I had been overseas for a year, working on a project, yet on my very first day back in Riverton City, I found out Eric had a one-year-old boy.

I was boiling with anger.

Eric and I had been married for a year, and we had agreed to start a family as soon as I got back.

I tried to get up, but the short cop was on me in a flash, cuffing me to a trash can. A jolt from his stun gun hit me under the chin, and my head felt like it was on fire. The can tipped, spilling trash all over me.

Alora came over, her nose wrinkled in disgust.

She slipped on a glove and grabbed my face, her nails digging in and leaving a trail of blood.

Then, out of nowhere, the street was filled with the sound of cars slamming on their brakes.

Eric hurried down the stairs, his eyes quickly taking in the mess before he rushed to Alora's side. He gently touched her shoulder, his voice dripping with concern.

"Alora, what's going on? Who did this to you?"

Tears streamed down Alora's face as she looked up at him, her voice quivering.

"Eric, you have to help me. These two have lost their minds, claiming they're your wife and they started throwing punches, even at the cops."

The shorter cop came scurrying over, practically tripping over himself to show respect.

"Mr. Collins, you're right on time! These two were causing a ruckus, robbing and beating people up in the street, and they even had the nerve to insult you and your wife. We were about to haul them off for a serious talking-to!"

Eric gave me a look like I was something he scraped off his shoe.

"Nancy, can't believe it's only been a year, and you're acting like a street thug?"

He shot a glance at Lilian.

"Guess it's true what they say about birds of a feather. Causing trouble in the middle of the day like this–do you think the Collins family is a joke?"

I dabbed at the blood trickling from my lip.

"Eric, Alora's claiming she's your wife and grabbed my things in front of everyone. So tell me, what's your story?"

Eric's face was an icy mask as he turned to the towering cop. "Mr. Lewis, why don't you give us the rundown of today's excitement?"

The tall cop gave me a wary look before adopting a tone of someone who was all about the law.

"Mr. Collins, I hate to say it, but it might just rile you up.

"These two ladies saw your wife step out of the antique shop with a medieval chalice in hand and just had to take a look, saying they wanted to learn something new."

He jabbed a finger in my direction, his words almost drowned by his own spit.

"Mrs. Collins was being her usual generous self, letting them have a peek. Next thing you know, this one's claiming it's hers and won't hand it back."

The shorter cop nodded vigorously, eager to back up his partner.

"That's right, that's right! We've got it all figured out, and the antique shop owner will back us up!

"When Mrs. Collins refused to back down, that woman suddenly slapped her twice. She called Mrs. Collins a loose woman, said she was being shameless and ungrateful, and warned her not to blame anyone else when she stopped holding back. She even said Mrs. Collins wasn't worthy of you at all, and sneered that the Collins family had no class.

"Unable to hold back, Mrs. Collins said they could insult her all they liked, but they had no right to drag you or the Collins family through the mud. The woman immediately turned to her friends and ordered them to beat Mrs. Collins."

"That's nonsense!" Lilian was so mad that her heart was racing. "She started this..."

"Shut your mouth!" the short cop snapped. "What right do you have to talk? If you hadn't egged them on, saying Mrs. Collins was beneath you and fair game for bullying, would things have gotten this out of hand?"

Alora grabbed Eric's hand, tears pouring down her face.

"Eric, maybe she just really liked that chalice, but that's no excuse to just snatch it...

"She lost it when I wouldn't let her take it home, even threatened to take down the Collins family and demanded an apology from you..."

Eric's face turned stormy.

"Nancy, I can't believe you've sunk this low.

"You want that medieval chalice? Buy it yourself. It's bought by someone else, and you resort to violence and theft?"

I tried to speak up, but he cut me off, his voice dripping with disappointment.

"It looks like all you've picked up on your year away is petty thievery!

"Not giving it up, so you hit people; not giving it up, so you steal! How can you be so shameless?"

"I didn't..."

