로그인Gloria walked around the crowd, as she looked around to find her daughter, but she couldn't find her.
“Annabel visited her grandma a lot. And as little as she is, she knows her way around the mansion very well. She couldn't have gotten lost, and besides, the security guards were with her. Gloria thought. She kept searching for her daughter, room after room, until she felt her phone vibrating from inside the purse. She quickly brought it out and checked the caller. "What does he want now?" Gloria mumbled as she answered the call. "What do you want now?" Gloria asked impatiently. "I'm still searching for Annabel, don't bother me." "Searching for our daughter?" Victor asked in a mocking tone. "Well, she is with me. We are already at home. Come over to our house." "You bastard! Why did you leave here with Annabel without telling me? Fine, don't go anywhere, wait for me, I'm coming to take my daughter." Gloria ended the call before he could say another word. "Bastard, now I have to meet him in that house again. Only God knows what he's planning to do to me now," Gloria cursed under her breath. She rushed out and flagged down a taxi. "Oh God, please keep my daughter safe." Gloria told the taxi driver to wait for her outside Victor's mansion. She braced herself and walked inside the house. Gloria took a deep breath as she grabbed the door handle and opened it. The house was still the way she left it yesterday, except for a blue-black dress and undies that were carelessly tossed on the ground. She remembered the black dress; it was the same dress Victor's secretary had worn to the banquet. "Did Victor actually bring his mistress to the house with Annabel present?" Gloria muttered. Victor was lying on the bed, his trousers on his knees as his secretary bounced up and down his cock. Gloria's chest tightened as pain shot through her chest. Tears were threatening to fall from her eyes. She quickly turned around and wiped her tears with the back of her hand before knocking on the door to get their attention. Victor looked at her and flashed her a smile. She knew he wanted her to see him having sex with his secretary; that's his way of trying to break her spirit. He thought she would break down and start crying the way she normally does. So he ignored her and held the waist of his secretary, telling her to go faster. Gloria knocked on the door again. This time, the secretary turned back to look at her with a smirk on her face. "Are you blind? Can't you see we are busy? Go away from here and stop interrupting us," the secretary said smugly. "Alright, baby, let me talk to her, then we can continue from where we stopped." "Fine, but make it quick." His secretary said as she climbed down from Victor's body. She glared at Gloria before walking out of the room. "Why are you standing still like that? Come in and talk with me. I won't bite," Victor said, lighting up a cigarette. "Can you put on your trousers, please?" Gloria said, still refusing to enter the room. "Oh, come on, Gloria Anderson, it's not like you haven't seen me naked before. Alright, fine, I'm clothed now. You can come inside and stop standing outside the door like that." Gloria walked inside the room. "Where's Annabel?" She asked, going straight to the point. She wanted to leave the room as soon as possible and wasn't interested in making small talk with Victor. "Annabel is in her room. She's waiting for you, but I need to talk to you right now, or else I won't let you take her," Victor replied, knowing well that Annabel was Gloria's weakness. "Come here, come and sit beside me. Let's talk for a moment before you leave." Gloria advanced a few steps into the bedroom but dared not get close to Victor. She knew he could easily overpower her. "Come on, sweetheart. Close the door." "No, why should I close the door? I don't know what you're going to do if I close the door," Gloria said. Victor laughed as if he had just heard a funny joke. "Gloria, why would you think that? You know that I've fucked many women more beautiful than you. You're nothing compared to them, especially after you aged and got pregnant with Annabel. And besides, you saw how my secretary was just bouncing on my cock right now? What makes you think I will touch you with your saggy boobs and skin? Look at yourself in the mirror. You are fat and ugly." Gloria clenched her fist again. Victor had already said the same thing to her a lot of times in the past, but it still triggered her so much. Those kinds of words only made her question her self-worth. And right now, Victor just wants to hurt her with his words. "I don't have your time for your nonsense right now. I just want to get my daughter and leave this place," Gloria said. "But we are not done talking, Gloria. And why are you so keen on running away from our bedroom? Do you still remember how I used to fuck you on this bed every day before you became pregnant and lost your shape?" Victor said smugly. "Victor, if you're holding me here just to say bullshit like this, then save it. You have said the same words to me countless times in the past nine years, and I don't care anymore." "Oh, come on, I'm just reminiscing about the past. Have you forgotten who you were