Chapter 1I gave my husband a $10,000 monthly allowance to take care of our kid.
Today, her teacher sent me a surveillance clip. In it, my starved daughter was eating someone else's discarded gum!
The teacher was furious on the phone:
"Mrs. West, I felt sick watching this!"
"Your daughter is starving. Another teacher even caught her licking discarded snack wrappers!"
"Give us an explanation, or we are calling CPS."
My eyes welled up instantly.
$10,000 a month. How is my daughter starving?!
That night, I ripped through every bank statement and hired a PI.
Someone dared to touch my daughter. I'm going to ruin their fking life!
...
Right then, my husband Jude texted me.
[Heads up babe! Taking Chloe to an auction this afternoon.]
An auction?
I stared at my phone. Something clicked.
Didn't reply. Booked the first flight home.
Then called my lawyer, voice flat:
"Chen, draft divorce papers. My husband's cheating."
The auction Jude went to? My best friend Stella was hosting it.
But when we got to the entrance, two guards blocked us.
"Private event. Invitation only."
One of them looked me up and down with contempt.
"This is Miss Voss's high-end auction. Not for trash like you."
"Get lost before you ruin her event."
Voss.
I froze. That was Jude's so-called "foster sister."
I looked past them into the hall.
There he was. Dead center. Jude Brennan.
Wrapped around his arm—Sienna Voss, dripping in custom couture and flawless makeup, showing off a pair of pink diamond earrings.
The second I saw those earrings, rage exploded in my chest.
That pink diamond was my daughter Chloe's birthday present. I told Jude to keep it safe until she was older.
Now it was hanging from that bitch's ears!
People around them were fawning.
"Mr. Brennan is so generous—thirty million dollars, just like that!"
"Only Miss Voss could pull off something that precious!"
"They look perfect together!"
Jude had his arm around Sienna's waist, eating up the praise.
Sienna tilted her head, making sure everyone got a good look.
I lost it.
Shoved past security and marched straight up to her.
Before anyone could react, I grabbed her shoulder and ripped the earrings off!
"AHHH—!"
Sienna screamed, clutching her ear, face draining white.
Jude's expression turned murderous.
"Security! How the hell did this psycho get in?!"
Then he looked up. Saw me. Froze.
"...Anna?"
Chapter 2
I let out a cold laugh.
"Thought you were bringing our DAUGHTER to an auction. Guess you brought your mistress instead."
Dead silence.
Every eye in the room snapped to us. Whispers erupted.
"Who is she?"
"Did she just call Miss Voss a mistress?"
"Wait, is this some crazy ex?"
Jude's face went dark.
Sienna clutched her bleeding ear, tears streaming down her face as she looked at him.
"Jude... it hurts..."
Jude's jaw clenched. Then he turned to the crowd, voice rising.
"Anna West, are you out of your FUCKING MIND?!"
"Why are you still stalking me?!"
I blinked. "What the hell are you talking about?"
Jude pointed at me like I was garbage.
He raised his voice even louder, making sure everyone heard:
"Stop playing victim!"
"YOU cheated on ME! YOU dumped me for some rich guy! And now that I've moved on with the love of my life, you come crawling back?!"
WTF?! I actually laughed.
"Jude Brennan. You've really lost it, haven't you."
"Life's so good now you forgot you have a fucking WIFE?"
"And that $10,000 I give you every month? Guess it all went to HER!"
"SHUT UP!" Jude's voice cracked. "Stop spreading lies!"
"Get OUT before you make a bigger fool of yourself!"
Stella couldn't take it anymore.
"Jude, you asshole!"
"You're Anna's stay-at-home husband living off HER money, and this is how you treat her?!"
Jude slammed Stella to the ground.
"Mind your own business!"
I charged him, ready to kill, but Stella grabbed my wrist and shook her head.
Jude sneered. "Last warning. GET. OUT."
"Sienna's father is the CEO of Summit Group. You do NOT want to cross her."
The crowd ate it up.
"Oh wow, he upgraded."
"Miss Voss's family is LOADED. This chick doesn't stand a chance."
"What a psycho."
Sienna put on her best wounded-angel act, voice trembling.
"Miss West, please stop. Jude and I are happy now. Just move on."
THIS BITCH! I'd had enough!
CRACK!
I slapped her hard!
