Chapter 1

When the final school bell rang, my son, Leo, came hopping out of his elementary school in Milan.

The sneakers on his feet, one of only a hundred pairs released worldwide, glinted brilliantly under the afternoon sun.

I stepped out of my Maybach to greet him.

Parents nearby all turned to look at us at once. Soon, the whispers followed, slipping straight into my ears.

“I heard she’s a fallen rich girl.”

I couldn’t be bothered with them.

Just then, another woman slid out of the driver’s seat like a snake.

It was Fiona, our live-in nanny.

She always wore clothes one size too small, fabric stretched tight against her body, deliberately exposing half a shoulder.

Right now, she was expertly holding up her phone, already livestreaming on YouTube.

“Want to see limited-edition kids’ sneakers? I’ll show you right now!”

Comments flooded her screen.

[Is it real? Zoom in!]

“Fiona, what are you doing?” My irritation flared. “You’re not allowed to film without my permission!”

She pretended not to hear me. Instead, she crouched down, fake-smiling as if to tie Leo’s shoelaces while shoving the camera straight at his shoes.

“See this, everyone? Buying such expensive shoes for a kid, this kind of showing off will corrupt children!”

Before I could react, she yanked one shoe right off Leo’s foot.

“Luxury items aren’t allowed on school grounds. I’ll confiscate it for now.”

Leo stood there barefoot on the concrete, his eyes reddening. He bit his lip, stubbornly holding back tears.

I stepped forward at once, placing myself between them.

“Give him back his shoes!” I demanded, reaching for it.

Fiona immediately swung her phone toward me and lowered her voice, threatening, “Touch me again, and I’ll call the police for assault.”

She smiled viciously. “Wouldn’t it be awful if Leo had to watch his mom get taken away in handcuffs?”

I glanced at Leo and forced myself to pull my hand back.

Swallowing my anger, I took a deep breath.

“You know those are his seventh birthday present. He treasures them.”

The surrounding parents, not knowing the full story, whispered among themselves, gradually forming a loose circle around us.

Meanwhile, the livestream comments kept rolling.

[Luxury goods should be banned from schools!]

[What a bad influence! Ban it!]

While I was distracted, Fiona reached for Leo’s other shoe and tugged so hard that he nearly lost his balance.

I grabbed her wrist in one swift motion. “Touch my child again, and you’ll regret it.”

Her hand trembled, and she finally let go.

The next second, she turned back to the camera, her expression instantly shifting into pitiful distress.

“I was just worried about the child’s upbringing. And now I’m being threatened…”

The comment section exploded.

[She’s so arrogant!]

[How can she bully a nanny just because she’s rich?]

Fiona squeezed out two tears. “I’m just a nanny. I can endure mistreatment. But buying such expensive shoes is clearly ruining the school’s atmosphere.”

“Money doesn’t grow on trees, does it? Should children from ordinary families be forced into comparison?”

Someone echoed her words. “That’s right. Shoes costing over 30 are considered expensive.”

Fiona pressed on.

“The shoes may be expensive, but who knows where the money came from?

“Leo’s father is frugal. He’d never approve of this kind of luxury.

“I bet she seduced some rich man to get it!

“She only cares about enjoying herself, not if her kid learns bad values. Don’t let her corrupt our kids!”

Her words ignited the crowd.

“I wondered why she was so flashy,” someone muttered, barely hiding their disdain.

I tried to explain. “Don’t listen to her nonsense! I bought these with my own money!”

“You don’t even have a job. Where would you get that kind of money?” Fiona sneered.

“Today, it’s teaching kids to compare shoes and seducing men. Tomorrow she’ll ruin other families and destroy homes!”

“This is outrageous! Someone like her needs to be taught a lesson!” A parent shouted, raising a fist.

“Down with the mistress! Teach her some shame!” another yelled.

Fueled by Fiona’s instigation, the crowd lost all rationality.

“Everyone here can testify!” Fiona shouted, one hand on her hip, the other pointing at Leo’s foot. “We’re just standing up for justice and protecting our school environment!”

“As for her…”

She pointed straight at me.

“If she doesn’t make the child apologize today and admit his vanity corrupted others, I’ll expose everything online!”

I wrapped my arms around Leo protectively. “No, he’s innocent. He just likes—”

However, they continued to close in.

Amid Leo’s terrified screams, the remaining sneaker was ripped off his foot.

Several parents even pinned him to the ground so he couldn’t move.

“Mom!” Leo wailed, struggling helplessly.

My heart felt like it was being torn apart. I fought desperately to reach him, but they blocked me completely.

The sneakers were tossed straight into the foul-smelling roadside gutter.

Fiona cruelly raised her phone, pushing the livestream camera right into Leo’s tear-streaked face.

Something inside me shattered.

“Stop! I’ll comply!” I screamed hoarsely.

Only then did Fiona lower her phone, a satisfied smile curling her lips.

She walked over and yanked a chubby little girl with freckles to her side.

It was her niece.

The girl had grown up in the countryside. Two years ago, her parents passed away, and Fiona brought her to live with us.

She was rough-mannered and had even stolen from our home.

However, I pitied her. Since the items weren’t valuable, I never pursued them.

Fiona stepped closer to me, deliberately raising her voice so everyone could hear.

“Everyone, please listen.”

She pulled a piece of paper from her bag.

It was a printed engagement contract.

“This woman needs to promise that Leo will marry my niece when he turns twenty. And if she breaks that promise, she owes my family ten million in damages!”