Ch. 11..20

Chapter 11

What Does Our Marriage Mean To Him Unable to reject Linda’s plea, Rayna promised to send some money to her brother. Since Rayna was busy with work, she hired a nurse to take care of Linda twenty- four hours a day until she was discharged from the hospital. It was already eight o’clock at night when Rayna reached home. Rubbing her temples, she was about to enter the house when she saw Julian’s car parked at the entrance. She stopped in her tracks, then watched as the door opened. Julian came out first, followed by Rolanda, who was chatting happily with a woman while holding her hand. Rayna took a closer look at the woman. She was Julian’s superior. Instantly, Rayna’s face flushed with anger, her body shaking violently as she gritted her teeth. How dare he bring the homewrecker back to our house?

Quickly, Rayna calmed down and stood in the corner. After kissing the woman and watching her drive his car away, Julian entered the house. Only then did Rayna walk out. She opened her purse, and there was a divorce agreement in it, which she had prepared half a month ago. She had had enough of this life. As soon as she entered the house, she saw Julian and Rolanda chatting in the living room. They looked so happy as if something good had happened. Seeing that, Rayna clenched her fists. “Julian, Mom. My mom is not feeling well, and she’s been hospitalized. I spent some time accompanying her at the hospital. That’s why I’m late,” said Rayna while changing her shoes at the entrance. “Darling!” Julian hurried over and handed her suitcase over to the housekeeper. “You must be exhausted from the Norham business trip.

Why didn’t you ask me to take care of your mom?” “I just thought it’s not a big deal, and I’m back from Norham anyway. You’re also busy, so I took care of it myself. I’ve also hired a nurse to look after my mom. Don’t worry.” Rayna smiled faintly. “You must be really tired, Darling.” Julian wanted to kiss her cheek. Rayna calmly avoided it. “I’m hungry. Let’s have dinner first.” However, there was no dinner on the dining table. Julian quickly followed behind her and said, “I came home early today, and I was

starving. So I had an early dinner with Mom. What do you want to eat? I’ll get the housekeeper to cook for you.”

Rayna reckoned Julian and Rolanda had had dinner with that woman earlier, so she pursed her lips and said, “It’s fine. I don’t really have an appetite anyway.” She then went upstairs and put the divorce agreement on her bedside table. She wanted to talk to Julian about it later. However, Julian did not come up to the bedroom even after she was done showering. Thinking that Julian was probably in the second bedroom again, Rayna went over with the divorce agreement in her hands. The light in the bathroom of the second bedroom was on, and she heard the sound of running water. Julian was taking a bath. Just as she picked up his clothes on the ground and wanted to put them into the laundry bag, a black phone dropped out of his pocket and onto the carpet. Rayna and Julian did not have the habit of checking each other’s phones because they trusted each other. However, at that moment, Rayna wanted to know what Julian and that woman had been chatting about on the phone. She managed to unlock Julian’s phone easily because she had seen him enter his password before. Looking at the WhatsApp icon, she hesitated for a moment before clicking it. The chat box at the top was the one he had with his superior. Rayna opened the chat box and found that their conversation was very intimate. That woman had even sent him a photo of the two of them kissing.

Rayna felt nauseous looking at those messages. When she scrolled up, she saw something even more shocking. That woman had been asking Julian when he would file a divorce, and she had even helped him come up with plots and schemes. Her message read: The head of the translation department is going to have a birthday party next month, and he’ll definitely invite a lot of people to his party. I’ll arrange for someone to drink with Rayna and make her drunk. He’ll bring Rayna to a hotel and sleep with her after that. Then you will go to the hotel and catch Rayna in the act. If Rayna’s caught cheating, she won’t be able to get anything from the matrimonial assets, and she’ll also lose her job. Rayna trembled with anger after reading the messages. What shocked her the most was that Julian agreed with the woman’s suggestion and praised her for her great idea. He even discussed with her about

finding which colleague to help them with their scheme. Rayna had found out that Julian had been having an affair on the night of their anniversary, but she had never thought about fighting for the matrimonial assets as she felt sorry for him too that she had a sexual disorder. Yet little did she expect that Julian had been planning how to make her not get anything out of the marriage and also ruin her reputation in the company. What does our marriage mean to him?

Chapter 12

Welcome Baby Party When Rayna was still in a daze, the sound of running water in the bathroom gradually stopped. Upon hearing his footsteps, she hurriedly placed the phone back in his pocket and pretended to have just picked up his clothes. “Why are you here?” Julian was shocked by the presence of Rayna in the second bedroom. He fixed his gaze on the clothes that Rayna was holding and felt relieved after he found that there was nothing unusual. Rayna remained calm and handed the clothes to him with a smile. “You didn’t return to the master bedroom, so I came here to look for you. I was wondering how much monetary gift we should prepare for the welcome baby party of your cousin’s son.” “We’re pretty close with their family. Let’s give eighty-eight thousand, then.” It was a huge amount.

Rayna pursed her lips and said, “Okay. But Julian, you know my mom is in the hospital. I don’t have much money with me now. You prepare the money, then.” Julian’s expression darkened. “Isn’t your salary at the translation department very high? How much have you spent on your mom’s hospital bill? It shouldn’t be much.” Noticing that Rayna was staring at him without saying a word, Julian realized he had said something inappropriate. In a coaxing manner, he said, “I mean, you’ve been handling these all this while, Darling. I don’t know anything, so I think it’s better that you handle it, too, this time.”

“Julian, my salary is not bad, but I’ve given most of it to your mom. Why don’t you get it from your mom? I really don’t have eighty-eight thousand with me right now.” Rayna tried to suppress her emotions. Julian’s expression froze. He did not expect that Rayna, who had always been so easygoing, would suddenly be so harsh to him. However, he did not insist. He just nodded and said that he would prepare the money. Seeing that Rayna was holding a document, he asked, “What’s that? Is it for me?” When Julian wanted to take it over to have a look, Rayna shrank away from him. “Oh, it’s just a translation document. I couldn’t find a pen in the room, so I brought the document here,” said Rayna casually. Julian did not find her words suspicious. “The pen is on the bedside table.” “I know. I’ve

already signed the document. You get some rest. I’m going back to the room.” Rayna broke down as soon as she returned to the master bedroom, thinking about how stupid she used to be. She had always felt that she was not good enough for the Faymon family, so she would do all she could to please them.

She would even pay for Rolanda’s tea party, a relative’s birthday party, and other occasions. Yet now, Julian had even criticized her when she had asked him to prepare the monetary gift for his cousin because she did not have enough money after spending on her mother’s hospital bill. What a joke! He spends his money on the homewrecker, and I have to spend my money on his family instead? Recalling the WhatsApp conversation she had read and Julian’s attitude, Rayna gripped the divorce agreement in her hand. Since they’re trying so hard to set me up, I shall return the favor too! Soon, it was the day of the welcome baby party of Julian’s nephew. Rayna dressed up and attended the party with Julian and Rolanda.