before you married me? You were the one who begged me to marry you. I saved you and your family from poverty. I paid off your mother's debt, and if not for me, your sister would have been married to an old man. And you know my mother never liked you. She wanted me to marry a girl from a rich family just like me, but I disobeyed her just to marry you. You should be grateful. In fact, you should be worshipping the ground I stepped on!" Victor said, raising his voice as he stood up from the bed and walked over to the corner where Gloria was standing. "I own you, Gloria! You belong to me!" Gloria quickly took a step back, ensuring that Victor couldn't reach her. "Step back, Victor, or I will scream, and your mistress will come here." "You want to scream? Alright, go ahead and scream as much as you want. This is my house. Let me see who's coming to save you." Victor said, laughing like a madman. "I'm being patient enough with you, Gloria! Tell me what you want, and I will get it, so you can stop all this little stunt you are pulling right now!" Victor said as the smile vanished from his face. Gloria knew he was losing his patience. "Victor, my decision is final," Gloria said, putting on a brave face, though she was scared for her life at the moment. "I don't want to be with you anymore, not after you have ruined my life and our marriage. I'm not going to cling onto you now. I am simply done with you! I just want to move on with my life and forget that I was ever married to you." Victor looked at the small woman he had just cornered. He didn't understand how a submissive woman like Gloria could become so erratic and stubborn. She used to be so accepting and tolerant of his cheating habit. She never complained. Victor sighed. Since she's bent on leaving, he might as well allow her to learn the hard way. Victor thought as he raised an eyebrow. "Fine, Gloria, since you want to leave so badly, then I won't stop you. But once you step out of this house, my secretary will replace you as my new wife. She will take your place as the new Mrs. Anderson." "Good luck to her. And congratulations to you two in advance," Gloria said, smiling. Her calm demeanor unsettled Victor. How is she still calm even when I threatened her with another woman? Victor thought. "Can I go now?" "Sure, go ahead. Make sure Annabel is well fed, understand? Otherwise, you can always go back to me for money," Victor said, looking down at Gloria. "This is the last warning, Gloria! Don't think there won't be any consequences after you turn away from me! And if you stay and apologize to me like an obedient wife, then I might just forgive you for these silly stunts." "To hell with you and your forgiveness, and I don't need your money. I can take care of my daughter on my own," Gloria said before walking out of the room. As she closed the door behind her, she breathed a sigh of relief. "Finally, free." Annabel was already sleeping. She packed her clothes and her toys into a large bag and lifted Annabel to her shoulder while dragging the bag with her free hand. "Finally, bitch. You know your place. Now Victor is mine. A fat, ugly bitch like you don't deserve him," Victor's secretary cursed at Gloria as she walked out of the mansion.Lukas ended the call and lowered his phone slowly.A quiet laugh escaped his lips as he leaned back on the sofa. He could still hear the pleading in Gloria’s voice.It amused him. It sounded like music to his ear.“Of course I knew she would call,” he muttered, lighting up another cigarette. “I made sure she had no other choice.” Everything had gone exactly as he planned.From the beginning, he had been the one pulling the strings, pressuring company executives, making quiet threats, ensuring that every job Gloria applied for would reject her. He might not be as powerful as his stepbrother yet. But he was powerful enough. Powerful enough to corner her. And those companies wouldn’t want to be in his bad book.Lukas puffs off smoke from his cigarette, his gaze darkening. “I’ve always wondered.” he murmured, his voice low, almost thoughtful. “What would it be like to break someone as gently and delicately as her?”He threw the cigarette on the floor and matched it with his shoes. He
Gloria sat on the toilet long after the call ended.She didn’t move. It felt like all the strength in her body had been drained away, leaving her empty and cold and hopeless. That was the only word that echoed in her mind. Victor had completely blocked her path. No job. No money. No way forward. Even if she took him to court, she knew how it would end. He hadn’t outright refused to support Annabel. He had only set a condition, meet him, and he would pay. To anyone else, it would look like a normal marital dispute. A broken couple that needed counseling.But Gloria knew better. Going back to Victor wouldn’t fix anything. It would ruin her completely.She didn’t know what he would do this time, but she knew one thing for sure, she would not come out of it the same.Her fingers slowly curled into fists. “I can’t go back…” she whispered. But if she didn’t…Then what? Her gaze dropped to the floor, her thoughts spiraling until one option forced its way into her mind. The only option left.
