All Chapters of Stepping on the Wrong Toes: Chapter 1 - Chapter 10

10 Chapters

Chapter 1

The door to the operating theatre swung open just as the call ended.The doctor pulled off his mask and gave me a grave look before handing me a Notice of Critical Status.My heart sank.A nurse approached me with a gentle reminder to pay for my father-in-law's hospital bills.That was when it hit me—Jennifer Grant, that despicable woman, had pushed my father-in-law down. And now, he was still lying unconscious in a hospital bed. I reached for my wallet, ready to swipe my card, only to find it had insufficient funds. I tried several other cards, but all of them had been frozen. Who else could've done this, if not Huxley Carlson?Fuming, I called him. It wasn't until the third attempt that he finally answered."Huxley, have you gone mad? You froze all my cards! Mom and Dad are in the hospital. They need the money to survive!"His voice on the other end was as cold as ever. "This is your punishment, Katherine Sadler. We had a deal. Your backwater parents were not supposed to c

Chapter 2

I pleaded once more. "Just unfreeze the cards so I can settle the bills.""Your excuses are pathetic."Huxley snorted and hung up just like that.I trembled with rage and tried calling again, only to discover I'd been blocked.Just then, I received a message from Jennifer through WhatsApp. It was a short video.The video depicted Jennifer and Huxley passionately kissing in the office as if no one else existed."Stop calling. Interrupting someone while they're blowing off steam is a crime worthy of death." Jennifer's message dripped with spite and mockery.My eyes burned with tears as I stared at the video in disbelief.The man who had once been gentle and loving was now wrapped in another woman's arms. But this wasn't the time for me to dwell on my heartbreak. My in-laws were still waiting for money that could save their lives.Even if not for Huxley, I had to save them. After all, they had always treated me with kindness.I began reaching out to everyone I could—friends, r

Chapter 3

However, the household staff who were usually deferential now acted as if they couldn't hear me at all. My cries went completely unheard.Jennifer blew on her nails with disdain, as if brushing off filth."Can someone come tie these three hillbillies up? Toss them into the snow. A few spins in the field and we'll be rid of the bad luck!"The household staff swarmed in.My mother-in-law threw herself in front of my father-in-law and me, screaming, "Don't you dare! Huxley is my…"Before she could finish, Jennifer shoved her out, causing her to stumble and fall into the snow.My eyes blazed with fury as I tried to rush over, but two household staff pinned me down.They roughly tied us up with ropes and dragged us out of the mansion like stray dogs.The winters in Huntingburg were brutal. Snowfall was heavy, layering the ground with snow so thick that it crunched underfoot. I was thrown into the snow. The icy cold soaked through my thin clothes in an instant, and the biting chill

Chapter 4

"You're putting in this much effort just to get your credit cards unfrozen?"Huxley brushed Jennifer aside with slow, deliberate movements and walked up to me.He lit a cigarette and blew the smoke directly into my face.The acrid stench made me cough uncontrollably.He knew I couldn't stand cigarette smoke. He would've never done this to me in the past.I held back my anger and asked as calmly as I could, "How many times do I have to tell you that they're your parents? Why won't you just go see them?""You're a habitual liar. Why should I believe you? For all I know, this is just another one of your sob stories to get money out of me."I threw my mother-in-law's critical care notice in his face. "Take a good look at whose name is on it!"He didn't even glance at it. Instead, he stomped on the paper and slapped me across the face."You're putting on quite the show, aren't you? You even brought props this time. If you put half as much effort into pleasing me as Jenny does, you

Chapter 5

Heavy, labored breathing came through the receiver, but no words followed.Huxley instinctively moved to stand, only for Jennifer to push him back down."It's probably a scam. There are tons of schemes like this going around. If he really was your father, why wouldn't he be able to speak coherently?"My heart sank as the feeling of dread crept in."Dad had a stroke," I said urgently. "I told you already. The fact that he can say anything at all is a miracle. You need to get to the hospital now, Huxley. Mom's still in surgery—"Before I could finish, a different voice came on the line."Are you the patient's next of kin? Your mother has passed away despite attempts at resuscitation. Your father suffered a stroke. Payment hasn't been made. Please come to the hospital to settle the bill."Skeptical, Huxley asked, "Who are you?""I'm the attending doctor at the hospital. Please come as soon as you can."The call ended abruptly.Huxley turned to me, shock and confusion written acr

