In front of a hall full of guests, I secured a major deal for the Hughes family.
Yet, to my shock, Ethan Hughes’s younger sister shoved me down the spiral staircase in front of all the elders.
Looking down at me sprawled on the carpet in disgrace, Isabella Hughes’s eyes burned with jealousy.
“Don’t think that just because you landed this billion-dollar contract, you can keep your seat as the Hughes family’s daughter-in-law.”
“You’ll never be better than your sister, my true sister-in-law—Emily Carter!”
“When my brother takes over, you’ll be thrown out with nothing!”
Clutching my bleeding eye from where it had struck the steps, I bent slowly to pick up the scattered business cards. A wave of indescribable exhaustion swept over me.
Staring at the girl who once cried and begged me to teach her how to shoot, I felt no anger, only bone-deep weariness.
“You don’t need to drive me away. Once this deal is done and I’ve repaid your family’s favor, I’ll leave on my own.”
A stabbing pain seared deep in my eye, sharp enough to rob me of breath.
Ignoring the need for a hospital, I bent to gather the contracts one by one. They were the fruit of two months of sleepless work, deals struck with over a dozen corporations across the globe.
Isabella froze for a moment, then sneered coldly.
“Sophia Carter, this is your retribution for stealing Emily’s place!”
Lifting my bloodied face, I answered calmly,
“Isabella, this deal was your brother’s order. If you ruin it, you’re destroying his hard work as well.”
Her expression twisted, rage flaring in her eyes. She raised her voice to a shrill pitch.
“Sophia! Stop pretending! If it weren’t for you, Emily would already be my sister-in-law! Who would’ve needed you?”
She hurled the papers straight at my wounded eye.
The fragile orb could hardly withstand the blow, and the pain nearly made me pass out.
I bit my lip, forcing myself not to cry out.
Just as I gripped the railing, struggling to stand, Ethan appeared.
He cast me a faint, impatient glance.
“Isabella is still just a kid. Why lower yourself to her level?”
“Business deals like this shouldn’t involve a woman anyway.”
“Hand me the contract, then apologize to Isabella, and this matter will be over.”
Hearing Ethan, Isabella smirked triumphantly. Her shrill voice carried across the hall:
“Even if she kneels, I’ll never forgive her! If not for her being useful enough to make money for us, how could a murderer like her ever be allowed into the Hughes family?”
The guests, enjoying the spectacle, began to murmur.
“The current Mrs. Hughes looks beautiful, but how could she do something so vicious?”
“I heard she pushed her own sister down the stairs just to marry her would-be brother-in-law.”
“That’s how she took her sister’s place, fulfilling some childhood marriage pact to marry into wealth.”
“No, no, I heard the Hughes family canceled the engagement last minute because of her business skills, and the poor Miss Carter couldn’t bear the blow, so she jumped herself…”
“Shh! Don’t say that out loud!”
At their whispers, Ethan’s expression flickered with guilt.
I lowered my gaze, saying nothing in defense.
As Ethan squirmed under the scrutiny and turned to leave, I sat calmly where I was and said evenly:
