Her aunt’s use of such vulgar words almost made Lucy faint. It was her first time hearing that word from Sherry’s mouth.

But what her aunt said was true. People must have a much worse opinion of her.

She opened her mouth, wanting to stop her aunt from her outburst. However, her throat suddenly felt dry, and her lips could barely make a sound.

A memory suddenly flashed in her mind. In the past, she and Bruce took photos while doing ‘it’ in the car. They were leaked, and almost everyone saw them. Bruce’s friends even called her names like slut or whore. But Lucy didn’t even know that.

She never really cared about people’s opinions about her. But now, it was as if every insult was dumped on her that she couldn’t breathe.

“Mark my words! I won’t let this pathetic woman have her happy ending with you!” Sherry’s voice thundered inside the store.

Her words were enough to fuel Bruce’s rage. He looked at Sherry with pure anger and stepped forward.

Lucy immediately stepped forward as well. She held her aunt’s arm and looked at Bruce.

“I’ll handle her,” she muttered.

When she noticed that Bruce didn’t seem to back down, she clenched her teeth and sternly said, “Bruce, if you hurt any of my family members, I will fight back. I know I’m powerless compared to you, but I know what can destroy you. We’ve been together for two years. You should’ve known by now what I did to your flings.”

Bruce narrowed his eyes at her. “Are you threatening me?” he uttered in a dangerous voice.

Lucy raised her brow. “No, I’m just reminding you what I’m capable of.”

Angelia’s gaze scanned the store and realized that they were starting to attract people’s attention. She pulled Bruce’s arm.

“Bruce, Let’s just go,” she pleaded.

Bruce didn’t move on his spot at first, but he realized Angelia was already uncomfortable and anxious.

In the end, the two of them left the store, but the scowl on Bruce’s face remained.

A few minutes later, Lucy apologized to the store manager and dragged Sherry out of the mall. Her aunt was silent until they got inside the car.

“Are you aware of all of this, Lucy?” Sherry coldly asked.

“Yes,” she replied.

“Since when are you two aren’t together anymore?”

“We never got back together after the scandal,” Lucy murmured.

Sherry turned to her. Disappointment and confusion were evident in her eyes. She wanted to say something, but nothing seemed to come out of her mouth.

“Right after I was discharged from the hospital, I asked him to meet me. But I didn’t receive any response from him ever,” Lucy confessed.

“I figured out what he meant at some point, so I also stopped trying.”

Sherry started to get riled up again. “How dare that bastard to ruin you?! You were pregnant at that time! Of course, he should marry you. He’s the father of the child, so it’s his responsibility!”

The two of them fell quiet for a long time.

“Well, he doesn’t like children,” Lucy shrugged her shoulders before turning to Sherry.

“Aunt Sherry, let’s just let him go. Past is past. The most important thing is that I’m fine now.”

Sherry perked up in her seat when an idea popped into her mind. “Then, who bought the gift for the party the other day?”

“Me,” Lucy answered.

Sherry pursed her lips and stared outside the window. A sudden wave of worry invaded her mind. Now that her niece and Bruce had broken up, the James family would probably no longer support them. She suddenly wondered if their family would even be able to survive.

She loved Lucy, yes. But she felt more worried about the future of their family. She looked at her niece and held her hand.

“You’re far more beautiful than that witch earlier. How can you simply give up your position in Bruce’s life?”

Lucy could feel the slight anger in her aunt’s tone. “Angelia is young, pretty, and kind, Aunt Sherry. She’s a thousand times more charming than me. How can I compete with that kind of woman?”

Sherry stared at Lucy, still pondering.

Two days later, Sherry decided to reveal the truth to Bruce’s parents.

Unaware of what her aunt did, Lucy received a call from Zoe, who told her to go to their house immediately.

Lucy stepped inside the house, and her eyes immediately widened by what she saw.

In front of her was Bruce, kneeling on the floor while his white shirt was stained with drops of blood. Bruce’s father was holding a long piece of wood near her. It looked like he was beating his son using it.

Bruce’s mother stood by their side. Her eyes were filled with unshed tears, probably for her son.

“How can you do such a thing to Lucy, huh?” Bruce’s father growled.

In fact, the patriarch of the James family was a former soldier. He was strict and violent, even to his son.

