Five years ago, at my engagement party, I slapped my fiancé's secretary Samuel so hard I knocked his newly done nose crooked. To avenge his secretary, my fiancé Raymond personally sent me to prison. The day I was released happened to coincide with Raymond and Samuel's wedding. Everyone thought I would seek crazy revenge. But I didn't make a scene at the wedding like everyone expected. Instead, I boarded a flight to another city and disappeared without a trace. Five years later, I returned to the country with my husband Manuel, just in time for my birthday. Manuel and I had plans to celebrate together. But when I arrived at the agreed-upon restaurant, I ran into Samuel. "Well, well? Who do we have here?" "If it isn't Aurora?" "Haven't seen you in years, Aurora. How did you end up looking so pathetic? Can't even afford decent clothes?" Samuel's voice was loud and dripping with sarcasm. The entire lobby instantly fell silent, with everyone's eyes turning toward us. I looked down at my clothes. Though they looked simple and plain, with no designer logos visible, they were all custom-made by Italian craftsmen. Each piece cost at least a hundred thousand dollars. But I didn't need to explain that to Samuel. I ignored him and picked up the menu from the table. My disregard only enraged Samuel further. He snatched the menu from my hands, raising his voice: "What, did two years in prison make you deaf? Didn't you hear me talking to you?" Before he finished speaking, the entire restaurant erupted in whispers. "Looks normal enough, but who would've thought she's an ex-con." "Oh my God, how did someone like that get in here?" Ignoring the murmurs and pointing fingers from surrounding customers, I slowly raised my head and looked at Samuel expressionlessly: "Excuse me, do I know you?" Samuel froze, then said angrily: "Aurora, what's with the act? Do you really think you're still that high-flying CEO from back then?" "Do you even know where you are? This is And Happy, the most elite, most luxurious restaurant in Massachusetts. A single cup of coffee costs hundreds of dollars." "Take a good look at yourself. Can you even afford to eat here? Get out! Just get out and stop embarrassing yourself!" Samuel looked at me with utter contempt and actually kicked the table in front of me. A loud crash echoed through the space. The coffee cup shook violently, brown liquid splashing out. Looking at the brown stains on my white shirt cuff, my expression darkened. This shirt was a birthday gift from Manuel. Today was the first time I'd worn it. I looked at Samuel coldly: "Apologize!" But Samuel just laughed mockingly: "You want ME to apologize?!" "Aurora, you must be dreaming!" "If anyone should be apologizing, it's you apologizing to me. Being in the same space as a bitch like you is ruining my appetite." With that, Samuel turned toward the door, his voice shrill: "Security!" "Where's security? Where the hell did everyone go? Letting just anyone in! Do you all want to lose your jobs?" Two security guards approached hesitantly. Just then, the restaurant manager arrived after hearing the commotion. Seeing Samuel's angry expression, the manager jogged over quickly. "What seems to be the problem? Tell me what's wrong and I'll handle it immediately." Samuel snorted coldly: "What's going on with you people?" "Service standards are getting worse and worse. Can't you see there's some poor trash here ruining the atmosphere?" The manager froze, following Samuel's gaze toward me. "I'm so sorry, I'll handle this right away." The manager bowed and scraped before Samuel, his tone full of obvious flattery and fawning. Then he turned to me with a stern expression: "Miss, this is a high-end establishment, not a homeless shelter. Please leave immediately." He made a gesture toward the door. "Did you hear that?" Samuel smugly patted my face: "Poor people should know their place. If you're broke, don't come out here trying to act rich!" I didn't move. Samuel thought I was scared and became even more arrogant. He pressed harder: "I should've made sure you stayed in there a few more years back then, so you wouldn't get out and embarrass yourself like this." I smiled coldly: "Samuel, that line should be directed at you." "Have you been living the good life so long that you've forgotten how you used to crawl through garbage heaps looking for food?"
