"Damn. That's him? The Sloane family is truly unlucky to have a son-in-law like him."

"He's talentless and relies solely on his in-laws' generosity. Does he seriously think he's some hotshot, humiliating their daughter like this? He's shameless to the core."

"Something's probably not right in his head. Just because his parents died early, he thinks he's entitled to everyone else's kindness."

Chelsea was holding onto Joseph's arm, their heads dipped close as they whispered to each other, looking intimate. The moment she saw me, she froze like a startled kitten and hurried over to my side.

"Honey, you're here."

I stepped aside, avoiding her hand as it tugged at my sleeve. Her submissive, downcast posture only made the people around us burn with even more resentment toward me.

The live stream chat was buzzing.

"Die, trash!"

"I heard Ms. Sloane was the one who took care of his parents until they passed, while he barely even showed up once!"

"My child goes to the same preschool as theirs. He never picks up his son. It's always been Ms. Sloane doing the work alone!"

"Ladies, do everything you can to avoid men like him. This is infuriating."

Joseph lifted his chin high, his eyes dripping with contempt. "Hey, weren't you the one begging for a divorce? Did you suddenly decide to crawl back to us because you knew our new product would sell well?

"I mean, who are you anyway if you're no longer Chelsea's husband?"

I smirked and nodded. "You're right. I can't let an empire like Sloane Group fall into the hands of a foster child like you."

"Screw you!" he cursed, gesturing toward the shadows.

Something wasn't right. Before I could react, several dark figures leaped out. Fists rained down like stormy rain, giving me no time to defend myself.

A few ladies screamed sharply at first, but soon, their cries turned into excited cheers. Everyone could see clearly that the attackers were only after me, striking my vulnerable spots and face with precision.

One pretended to help. "Security? Where's security?"

"Look, they're attacking him! Somebody call 911!"

On the sidelines, dozens of security guards in identical uniforms stood completely still, watching without moving a muscle. I curled up, protecting my head as pain racked my body.

My stomach churned violently. My suit was covered in filthy footprints, my hair had been yanked until it hurt, and my face burned and swelled from repeated blows. The iron taste of blood filled my mouth, mixing with the heat of the bruises.

"Serves him right! Trash like him deserves this!"

"Look at him! Oh, I'm going to die from laughing!"

I lost track of time. Maybe Chelsea thought the fun was over, as the attackers finally backed off. Her eyes were red, her voice quivering with a mock sincerity.

"Honey, are you okay? Hurt anywhere? Gosh, I was terrified! This must be our competitors… How far will they go?"

I shoved her hand away and wobbled to my feet.

Joseph stood a few steps away, arms crossed, a blatant grin on his face.

The hostility in the room was palpable. Spotlights glared onto the stage, the live stream comments scrolled in a frantic blur, and he stood there, radiating arrogance and pride.

I leaned against the back of a chair, feeling the dull pain spreading all over my body. In the end, I simply smiled.

The show was just about to start. Two could play the dirty game.