I clenched my teeth and my voice was shaking.
“You know my mother's character. She's not the kind of person who would stage an accident to extort money. She nearly lost her life and now has to endure such slander. I swear I will clear her name.”
Aaron laughed as if hearing a joke, waving his hand dismissively:
“Enough. What justice? It's just a small matter. It's just that the money wasn't paid on time.”
He reached into his pocket, pulled out a check and quickly wrote down an amount.
“How much do you want? I'll make it up to you. 20 million, is that enough?”
“30 million?”
I bit my lip so hard, tasting the strong taste of blood.
Aaron grew impatient.
“50 million should be enough. More than enough to buy your mother's life.”
He flung the check at me, then pretended to wipe away the tears on my face with the other hand.
“Barbara, your mother's arm is already gone. Causing more trouble won't change anything.”
“Cecilia is obsessed with becoming a influencer. She's stubborn and headstrong.”
Aaron gave an indulgent smile. “She's always so competitive at everything. If the likes for this video aren't good, she'll come crying to me again and I won't be able to comfort her.”
Before I could react, he snatched my phone away.
Just as he was about to like that humiliating video, I rushed forward like a madwoman, “Aaron!”
But the bodyguards acted quickly and stopped me.
I could only watch helplessly as Aaron lifted his hand carelessly and pressed down on the stamp that had brought shame upon me and my mother.
I collapsed in despair, tears streaming down my face.
“Aaron MacBricc, I won't let you get away with this. No matter what it takes, I will get justice for my mom.”
Aaron stood up calmly, about to leave, but paused upon hearing my words.
He turned back coldly, a mocking smile on his lips.
“Barbara, my patience has its limits.”
“You know what I'm capable of when I decide to protect someone.”
With bodyguards at his side, he strode away while I lay sprawled on the floor, feeling as if icy water had been poured over me. I knew he wasn't lying.
In the purest years of our love, Aaron had once risked his life to protect me.
I was kidnapped by one of Aaron's admirers, my body bound with ropes, about to be thrown into a den of men to be abused. Aaron stabbed several people and rushed in recklessly to save me.
When he held me, his voice trembled, “Be good, Barbara. It's okay now...”
The next day, I heard that the suitor had been imprisoned, his family had gone bankrupt and he was kneeling in repentance for what he had done to me.
Because of this incident, Aaron rose to fame—he became known as the most devoted husband in our circle.
He traveled across the ocean to celebrate my birthday, bringing my favorite strawberry cake and appeared before me at midnight sharp.
When I suffered a minor injury, his eyes turned red with worry.
That night, he invested over a hundred million to open a private hospital exclusively just for me.
But everything changed just months after he met a little-known influencer.
At the time, migrant workers who had been owed two years' wages climbed onto a rooftop and threatened to jump to their deaths unless the capitalists paid them back, making headlines on social media.
Cecilia was determined to become a popular influencer. That day, she capitalized on the news and posted a video criticizing these “shameless migrant workers.”
She accused them of being ugly beggars, intentionally playing the victim, trying to guilt-trip others with death threats.
“You're not helpless migrant workers at all. You know how to use the media and public opinion to stir up trouble. Don't tell me you didn't plan this in advance with ulterior motives?”