Mummy, can I tell you something?” Annabel whispered in her small voice.“Yes, sweetheart. You can tell mummy anything.” Gloria said.“Mummy, let's leave this place and go back home to daddy. The people here are not nice.” Annabel’s small voice trembled as she clutched Gloria’s shirt.Gloria forced a weak smile and gently touched her daughter’s face. Her heart ached. She didn’t know how to answer that request. There was no way she would ever return to Victor’s house again. Not after everything he had done. But if she said no directly, Annabel might cry again.So Gloria tried to change the direction of the conversation.“Of course sweetie, but I have a better idea. What if we move to a nicer place, where you will be free to play and jump around as you like without anyone disturbing you?” Gloria said. She wasn’t sure why she said that, but she needed to pacify her daughter.“Really?”“Yes,” Gloria nodded.“I would love that!” Annabel said excitedly. She was used to the big house she once
Gloria’s hand trembled as she stared at the email on her phone. Her vision blurred, and for a moment, she couldn’t breathe. She had believed this interview would be her last chance. Her final opportunity to get back on her feet and provide a stable life for herself and her daughter. But now that hope has been crushed. A certain man had ruined it.Again. Gloria clenched her phone tightly, her knuckles turning white as anger and heartbreak twisted inside her chest.“That piece of shit,” she muttered bitterly.Her fingers moved quickly across the screen as she searched for Victor’s contact. The moment she found it, she pressed the call button. The phone rang.“Fucking jerk!” Gloria cursed under her breath. “How could he do this to me? I know he’s a cheating bastard, but how could he do this to his own daughter?” Her voice trembled with rage.“Does he not realize that hurting me also hurts Annabel?!”Gloria was certain Victor was behind everything. Victor had the power to do something li
Gloria shot him a cold, furious glare. Her fingers trembled slightly at her sides.“You’re a bastard, Lukas,” she said through clenched teeth. “Just like your brother.”Without waiting for his response, she turned sharply and walked out of the CEO’s office. Her old heels struck the marble floor loudly with every step. She refused to look back, even though she could feel Lukas’s gaze burning into her back. When she reached the elevator, she pressed the button impatiently. The moment the doors opened, she stepped inside.Only when the elevator doors slowly closed did Lukas finally look away. He scoffed softly. “Just like my brother?” he muttered with a faint, dangerous smile. “Sister-in-law… I can be a lot worse than my brother.”Isaiah, his secretary, cautiously approached him. He had been standing nearby the entire time but didn’t dare interrupt earlier.“Mr Anderson” he said nervously.“What?” Lukas replied curtly, his eyes still fixed on the elevator.Isaiah swallowed.“You’re rea
Gloria’s breath caught in her throat. She lowered her head immediately, almost curling into herself as Lukas leaned closer. His voice had been so close to her ear that she could still feel the warmth of his breath. For a moment, she wondered if she had heard him wrong.Personal assistant… taking care of his sexual needs in bed. Her mind raced. He can’t mean that… Gloria quickly forced the thought away. No. That’s ridiculous. He must have been joking. Even if their relationship was distant, they were still technically family. She was still married to Victor, after all. Even if she planned to divorce him, it was still strange for Lukas to say something like that. Maybe she had misunderstood. Or maybe the joke was simply too crude for her.Trying to ease the awkward tension, Gloria forced out a laugh.“Brother-in-law, that's funny,” she said awkwardly. “You really scared me for a second.” Her laugh sounded stiff even to her own ears. “I thought you were serious for a moment.”Lukas didn’







