Chapter 6

Hearing the woman's words, Julian felt relieved because he had previously guessed Jemima's profession wrong.

"So, how can a stepmother behave like that? Even sell her stepdaughter's pride?" asked Julian, curious and wanting to motivate Jemima to stand up to the woman who oppressed her.

"Wake up, you don't deserve this, Jemi," Julian said firmly in front of Jemima.

Jemima just stood there with her head bowed, tears falling to the floor.

"Come on, say something!" urged Julian, the usually quiet man saying a lot of words after the arrival of the middle-aged woman.

"Enough, Julian! Just let the woman be what she is," Jemima finally spoke up.

Julian felt disappointed but didn't know what had happened to make the woman hate Jemima so much. After wiping Jemima's head, which was wet from the instant noodle soup, Julian chose to sit back down. He didn't want to give the woman a chance to continue bullying Jemima.

"Are you happy being a spectator?" mocked the woman, looking to sit down, but the sofa in the room was only occupied by Julian.

"Tell me, what is the purpose of your visit?" said Jemima, without caring about the presence of a strange man in the room.

"Regarding Ian, I'm sorry, I never borrowed money from him. The one who borrowed for additional capital for your husband's business is you." She continued.

"You should hold Sania accountable; she should pay. Not me; all the problems in your family have nothing to do with me. Didn't we lose our relationship a long time ago?" she added.

The woman was not happy with Jemima's resistance, "After all, you are still my husband's family. Your father's company is on the verge of collapse, Jemi."

"Do you have the heart to see your father become poor?" the woman asked.

Jemima looked up, turned her body, and stared intently at the woman who claimed to be her stepmother.

"All this time, have you ever cared about my existence? What reason do I have to think about your condition?" retorted Jemima sharply.

"You are a disobedient child, Jemi. You should never have been born useless." The woman cursed.

"You should leave this house and never come back," Jemima shooed away, pointing at the exit.

The woman's face was full of anger; she approached Jemima and delivered a hard slap right on the poor girl's cheek.

PLAK!

"You'd better find a husband soon if you don't want to give your body to Ian!"

Jemima looked shocked by the threat as well as the slap she received just now; she reflexively held her hot cheek. Her eyes looked red with anger, but she couldn't do anything about it either.

"Why are you quiet, Jemima?!" snapped her stepmother, as if she didn't feel the slightest bit guilty.

Jemima shook her head gently, "I'm sorry, Mother. I can't do it." She replied helplessly but remained in her stubborn stance.

The woman looked angry, and once again, she raised her palm, but somehow, she did not hit Jemima's face again.

"How ungrateful!" she snorted while occasionally looking at the strange man who was still sitting frozen in the room.

The woman moved closer to Jemima and whispered something before walking away.

"You must pay this debt. Ian doesn't want Sania's body!"

Jemima's eyes bulged. She really couldn't understand this woman. Even her biological daughter was traded, let alone her, who was only a stepdaughter?

The atmosphere was silent for a moment. Julian looked confused about what to do and how.

Jemima finally realized the girl's body suddenly sat limp with a blank look and a mind full of something.

"What can I do so that you feel comforted?" asked Julian, venturing to speak.

Jemima pouted, "Comforted? Yikes!"

As the girl stared fixedly at the stranger she had brought home, she felt so ashamed that her self-esteem dropped to the bottom.

"Isn't my life so miserable?" she asked quietly.

Julian was heard clearing his throat, and the man seemed careful with both his words and behavior at the moment.

"It's really embarrassing," Jemima sighed again as she wiped away her tears while getting up from her seat.

But just as she was about to leave, Julian immediately pulled her hand away.

"Where are you going?" he asked.

"Nowhere, I'm just going to make some more noodles," Jemima replied as if nothing had happened.

"Eat mine," Julian pleaded.

"You'd better sit down and talk to me about what happened to you." He asked again.

"We won't be full if we eat a bowl together_"

"Don't change the subject." Julian cut in as he pulled and grasped Jemima's hand, preventing her from leaving.

"Why?"