Chapter 3

However, just as I was about to put the emerald bracelet away, it was snatched from my grasp.

I looked up and met Cassandra's eyes, which were filled with malicious mockery.

She sneered and said, "So, the eldest daughter of the Hanson family has fallen so low that she's stealing other people's things now?"

My chest tightened when I saw her casually twirling the bracelet on her fingertip. I instinctively reached out to grab it back from her.

"Who said that I stole it? Give it back! If you break it, you won't be able to afford to compensate for it!"

Cassandra scoffed. "It's just a cheap bracelet. Wanna bet that even if I really broke it, Dree will just blame you for it?

"You saw just how much he adores me with your eyes, didn't you? He thinks that I have depression and is terrified of upsetting me. Honestly speaking, I don't know how you still have the nerve to continue sticking around and always getting in the way."

The moment she said that, realization dawned on me.

"Wait, your depression is fake?"

Cassandra continued toying nonchalantly with the emerald bracelet as she said, "If I hadn't done that, how else would he have come abroad to see me and bring me back?"

Just then, the sound of footsteps echoed from outside the door. Cassandra's eyes darted around, and she suddenly smashed the bracelet hard against the floor.

Before I could even react, she slapped herself across the face and burst into terrified sobs.

"I'm sorry, Jillian! It's all my fault! I'm sorry, I never should have shown up in front of you again! I never wanted to steal Adrian from you! Please, please, just let me go…"

"Jillian Hanson! You have a death wish, don't you?" Adrian's furious voice roared out.

Moments later, a hard slap landed across my face. I fell heavily to the ground, and half my face swelled up instantly.

Adrian frantically gathered Cassandra into his arms, tenderly restraining the hand she was using to strike herself in the face. She huddled into his arms, sobbing pitifully.

"Dree, she smashed the emerald bracelet herself and insisted that it was my fault! She said that she was going to tell you all about it!

"I know that she still hates me a lot. I never should have come back here! I never should have appeared in front of her! I'm so scared!"

Her words immediately triggered memories of the past for Adrian. Guilt and resentment flashed in his eyes, and he turned an icy gaze toward me.

I forced myself to ignore the stinging pain in my face and my heart. I gritted my teeth and retorted, "She's lying! I never did anything of the sort!"

Just in case, I had started recording audio on my phone the moment I entered the room, and I had proof. I hurriedly pulled my phone from my pocket.

"She doesn't have depression at all! She was also the one who broke the bracelet! I have—"

However, before I could finish, Adrian slapped the phone out of my hand, sending it crashing to the floor.

"You're still making your stupid excuses, Jillian? Didn't I tell you to stay in the guest room and never show your face to Cassie?

"Look at what you've reduced her to! And you still have the nerve to question her depression and accuse her of faking it? Did I not teach you a hard enough lesson before this?

"Well, since you refuse to leave her be, then don't blame me for not letting you off the hook either!"

With that, he picked Cassandra up bridal-style again and stormed out, slamming the door behind him.

I stared at his retreating back and instinctively curled my hand into a fist, digging my nails into my palms until they left bloody indents in the flesh.

Since he didn't love me anymore, he wasn't even willing to listen to a single word of explanation from me.

But it didn't matter anymore. I wouldn't be an eyesore to him much longer.

Yet I hadn't expected Adrian's retaliation to come so swiftly. Just the very next day, a flood of negative news about Hanson Group erupted online, and all of our senior executives jumped ship en masse while our business partners called Dad one after another to cancel their contracts and partnerships.

In just a few short days, Hanson Group ran out of capital and teetered on the brink of bankruptcy.

Mom and Dad had only just begun to recover when they were hit by this devastating blow, and it seemed as though they aged ten years overnight.

I was consumed by a heart-wrenching mix of guilt and anguish. I stared at the audio recording I had on hand and decided to make one last desperate attempt.

But Adrian wasn't answering my calls, so I had to go to great lengths to find out from his friends which club he was currently hanging out at.

Just as I arrived outside the private room, I heard Adrian and his friends roaring in laughter.

"You really pulled it off this time, Adrian! I can't believe you really hired someone to pose as a kidnapper and cripple your future father-in-law. You sure helped avenge Cassie for what happened back then and even managed to squeeze plenty of benefits out of the Hanson family in the process!"

"That's Adrian for you! He knows exactly how to have that bitch from the Hanson family wrapped around his finger like she's nothing but a lapdog!"