Maggie was trembling from head to toe after hearing my words. Her face turned pale with rage, but she couldn't form a coherent sentence—she just stood there, stammering in place. Daniel, clinging to her arm like a loyal lapdog, immediately jumped to her defense, barking as if his meal ticket had been insulted.
“You bitch! How dare you curse my wife?”
“Even if Chairwoman Foster is older, she’s still a hundred times better than you! With her status and influence in Leavenworth, she could crush you with the flick of a finger!”
“I’m telling you—apologize to my wife right now, or don’t even think about walking out of here alive!”
When I was young, my parents taught me to respect the elderly and care for the young. But standing in front of this foul-mouthed old woman, spewing venom without shame, I couldn’t muster an ounce of respect. Especially not for someone who had the nerve to steal my boyfriend and then flaunt it like a prize.
As the betrayal simmered in my chest, I felt my patience starting to burn.
“Mr. Murphy,” I said with a calm edge in my voice, “you’re betting on the wrong horse.”
“This 'Chairwoman Foster' you speak of... to me, she’s nothing but a cheap social climber with a few dirty coins in her pocket.”
The crowd around us erupted in whispers and gasps.
“Who is this woman? She’s not even blinking while insulting General Manager Foster. Could she really be someone powerful?”
“Powerful? Please. She couldn’t even keep her boyfriend. Probably just another pretty face with no brains.”
“Exactly. Chairwoman Foster is a major player in Leavenworth. This girl’s just barking to save face.”
I let them talk. Their flattery meant nothing to me—just noise from sycophants trying to suck up to the wrong person. Because the truth was, if I wanted to, I could bring down Foster Group with nothing more than a casual signature. Their entire operation would collapse before the ink dried. But I didn’t. Not because I couldn't—but because I didn’t think it was worth my time. She was old. She wouldn’t be jumping around for many more years. Unfortunately, people tend to mistake mercy for weakness.
“Who are you calling a turd, you little bitch?!” Maggie finally exploded. “I’m the Chairwoman of a listed company! You’re just some pathetic woman abandoned by her man! Where do you get the audacity to talk to me like that?!”
“You’d better apologize right now, or I swear I’ll make sure you can’t take a single step in Leavenworth ever again!”
I looked up slowly, meeting her furious glare head-on. My voice came out cold and deliberate.
“Chairwoman Foster… I’ll ask you just once.”
“Are you sure you want to stand against me for the sake of this man?”
There was a sudden, eerie stillness in the room. Even the music had faded into background static. For a moment, Maggie stared at me, stunned—her bluster cracking under the weight of the aura I had deliberately released. Sensing her hesitation, Daniel instantly panicked. He clung to her tighter, desperate to keep his grip on his golden goose.
“Honey, don’t listen to her! She’s just a poor orphan—no parents, no background, no future. She’s nothing in Leavenworth! We don’t have to be afraid of her!”
Maggie cleared her throat a few times, trying to cover her faltering composure. Then she straightened her back and forced a smirk onto her wrinkled face.
“Girl, I’ve lived longer than you’ve been alive. And in all those years, you’re the first person who’s ever dared to threaten me.”
“My Foster Family holds real power in Leavenworth. You think I’d be scared of you?”
She was trying to sound bold, but anyone with a brain could see it was all bark and no bite. Her words weren’t for me—they were for herself. Still, I played along, pretending not to notice the fear twitching behind her eyes.
“I suggest you think this through, Chairwoman Foster,” I said calmly. “You wouldn’t want your entire company to crumble in your hands, would you?”
But before Maggie could say a word, Daniel once again jumped out like a clown at center stage.
“Linda, cut the act already! Who the hell do you think you are?!”
