Chapter 3

I was the sole heir to the Ritchie family.

Ever since I was little, I'd known exactly how heavy the responsibilities on my shoulders were. So I decided to pretend I was selectively blind and simply ignore that lunatic woman.

At eight that evening, Karen sent me a location pin. It was some roadside food stall next to a cheap motel.

Another message followed immediately after: [Emergency. Come now!]

The sight of it irritated me so much that I locked my phone screen. I couldn't even work up the mood to keep playing my game.

Then suddenly, my phone rang shrilly.

Seeing Karen's name on the caller ID instantly put me in a foul mood, and I hung up without hesitation.

She called more than ten times after that.

I ignored every single one.

A new message popped up: [Jennifer, what's your problem? Why aren't you replying or answering your phone?!]

I hesitated for a few seconds before finally typing back with mixed emotions.

Jennifer: [If it's about work, we can discuss it during office hours. As for personal matters, there's nothing to discuss.]

The other side immediately exploded in anger. Even through the screen, her crazed fury practically spilled out.

Karen: [I already told you during the day—my brother traveled all the way from our hometown just for you!]

Karen: [He prepared dinner for the two of you and even booked a room so you could get to know each other better, yet you actually stood him up?]

Karen: [He's being a gentleman by not holding it against you this time. Add him right now and make it up to him yourself!]

The next second, a friend request popped up from a stranger with a handsome profile picture and the username "Hard Work Pays Off."

Without even half a second of hesitation, I rejected it immediately.

Then I blocked Karen as well.

The entire world instantly became peaceful.

I'd probably wasted too much energy dealing with that lunatic during the day.

After eating the dinner my mom made, I fell asleep almost immediately.

I had nightmares the entire night, every single one filled with Karen's disgusting face.

Because I slept so poorly, I woke up late the next morning.

Afraid of being late for work, I hastily stuffed a few bites of food into my mouth before rushing out the door and driving to the company.

I had just parked my car when I turned around and saw a scruffy man with yellow teeth staring at me while drooling.

Suppressing my discomfort, I spoke politely.

"Sir, I don't have any empty bottles. Please check somewhere else."

I was about to leave when the man suddenly spread his arms and blocked my path. His greedy eyes roamed shamelessly over my body as he repeatedly swallowed his saliva.

"Karen really wasn't lying. You're way prettier than your photos. That figure, that pretty little face... damn, you're gorgeous.

"Don't worry. I'll divorce her right away, and then we'll go get our marriage certificate. You don't even need to give me much of a wedding gift. A hundred thousand dollars is enough."

I stared at him in shock, so stunned I could barely speak.

"Y-You're Karen's brother?"

It wasn't just that he looked nothing like the handsome profile picture. They were practically two completely unrelated people.

The man grinned at me broadly.

"Yep! I'm your husband. Come on, come home with me."

As he spoke, he reached out to put an arm around my shoulders.

Terrified, I instinctively shoved him away.

The man froze for a second before the veins on his forehead bulged, and his features twisted viciously as he advanced toward me.

"You bitch, you wanna die?! You should be damn grateful a man like me even wants you, and you still dare push me? Today, I'm gonna beat you into obedience!"

Not only was he unreasonable, he was clearly violent too.

I'd never encountered such a shameless thug before in my life. In that moment, it felt like the sky was collapsing over my head. I was so frightened I nearly burst into tears.

Fortunately, two security guards nearby rushed over to stop him, giving me the chance to escape into the elevator.

Still shaken, I walked into the office. The moment I saw Karen's infuriating face, my anger reignited instantly.

Just as I was about to demand what kind of sick game she was playing, Samantha Jenkins walked over, smiling, and shoved a cardboard box into my arms.

"Jennifer, you really fooled us good. Your family's obviously so rich, yet you acted so low-key the whole time. We were all completely deceived by you."

I froze on the spot.

It felt as though my heart had skipped a beat.