Only when they arrived did Rayna realize that the party was held at a well-known luxury hotel in the city, and she was shocked. Shawn Faymon owned a logistics company, and no doubt he made quite a lot of money. However, having a party at such a luxurious hotel seemed a little too much. Rolanda also knew that this was a luxury hotel. When she saw Shawn’s wife, Astrid Stonewell, welcoming guests at the entrance with a baby in her arms, she walked up to her and asked, “Atty, is there a need to hold a welcome baby party at such a luxurious place?” “We’re family, Aunt Rolanda. I’m just happy that you can celebrate this day with us! The meal is totally worth it even if it’s expensive,” Astrid said sweetly. Rayna sneered, for she knew Astrid very well. Astrid was more stingy than Rolanda. She would never give anything in return for gifts that she received, and she was also a vain woman. Sure enough, after a pause, Astrid added, “Actually, it was not my initial intention to choose such a luxury hotel. But Shawn invited Uncle Curtis, and Uncle Curtis said that he’ll be coming. Shawn was afraid that a low-class hotel wouldn’t match Uncle Curtis’ status, so we chose this hotel in the end.” Rolanda’s face clouded over, while Rayna’s heart skipped a beat. No way. Curtis is so busy. He has to take care of the company

after he returned to the country, and he rarely cares about his relatives. There’s no way he’ll attend this welcome baby party.

Chapter 13

Cheated On Him Besides… Rayna clenched her handbag tightly. She planned to give Julian a big surprise tonight. If Curtis was here, it would be difficult for her to explain some things. “Your Uncle Curtis is so busy. I doubt he’s coming. Don’t you remember your wedding dinner? You sent an invitation to him and he said he would attend, but he didn’t come in the end and only sent his assistant to deliver a monetary gift to you. I suppose he’s not coming today either.”

Since Julian couldn’t curry favor with Curtis, Rolanda did not want anyone else to do so too. Astrid’s lips twitched, and she tried her best to maintain her smile. “Aunt Rolanda, why don’t you go in and take a seat first? I have to entertain other guests.” Rolanda nodded with a smile and strode into the banquet hall. Rayna did not say a word throughout the entire exchange. She just felt that she had underestimated Rolanda and her sharp tongue. Astrid was so outraged by Rolanda’s words that her face turned pale. After entering the banquet hall, Rayna finally knew why Julian had disappeared just now. It turned out the homewrecker, Meredith Jones, was here too. She was dressed in an ivory gown and standing very close to Julian. Julian even led her to greet Rolanda. Meredith and Rolanda pretended as if they had just met for the first time today. Rayna thought it was hilarious as she watched the three of them put on an act in front of her. As an outsider, Meredith was supposed to sit at another table. However, Rolanda insisted on having Meredith sit next to her with the reason that she wanted to thank Meredith for taking care of Julian in the company.

This made Rayna feel like an outsider instead. There was an empty seat right next to Rayna at the large table for twelve people. Rayna was a little nervous at first, but she felt relieved after looking around. All the other tables were full, and they were waiting for the dinner to start. Looks like Curtis won’t be coming. Those relatives of the Faymon family were no pushovers. Seeing Meredith sitting next to Rolanda, they looked at Rayna gloatingly. It appeared they were telling Rayna that she was not a competent daughter-in-law. Julian said a few words to comfort Rayna and even scooped some food

for her. After a while, he turned to Meredith and flirted with her again. Instantly, rage rose within Rayna. She had endured it for so long and had given Julian so many chances, yet he had never appreciated it. Rayna could not hold back herself anymore. She threw the napkin on the table and stood up with a wine glass in her hand. “Everyone!” Her voice attracted the attention of everyone at the table. “Today’s a joyous day. Let us give Atty a toast!” Rayna raised the wine glass to Astrid. “Atty, congratulations on having such a cute baby!” “Thank you, Rayna.” Shawn and Astrid quickly stood up and so did everyone else. Rayna did not sit down after that but glanced at Julian. Her eyes darkened when she saw Julian and Meredith chatting happily as if there was no one around.

“I would like to take this opportunity to share my happiness with all of you.” Rayna took out a pregnancy test report from her bag and handed it respectfully to Rolanda. “Mom, you’re going to be a grandmother soon,” she said with a smile, blushing. Everyone at the table was stunned by her sudden news, especially Julian. Upon hearing that, Julian, who was eating while talking to Meredith, choked on his food, and his face reddened. He turned to look at Rayna and pointed at her tremblingly. “Y-You…” “Are you okay, Darling?” Rayna pushed away the chair, walked over, and slapped Julian on his back. “What are you doing? Are you trying to kill him?” Meredith shoved Rayna aside. Feeling aggrieved, Rayna said, “My husband choked on his food! Is there anything wrong with me helping him? Ms. Jones, I know you’re my husband’s superior. But don’t you think your concern is a little too much?” Meredith knew that she was in no position to comment so much. She glared at Rayna and fell silent. Julian gulped down a whole glass of water and finally swallowed the food stuck in his throat. He stood up and asked through gritted teeth, “Rayna, how did you get pregnant?” I’ve never touched you. How did you get pregnant? Unless… Thinking that Rayna had probably cheated on him, he became even more furious and wanted to strangle her so badly.

 

Chapter 14

Provocation Looking at Julian’s response, Rayna smiled. “Darling, didn’t you always want to have a baby? Are you not happy that I’m pregnant?” Rayna walked up to Julian and pretended to straighten his clothes. Then she whispered in his ear, “Julian, I was in a bad mood when I came here just now, so I tampered with the projector. If you say anything that upsets me again, I might accidentally press a button on my phone, and the steamy scene of you and Meredith will be shown on the screen. By then, everyone will be able to see it…” Rayna waved her phone in front of Julian as she spoke. With a gentle smile, she added, “Darling, don’t you remember the night of our anniversary?”

No matter how furious Julian was, he had no choice but to be led by the nose. He would be doomed if Rayna showed the video of him and Meredith to everyone. “Oh, that’s right! I remember now! Darling, why didn’t you tell me sooner?” Julian forced himself to say those words as he stared at Rayna. “I wanted to give you and Mom a surprise.” Then, pretending to be shy, Rayna turned to Rolanda, who was still in a daze. “Mom, are you happy that you’re going to be a grandmother soon?” “H-Happy.” Rolanda nodded, but her smiling face was stiff. Rolanda liked Meredith very much since the first day Julian had brought Meredith home to meet her. She had always wanted Julian to find a reason to kick Rayna out. Yet little did she expect Rayna to be pregnant at such a time. Regardless, she thought she would ask Julian to proceed to divorce Rayna after she gave birth. Having that thought in mind, Rolanda felt much better and gave Meredith a wink.

