There was a two-second silence on the other end of the line. Then an unfamiliar male voice came through.

"Miss Johnson, hello. I'm Mr. Penzo's secretary. Mr. Penzo is currently in a very important meeting and is unable to take your call.

"Moreover, Mr. Penzo previously instructed that during meetings, your calls are not to be forwarded under any circumstances.

"If you have something to discuss, please wait until his meeting concludes."

Without giving me a chance to respond, he hung up cleanly and decisively.

Beep… beep… beep…

Seeing this, Lily immediately convinced herself I had been bluffing, and fury overtook her.

"Still trying to scare me, you bitch?!" She screamed with rage, her face twisted by the force of it.

"Someone get over here! Hold her down! Today, I'll make her lick this whole damn car clean!"

The two bodyguards in black behind her moved at once.

They seized my arms—one on each side—their grips as unyielding as iron clamps, pinning me in place.

"Samantha!" Carmen cried out and tried to rush to me, but another bodyguard who had been standing nearby shoved her hard to the floor.

She gasped, landing heavily, pain beading sweat across her forehead. For a moment, she couldn't even stand.

Just then, hurried footsteps approached.

Shawn Hartman, the manager of the auto shop—a middle-aged man in his forties—jogged toward us.

He took in the tense scene with a quick glance. The second his eyes landed on Lily, his anxious expression melted instantly into a fawning, almost groveling smile.

"Oh! Miss Jenkins! What brings you here?"

He bowed and scraped in greeting, then abruptly spun toward me, barking sharply.

"Who do you think you are, daring to offend Miss Jenkins here? Do you not want to survive in Grebour City?"

At his cue, several security guards rushed over and surrounded us completely, sealing off every escape.

He jabbed a finger at my face and delivered his verdict in a self-righteous roar.

"Girl, I don't care who you are. Right now, you're going to lick Miss Jenkins's car and apologize! Otherwise, believe it or not, I'll have the guards break your legs and throw you out!"

The security guards cracked their knuckles and advanced step by step, eyes filled with menace.

Just as one of the security guards reached out, ready to shove my head down onto the hood of the red sports car, the glass doors of the auto shop swung open from the outside.

Walking in was my mother-in-law, Wendy—and behind her, my husband, Leo.

The moment Lily saw them, her arrogance vanished, replaced instantly by joy and obsequious flattery. She let go of me at once and hurried forward, looping her arm through Wendy's as she began to complain.

"Wendy! Leo! You came just in time!

"Look at this blind fool! Not only did she insult the Penzo family, but she tried to smash my car!

"I was just about to teach her a lesson—show her what the Penzo family is capable of!"

She twisted the truth without a shred of shame, piling every bit of blame onto me.

My mother-in-law's expression darkened to pitch black.

She had always despised me for my ordinary background—for being a 'useless' researcher she believed unworthy of her son. In the past three years, she had never once shown me a pleasant face.

She immediately exploded.

"Samantha! Know your place! You've embarrassed the entire Shen family, you country bumpkin! Apologize to Lily right now!"

But I didn't look at her. My eyes passed over the crowd and settled on Leo's face.

This man I had loved for three years.

I hoped—naively, perhaps—for even a single sentence spoken in my defense.

But he only stood behind his mother, gaze evasive, refusing to meet my eyes.

In that instant, my heart went cold.

Three years of marriage. Three years of sacrifice.

I stayed in Grebour City for him, gave up everything in Jezy City, and willingly worked as an obscure researcher in a lab.

I believed marriage meant standing together through wealth or hardship—being each other's strongest support despite the world's noise.

But it turned out… that was only my wishful thinking.

In the face of his family's interests and their so-called pride, I was worth nothing.

Suddenly, I laughed—loud and uncontrollably.

My laughter stunned everyone.

Wendy bristled, unsettled by the sound. Her face twisted with shame-fueled anger.

"What are you laughing at?!" she roared, her voice distorted by rage. "You gold-digger! If not for our family, you wouldn't even eat—what right do you have to laugh?!"

I slowly stopped laughing, my expression going eerily calm.

"I'm laughing," I said, enunciating each word, "because you mistake trash for treasure."

Wendy's face froze.

I continued, "Wendy, you've always wondered how a 'poor researcher' like me could afford a standalone villa in Starlit Bay for our wedding home, haven't you?"

I turned my head toward the now-pale, trembling Shawn.

"Go."

My voice wasn't loud, but carried an unmistakable command.

"Turn on the largest LED display in your showroom. Connect it to my phone."

Overwhelmed by my aura, he obeyed almost instinctively despite his confusion.

Moments later, the massive LED screen in the center of the showroom lit up.

Displayed was a freshly completed online contract.

Everyone's attention shifted toward it.

The contract title appeared in bold, striking characters.

It was an acquisition agreement for the exclusive general agency rights of a luxury auto brand.

Under "Acquiring Party" was a graceful, elegant signature: Samantha Johnson.