Chapter 4

My mom got up and slapped her hard. “You worthless thing who relies on her looks to get by. What are you so smug about? When the groveling starts later, you’ll be the one crying. A woman as money-hungry as you will never be the heroine.”

Bai Lin laughed in anger. “You’re crazy. You’ve been watching too much TV, haven’t you?” She glanced at her and sized us up. “You can’t even afford food anymore, and you still can’t bear to part with those clothes. At least you’ve got some backbone.”

“But if you dare hit me, you’ll pay the price.”

Before I could think it through, Bai Lin called the police.

When the police arrived and saw that my mom only had superficial injuries and Bai Lin had also been slapped, they thought a mutual apology and settlement would be enough.

But the moment they heard she was Mrs. Chen, they instantly changed their attitude and pressed us to apologize, or we’d be treated to fifteen days in detention.

Seeing that my mom was about to hit someone in front of the police again, I hurriedly held her back and bowed to apologize.

Bai Lin walked over smugly and slapped me several times. “At least you little brat know how to read the room.”

I was stunned by the blows. I subconsciously wanted to hit back, but the police beside us immediately restrained both me and my mom.

Bai Lin sneered as she patted my face and my mom’s face. “Tch, you’re more obedient than dogs.”

I was so angry I spat at her, but Bai Lin dodged it.

She shot the police a flirtatious glance and swaggered into the glittering club. “I was worried you’d keep causing trouble before, but seeing you like this, I’m relieved. Send those two women to the detention center and let them enjoy themselves there.”

My mom cursed under her breath as she struggled free of the police and rushed over to grab Bai Lin. A club employee reached out to stop her. “Ma’am, do you have a reservation? If not, please leave. This place isn’t somewhere just any cat or dog can walk into.”

My mom awkwardly touched her nose. “What are you so arrogant for? In the past, you people had to beg me to come spend money here.”

I dragged my tired body and held her back. “Mom, stop it.”

My mom glared at me, her face dark. “Didn’t you see how arrogant they were? They look down on people. Back then, they’d be lining up at the door just to carry my bag.”

I rolled my eyes at her. “The moment you refused to accept my dad’s assets, you lost the right to reminisce about the past. You should be living well in the present instead.”

My mom’s face went green, then white, then gradually calmed down again.

Excitedly, she took out her phone and showed it to me. “I recorded her acting all high and mighty just now. I’m going to send it to your dad. He’ll definitely change his mind.”

Looking at my mom, who was still completely out of touch, and the police taking out handcuffs to arrest us, I was so angry I couldn’t catch my breath and fainted on the spot.

When I opened my eyes, I was in the hospital. I had passed out for a full day from hunger and exhaustion.

My mom was crying as she held my hand. “Emma, don’t die on me. I sent the video to your dad. The groveling is about to start, and we’re about to live the good life.”

Annoyed, I rolled over. “Go see a psychiatrist. Don’t wake me up.”

My mom forcibly turned me back over.

“What nonsense are you spouting? You silly child. Why do you think Mom did so much? It was all to pave the way for you.”

I kept my eyes tightly shut.

“Mom, is this the path you paved for me—cutting off the assets that were already mine? Making me drop out and wash dishes? Getting me so tired I ended up in the hospital?”

My mom was stunned by my words, then slapped me in a rage and kept nagging in my ear.

It hurt so much I kept crying, and I covered my ears because I didn’t want to listen, but my mom forcibly pulled my hand away.

“Please don’t disturb the patient’s rest.” My attending physician pushed the door open and walked in, looking at me with sympathy.

My mom looked up, and her eyes lit up instantly.

“Emma, see? I wasn’t wrong, was I? Step two of the grovel-and-win-her-back arc—the second male lead arrives. He has to be some powerful guy.”

The attending physician adjusted his glasses and said in surprise, “Uh, I am indeed from the Sinclair family on the Upper East Side, but I’m not the second male lead you’re talking about.”

My heart jumped hard. The Sinclair family on the Upper East Side—the most influential family in the whole district. The biggest headache for the current family head was that his only son was obsessed with medicine and had no interest in inheriting the massive fortune. My chance had come.

I bitterly picked up the glass of water on the bedside table and splashed it in my mom’s face, hoping to wake her up.

“Mom, can you stop losing your mind? This is the real world, not one of those domineering-CEO novels you keep reading. Can you wake up already?”

Water dripped down my mom’s hair. When she came to her senses, she grabbed things from the ward and threw them at me while cursing.

A hard object smashed my scalp open, and blood ran down my forehead. My heart was completely dead too.

I reached out, pulled out the IV bottle, and knelt in front of the attending physician.

“I heard you have no children and no interest in inheriting the Sinclair family. I’m willing to be your daughter and take over the Sinclair family for you.”