Meredith gave her a knowing look. Rolanda then helped Rayna to sit down and chatted with her, pretending to show her concerns. The relatives finally came back to their senses and congratulated Julian. Some of them even shared their parenting experience with Julian, whose expression turned grim as he listened. “Julian, what’s going on? Didn’t you say that she has some kind of illness? Did you really sleep with her?” Meredith asked Julian in a low voice and pinched him secretly. “Honey, you have to trust me. I didn’t touch her at all,” Julian promised. “She must’ve slept with someone else!” “Let’snoveldrama

expose her, then!” A hint of jealousy flashed through Meredith’s eyes. Meredith had investigated Rayna’s background before, so she knew she came from a poor family. However, Rayna managed to study abroad and even work in the translation department of Faymon Group. Meredith believed she had achieved these by deceiving men with her beauty. She also knew that several executives at Faymon Group had been praising Rayna during several meetings.

They said that if she had joined Faymon Group earlier and had more experience, they would have sent her to the Norham branch. Everyone dreamed of going to the Norham branch, including Meredith. She had tried applying but had been rejected a few times. There was no telling how upset she was when she heard what the executives said about Rayna. Julian pointed to the projector on the stage and whispered to Meredith, “She took a video of us. She said if I dare to do anything to upset her, she will show the video to everyone.” Shocked, Meredith quickly responded, “That’s impossible. I was the one who booked the hotel room. The security at the hotel is very good. What can she take? She must be lying.” “But she looked calm and did not look like she was lying… I’m just afraid… What if she really has something in her hands?” Julian took a glance at Rayna. He had never seen Rayna in such a calm manner. Meredith said, “Just wait for it. I’ll expose her soon!” Meredith hated Rayna very much. She hated her for marrying into a good family despite her poor background. She also hated her for having so many people on her side. Now that she had a chance to bring her down, she would not let it go so easily. A ruthless look gleamed in Meredith’s eyes, and she said to Rayna with a smile, “Ms. Garland, I see that pregnant women get tired easily, but you seem energetic! Are you sure you’re pregnant? Is there a mistake?” Everyone who had just congratulated Rayna was taken aback upon hearing Meredith’s words.

Chapter 15

Chapter 15 Fawn Over Him Then they all stared at Rayna again. Rayna knew Meredith’s intention in saying those words. She pursed her lips and said, “Not all pregnant women have the same symptoms. Some seem energetic, while some feel tired all day. You’ve never been pregnant, so it’s normal that you don’t know these.” Meredith’s face clouded over. Rayna continued,

“Ms. Jones, I went to the hospital for a check-up already, and the pregnancy test report was issued by the doctor. Why do I have a feeling that you’re suspecting that I faked my pregnancy?” “Of course not! I’m just curious.” Meredith smiled slightly, and her voice was soft. “It’s just that I heard from Mr. Faymon that you have some medical condition and are not easy to get pregnant.” “Thanks for your concern, Ms. Jones. But I know my body better.” Rayna smiled back. She then fiddled with her phone casually and glanced at Julian. Seeing that, Julian began to feel nervous. Rayna looked so domineering that it was as if victory was within her grasp. Julian was afraid that Rayna really had some video in her hands that could destroy him. On the other hand, Meredith remained calm as usual. She was the one who booked the hotel room. Thus, she was confident that it was impossible for Rayna to take a video of them in the room. She sneered inwardly and wanted to tell everyone that Rayna had a sexual disorder. However, before she could speak, she was interrupted by a voice that attracted everyone’s attention. “This way please, Mr. Faymon.” Everyone looked up. Rayna did not hear it clearly. Seeing that everyone was looking in the same direction, she looked over too and saw two figures walking in her direction. Both of them looked tall and imposing. It was Curtis and his assistant. Curtis was wearing a black suit with a high-quality burgundy shirt underneath

. He did not wear a tie, and his cuffs were unbuttoned. He looked unruly yet gave people a strong sense of oppression. Rayna was dumbfounded. He’s here? When she looked at the empty seat next to her earlier, she had been certain that Curtis would not come. She also knew that Curtis did not like occasions like this. But to her surprise, there he was. This isn’t his style! Curtis walked over and stood behind Rayna’s chair. Rayna turned around quickly with her head lowered. Her heart was thumping violently, and she could not calm herself down for a long time. He just came. I guess he didn’t see what

I did just now, did he? “U-Uncle Curtis…” Shawn got up from the chair and looked at Curtis excitedly. He did not expect that Curtis would really attend the party. Although Curtis was not biologically related to the Faymon family, he was a legend in the family. Everyone wanted to flatter him to get some benefits from him. Julian was stunned for a while, then he quickly got up from his chair to greet Curtis. Meredith looked at this outstanding, rich, and good-looking man, and her face blushed. Curtis only managed the company in Norham and seldom interacted with the staff in the country. Hence, Meredith rarely saw him, and she did not expect to see him at this welcome baby party. In fact, Meredith had approached Julian with the ultimate intention of approaching Curtis because Curtis was Julian’s uncle. She wanted to curry favor with Curtis to climb the corporate ladder.

Curtis nodded slightly in response to everyone’s greeting. He looked at the top of Rayna’s head inadvertently for one second before he looked away. “I’m sorry for being late. I had something urgent to attend to at the company.” With a look from Curtis, Gabriel immediately took out a monetary gift from his bag and handed it to Astrid. The monetary gift was so thick that Astrid could not stop smiling after receiving it. Both Astrid and Shawn were so happy, while the other relatives were jealous. Curtis’ generosity astonished everyone at the scene. From the thickness of the gift, they could tell that there were at least two hundred thousand inside. Shawn ushered Curtis to sit down and asked the waiter to prepare more food. Rayna’s body was still stiff. The next second, Curtis pulled the chair next to her and sat on it. The cold breath that rushed to her face made her body tremble. Since Curtis was here, naturally, Rolanda would not miss this opportunity to fawn over him. She approached Curtis and said with a smile, “Curtis, my daughter-in-law is also pregnant. It would be our pleasure if you could attend the welcome baby party of my grandchild too!” “Oh? Really?” Curtis’ questioning tone sent a chill down Rayna’s spine. She turned her head away and felt so awkward that she wished the ground would swallow her whole.