“Did you forget everything I taught you when you were still a kid? How can you hurt a woman who loved you? You’re a fucking playboy, huh? Well, here’s to being that kind of man!” he shouted before hitting him again.

Bruce groaned in pain. “Lucy and I broke up long ago,” he revealed.

“Guess what? No woman would stick with a cheater, Bruce! You treated her like garbage!”

“There’s no more love between us, Dad! So, we decided to end things. Times have changed. Stop judging me using your old school rules,” Bruce nonchalantly said.

“Beat me all you fucking want, but I will choose Angelia. Only her.”

Rage rushed through Bruce’s father. He raised the wood and mercilessly slapped it on Bruce’s face.

Blood immediately appeared on Bruce’s face, making Lucy and Zoe gasp in terror and worry. Zoe hurriedly went to her husband’s side.

“You’re father’s right, Bruce. You’ve been with Lucy for years, and everybody knew that you two were meant for each other. You shouldn’t smear Lucy’s reputation, son,” she said and moved closer to Bruce. “Listen to me. Break up with that woman. Lucy is the right woman for you. Only her.”

Bruce stubbornly shook his head. “Angelia’s a great woman, Mom. If only you give her a chance, you’ll get along pretty well.”

“Why aren’t you listening to me?” Zoe asked in frustration. “I don’t want that woman for you! I won’t accept her!”

Bruce lowered his head as he let out a dry chuckle. “Why do you all like Lucy?”

The entire house fell quiet.

“Is it because you pity her? Her parents died, her younger sister disappeared, and her uncle didn’t want her. But why? Is it because of our family?”

“Shut your mouth! Don’t you ever say that again!” His father yelled.

Bruce slightly turned his head. His facial expression immediately changed when he saw someone standing by the door.

“Hi, Aunt Zoe. Hi, Uncle,” she calmly greeted as if she had just arrived and didn’t hear their conversation.

Bruce’s parents stared at Lucy with shock and wariness, unable to say anything to comfort the girl.

Lucy transferred her gaze to the man on the ground. His back remained facing her. He didn’t even turn around to look at her. The way he clenched his fists was an indication that he was angry or guilty.

“I just want to clarify everything. Bruce and I broke up a long time ago. It was a mutual decision. I was the one who broke up with him, and he respected my choice,” she softly spoke.

She smiled at Bruce’s mother. “You should meet her, Mrs. James. She’s very kind and lovely.”

Sadness and disappointment flashed through Zoe’s eyes. “Lucy… Did Bruce force you to say those words? Be honest. We just had a wonderful dinner a few days ago! I don’t understand!”

Lucy shook her head, slightly feeling guilty. “I’m sorry, Aunt Zoe. I shouldn’t have kept this a secret from you.”

Zoe hugged Lucy. “You’re so kind, Lucy. Unfortunately, Angelia took advantage of your kindness and stole Bruce from you,” she whispered.

Bruce’s father sighed and glared at Bruce.

Sensing that his father was already done punishing him, Bruce stood up and went straight to his bedroom upstairs.

Bruce’s father sneered and threw the wood on the ground. He faced Lucy with a much gentler expression and said, “I’m sorry for what my son did to you, Lucy. Don’t worry. We’ll deal with Angelia. Only you deserve my son.”

Zoe mentally agreed with what her husband said. But she could deal with that issue later. For now, the only thing she could think of was her son and his wounds. So, she silently asked Lucy to check on Bruce.

“Sure, Aunt Zoe,” she replied with a smile.

Zoe’s heart warmed upon hearing her reply. “How can you and Bruce easily end your relationship like that? I always thought that you two would last forever. I remember the first time he introduced you to me. I thought that you were too pretty and kind for my son! But I really liked you, and I thought my son would treat you well. I don’t know why his attitude toward you suddenly changed.”

Lucy stayed silent. Zoe rubbed her arm in a motherly manner. “I really like you for my son, Lucy. I won’t give up on you two easily.”

“You can’t do anything anymore, Aunt. Bruce really likes that girl. I don’t want you to ruin your relationship with your son because of me. He’ll despise you if you hurt Angelia. If you’re really concerned about me, perhaps you can just introduce me to a nice bachelor?” Lucy said, trying to comfort her.

