Chapter 3

Stacy gently pinched Clifford's cheek and smirked at me. "Kendra, don't take it to heart. Clifford's just afraid you might try to take Austin away. He simply likes me too much and really wants me to be his mother forever."

Her smile remained polished, but she subtly emphasized the last few words.

Then, she put her hand with the big diamond ring on Clifford's head on purpose.

Suddenly, I remembered an interview of hers I had seen on TV not long ago.

A reporter had asked how she managed to stay so happy every day, and she had replied, "I really have to thank Austin's ex-wife. If she hadn't left, how would I ever have had the chance to live this kind of life?"

All of this only confirmed how deeply Austin loved Stacy. He couldn’t bear to let her suffer a single day of hardship.

Fortunately, I no longer loved him.

Fingering the ring on my hand, I thought of my husband, Bradley Gilmore, and couldn't help but let out a soft chuckle.

Austin also noticed the ring on my finger, and his face fell instantly.

"You didn't have to wear a fake ring just to save face," he accused, a chill radiating from him.

"It's not fake. My husband gave it to me when we got engaged," I retorted.

The moment the words left my lips, both Austin and Clifford caught their breath simultaneously.

Austin's dark eyes lingered on me for a long moment before he suddenly laughed. "Then your husband must be quite useless if he can't even afford a diamond ring."

Clifford chimed in mockingly, "Ms. Powell, even if you couldn't find a man as exceptional as my dad, you didn't have to settle for a broke loser who can't even buy a proper ring."

What they didn't know was that this plain, unassuming ring was worth billions of dollars. It was a piece worn only by the head of the Gilmore family.

But I didn't bother explaining. If the ring were to go missing, it would cause far more trouble than it was worth.

To the three of them, however, my silence only confirmed their belief that I had married a penniless man.

Stacy covered her mouth to stifle a giggle. "Kendra, you've really fallen low, haven't you? Without Austin, can you even afford a proper meal?"

With that, she deliberately stood on her toes and gave Austin a soft kiss. Then, she cooed in a playful, teasing tone, "Austin, she used to be your wife after all, so why not give her 500 dollars for cab fare and send her on her way?"

Austin looked at me and said slowly, "Sneaking around and pretending won't get you anywhere, Kendra. Just take a cab and go home. Don't embarrass yourself here any further."

Just then, a faint sound came from the phone on the floor.

I bit back my anger and pointed at it. "Could you give me my phone back first? Since I haven't been able to message my husband for so long, he must be going crazy with worry."

With me being out of touch this long, Bradley—that green-eyed monster—would probably sulk for ages at home. And the task of cheering him up would inevitably fall to me.

Clifford let out a mocking snort and deliberately stepped on the phone with his custom-made, expensive shoes.

"As if being dirt poor wasn't enough, he has to be a control freak too?" he said with a sneer.

The moment I heard that, I knew Clifford had been reborn too.

In our previous lives, that was his favorite line to throw at me.

Whenever I tried to discipline him, whether it was about homework or chores, Clifford would lash out with those exact words.

Even in this second life, Austin and Clifford had still chosen Stacy.

…

I just couldn't accept that I had given birth to a son for someone else.

I took a moment to compose myself, reining in my emotions as best I could. "Clifford, stop stepping on my phone and give it back to me now."

Clifford acted as if he hadn't heard me and kicked the phone away, sending it flying straight into the nearby decorative fountain.

Austin's face darkened as he scolded him in a low voice, "How could you kick your mo—Kendra's phone like that? How is she supposed to get home now?"

Clifford shrugged nonchalantly. "What's the big deal? I'll just have someone buy her a new one. How much can a cheap phone even cost? Unless she's afraid that broke husband of hers will beat her up over it."

Seeing the situation, Stacy immediately stepped in to shield him. "Austin, don't be angry. I'm sure Clifford didn't mean to do that, so there's no need to be so harsh."

Austin's expression softened noticeably at Stacy's cooing.

After casually rummaging through her bag, she pulled out a 20-dollar bill and tossed it onto the ground.

"Kendra, use this to take a cab home. An auction house isn't a place you can afford to wander around."

She was blatantly trying to humiliate me.

Everyone present burst into laughter.

Standing there, I had become nothing but a joke.

Just then, a soft yet furious voice rang out. "How dare you bully my mommy?"

Faye rushed over angrily and threw herself at Clifford's leg, sinking her teeth in before quickly scrambling back to me.

Clifford cried out in pain, while his eyes stayed fixed on Faye.

"What did you just call her?" he asked in a voice filled with icy resentment.

Austin stiffened, his breathing growing heavier. "Is this kid an actress you hired?"