Chapter 16

Speak For Her Since Rolanda had always disliked her for not being able to give birth, and Julian had even cheated on her, Rayna wanted to take this opportunity to embarrass Julian. Hence, she had come out with the idea of getting a fake pregnancy report from the hospital. However, she did not expect Curtis’ arrival at all. A week ago, Rayna had told Curtis confidently in the restroom of a club that she was not pregnant. Now that she had announced that she was pregnant with the proof of a pregnancy test report, Curtis would probably think that she was playing hard to get.

Why on earth is this happening to me? Rolanda chuckled and nodded. “Yes, I just found out that she’s pregnant. That’s another good thing to celebrate today! This one sitting next to you is my daughter-in- law, Rayna.” Seeing that Rayna did not look up, Rolanda pinched her hard and scolded her in a low voice, “Are you deaf or blind? You have no manners at all! This is Julian’s Uncle Curtis. Hurry up and greet him!” Rayna had no choice but to look up due to the pain. When her eyes met with Curtis’ cold eyes, her heart skipped a beat. However, she calmly greeted Curtis, “Hello, Uncle Curtis. Nice to finally meet you.” Curtis frowned a little. “I think we’ve met before.” “That’s possible because I work for Faymon Group too. I also think that you look familiar.” Rayna quickly came out with an explanation and smiled politely at Curtis.

Rayna felt uneasy sitting next to Curtis for fear that he would find fault with her again. She wanted to change seats with Julian, but before she could say anything, Curtis looked at everyone at the table and said, “There’s no need to be so formal. We’re all family. Let’s eat!” With that, everyone started eating, and Rayna could not change seats anymore. All the relatives knew that Curtis did not like to be disturbed while he was eating, so they did not try to butter him up at the table. The other tables were noisy, except theirs, which was extremely quiet. “Rayna, find a place, and we’ll talk.” Suddenly, Curtis’ voice sounded in Rayna’s ear. A trace of hot breath brushed across her cheek. She was casually browsing through her album on the phone at that moment. As her hands trembled, she accidentally

clicked on a video. The next moment, the screen that was originally showing the pictures of Shawn’s baby flashed. Then, some weird noises came from the speakers around the wall and resounded through the hall. Everyone turned to look at the screen and saw a steamy scene. Although the faces of the man and woman in the video, including their private parts, had been censored, the scene was enough to make everyone blush. Suddenly, there was an uproar in the hall, and everyone was discussing the couple in the video. Julian’s face turned pale instantly, and Rolanda was so shocked that she dropped the fork in her hand. “What is that? Why are they showing such a video?”

“Please stop it! It’s going to ruin this party!” Curtis took a glance at the video, then he looked at Rayna, who looked extremely embarrassed, and his lips quirked up. He had come to this boring party because he indeed had something to say to Rayna. Little did he expect her to be so startled when he said those words to her. What Rayna had prepared was beyond his expectation. What a vicious woman! Meredith dropped her fork in shock, and her expression was extremely gloomy. Of course, she could recognize that she was the woman in the video, and she kicked Julian’s leg under the table. Julian came back to his senses and glared at Rayna. “Julian, you don’t look so good. Is that you in the video?” Curtis asked casually, glancing at Julian. “N-No! How is that possible?” Julian forced out a smile and used a napkin to wipe his sweat. “I just think that the person who played this video is really vicious. How could they do such a thing at a welcome baby party?” Rayna sneered inwardly. I’m not as vicious as you! You want to frame me with a homewrecker just for the sake of our matrimonial assets! “I just feel that the person in the video looks familiar. I’m glad that it’s not you because the woman in the video doesn’t look like your wife. If that’s you, then it means you have cheated,” said Curtis. Julian gave a dry chuckle and did not dare to respond. Soon, someone turned off the projector, and everyone resumed eating as if nothing had happened. Rayna glanced at Curtis quietly. She could not believe that he would speak for her. What does that mean?

Chapter 17

Chapter 17 Open It

It was a rather unnerving meal. Julian would glare at Rayna from time to time as though warning her, “Just wait until we get home.” Even so, the woman pretended not to notice.

She had already moved most of her stuff out of the Faymon residence and didn’t intend to return, anyway.

Suddenly, the man next to her coughed gently and gave her a light kick underneath the table. She turned her head nervously and saw Curtis nod before getting up to go to the restroom.

It took the woman a moment to guess that he was probably waiting for her to explain what had happened earlier today, so she quickly grabbed her purse and headed to the restroom too.

As soon as Rayna arrived in the hallway, someone darted past her.

She looked up and realized that the person who had just overtaken her was Meredith. The latter wrapped herself around Curtis’ arm and pressed her body against him upon nearing him.

“I’m so sorry, Mr. Faymon.” Despite apologizing, Meredith had no intention of moving and spoke in a soft voice. “I think I twisted my foot.”

Curtis remained where he was, not moving an inch.

Meredith grew bolder and began to tug the neckline of her dress downward. “I’ve always admired you, Mr. Faymon. I want to serve you. I know there are lots of other people at Faymon Group. I may not be the best, but I know I work the hardest. If you’re willing to give me a chance, I’d like to follow you to Norham for work.”

Rayna was bereft of words.

I was wondering what she even saw in Julian, but it turns out she’s after this guy, huh?

“I’d do anything to work with you, Mr. Faymon. I’m willing to throw everything away,” Meredith added, wrapping her arms around Curtis’ neck as she moved her crimson lips closer to him.

The very next second, she felt a sharp pang on her wrist as Curtis dragged her aside.

The man’s eyes were expressionless, but they instantly sent a chill down Meredith’s spine.

“I don’t think you need to go anywhere. Maybe you should just quit. Don’t you think so?” Curtis remarked with a sneer.

“F-Forgive me, Mr. Faymon! I’m sorry I crossed the line.” The woman began to panic. She had gone through so much just to get to where she was today, and she certainly wasn’t going to resign over something like this. “I’ll be taking my leave now.”

Seeing her return this way, Rayna hastily lowered her head, and the two women brushed shoulders.

Then she continued forward, only to find her path impeded.

“Now that you’re here, it wouldn’t be nice pretending you didn’t see me. Don’t you agree, Rayna?” Curtis asked while kicking the door to the restroom open and gazing at her knowingly. “Let’s talk.”

Feeling goosebumps on her skin upon being called out, the woman glanced at the restroom before her and had no choice but to enter.

The last time we talked was in the ladies’ room, and now we’re inside the men’s. Pretty exciting, I suppose.

“Mr. Faymon, I only faked my pregnancy because I have matters to take care of,” Rayna explained as soon as Curtis walked in and closed the door. “I’m not pregnant, I swear! If you don’t believe me, we

can always make a trip to the hospital. I’m not the kind of woman who plays hard to get.”

“Is that so?” The man’s lips curled upward. Seeing how tense she looked made him want to tease her. “You did it pretty well back at the bar, though.”

