My internal organs trembled violently from the heavy blows. I was powerless to resist, curling up in a ball, clutching the jade pendant my mother left me, silently enduring everything. Suddenly, the room fell silent after one of the thugs said something.
As I grew anxious, a crazed woman burst through the crowd towards me. She lifted my head from where it was buried in my knees and slapped me hard before I could speak. The slap was so forceful that my cheek immediately started to burn with pain.
“You wretch! Homewrecker! You should go to hell” she screamed, slapping me again until my consciousness began to blur. Her sharp, diamond-studded nails scratched my cheeks leaving scratches on my face My entire face felt like it was being scorched by fire.
Theron, you cruel bastard Just because I sent evidence of his infidelities to his wealthy mistresses, he sought such revenge. Even resorting to using mentally ill people because they can’t be held legally accountable. Through swollen eyes, I glared at the spectators enjoying the show. I was familar with some of them, friends of Theron before. This was a setup targeting me!
After five minutes, my head was finally released. My face was swollen and marked with nail scratches. Theron stood there, looking smug and triumphant.
My heart sank; this man was to be my future stepfather… Thinking of this, I struggled to speak through my swollen lips: “You bastard… I won’t let you… marry… my mom…”
They didn’t hear me clearly due to my swollen mouth, but they distinctly heard the word “bastard.”
“You shameless bitch! How dare you insult me?” Theron snarled incredulously. “So arrogant! Homewreckers A mistress is acting so arrogant! ? Beaten like this , you are still talking back! I will teach you a lesson, or my name is not Theron.”
Besides anger, an inexplicable emotion surged within me. Before I could know it, the pain engulfing my body made my breathing difficult. My whole body ached; I vowed to take revenge on each one of them.
Before I could act on my thoughts, a hand reached for my neck and yanked off the jade pendant. My mind went blank as it was lifted by a finger. When I came to my senses, I lunged at it desperately.
“Give it back! Don’t touch it!”
Theron examined the necklace mockingly. “Seems your sugar daddy doesn’t care much about you, giving you such a cheap trinket.”
Taking advantage of his negligence, I broke free from his grip and pushed him away. My mouth tore with pain as I spoke through split lips: “Stop it! All of you stop!”
“Theron, I’m Katarina’s daughter, the woman you’re marrying tomorrow!”
“If Mom knew you treated me like this, she wouldn’t spare you!”
I thought revealing my identity would make them stop and apologize. They were stunned for a moment before bursting into laughter.
“See, this woman is a great actress,” someone said before lifting me and slamming me against a display case. The pain in my waist made me numbing.
“Yesterday, my wife told me that her daughter is in France for an important jewelry design competition and can’t make it to our wedding.”
“If you don’t believe me, call my mom now!”
Theron’s rage only grew more intense.
“Impersonating my stepdaughter? You think you’re qualified to that ?” he sneered quietly so only I could hear it.
“When we dated, weren’t you pretending to be rich? Rich person has time to play detective?”
He didn’t know that I had been wealthy then but pretended otherwise to get rid of him quickly. My decision proved right.
I feigned calmness while glancing at the pendant out of the corner of my eye. Noticing my panic beneath the calmness, he deliberately knocked the pendant against the glass display case.
My heart climbed into my throat. This pendant was the only keepsake left by my father-a genius jewelry designer who crafted it with all his love when I was born. The design was ingenious: viewed one way, it depicted my father holding my pregnant mother; viewed another way, it showed a toddler stumbling towards their parents.
Since childhood, I’d worn this pendant constantly. After Dad died, I cherished it even more, fearing any mishap.
I glared at Theron with fear for what might happen next as he dangled the pendant before me.
“You want this? Then kneel and beg,” he taunted.
I admitted defeat internally; he came for revenge and would stop at nothing. I couldn’t let him destroy the pendant before my eyes.
Closing my eyes in resignation, I pleaded with a trembling voice: “This is all I have left from Dad-my only solace.”
“Please return it to me; I’ll overlook everything that happened today.”
Theron smirked leisurely: “Return it? Sure, I can give it to you”
“But you kowtow to me fifteen times.”
Fifteen-the number of mistresses he had when I exposed him-and also the number of files sent as evidence. He wanted to humiliate me!
Two men holding me down forced me onto my knees.
“Haha! Look at this bitch-her face is reddening with anger!”
” She deserves it. How dare she hooked up with a mam old enough to be her dad
“Kowtow or I’ll gouge your eyes out!” someone threatened as I struggled futilely.
“Theron! You have gone too far!”
Theron sneered coldly: “You have ten seconds to consider-ten… nine… eight…”
Tears welled up as anger boiled within me; biting my lips hard
“Five… four… three…”
Theron raised his hand threateningly: It seems that you don’t care so much about this keepsake from your dad-”
“Two… one!”
My last line of defense crumbled completely; raising both hands in surrender: “No! Don’t break it-I’ll kowtow!”
My reluctant submission greatly pleased Theron as he lowered his arm slowly.
“I endured my anger and the pain from my injuries, and without hesitation, I slammed my head down hard.
Each time my forehead touched the ground, my dignity was trampled upon.
For the first time, I felt helpless, born in an era of peace.
The dried blood on my forehead was once again soaked with fresh blood.
Those around me burst into laughter.
I knew well that most of the people around were his men. I had no chance to resist; I could only submit to him. Only by doing so could I have a chance to protect the necklace left by my father from being damaged.”
“Thirteen!” they counted mockingly while laughing uproariously…
.”Taking advantage of the moment, I suddenly jumped up, trying to snatch the jade pendant from his hand.
But the instant I leaped, his leather shoe came down hard on my knee.
I crashed to the ground, and the sound of bones cracking could be heard clearly.”
“‘Hold her down,’ Theron said disdainfully.
Immediately, two pairs of hands pressed me down, pinning me to the ground.
I watched helplessly as the jade pendant was crushed into powder under his leather shoe.
Tears welled up in my eyes. I hadn’t cried when they humiliated me or beat me, nor did I cry even when I was forced to kneel before my enemy in humiliation.
But at this moment, all hope vanished, and tears streamed down my face.
The overwhelming surge of hatred caused me to break free from the two pairs of hands holding me down.
When I saw the black mole on the inside of his arm, a sharp pain shot through my nerves.
Tears mixed with blood as countless fragmented memories flashed through my mind.
“I’ll kill you!”