Samuel grew up in the slums. When I met him, he was only thirteen, dressed in rags and digging through a garbage heap for food. I gave him the bread I had left over. He took it and wolfed it down in two bites. When I tried to leave, Samuel knelt at my feet, clutching my pant leg and refusing to let go. I softened in that moment and took him home, supporting him financially all the way through college. After graduation, I even arranged for him to work at the company as Raymond's secretary. I never imagined that this moment of compassion would eventually push me into an abyss of no return. A wolf is always a wolf. You can never domesticate one. The person I treated with all my heart was the one who stabbed me deepest in the back. Like many people who forget their roots after making it big, that time in the slums was taboo for Samuel—a past he never wanted mentioned. Samuel's expression changed instantly. Like a cat whose tail had been stepped on, he bristled with rage, pointing at me and shrieking: "Bitch! You're asking for death!" "How dare you bring up my past!" "Believe me, I'll cut out your tongue right now and feed it to the dogs!" Watching Samuel's furious reaction, I smiled coldly: "Cut out my tongue?!" "Are you sure you have what it takes?" "Don't end up crying in some man's arms again!" "You..." Samuel choked, pointing at me unable to speak for a long moment, his face turning red then pale. It was the shame and humiliation of having the truth exposed. "Aurora, you're dead today." Samuel stared at me, eyes full of venom. The atmosphere in the restaurant suddenly shifted. The previously noisy private room fell silent. You could hear a pin drop. Everyone's eyes on me changed too, as if looking at someone courting death who didn't know their place. Everyone knew that Samuel was the precious darling of Raymond, CEO of the Raymond Group. The Raymond Group had been thriving these past two years, going from strength to strength. In Massachusetts, who would dare disrespect the Raymond Group? Crossing Samuel meant crossing the entire Raymond Group. Samuel roared at the security guards behind him: "What are you standing around for? Get her! Let this bitch know what happens when you piss me off!" As his words fell, two burly security guards immediately stepped forward, grabbing my arms from both sides. The guards' grip was strong, making my arms ache. "I suggest you let go of me, or you'll regret it." My voice was cold, as if pulled from an ice cellar. But Samuel just laughed as if he'd heard the funniest joke: "Regret?" "Who are you trying to scare!" "This isn't five years ago. You're just an ex-con, a poor nobody—like a fly to me." "Forget hitting you, even if I killed you, what could you do about it?" I narrowed my eyes, watching Samuel draw closer and closer. When he was one step away, Samuel stopped, looking down at me from above. After a long moment, he slowly bent down, grabbed my chin with his hand, eyes challenging: "Aurora, you're worthless." "Calling you garbage picker and you still won't admit it!" Worthless. Garbage picker. Samuel's voice echoed in my ears again and again. I felt transported back to five years ago.
That day was my engagement party with Raymond. When the ceremony reached the cake-cutting portion, Samuel suddenly presented an exquisite gift box. When the box opened, inside was a worn-out high heel. Laughter erupted around us. And Samuel, as if that wasn't enough, leaned in closer and continued mocking me: "So what if you're the boss? You still have to pick up my hand-me-downs! Sleep with the man I slept with! You're worthless, the queen of trash!" Before he finished speaking, an explicit bedroom photo appeared on his phone screen. In the photo, Samuel wore sexy, revealing black stockings, eyes seductive as silk. And Raymond was shirtless, desire burning in his eyes, completely different from his usual cold demeanor. Samuel smiled at me triumphantly. My pupils constricted violently, all the blood in my body seeming to boil. In that moment, I could no longer remain calm. The rage flooding through me burned away all reason. I raised my hand and slapped him across the face... Because of that slap, I spent two full years in prison. "Hahaha—" Pulling myself from the memory, Samuel was still laughing triumphantly. The other people in the restaurant joined in the laughter. Everyone was enjoying my embarrassment and distress. My eyes turned cold. I suddenly jerked my head, shaking off Samuel's hand that was still pinching my chin. Taking advantage of everyone's momentary shock, I broke free from the two guards' restraint. I looked at Samuel's perfectly repaired nose mockingly: "I see you need to be taught a lesson again." "Looks like enough time has passed to make you forget the pain of having your nose broken. Today I'll kindly help you remember." My eyes were sharp, my voice as cold as Satan from hell. In that instant, everyone was shocked into silence by the powerful aura emanating from me. Meeting my fierce gaze, Samuel looked panicked: "Bitch, you wouldn't dare?!" "Aren't you afraid I'll send you back to prison?" I smiled coldly: "Let's find out then." Ignoring Samuel's threats, under everyone's horrified and disbelieving gazes, I swung my fist hard at Samuel's face. "Ahhh—" Samuel staggered back two steps, clutching his nose and letting out a piercing wail. His expensively repaired nose was crooked again. Two streams of blood gushed out between his fingers. "You dare hit me?!" Samuel was shocked and furious. He never expected that after I'd been through prison, I would still dare to strike him. The restaurant manager panicked, snorting coldly: "Don't you have eyes? Don't you know where you are? Making trouble here? You must have a death wish." If Samuel got hurt in his restaurant, when Raymond asked about it, he'd have no way to explain. "Daring to hit Miss Samuel? This is suicide!" The others snapped back to reality as well, looking at the blood on Samuel's face in horror. "She's insane, completely insane!" "This bitch has a death wish! She actually dared to hit Miss Samuel?" Everyone looked at me as if I were already dead. But I remained calm and composed. Samuel's eyes were bloodshot, his face twisted with rage, looking at me as if he wanted to tear me into a thousand pieces. "Aurora, either get on your knees and apologize, or die!" "Choose!" I laughed mockingly: "You want me to apologize? You're not worthy." "Good, good, GOOD!" Samuel said "good" three times, then pulled several stacks of bills from his wallet. He slammed them on the table with a "smack" and said to the security guards behind him: "All of you, attack together. Beat her to death! Afterward I'll pay triple!" Everyone's eyes lit up, eager to act. Just as fists were about to land on me, a surprised and uncertain male voice came from behind: "Aurora?!"