Rayna felt her ears flush as she was brought back to the event from a month ago.

“Okay, I admit what I did.” The woman took a deep breath to calm herself down. “We’re all adults, are we not, Uncle Curtis? I hope you can forget what happened. I’m sorry about that night.”

Being referred to as Uncle Curtis was strangely gratifying to him. “Of course.”

In any case, Rayna was on the losing end when it came to something like this, so if she didn’t mind it, he wouldn’t either. Still, he hadn’t expected a sexual disorder to be the cause of her chastity, as she didn’t seem to complain about any discomfort at the hotel that night.

Seeing Curtis let this matter slide relieved the woman greatly.

“Well, I’ll be leaving if we have nothing else to talk about.” We’re inside the men’s restroom, for crying out loud. What if someone comes in? I’m out of here now that we’re done talking.

“What’s the rush? Take a look at this.” Yet, the man stopped her from exiting. He took out his phone and handed it to her after a few taps and swipes.

Rayna felt her stomach drop as a million thoughts began to surface in her mind. One notion, in particular, came to her the most strongly.

Is he going to blackmail me? What if he took a video of us from back at that hotel?

She took the device, and sure enough, there was a thumbnail of a video clip with what looked like a hotel suite as its background.

Rayna nearly dropped the phone as her hand trembled.

She gazed up at Curtis with an ashen face, only for the man to raise an eyebrow and make a gesture with his chin. “Open it.”

“Y-You’re despicable, Mr. Faymon!” The woman gnashed her teeth in rage. “You just said you didn’t mind, but you’re showing me this now? What is the meaning of this?”

Seeing how pale she looked while glaring at him, the man figured she must have misunderstood him.

Thus, he leaned forward and played the video clip.

Rayna tried to turn it off, but Curtis gripped her hand firmly.

The woman shut her eyes, terrified of hearing her own voice. Yet, to her surprise, another familiar voice rang out from the device.

Roxanne? What’s going on?

Chapter 18

Chapter 18 Waiting For Their Divorce

Rayna opened her eyes and watched the video featuring Roxanne dressed in a black dress. The latter appeared sexy yet innocent as she handed the crystal cufflink to Curtis, telling him that her sister had instructed her to be there.

“I suppose you don’t know this, but Rayna is married. She already has a husband. She told me to come looking for you because she said I look very similar to her, so you’ll certainly enjoy my company, Mr. Faymon.”

Roxanne began taking off her clothes immediately after entering the room, implying her intention without putting it into words.

However, she did not know Curtis’ assistant was filming them at that moment. Colors drained from her face when she heard Curtis wanted to send her to the police station.

Nevertheless, Roxanne was quick-witted as she quickly explained aggrievedly that her mother was very ill and currently hospitalized. She had no choice but to resort to that method since Rayna could not afford to pay for the treatment.

Curtis asked her how much money she needed.

Roxanne demanded five hundred thousand from him greedily. He nodded in response and swiftly instructed his assistant to prepare a document. After Roxanne signed the paper without hesitation, Curtis handed her a cheque.

Rayna was dumbfounded by the time the video ended. She was reminded of an incident that had happened a long time ago that she had forgotten. She had wanted to return the cufflink to Curtis when he had stopped her from exiting the ladies’ room previously.

Unexpectedly, Roxanne had stolen the cufflink.

“Why do I have a sister as stupid as Roxanne!” Rayna exclaimed as an urge to chop Roxanne into pieces with a long knife to vent her anger overwhelmed her at that moment.

Rayna returned the phone to Curtis and said solemnly, “Mr. Faymon, I don’t care what document she signed, but Roxanne will bear the responsibility for the five hundred thousand she took from you. You can do whatever you want to her because I’ve cut ties with her.”

“I’m not a loan shark, so I’ll never do anything that goes against the law.” Curtis curled his lips. “Besides, Roxanne signed the paper using your ID card.” He zoomed in on the image and showed it to her. “Not only does your sister look like you, but she can even imitate your handwriting. She’s quite impressive.”

Staring at the signature similar to hers affixed on the piece of paper, Rayna gritted her teeth in anger.

Roxanne, that idiot!

“Whatever paper she signed—” Rayna was about to say that she would not bear the responsibility for any document Roxanne had signed when Julian’s voice sounded from outside the door.

He seemed to be approaching their way.

Rayna was alone with Curtis inside the restroom at that moment. If Julian bumped into that scene, he would use that to his advantage. By then, it would be difficult for her to divorce him quicker and claim more alimony from him.

Rayna was anxious.

On the other hand, Curtis remained nonchalant, seemingly unafraid of getting seen.

Noticing the unlocked storage room from the corner of her eyes, she dragged Curtis and shoved him inside before entering and shutting the door behind her.

The storage room was packed with many things, so there was only limited space for them to stand.

As a result, Rayna’s and Curtis’ bodies were stuck together as they were positioned very intimately inside the tight space.

Her body fragrance and the sensation of her soft figure pressing against him made Curtis’ body tense up.

He stretched out his hand and gently pushed her away. Seeing his lips moving as if he was about to speak while simultaneously sensing the newcomers entering the restroom by listening to their footsteps, Rayna hurriedly pressed her bag against Curtis’ face in a panic to stop him from making a sound.

Curtis was rendered speechless.

Immediately afterward, Julian’s angry voices sounded outside the storage room. “F*ck! Didn’t she say she has a condition? How dare she fool around with others behind my back!”

“Wait a minute. Let me check if there’s anyone else here.”

The female voice belonged to Meredith. She seemed to be very cautious as she checked every cubicle. Finally, the sound of her high heels clicking against the floor reached the front of the storage room.

Rayna’s heart jumped to her throat, and she felt slightly dizzy.

This storage room can only be locked from the outside. What if she pushes open the door?

It was then an arm reached out to hold down the door. When Meredith pushed the door from outside and failed to open it, she strode away.

Only then did Meredith seem to put down her guard and begin conversing with Julian. “Your wife is not as obedient as you described, nor is she a pushover. I can’t believe she really has a video of us together.”

“What do we do now?” Julian was frustrated. “The table has turned, and now she’s threatening us.”

“I’m guessing she knew about us long ago, so she deliberately arranged for this to happen today and even used the video to threaten you.”

Inside the storage room, Curtis glanced at Rayna.

Rayna blushed and uttered in an undertone, “That’s not true. I swear I’ll die a horrible death if I lie to you, Mr. Faymon.”

