Chapter 4

Receiving a call from her father right after arguing with Joshua filled Mercy with foreboding.

"Hello? Dad..."

Peter's voice came through the phone, low and displeased.

"Are you on your way to the Enchanted Grove?"

"Dad, did you put a tracker on me?"

"How many times have I told you to stay away from Fiona?"

Fiona had once run with the wrong crowd before turning her life around, and Peter never approved of her.

"Come to Lakeside Manor immediately."

Peter hung up as soon as he finished speaking.

Mercy had no choice but to tell Fiona she would visit the bar another day.

Forty minutes later, she arrived at Lakeside Manor.

"Welcome home, Miss Park."

James opened the door for her and gave her a meaningful look.

Mercy understood at once and glanced toward the living room.

Joshua, Wendy, and Yuna were sitting with Peter.

No wonder her father knew she was heading to the Enchanted Grove.

Joshua had clearly complained to him.

Whenever Mercy argued with Joshua, she went to the Enchanted Grove to unwind.

Naturally, Joshua knew about that habit.

Mercy walked over and noticed there was no room left for her on the sofa.

Peter wore a brand-new tailored cashmere jacket, and on his wrist was a luxury watch Mercy had never seen before.

"Mercy, I know you and Joshua had an argument..." Peter said, patting Joshua on the shoulder.

"Joshua was indeed in the wrong. But he brought Wendy and Yuna here to admit his mistake, bought me this new jacket and a watch as an apology, and even offered to accept whatever punishment I thought was appropriate...

"For a grown man to go this far shows how sincere he is. The Parks and Coopers have been family friends for generations, and the two of you are husband and wife. Married couples shouldn't hold grudges overnight. Just forgive him."

Mercy nearly laughed in anger after hearing Peter's lecture.

She was the one who got slapped, yet Joshua apologized to her father with gifts.

When Mercy remained silent, Peter exchanged a glance with Joshua.

"There's one more thing... Joshua wants you to give up your position as Director of Business Development."

"To whom?"

Mercy's expression turned cold, and her voice left no room for doubt.

Joshua cleared his throat, his eyes flickering with unease.

"Wendy majored in business administration in college, and she even earned an MBA..."

"I majored in marketing research. My background is far more relevant than hers."

"But you don't have her qualifications."

Peter snapped, looking thoroughly disappointed in his daughter.

"I tried every way I could to get you into graduate school, but you ran off overseas behind my back and never came home with a degree. Joshua only made you a director because you're his wife.

"Now that Wendy's here, Joshua wants you to step down to a specialist role and assist her. It'll also be a good opportunity to learn from her."

Peter nodded to himself. "I think it's a sensible arrangement. It's settled."

The moment Peter agreed, Joshua stood up and smiled obsequiously.

"Thank you, Dad. I knew you'd understand."

Wendy rose and showered Peter with compliments before gently nudging Yuna toward him.

Yuna's chubby little face made her irresistibly adorable.

“Mr. Park Sr., you’re so nice to me. I wish you were my grandpa.”

Her words melted Peter's heart.

He immediately lifted Yuna into his arms.

"As expected of Mason's daughter. Such a thoughtful child. Joshua, you and Mercy should work harder too. I can't wait to hold a grandchild of my own."

"Of course. We will."

As Joshua nodded to Peter, he stole a glance at Mercy.

Her face was expressionless.

But the look in her eyes was one he'd never seen before.

It was pure disgust.

For some reason, an uneasy feeling crept into Joshua's heart.

Mercy looked at Peter, beaming at what seemed like a happy little family, and laughed bitterly to herself.

Peter was her father, yet he had never once taken her side.

She wondered how Peter would react if he learned Yuna was actually the child his chosen son-in-law had with another woman.

"Mercy, Dad's already said his piece. Can you stop being angry with me now?"

As Joshua stepped toward her, Mercy immediately took a step back.

"You slapped me first, then demoted me. Am I not even allowed to be angry?"

With that, she turned and walked away without looking back.

Joshua chased after her all the way outside the villa.

Mercy knew exactly what he was doing.

This was all for her father's benefit.

"Mercy! Mercy, wait!"

Joshua caught Mercy by the arm.

He knew he'd gone too far this time.

Not only had he struck her in a moment of anger, but he also took away her position.

But Wendy needed a job now that she'd moved to Ashford.

She wanted that position, and he couldn't refuse her.

The only one he could wrong was Mercy.

"How about this, Mercy? Tell me what you want as compensation. Whatever it is, I'll give it to you, as long as you forgive me."

Joshua looked into her eyes, his gaze overflowing with affection.

That look had deceived Mercy countless times before.

But not anymore.

"Fine. I'll give you one chance."

Joshua quietly let out a breath of relief.

The Cooper family owned a pharmaceutical company that grew to its current scale largely because the Park family supplied it with rare medicinal ingredients.

Peter might have been strict with Mercy, but he never gave a single share of the Park family's business to his second wife or stepdaughter.

Every share belonged to Mercy alone.

Staying on bad terms with her would do Joshua no good.

"Go ahead. Clothes, jewelry, handbags... Whatever you want, I'll buy it for you."

"I want cash."

Mercy didn't beat around the bush.

Joshua froze for a moment.

In all four years of their marriage, this was the first time Mercy had asked him for money.

"We're husband and wife. What's mine is yours."

On the surface, that sounded perfectly reasonable.

Joshua started his company before they married, so the shares belonged to him alone.

But the increase in the company's value and the dividends it generated during the marriage were marital assets, and Joshua always transferred Mercy's share to her on time.

Mercy looked at Joshua's honest, almost harmless face and smiled.

For a brief moment, Joshua's heart skipped a beat.

"I want twenty million dollars transferred to me from the private fund your mother helped you build."

Joshua stared at her in shock.

"What? You can't bear to part with it? You don't think one slap and my director position are worth that much?"

"Mercy, you..."

Under Mercy's unwavering gaze, Joshua suddenly felt deeply uneasy.

Something wasn't right.

Mercy had changed.

Then again, she had always been pampered and never tolerated being wronged. Demanding compensation like this fit her perfectly.

"Let me go back and discuss it with my mother."

Mercy checked the time.

"You have one hour. If the money isn't in my account by then..."

She would never again put in a good word for the Cooper family with her father.

Throughout their four years of marriage, Mercy knew her mother-in-law was wary of her.

Most of the Cooper family's income was kept outside the assets she shared with Joshua.

Yet every cent of that profit came from the Park family's support.

If Joshua wanted to compensate her, the money would have to come from his own pocket.

Barely half an hour later, the transfer arrived: twenty million dollars.

It had probably drained the private fund Joshua had spent years building.

Perfect.

This was exactly what she should have done before divorcing him.

As Mercy drove, she placed an international call.

The moment it connected, an ecstatic voice burst through her Bluetooth earpiece.

"Boss! You actually called me first! What an honor! I'm overwhelmed! My humble little life has finally been blessed—"

Mercy had no patience for the nonsense and got straight to the point.

"I've secured the funding for the lab. I can develop the new drug you asked for."