Lachlan's face showed surprise, but he quickly regained his usual arrogant demeanor.

“Remarried? Don’t make things up just because I’m bringing Ayah home. You really think I’d fall for that?”

Laughter erupted from the people nearby:

“This lady sure knows how to spin a story. Remarried? Who’d want her anyway?”

“Must be out of her mind, talking like this.”

Just then, my daughter Oakleigh came running over.

Seeing that I was being harassed, her little face showed concern, and she asked in her sweet, innocent voice, “Mommy, who are these people?”

Before I could answer, Ayah’s two sons approached us. Declan, the older one, reached out and shoved Oakleigh, causing her to fall to the ground. Her knee scraped along the pavement, drawing blood, and she cried out in pain.

Reed, the younger one, lifted his chin and sneered, “Hmph, you think you can compete with us for Dad?”

I rushed over and pushed the two boys away.

As I turned to Oakleigh, I was struck with a sharp kick to my lower back, sending me sprawling forward. My hands scraped along the ground, leaving long bloodstains.

Before I could gather my senses, Lachlan strode over to me, looking down at me with disdain.

“Hazel, what’s gotten into you? How dare you lay a hand on the children!”

With that, he kicked me hard on the shoulder. The hard sole of his shoe connected with my bones, the pain sharp enough to make me gasp.

I braced myself against the ground, struggling to rise, as memories of the pain he caused me flooded my mind. Old grievances surged up, and I slapped him hard across the face.

“You’re not even human, Lachlan!”

Lachlan held his cheek in disbelief.

Ayah stepped forward, looped her arm through his, and said softly, “Lachlan, I'm sure Hazel didn’t mean to hit you. Don’t be mad; it’s my fault for not keeping an eye on the kids.”

Her words rekindled the anger in Lachlan's eyes.

“Hazel, you’re not even worth a strand of Ayah's hair!”

Looking at this unfamiliar man, I couldn’t help but scoff internally.

Once, my classmates had torn up my notebook and stolen my lunch money. Lachlan had not only avenged me by confronting them but had also declared throughout the school: “Hazel is with me. Anyone who bullies her is challenging me!”

After that, no one dared to bully me, the girl under the school bully's protection.

Under the cherry blossoms lining the park, Lachlan touched my head, promising, “When we grow up, I’ll marry you and protect you for life.”

I blushed and nodded, completely believing in his promise.

So when our families arranged a marriage, I thought it was a love story come true.

Only on our wedding night did I realize he had someone else in his heart all along.

Lachlan seemed ready to explode in anger, but seeing my silence, a flicker of guilt crossed his eyes.

Ayah's eyes brimmed with tears, her voice trembling, “Lachlan, Hazel must love you so much that she acted out of confusion. You should forgive her this once.”

Any guilt in Lachlan’s eyes vanished with Ayah’s words.

He suddenly grabbed a cocktail glass from a waiter and splashed its contents at me.

The drink soaked through my clothes, leaving me utterly disheveled.

The crowd erupted in shock.

“You’ve lost it!”

I didn’t want to deal with this madness anymore, so I picked up my crying daughter and turned to leave.

Lachlan, even angrier now, blocked my way and ground his teeth, saying:

“Hazel, apologize to Ayah and the kids right now, and then get out of here. The Gonzalez family party is no place for someone like you.”

I held my daughter close and shot him a cold glance.

“I’m not apologizing. And let me make it clear one last time, I’m remarried. My life is none of your business. Stay away from me.”

With that, I turned and walked away.

Lachlan stood dumbfounded behind me. Then, consumed by rage and embarrassment, he shouted after me:

“Hazel, don’t think you can use this excuse to dodge the apology. This isn’t over!”

My parents were killed in a car accident. Because of the close ties and marriage agreement between our families, Mr. Owens treated me like his own daughter, and Mrs. Salazar was compassionate toward me. But everything was upended because of Lachlan.

His faked death turned me from a cherished daughter-in-law into a despised debtor. If it weren't for Elijah, I might not have made it to this day.

As I was lost in thought, Elijah texted me saying he'd arrive in about 15 minutes. Today is his birthday, and I didn’t want to spoil the mood, so I chose to hide what had just transpired.

I replied, "I'll bring our daughter to meet you at the entrance." I then pulled myself together, treated my daughter's wounds, and headed to the entrance of the party with her.

There, I unexpectedly encountered Lachlan, who had his arm around Ayah's waist, kissing her cheek. Upon seeing me, he curled his lips into a mocking smile.

"Has reality finally kicked in?" he sneered. "Well, if you realize your mistake, you can kneel and apologize to Ayah now, and maybe I’ll cut you some slack."

The people around us chimed in:

"Yeah, hurry up and kneel. Let's get a show before Mr. Gonzalez and Mrs. Gonzalez arrive."

Ayah feigned innocence:

"Lachlan, let’s not do this. It's only going to make Hazel dislike me more. I can handle a little bit of hardship..."

As she spoke, her gaze fell on the locket around my neck, and she gasped, covering her mouth in disbelief:

"Sister, this locket... Isn't it the one Mr. Gonzalez bought at the charity auction for his wife? How is it with you?"

The crowd was visibly stunned.

"Impossible. Did she really have the nerve to swipe something from Mrs. Gonzalez?"

"Besides the locket’s huge value, Mr. Gonzalez is absolutely smitten with his wife; he wouldn't let this pass."

Upon hearing this, Lachlan's face twisted with rage as he shouted at me:

"Hazel Gonzalez, how dare you steal Mrs. Gonzalez’s locket? Have you lost it?"

Lachlan rushed over and violently grabbed my throat:

"Don't think you can do whatever you want here. You can't afford to cross someone like Mr. Gonzalez!"

I fought free from his grip, gasped for air, and glared fiercely at him:

"I am Mrs. Gonzalez. How dare you question me wearing my own locket?"

The entire room erupted in disbelief.

Lachlan laughed hysterically:

"If you're Mrs. Gonzalez, then I’m the host of this party. Seriously, stop dreaming; we’re dying of laughter here!"

The crowd joined in the laughter:

"She has no shame. Imagine trying to climb the social ladder with such wild claims."

"She's really lost it, spewing these crazy lies."

My daughter bravely shoved Lachlan:

"You can't bully my mom!"

Ayah's two sons immediately reacted; one bit my arm fiercely while the other pushed my daughter down. She fell, further injuring her knees, and cried out:

"Just wait till my dad arrives; he won't let you get away with this!"

Right then, the entrance stirred, catching everyone's attention. Elijah appeared, dressed sharply in a suit, radiating authority.

My daughter shouted: "Dad, you've finally arrived! They were bullying me and Mom!"