Outside, Meredith suggested to Julian, “Don’t panic. Apologize to her when you return home and pretend to coax her. Tell her you will raise that kid because I reckon she must be waiting for you to say that. After that, wait for an opportunity to beg her to delete the video. You are her husband, after all, so she will not want others to see that clip too. We’ll wait until her superior’s birthday, and then we’ll get her drunk and find someone to send her to a hotel. She’ll have no way to escape. Then you will bring her to the hospital and take a blood sample to prove that the child is not yours. When that happens, she’ll be too ashamed to remain in Faymon Group, and your divorce will be finalized smoothly and easily.”

Julian was impressed by her detailed analysis. “Honey, you’re so smart to have already formulated such a meticulous plan. You’re indeed my best girl.”

“Of course. I’m just waiting for you two to get a divorce,” Meredith replied smugly.

The two of them kissed for a long while.

Meanwhile, the atmosphere inside the storage room was heavy. Despite her slightly trembling hands, Rayna bit her lip and wore an indifferent facial expression.

Curtis gazed downward at the woman in his embrace. She’s able to keep her calm even when she’s listening to her husband scheming against her with his mistress.

He could not help pity her miserable fate.

After some time, Julian’s voice sounded again. “Honey, this is the restroom. Let’s discuss further after the banquet is over.”

Rayna looked down and pretended as if she did not hear a thing.

This shameless couple truly amazes me. They are utterly despicable.

Curtis furrowed his brows as well.

He pushed the bag covering his face aside and leaned closer to Rayna.

“M-Mr. Faymon, what are you doing?” As he inched closer to her, Rayna’s body tensed up, and she backed away while subconsciously stooping lower, feeling nervous about what Curtis was about to do.

However, he did not move further and merely supported himself by pressing his arm against the solid surface beside her head. He asked in a low voice, “You’ve learned Uronian before, haven’t you?”

Rayna widened her eyes at him after hearing his question.

Taking in her reaction, Curtis knew his assumption was right. He relaxed his brows after that.

Looks like I did not attend this banquet in vain.

Outside, the sharp-eared Meredith said to Julian, “Did you hear someone talking just now?”

Rayna panicked and used her bag to stuff Curtis’ mouth again.

A series of knocks on the door suddenly sounded outside the restroom, interrupting Meredith and Julian’s intimate moment. Julian cursed angrily and then left the restroom with Meredith.

Rayna waited a long while and ensured the restroom was empty before she pushed the storage room door open. Even after they exited the tight space, her face remained red, and beads of sweat covered her forehead.

She had almost passed out from staying inside the storage room for so long.

Chapter 19 Satisfied

Curtis ambled out of the storage room calmly. While tidying his wrinkled shirt, he said to Rayna, “I’ll help you this time since you’re faking pregnancy to divorce Julian and wanting to get more alimony from him.”

“That’s not needed. You already helped me when during mealtime previously.” Rayna did not want to be in Curtis’ debt. “I have a plan. Moreover, I want to deal with them personally and see their reputation destroyed.”

He decided not to interfere in her matter after hearing what she said.

Before exiting the restroom, he uttered, “Settle your pending work at the company and follow me on a business trip next month.”

Business trip? Isn’t there a team of designated translators at Norham?

At that thought, Rayna wanted to clarify that matter with Curtis, but he was nowhere to be seen in the corridor. Instead, she stumbled into Rolanda.

“Where did you go? You were missing for almost half an hour.” Rolanda wanted to scold Rayna initially, but after glancing at the latter’s abdomen, her tone softened. “You’re pregnant now, so you must be more careful.”

“I know.” Rayna nodded as a sneer flashed across her eyes.

She was very familiar with Rolanda’s plan at that moment.

When Curtis had agreed to Rolanda’s invitation earlier, she wished for Curtis to gift the baby with more money when he attended the baby welcoming party. She also hoped for Julian to seize that opportunity

to butter Curtis up.

Ha! Dream all you want. Unfortunately, I’m not pregnant. I’m afraid you’ll soon be disappointed.

Initially, Rayna did not plan to return to the Faymon residence after what she did that day to prevent Julian from harming her. However, after she eavesdropped on Meredith’s scheme earlier, Rayna decided to go along with their strategy.

Rayna did not see Julian or Meredith even after the banquet ended. Rolanda feigned ignorance as well. Fearing Rayna might be suspicious, Rolanda went back in the same car with her.

Julian returned home at around eleven o’clock at night. He booted open the bedroom door and questioned Rayna’s intention for bearing another man’s child.

Firstly, Rayna pretended to condemn him for being together with Meredith. Then, wearing a tear- stricken face, she explained the reason behind her actions during the banquet was that she loved him too deeply and was afraid of losing him.

Hearing that, Julian deleted Meredith’s contact details in front of Rayna and promised her that he would never keep in touch with Meredith again.

Julian also told Rayna that since she was rather weak, she could keep the child, and he would be willing to raise the child. In exchange, she had to delete the video. After that, he even checked her cloud storage for possible backup files of the footage.

Taking in his pretense, sorrow surged within Rayna.

She genuinely loved Julian and wanted to spend the rest of her life with him. However, not only did he cheat on her, but he even swindled her money and schemed with his mistress to cause her to be fired from the company.

Do I still need to show him mercy in this case? I’m not a fool. I’ve already saved a copy of the video on a flash drive!

After dealing with the matter at hand, Rayna thought of her stupid younger sister.

Before she could read the content of the agreement inside the restroom the other day, Julian and Meredith entered. In the past few days, she did not see Curtis in the company, too, so she was still unaware of the details in the agreement up until that moment.

Rayna felt restless at the thought of Curtis’s words before he left. She could not shake off the feeling that Roxanne had betrayed her.

Perhaps Roxanne felt guilty, so she had been avoiding Rayna’s calls.

Therefore, Rayna contacted Roxanne’s roommate and was informed of the latter’s current whereabouts. After knowing Roxanne was filming, Rayna immediately called a cab and headed to the location. Upon arrival, she noticed it was an outdoor set, and the scene featured multiple tracks and various machines.

She pretended to be one of the crew members and snuck into the set. Parting her way through the crowd, she finally saw two women dressed in traditional costumes acting in a fighting scene, and the actress in the yellow outfit was Roxanne.

Rayna had never acted in a show, but she could sense Roxanne’s professionalism when the latter was acting.

Instantly, the anger Rayna harbored toward Roxanne decreased significantly.

Fortunately, Roxanne did learn something after attending acting school. Otherwise, Rayna would be enraged.

The other young woman dressed in a green outfit seemed to be the female lead. Staring at her slender figure and gorgeous facial features, Rayna thought the woman was born to be a celebrity. That young woman looked captivating and had a slightly haughty mien.

Rayna felt the young woman looked familiar, but she could not recall where she had seen her before.

That proud-looking young woman was coincidentally playing the role of an arrogant character. After exchanging a few words with Roxanne, that woman flicked the whip in her hand at Roxanne.

