Chapter 5

James's expression didn’t change. "I believe what I saw."

Edith laughed despite herself. So this… was how he had always seen her. A bully.

No wonder, no matter how hard she tried these past two years, he had never responded.

It turned out that in his eyes, she had always been this kind of person.

And somehow, he’d managed to keep that judgment buried for over two years without ever saying a word.

Wilson, who had been quiet, chuckled languidly. "Well, Mr. Shatner, I guess you should just donate those eyes since you're not using them."

Susie suddenly pointed at him as if she had just noticed him. "Wait! You were there too, with Ms. Conrad—"

"What, so I bullied you as well?" Wilson cut her short right then, not even bothered to look her way. "Do you think I'd stoop that low for someone like you?"

Susie paled and leaned closer to James as if on instinct, while James glared at the trio before warning Edith coldly, "Keep your friends in line, or don't blame me for what happens next."

Edith didn't respond and merely chuckled coolly.

Then, she pulled Nora and Wilson back to their room, not bothered to waste her breath with Susie and James.

James' brow creased watching as Edith left.

In the past, she would argue and hound him until he believed her.

So what was this? Guilt, or she couldn't even be bothered to defend herself?

Once the trio was gone, Susie gingerly tugged on James' suit. "Did I make a mistake? I'm sorry… I just can't help remembering the past."

James turned away and quietly said, "She was young back then, and a troublemaker. She means no harm—don't be so harsh on her."

There was a sinister flash in Susie's eyes just then.

Edith? Young? They were the same age!

Was Edith allowed to do whatever she wanted just because she was an heiress, and James would help her unconditionally?

She had no right!

Despite her heart blazing with jealousy, Susie was once again kind and understanding when she spoke again. "I know. I wouldn't have overreacted if I didn't run into Nora…"

James quickly spotted the catch. "Why was Nora so upset with you?"

Susie was taken aback.

Right, James had no idea that Edith had sought her out because of what she did to Nora and Quinn, instead presuming that Edith was jealous of her over another man.

When she spotted James with the corner of her eye on campus that day, she promptly played the damsel in distress.

Then, after Edith and Wilson left, she chased after James, begging him not to say anything about what he had seen.

That was how they first crossed paths.

Naturally, she couldn't tell James the truth and made an excuse. "I guess she was upset for Ms. Conrad's sake."

James watched her thoughtfully, eventually saying, "I'll have someone send you home now."

Susie could only nod obediently.

-

Back in their private room, Nora downed her tea in one gulp, still seething.

Turning to Wilson, she demanded, "What's the deal here? I had no idea what that bitch was talking about."

Wilson rubbed his brow and sat, languid as he explained, "When Quinn said he needed a break, you were hiding in your room, like the world was ending. Remember?"

Nora huffed indignantly. "When was I ever that dramatic?"

Wilson threw up his hands. "Yes, ma'am. Never happened."

Chuckling despite herself, Nora smacked his hands away.

Still, Wilson turned serious. "Anyway, that's not the point. The point is, Ed was worried about you, so she took me along to have a talk with Susie, hoping she would stay away from Quinn."

Nora frowned. "And that's suddenly bullying?"

Wilson raised a brow. "Can't you tell that she's trying to drive a wedge between Edith and James now?"

Nora's frown deepened as she heard Wilson's words. "Right… People like her latch onto whoever has power. I'm guessing she must have been with others before James or Quinn, so why don't you look into that?"

Wilson nodded nonchalantly, while Nora turned toward the silent Edith, asking worriedly, "Well, what's your plan now, Ed?"

"Nothing." Edith smiled, coming to her senses.

"You're just going to let her strut?!" Nora asked anxiously.

Edith kept her gaze lowered as she twirled her teacup. "I can turn a blind eye to anything she does, as long as it isn't in front of me. It's none of my business what goes on between her and James, and he's nothing to me from now on."

Then, remembering something, she turned to Nora and Wilson. "Don't bother her. James has her back now, and you'd get yourself into a whole lot of trouble."

The way James protected Susie earlier… He had never been that protective over her in the two years they were married.

Nora and Wilson traded silent looks, but Edith didn't want to elaborate further either.

Looking at Wilson, she asked, "Your cousin is a famous lawyer, isn't he? Can I have a referral?"'

Wilson nodded but asked, "Why a lawyer?"

"Consultation on my divorce."

"I'll make an appointment right now," Wilson replied, picking up his phone and going over to the window.

