Chapter 2

At that thought, I shook my head to clear my mind.

Catching sight of Faye sneaking fruit nearby, I walked over and scooped her up.

"You've already had plenty this morning, so no more for now. We need to save room for lunch."

Just then, I felt a gaze fixed squarely on my back. Instinctively, I set Faye down and turned around, only to see Austin approaching with his entourage.

Seeing me frozen, Faye pulled a face at me before scampering off to the side with the fruit platter in hand.

"Kendra, what are you doing here?" Austin asked with a frown. "Did you come looking for me now that you see I'm doing well? Are you hoping to climb your way back up?"

Austin raised an eyebrow and looked at me with a mocking gleam in his eyes. He had already made up his mind that I was here to latch onto his success.

A flicker of triumph flashed in his gaze, yet the words that left his lips were cutting.

"Didn't I give you most of my money when we divorced? What more do you want? A million dollars should be more than enough for you to live on for the rest of your life."

Then, glancing around the auction hall as if struck by sudden realization, he added, "No wonder you came here looking for me. You must've burned through a lot over these five years.

"I gave you too much in the divorce—it spoiled you and led you to these reckless spending habits. You'd better drop that habit before it's too late, especially when there's no man around to fund your lifestyle."

Even after five years apart, Austin was as vile to me as ever.

Those scrambling to curry favor with him quickly seized the chance to belittle me further.

"This must be your ex-wife, Mr. Hart. She really can't compare to Ms. Deleon in looks or grace. Frankly, she doesn't look like she has a decent job."

"I couldn't agree more. How dare she show up at an auction without much to her name? Just looking at her… Tsk, tsk, she's truly an embarrassment to Mr. Hart."

"A woman with no self-respect is truly despicable. Where are the security guards? Get this low-class woman out of here before she taints the atmosphere of the venue."

No matter how even-tempered I was, there was a limit to what I could take when I had to listen to lies like that.

I held up my phone and said, "I've just recorded everything you all said. Expect a summons from the court soon."

Before I could finish speaking, a sudden sharp pain shot through my knee. Instinctively, I reached down to clutch it. And in that moment, Clifford snatched my phone away.

He looked at me with smug satisfaction. "Mo—Ms. Powell, it's not like these gentlemen are wrong. After all, you only came here to cling to Dad again."

I never held much affection for Austin, but Clifford? I carried him for ten months and labored through a whole night to bring him into this world.

I could hardly believe that he would say such a thing.

I drew in a sharp breath. "What did you just say?"

Instead of answering me, Clifford slammed my phone to the ground before shrugging innocently. "Take it as you will."

Then, as if seeking praise, he wrapped his arms around Stacy's waist and called out sweetly, "Mom, did I do the right thing?"

Hearing my own son call another woman "Mom" was a blow I couldn't yet absorb. A searing pain shot through my chest, and my brow clenched in agony.

A flicker of panic crossed Austin's face, but it vanished so quickly I almost wondered if I had imagined it.