The frightening whip was as thick as a grown man’s arm. Anyone hit by the whip would undoubtedly have their skin and flesh torn apart.

Seeing her sister’s shuddering shoulders, Rayna leaped forward into the set without hesitation and shielded Roxanne, allowing the whip to strike her. A split second later, a painful sensation spread across Rayna’s body.

“Rayna?” Roxanne exclaimed. She did not expect Rayna to be there. “A-Are you hurt?”

“What do you think? Why don’t you try to get whipped and see if it hurts!” Rayna chided. Due to the unbearable agony, she had to rely on Roxanne’s help to get back to her feet while gritting her teeth.

Rayna’s sudden arrival had caused a commotion at the set.

“Hey, who are you? Do you know we’re putting on a play? Are you blind? Such impertinence!” the woman holding the whip questioned Rayna in displeasure.

“I’m her elder sister.” Rayna frowned. This woman is so arrogant. Are all the people in the entertainment industry as rude as her?

Nevertheless, Rayna kept her composure and replied to the woman, “I’ve never acted in a show, but I know the common practice of utilizing the camera’s angle to fake a scene. Do you know how painful it

is if you hit my sister with such a thick whip?”

The young woman snorted. “It is not my intention to hit her for real. She asked for this because she said the sensation would feel more real if the whip made contact with her skin. Feel free to ask her if you don’t believe me!”

Rayna immediately turned her head around to look at Roxanne. She regarded her sister with a look as if the latter was a complete fool.

Roxanne flinched and whispered, “I accidentally stole her scenes previously, so she’s holding a grudge toward me. I want to let her vent her anger by whipping me to avoid a difficult path ahead.”

“You studied in such a prestigious acting school. Why are you still afraid of not being able to secure acting roles?” Rayna poked Roxanne forcefully with her finger. “Why do I have a sister as stupid as you? I can’t believe we are even biologically related!”

“Roxanne, will you continue to act or not? You two talk too much.” That young woman was getting impatient.

Then, she even complained to the director, “Director, kick Roxanne out of the film crew. She’s wasting everyone’s time. She told me to whip her for real, and then she asked her sister to scold me. I’m feeling aggrieved.”

Rayna was stumped.

When did I scold her?

Roxanne began to panic as she said to Rayna, “Rayna, I spent four hundred thousand to buy this role. Wait for me outside. It’s just one hit. I can take this.”

“Four hundred thousand?” Rayna gnawed her teeth. She finally knew what Roxanne did with the money she asked from Curtis.

She’s unbelievable! Did she really spend four hundred thousand to buy a role?

The director was getting annoyed too. He immediately instructed the staff to chase Roxanne away. Rayna glanced at Roxanne as the latter continuously apologized to everyone.

She could not abandon Roxanne regardless of how mad she was because the latter was her biological sister.

Rayna removed Roxanne’s costume and put it on. Then, she wore the wig, shoved Roxanne aside, and said to that woman, “She is weak, so I’ll take her place. She doesn’t have any dialogues, and she has her back facing the camera anyway.”

That young woman smirked. “Fine, but your sister told me to whip her for real.”

That woman was obviously very influential because even the director had to accommodate her wishes. After she shot a glance at the director, he immediately ordered the cameraman to reposition the camera.

Harboring a grudge, that woman exerted more force in flicking the whip this time and even caused Rayna’s costume to be torn. Rayna almost slumped to the ground at that instant as her legs turned to jelly.

“Oh no. I forgot to speak my line.” That woman slapped her forehead, seemingly in frustration. Then, she gazed at Rayna provocatively. “Miss, do you mind if we retake the scene?”

Blood trickled down the wound on Rayna’s arm and dripped on her costume. She clenched her fists, finally understanding how difficult it was to survive in the entertainment industry.

“Rayna.” Roxanne wanted to come closer but was stopped by a glance from Rayna.

If even I cannot handle the pain, there’s no way Roxanne can endure it.

Rayna braced herself and took a deep breath. “Sure. I hope you’ll be satisfied this time.”

That woman laughed conceitedly.

On the streets outside the set, a black Maybach drove over and halted two hundred meters away from the filming location.

“Mr. Faymon, we’re here. Ms. Winton is still filming a scene. Should I go and get her?” Gabriel said to Curtis, who was sitting in the backseat.

“I’ll call her,” Curtis replied. That was a task usually handled by Gabriel, but because his business partner had arrived three hours earlier at the hotel, Curtis decided to fetch Kristie since they were along the way.

Curtis took out his phone and was about to make the call when he vaguely heard a familiar voice.

He rolled down the tinted car window and was able to get a direct view of the few people on the set because a few onlookers had coincidentally left. From his angle, he could distinctively see the facial features of the woman kneeling on the floor.

That person was none other than Rayna.

 

Chapter 20 Help

Curtis frowned at the sight of Kristie’s haughty demeanor as she held the whip and flogged Rayna forcefully as if she was taking revenge on the latter.

He did not expect Kristie’s sense of superiority to grow to the extent of whipping others at the set after he had allowed her to do as she pleased for the past two years.

She would’ve died countless times if it wasn’t for the Faymon Group’s support.

Curtis kept his phone, opened the car door, and strode toward the filming location. Just as Kristie was about to swing the whip in her hand again, he piped up, “Kristie.”

His voice was not loud, but it was firm and powerful, so everyone at the scene heard him.

Before Kristie managed to hit Rayna, she noticed Curtis’ arrival and immediately turned into an obedient girl. Kristie jogged up to him and held his arms. “Why are you here, Curt?”

She even rubbed her head affectionately against his chest.

A hint of iciness flashed across his eyes, but he did not push her away. Instead, he merely uttered, “I’m here to take you for lunch.” Curtis casually glanced at the set as he spoke and noticed Roxanne helping Rayna up from the floor.

As Rayna was dressed in a white outfit, Curtis saw that a small part of her skirt’s hem had turned red because of the blood, and when she got up and walked away, her blood continued to drip onto the floor. It seemed like Kristie had been rather unforgiving in hitting Rayna earlier.

“Mr. Faymon.”

“Mr. Faymon.”

Everyone in the entertainment industry was aware of Kristie’s background and the identity of her sponsor.

Curtis had always kept a low profile. He seldom appeared in public, even when he was in the country. At that moment, being able to meet an influential figure like him in person, everyone hurriedly gathered around and greeted him. He merely nodded faintly in response.

Trailing behind Kristie on their way to the resting room, Curtis stopped briefly in his tracks and said to one of the staff beside him, “Bring two bottles of the best medication you have to that actor.”

That staff hastily nodded.