Nora frowned. "Are you really just going to let that bitch take James Shatner? You'd be giving her a real freebie."

Edith pursed her lips in a wry smile. "You'll get burned fighting fire with fire, and I really don't have time to think about the other stuff right now, aside from self-empowerment."

Hearing something like that left Nora feeling pained for Edith.

If Edith had known that someone was lusting after James before this, she would have asserted her dominance.

Even if she wouldn't go out of her way to bully them, she'd made sure she wasn't the one losing.

That was why it was all the more obvious now that she was really giving up on James, and Nora had no idea what to say about that.

That was when Wilson ended his call. "He's in his office. Head over now if you like."

"Okay," Edith replied, picking up her handbag as she stood.

Nora stood up too. "I'm coming with you."

Edith shook her head. "No, you guys run along. I'll go on my own."

Nora was going to insist, but Wilson pulled her along and nodded at Edith. "Go. Just call us if anything comes up."

"Yeah," Edith replied and left.

Wilson watched and waited until Edith stepped out of the room. He then told Nora, "You should ask your husband about Susie. And I'm sending my boys to look into her."

Nora quickly nodded. "Yeah. We're all she has now, and I'm not about to let that bitch bully her."

-

An hour later, Edith had just left the lawyer's office when she received Bart Conrad's call.

She hesitated for a while but eventually answered. "Dad."

Bart was snapping sternly right then, "What took you so long to answer? Come home tonight with James—we're having dinner together!"

Edith frowned.

Forget how things were with James right now—even in the past, she had been reluctant to bring James with her to visit the Conrads.

After all, Bart would always ask James for favors, whether outright or subtly, and she didn't want James to think that the Conrads were a greedy bunch.

Now, with so much tying their two families together, it was all the more difficult for her to divorce James.

The lawyer had even advised her that the first step was to cut off any interests tying them together.

There was no problem with a clean break, but it was difficult to cut the ties between the two families after the Conrads received so much from the Shatners.

Refusing to give Bart more excuses to ask for more, Edith made an excuse. "He's busy, so I'm coming back alone."

Bart pretended not to hear that. "I don't care what you do—bring him home. You owe us Conrads that much."

And with that, he hung up.

Edith dropped her phone on the front passenger seat and turned to gaze upon the golden rays of dusk outside the window, feeling endless irony.

She owed the Conrads?

Well, what about her?

Did she deserve to be the switcheroo? Just because she was an orphan?

If Bart didn't cheat, have a daughter out of wedlock, and try to switch said daughter with the legitimate daughter even if she died in a stillbirth, would Melody have come up with such a revenge?

Would she have ended up in the Conrads' home?!

Who should she get upset with about that?!

Yes, she had enjoyed a life of privilege with the Conrads, with Melody doting on her for over twenty years, and Wanda doing the same after Melody's passing. But had any of them asked if she was willing to leave her biological parents and be someone else's daughter?

If anything, Bart and Wanda owed her because of their mistakes, and none of it was her fault!

She refused to be manipulated by him any longer and made up her mind not to call James as she returned home… which earned her a slap from Bart.

"You really grew a pair, huh?" he snapped. "Weren't you listening?! The only purpose you serve is to suck up to James Shatner! I just might give two shits if you can keep him, but if you can't, then you will never see me again!"

Despite that unfamiliar attitude from Bart, Edith stayed silent.

It was the first time he had ever laid his hand on her or spoken that harshly in twenty-four years.

But since she learned about her true identity, she never planned to stick with the Conrads.

It was only because Bart still wanted to squeeze benefits from the Shatners through her that he hadn’t cut ties with her immediately.

So at this point, Edith was going to come clean and tell him she intended to divorce James.

And yet, even before she could say a word, Bart was suddenly beaming as he brushed past her, asking out loud, "Oh, James! Perfect timing—I guess Edith was early?"

Edith turned to see James entering with his bodyguard Hans Yimmel right behind him, carrying bags of gifts.

As Hans put down the bags and quickly left the villa, James and Edith's eyes met, but James turned away as he replied, "Work."

"Oh, right, you're a busy man… But you didn't have to bring so many gifts. Why worry about that stuff?"

Despite what Bart said, there was no wiping the smile off his face.

James remained silent even as Bart fawned, instead walking up to Edith.

The moment he lowered his gaze and saw the red mark on her face, his expression darkened instantly. "Who did that?"