Chapter 10
Our company’s cosmetics were exposed for containing fluorescent agents.
This completely contradicted our long–promoted “natural” and “healthy” philosophy.
It was clearly a deliberate smear campaign, but the accusers presented professional test reports and had hundreds of media accounts speaking out. in unison, pushing the news to the top of trending searches.
This was a premeditated setup.
I didn’t need to guess who was behind it.
Only one person had the resources for something like this.
Almost overnight, our brand reputation collapsed, return orders flooded in, and the company fell into chaos.
Everyone at the company was frantic with worry. Even Herbert asked for time off to help, but I sent him back to work.
I went to Palmer Group on my own initiative.
The security guards didn’t stop me at the entrance, as if Cedric had anticipated my visit and given orders in advance.
Cedric still had that confident look of someone holding all the cards. In that moment, I felt transported back to my previous life, watching how he had methodically guided me into his carefully laid trap.
He spoke in a gentle tone, “You’re smart. You should know why I’m doing
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this.
“You should also understand that you alone can’t possibly clear this up.
“Divorce Herbert and be with me.
“I’ll fix everything for you.”
To his surprise, I remained calm.
I didn’t respond immediately, only saying I needed to think about it.
Cedric subtly breathed a sigh of relief and suggested taking me to dinner, which I didn’t refuse.
He was attentive to my every need, with such emotion in his eyes that I almost believed he truly loved me.
When he reached out to brush my hair aside, I turned my head away. In my peripheral vision, I caught a glimpse of a figure.
I looked over but saw nothing.
After returning home, I asked Herbert for a divorce.
He was silent for a moment, then nodded in agreement.
The next day, after finalizing our divorce, we each walked toward our separate lives.
I hadn’t taken two steps when I spotted the distinctive Maybach.
Without saying a word, I got into the car.
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Cedric seemed to be in a great mood, unusually excited. He enthusiastically told me he’d cleared his entire schedule for the day and was planning how we would spend it.
I leaned against the window, eyes closed, and said flatly, “I’m tired.. I just want to go home..”
Cedric fell sillem immediately.
But he quickly concealed his disappointment and thoughtfully coveredime with a small blanket.
“Alright, you rest a bit.”
I declined his offer to accompany me upstairs.
He didn’t get angry, just placed a set of keys in my handl.
“When you’re ready, move in with me.”
I turned to go upstairs but spotted a familiar figure att mydloor.
I barely recognized Bethany.
Her once–perfect face was bare of makeup, her clothes dirty and tattered. Those eyes that used to shine so brightly were mowlhollow and empty, filled only with intense hatred.
Apparently, Cedric’s punishment for her had been to strip away everything she valued most–money, status, and bemutty.
Bethany’s face contorted as she screamed, “Why? Why did I end up like this when I made all the right choices!!
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“Jeanette, what trick did you use to make Cedric fall for you again and again?
tor
“Or is this all fate? No, I don’t believe it! I’m supposed to be the protagonist!”
She frantically tore at her yellowing hair, crying and laughing
simultaneously, completely unhinged.
“Jeanette, tell me, what did you do?” She lunged forward, grabbing my collar. “Why did he still abandon me even though I spent so long copying your past life…
“While you–you were once thrown out of his house like garbage!
“You ruined me! It’s all your fault!”
I looked sadly at her distorted face.
“Don’t you really understand?
“Do you truly believe you’ve become like this because of me?
“Or are you just unwilling to accept that you failed on your own?”
Bethany’s eyes flickered momentarily.
But in the next second, her expression turned vicious again.
I noticed her eyes grow fierce and felt a sense of foreboding.
By the time I reacted, it was too late.
A sharp pain shot through my chest.
Looking down, I saw Bethany’s eyes wild with madness, bloodshot. She
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pulled out the dagger, her face twisted in a maniacal smile.
I staggered and fell to the ground.
My blood soaked through my clothes as she raised the dagger high.
“This time, I won’t make the wrong choice.”
With a loud “thud,” Bethany tumbled down the stairs.
Cedric’s panicked face appeared before me.
My consciousness fading, I hazily saw his reddened eyes. I wasn’t sure if it was a hallucination, but I thought I saw something like “fear” in his expression.
“Jeanette, hang on, I’m taking you to the hospital right now!”
He scooped me up and raced toward the stairs.
As we passed Bethany, she grabbed his pant leg.
Bethany struggled to get up, putting on that pitiful expression again.
“Cedric…”
A murderous glint flashed in Cedric’s eyes.
He kicked her squarely in the chest and left without looking back.
Cradled in his arms, in the last second before losing consciousness, a faint smile crossed my lips.