Meanwhile, after Roxanne helped Rayna to take a seat, she quickly rolled up the latter’s sleeves. Tears brimmed in Roxanne’s eyes when she saw Rayna’s arm which was covered in wounds. “Sit here, Rayna. I’ll go and buy some medication for you.”

Due to Roxanne’s low popularity and minimal influence, there was no way she could acquire the medication from the film crew.

However, just as she was about to purchase the medication, a staff approached her and handed her two tubes of medicated cream and a bag of cotton wool balls. Roxanne was still in a daze even after the staff left because she could not believe the crew member had provided her with the medication.

Assuming someone gave her the medicine because they saw Rayna was hurt, Roxanne cursed inwardly. Then, she immediately used the cotton wool balls to clean Rayna’s wound.

“Rayna, I’m sorry,” Roxanne apologized in an undertone.

“It’s just a superficial wound. I’m fine,” Rayna replied. After all, she could not leave her biological sister, Roxanne, to her own devices.

Rayna glanced in the direction of the resting room. She had seen Curtis showing up earlier, and judging by Kristie’s reaction, Rayna reckoned the two shared quite an intimate relationship. “Is that woman Kristie Winton?”

“Who else can behave as conceitedly as her in the entertainment industry?”

Now, Rayna grasped the situation.

No wonder she seemed so familiar when I saw her just now. So, she’s the most popular female celebrity from Excellent Entertainment Company under Faymon Group. I only know one of Faymon Group’s vice CEO is her godfather, but I certainly did not expect her largest sponsor to be Curtis.

While Roxanne applied the cream on Rayna’s arm, she rambled on, “Kristie came from an ordinary family, but she’s successful now because she received help from a benefactor. If I am as lucky as her, I’ll be famous soon!”

“With your stupidity, do you think you can ever become famous?” Rayna slapped her sister’s head. “Are you planning on gaining popularity by making the news headline for offering yourself up, having your naked pictures taken, and being sent to the police station?”

Roxanne was shocked. Then, she smiled sheepishly. “R-Rayna, you knew?”

Rayna questioned Roxanne, “How did you know the cufflink belongs to Curtis? I can’t believe you even met up with him.”

Roxanne remained silent.

Rayna immediately pulled Roxanne’s ear forcefully.

“I’ll talk. I’ll tell you everything!” Roxanne conceded due to the pain. She explained with tears in her eyes, “I brought that cufflink to a specialty store to get it checked. Only then did I realize that cufflink’s remarkable origin. Then, I arranged a time to meet up with Mr. Faymon by using the excuse of wanting to return the cufflink. Rayna, I did not have any ulterior motive. I just wanted to give him back the cufflink and ask for some tips from him.”

“Tips? You requested five hundred thousand from him. Do you know how much money that is? I can’t believe you bought a role using that ridiculous amount of money! Is there something wrong with your brain?” Rayna shouted.

Roxanne mumbled, “I don’t have any other choice because of the fierce competition in the entertainment industry. With my beauty, you can’t expect me to act as a mere servant in this show, right? Besides, I competed with so many people to land this character.”

Rayna’s mind buzzed, listening to Roxanne’s response. She could barely contain her urge to beat her stupid sister to death. “Roxanne, did I spend over one hundred thousand a year to fund your studies so that you can end up as someone’s plaything?”

Roxanne pouted. “I knew you would criticize me in this manner. Rayna, you’re too naive. The entertainment industry is a very complicated industry full of shady deals. Do you think all the actors and actresses are pure and innocent? If you really care for me, you shouldn’t have broken up with Jefferson in the past. With his help, I—”

Rayna raised her arm and gave Roxanne a hard slap.

At the mention of the name she had not heard in a long time, all the bad memories resurfaced in Rayna’s mind and overwhelmed her, causing her lips to turn pale and her hands to tremble.

“Rayna?” Growing up, Rayna had never hit Roxanne even once. That unexpected slap rendered the latter dumbfounded as she stared at Rayna in utter bafflement. “D-Did you just slap me?” Dissatisfaction surged within Roxanne instantaneously, prompting her to yell at Rayna. “Did I say anything wrong? How dare you hit me? Take a look at the man you married. He’s such a cheapskate and had never offered to take care of us. You’ve spent most of the money you earned on his family, and despite how well you’ve treated them, I’ve never seen them reciprocate your kindness!”

Rayna’s eyes reddened. She lifted her hand again to slap her little sister but managed to stop herself at the last minute.

That’s right. Roxanne is absolutely right. Other girls prioritized their own families, but I focused on caring for my husband’s family. In the end, this is the miserable fate that befell me. Fortunately, I did not lose too much money to them.

“Regardless of how terrible my life is, this is still my personal matter.” Rayna took a deep breath to suppress her anger, yet her lips continued to tremble. “Do not mention that name again in the future.” She regarded Roxanne with a harsh, cold stare. “If you dare speak that name again, I’ll cut all ties with you in the future, and you’ll resolve that matter involving the five hundred thousand you owe Mr. Faymon on your own.”

Roxanne had never seen Rayna act that way. She glanced at the latter fearfully and nodded.

Roxanne did not know much about Jefferson. She merely knew he was Rayna’s boyfriend when Rayna studied abroad and that he came from a wealthy family. One Christmas, he even gifted her a small castle that cost one and a half million.

Initially, Rayna mentioned she would bring Jefferson back to the country for her family members to get to know him during the festive season. However, when Rayna returned, she changed her name, hastily got into a relationship with Julian, and married him.

Roxanne tried to sound out the reason behind Rayna’s breakup with Jefferson. At that time, Rayna nearly slapped Roxanne and warned the latter never to talk about Jefferson again. Since then, Roxanne had never uttered his name.

Rayna waited until she calmed down a little before asking Roxanne, “What agreement did you sign with Mr. Faymon?”

Roxanne glanced at Rayna. After noticing Rayna showed no inclination to scold her, she said, “It’s a translator’s agreement. Mr. Faymon asked me if you are fluent in Uronian. He told me the five hundred thousand is the fee for your interpretation service.”

“How did you know I’m fluent in that language?”

Roxanne quickly covered her head, afraid that Rayna would hit her again. “I didn’t, but I thought you’re such a brilliant translator, so you should know this language too. That was why I agreed then.”

A sense of foreboding crept into Rayna’s chest.

Why did Curtis ask me if I knew Uronian when we were inside the restroom the other day? It seems like he has checked my background, then deliberately tricked Roxanne into signing the agreement. Otherwise, he would have sent her to the police station. But I learned this language from a book. No one should know about this aside from that person. Moreover, because there are lesser than fifty people in the world who are fluent in this language, I did not add this skill to my curricular vitae. How did Curtis know I understood this language then? And what kind of help does he require of me?