I slowly turned around, looking toward the voice. Raymond stood there, watching me with complex emotions in his eyes. "Where have you been all these years? Why didn't you come find me after you got out?" Compared to Raymond's excitement, my expression was calm, my eyes devoid of emotion. Seeing the man I once loved desperately, my heart was surprisingly still, without a ripple. "Where I've been is none of your concern, Mr. Raymond." That one phrase—"Mr. Raymond"—was distant and unfamiliar. Raymond's emotions surged instantly, his eyes reddening. A flash of jealous hatred flickered through Samuel's eyes. "Ugh..." Samuel cried out in pain. "What's wrong?" Raymond snapped back to attention, looking at Samuel anxiously. When he saw the blood on Samuel's face, his expression changed dramatically: "You're hurt? Who did this?" Samuel immediately put on a pitiful expression. "Raymond, you're finally here. We haven't seen each other in years. I kindly invited Aurora to dinner, but not only did she not appreciate it, she attacked me." His eyes reddened, as if he'd suffered infinite grievance. He was completely different from his earlier arrogance. The restaurant manager quickly chimed in: "That's right! This person came here to cause trouble and insulted Miss Samuel. We were just about to teach her a lesson!" Raymond froze, then frowned, the excitement in his eyes gone as he looked at me: "You really hit Samuel?" I nodded with a smile: "Yes, I did." Seeing me admit it so readily, Raymond said angrily: "Aurora, I really underestimated you." "Two years in prison not only didn't teach you to restrain your violent nature, but made it worse?" "Samuel practically grew up under your care. How could you bring yourself to do this?" Samuel added with false sympathy: "Raymond, don't be angry. I think Aurora might still resent us for sending her to prison back then..." Raymond snorted coldly: "Resent?!" "If you do something wrong, you should be punished. Otherwise, if everyone could just murder and steal, the world would descend into chaos." "If you ask me, two years wasn't enough time." With that, Raymond picked up his phone and dialed a number: "Chief Johnson? This is Raymond. There's an ex-con causing trouble at And Happy. Please send some officers over!" Samuel looked at me triumphantly. "Aurora, if you don't want to go back to prison, it's not impossible." "Just get on your knees and apologize. Say you were wrong, and I'll forgive you." Compared to sending me back to prison, Samuel preferred to enjoy the satisfaction of grinding me into the dirt. Raymond seemed to sigh helplessly: "You're always so kind." Then he looked at me coldly: "Did you hear that?" "Kneel and apologize to Samuel, and I won't pursue this matter." Samuel thought victory was assured and became complacent. "But I suggest you hurry. The police will be here any minute." "I assume you don't want to go back to prison." I smiled coldly: "Make me kneel? Dream on!" Raymond's eyebrows shot up, and he snorted coldly: "Stubborn fool." "I gave you a chance. You chose not to take it." "When the police take you away, don't blame anyone." Just as Raymond finished speaking, the sound of sudden braking came from outside the hotel entrance. Dozens of black Rolls-Royces approached from the distance, forming a line as they stopped in front of the restaurant.
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