"Enough! Are you still trying to defend yourself? The cops have laid it all out!"

Eric glared at me with revulsion.

"You're just lazy and greedy! You see something you want, and instead of going for it, you just take it by force. What was I thinking when I married you?"

Alora gave Eric's sleeve a gentle tug, trying to play peacemaker. "Come on, Eric, let's not stay mad, okay? Maybe she just got mixed up for a second..."

"Mixed up? You're just too nice, Alora. She's showing her true colors!"

Eric glared at the cop standing by. "Mr. Lewis, we can't let her off easy. She needs to pay up and face the music!

"I'm dying to see how she'll wriggle out of this one!"

Hearing the certainty in his voice, a knot formed in my stomach.

So that was it, I thought. In their eyes, I was the bad guy, the one who could not win fair and square, so I had resorted to throwing punches.

Eric's icy stare sent a chill down my spine, but I could not help it. I laughed.

"Alright, you want money? Name your price."

Eric scoffed, his eyes dripping with disdain.

"1.5 million dollars. Think you can cough that up? You could sell everything you own and still fall short. Just don't stoop to thievery when you can't pay."

"Don't bother with her! 1.5 million, huh?" said Lilian, already pulling out her phone.

I nudged Lilian. "Shoot a text to my dad, will you? Tell him my phone's busted."

The room erupted with laughter.

Alora's face was a picture of scorn, and the cops joined in the mockery.

"Seen people fake it before, but this is next level!

"1.5 million? As if you two could fetch that much in a million years!"

"You're just buying time," said the taller cop, snapping the handcuffs open with a click. His shorter partner moved in, reaching for my wrist.

"We don't have all day. Don't make us get tough."

Lilian stepped in front of me, her voice steady, "1.5 million dollars? That's pocket change for me. Just wait; you'll get every last dime."

The cops guffawed at this. "Seriously? Did you sell yourself to some guy to be his sugar baby? Big words, lady. Hope you're not left hanging for cash that'll never show!"

Alora's laughter was even louder. "Riverton City, the Stewarts, the Yates? You're killing me! Begging me now? I might just spot you some change for your funeral!"

The bodyguards laughed along, the street echoing with their sneers.

The shorter cop shoved Lilian, annoyed. "Can't even save yourself, and you're still trying to play the big shot? Hand it over!"

However, as his hand grazed Lilian's wrist, a thunderous roar filled the sky, and a cloud of dust billowed up from the ground.

Lilian and I shared a smirk.

The Stewart family's chopper, emblazoned with their golden crest, was touching down, followed by a fleet of twenty Maybachs, lights flashing, all bearing the license plate 'STEWART-01'.

Alora's smirk snapped into a look of disbelief. "No... No way!"

The cars screeched to a stop, and a squad of bodyguards in black poured out in formation.

Two middle-aged men at the front marched toward us, eyes fixed on Lilian and me.

Seeing our bruises and tattered clothes, they scowled, visibly livid.

The Stewart family's longtime butler, Ronald Gibson, spotted the red mark on Lilian's wrist. Tears streamed down his face. "Ms. Stewart! Mr. Stewart said anyone who hurts you is going to pay!"

Ronald strode over and gave me a deep, formal bow. "Ms. Stewart, Mr. Yates is jetting back from the Kingdom of Montravia on his private plane. He heard you were in trouble, and now every cop car in Riverton City is on its way here."

Alora and the cops around her were totally shell-shocked, rooted to the spot, speechless.

Their earlier smugness had vanished, leaving only wide-eyed panic and disbelief.

Lilian smoothed out her clothes and gave Alora a sly smile. "1.5 million dollars, right?"

She flicked her gaze to the butler. "Go on, bring out the cash and count it for her."

With a casual gesture from Ronald of the Stewart family, a bunch of hefty black cases snapped open all at once.

They were packed with crisp, orderly stacks of cash.

Alora's knees buckled, and she stumbled backward.