Chapter 6

A doctor arrived shortly after. My father-in-law was promptly rushed into the emergency room following a brief examination.Huxley berated the doctor in a furious, accusatory tone. "How can you just leave your patients out in the hallway? It's the dead of winter! Do you know how cold it is? What if something had gone wrong?"I grabbed him firmly, stopping him from interfering any further."The bills weren't paid. They're already doing us a favor by not kicking him out," I snapped. "After all, you, their son, couldn't even bother to show up."He opened his mouth to argue, but something in him faltered. He held back. With red-rimmed eyes and a tremor in his voice, he muttered, "Come with me to settle the bill, Katherine. I don't think I can handle it by myself."His rare display of vulnerability stirred nothing in me. I had loved him with everything I had for five years, but all I received in return was betrayal, cruelty, and humiliation.I no longer wanted to put up with it.Bu

Chapter 7

Jennifer looked at me fearfully, but still insisted on acting tough. "Hux loves me. Just you wait…"Without warning, Huxley raised his hand and backhanded her across the face. Then he turned to me, smiling as if nothing had happened."Don't listen to her, Katherine. She's hardly my type. She's just a toy to toss away once I get bored."He lifted the lid of the thermal jar he'd brought. Immediately, the aroma of clam chowder filled the air."You must be hungry, Katherine. I got this for you."I turned my head away and stared at the overcast skies outside."Do you know why I brought your parents home?" I asked calmly.Huxley froze, caught off guard by the sudden question."They missed you. They wanted to see you, to spend the holidays with their beloved son. They came with hope in their hearts, and look what they got. All of this—every bit of it—is thanks to your little fling. They're heartbroken. And honestly… so am I."Tears welled up in Huxley's eyes."I've let my parents do

Chapter 8

We used to cram into the subway every day, eat cheap takeout together, and pull all-nighters, working on project proposals. We naturally ended up dating as we grew closer over time.It wasn't until the second year of our relationship that Huxley finally revealed who he truly was—the heir of the Carlson Corp. He held me tightly, guilt-ridden and fearful, hoping I would forgive him for hiding the truth.I smiled and told him it was all alright. Just as I was about to reveal who I really was, he dragged me off to register our marriage before I could say a word.I planned to surprise him at our wedding by telling him I was also a wealthy heiress. But shortly after we registered our marriage, my family went bankrupt and fell into massive debt.Desperate, I approached him while he was still blissfully planning the wedding. "Can we hold off on the wedding for now? I need 20 million dollars. I'll pay it back next month."His joyful smile froze in place. "What do you mean?"I explained

Chapter 9

It didn't take long for the matter to be swept under the rug.The outcome didn't surprise me. With the Carlson family's influence, covering something like that was simple. My father-in-law gradually regained his clarity during treatment.It might've been the overwhelming shock, or perhaps he finally saw his son for who he truly was. Either way, he stopped making excuses for Huxley and began reflecting on the way he had raised his son.He called me to the hospital and said solemnly, "You've been through a lot these past few years. Huxley failed you, and as his father, so did I."He sighed, eyes filled with guilt. "I gave it some thought. The two of you should get a divorce. It'll be better for you two in the long run."I was taken aback. I hadn't expected my father-in-law to say something like that. I honestly thought he'd try to talk me into putting up with it and keeping the marriage alive for the sake of the Carlson family's reputation."Dad…" I didn't know what to say."I k

Chapter 10

My father-in-law lay in the hospital bed, watching helplessly as the business empire he had built with his own hands collapsed before his eyes. He was powerless to stop it.When he saw me walk in, a flicker of recognition flashed in his clouded eyes. He grasped my hand tightly. "You came… I'm so glad…"I could hear the tremor in his weak voice. A lump rose in my throat at the sight of the frail old man lying there, so worn and haggard. "I'll pay for the best doctors, Dad. Please don't give up."He gave a faint shake of his head and turned his gaze toward the corner of the room, where Huxley cowered silently. My father-in-law let out a heavy sigh.Then, he motioned for his lawyer to read his will.The lawyer's voice echoed throughout the ward as my father-in-law's final wishes were read aloud. He was leaving me the majority of his assets, including the floundering Carlson Corp.As for Huxley, all he was given was a house."How is that possible? I'm your biological son!" Huxley sc

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