown up before, but today you come to my kids’ birthday party? Are you trying to break up my family?”

“Don’t think I don’t know what you want from her! If you’re looking for a rich woman to leech off, take a good look in the mirror first!”

“Vanessa gave that to me herself,” I said coldly.

Derek ripped the chain off my neck. “She gave it to you? A photo together proves nothing! You probably edited it. The necklace she gave me is the real thing!”

The other parents hurried over. “Could this be a misunderstanding?”

Derek took off his own photo pendant. On the front was the picture of his family of four. Then he flipped it over for everyone to see.

A collective gasp went through the crowd.

On the back was a photo of Vanessa in a skimpy bikini, half-reclining against Derek.

The parents watching immediately decided they understood the relationship between the three of us.

And once again, they rushed to defend him.

“Lily’s dad, you can be poor and still have some self-respect! You can’t destroy someone else’s family just to get ahead!”

“Derek and Ms. Reed have been married for ten years. Their kids are ten! You still insist on forcing your way in? That’s disgusting!”

Their support only worked Derek into a greater frenzy. He swung a fist at me and unleashed a stream of abuse. “So that’s why you act so important in the chat! You think my wife will back you up! I’m telling you, I won’t let you get away with this!”

The homeroom teacher was closest to me. Instead of stopping him, she kicked me too. “To think we have a parent like you in our class! I’m reporting this to the school. Lily Brooks is out!”

With the teacher leading the way, the others swarmed me, insulting and kicking me until thick drops of blood ran from my forehead.