The blow whipped her head back, sending her crashing to the floor. A bloody handprint bloomed on her face.
"Jude..." she whimpered.
Jude's eyes went nuclear.
He waved over the auctioneer, whispered something.
The host stepped up to the mic:
"Next lot is... a special collection. Private photos of Miss Anna West. Starting bid: one dollar."
The screen lit up. My stomach dropped.
My private photos. Photos I'd trusted Jude with.
The room exploded into disgusting laughs.
"Holy SHIT."
"This is INSANE!"
"I'm bidding ten bucks right now!"
Rage blinded me. I lunged and punched Jude straight in the jaw.
THUD.
His head snapped back, his collarbone popping.
"You're DISGUSTING!" I screamed.
Jude spat blood, his face turning demonic.
He tackled me, throwing me violently onto the marble floor.
My head bounced. White light flashed in my eyes.
"SECURITY! Get this bitch OUT! And teach her a lesson!"
Guards rushed me. Stella threw herself over me.
"Don't you DARE—"
A guard kicked Stella aside like trash.
Another grabbed my hair, yanking my scalp back.
Then, a brutal backhand smashed across my face.
Blood filled my mouth. The room spun.
Just then—
"STOP THIS INSTANT!"
Chapter 3
The guards froze. I looked up through the blood in my eyes.
My mother-in-law was pushing through the crowd.
Thank God. Finally, someone on my side.
She had always been good to me. When she was hospitalized for three months, I was the one who paid off the Brennan family's debt, bathed her, and fed her every single day.
When she was discharged, she had squeezed my hand and cried.
"Anna, you're a blessing. If Jude ever hurts you, I'll destroy him myself."
I opened my mouth. "Mom—"
CRACK.
Her palm exploded across my face. My ears RANG. I tasted blood.
"You WHORE!"
Her face twisted with pure hatred.
"How DARE you harass my daughter-in-law! You've got some nerve!"
My brain went completely blank.
She was calling Sienna her daughter-in-law?!
Sienna rushed over, fake concern dripping from her voice.
"Please don't get upset. Miss West is just delusional. I won't hold it against her."
"You're too kind, dear," my mother-in-law cooed.
The crowd turned on me like a pack of wolves.
"Crazy bitch!"
"She's a psycho stalker!"
"Throw her OUT!"
Someone threw a glass of champagne, soaking my clothes.
I couldn't take it anymore. I reached into my coat for my marriage certificate.
Jude saw the motion. His eyes flashed with panic.
He seized a heavy glass vase from a nearby display and smashed it straight over my head.
CRASH.
Glass shattered everywhere.
Sharp pain ripped through my scalp, and hot, thick blood cascaded down my face.
"What the hell are you trying to pull now?!" Jude roared.
"ANNA!"
Stella screamed, trying to break free from the guards.
Jude wasn't done. He grabbed a solid jade statue and slammed it into my shoulder, forcing me to my knees.
CRUNCH.
An agonizing pain shot through my collarbone, and the air was brutally knocked out of my lungs.
Stella tore away from the guards and threw herself over my body as a human shield.
"Anna—oh my god—"
Jude grabbed Stella by the hair and shoved her off. HARD.
She flew backward, her head cracking violently against the sharp edge of the auction platform. Stella collapsed instantly, a pool of dark blood spreading under her head.
Jude turned to the guards, eyes wild.
"BEAT THEM! I don't care about the consequences! I'll take full responsibility!"
Fists and boots rained down on us.
THUD. CRACK. SMACK.
My ribs felt like they were bursting. Every breath felt like inhaling broken glass.
Stella lay beside me, unconscious, blood dripping from her mouth.
She forced her eyes open, voice barely a whisper:
"Sienna... I'M the host of this auction. And Anna... she's the real heiress of Summit—"
The crowd ROARED with laughter.
"Oh my GOD!"
"These two are INSANE!"
Sienna covered her mouth, smirking down at us.
"Wow. Just... wow. You two are actually shameless. Pretending to be ME?"
I used every last ounce of strength I had left.
I dragged my arm up, pulling the crumpled marriage certificate from my jacket.
I held it high, blood dripping from my fingers.
"I'm Anna West. Jude Brennan's LEGAL WIFE. This is our fucking marriage certificate!"
Dead silence.
Every single eye in the room locked onto the blood-stained paper in my hand.