Zoe frowned at her last statement. She couldn’t do that, and her husband was the one who made the decisions in the family. He already knew that Lucy would be his daughter-in-law.

Zoe guided Lucy to their common bathroom and pulled out the first aid kit. “Bruce seems badly hurt. That boy is so stubborn! All because of that filthy woman!”

Lucy didn’t make further comments. She took the kit and went upstairs.

She had been in Bruce’s room several times already. This was where they had sex for the first time. At that time, Lucy’s uncle threw her out of their house, and Bruce immediately took her to their home.

Lucy was in the shower when Bruce suddenly appeared behind her. Then, things led to one thing and another. She didn’t refuse, but Lucy found herself crying when they got out of the bathroom.

Bruce lovingly covered her with a blanket and held her in his arms. He wiped her tears and hugged her tightly.

“Shh. It’s okay, babe. It’s not your fault that your uncle is an asshole. I’ll take care of you. I’ll be your only family. I promise,” he whispered with so much sincerity and affection.

When Lucy opened the door of Bruce's room, he was on the phone with Angelia.

"Is your face still hurt? You know what, surely, my mother will like you. I'll bring you back to see her another day," he said, coaxing Angelia patiently.

After a few moments, he put down his mobile phone; the whole person became coldly silent. Especially when he accidentally saw Lucy standing, patiently waiting for him. The indifference was to the extreme, which was a little ironic. It was a little ironic how extreme the indifference was.

"Your mother asked me to help you handle your wound," she said.

Bruce glanced at her. "You are so good, Lucy, huh!"

Of course, Lucy didn't think it was praise, but she ignored it. Instead, she put the medicine box on his side and wanted to see the wound on his back, but it was blocked by his hand. Bruce said coldly, "Could you tell me how you persuaded my parents? I'll let Angelia learn from you."

"Aunt asked me to help you with your wound," she repeated dryly.

"You tell your Aunt Sherry that she needs to be careful from now on. She will lose more the more she wants to get."

Lucy frowned. "Are you going to retaliate against the Glen family?"

But Bruce couldn't do that now. As long as his father was in power, Bruce couldn't pose any threats to the Glen family. However, sooner or later, he would take over.

Honestly, he didn't like the Glen family, and all the politeness he showed was just for his mother.

Bruce was not interested in talking to her at all, so he just said coldly without even looking at her, "I can handle it by myself. Just get out of here."

"Then, fuck yourself," she said. But when she turned her back and was about to leave, she heard Bruce speak. "You'd better ask your Aunt Sherry to apologize to Angelia."

Lucy stopped her feet from continuing to step and looked back at him, who was lying on the bed. Her eyes now clearly spotted the wound on his back, a startling shade of red.

Lucy suddenly realized that Bruce's father had underestimated him, but unfortunately, Bruce wouldn't give up this time.

Since Sherry couldn't apologize, Lucy thought about what Bruce had told her for a moment and said, "She shouldn't do that at all. She thought you caused all the fuss because you cheated and betrayed me. I know, and I am sure she is not the only one to blame."

Bruce was getting antsy as he heard Lucy's response. "Half of the blame is on us for keeping quiet, but that has nothing to do with Angelia!"

Lucy made her lips zipper and did not argue with him again.

But Bruce was not in the mood to stop. "Do you really think Sherry is sincere to you? She just wants to take advantage of you. Even if you have changed your first name to Glen, you are still incapable of sharing the fortune of the Glen family."

Lucy clenched her fists but said calmly, "I never thought so."

"Really?" He gave a cold smile. "In the past, if a woman came up to talk to me, you would tell her to leave by bringing up your Glen background. Being part of the Glen family gives you many benefits, right? Don't you enjoy it?"

Lucy looked at him, feeling extremely disappointed.

Only when insecurity sets in will women use their uncertain advantages to maintain their status.

At that time, the women around him were not as pretty as Lucy, but she couldn't compete with them because they had a common interest in him and could talk about the topic. She had to satisfy his sexual needs and brag about her past in front of other women to make him happy. But he didn't know that she was acting that way to please him. Instead, he thought she was just a slut.

And the fact that she introduced herself as "Miss Glen" made him think that she was a shallow and hypocritical girl.

In reality, she had low self-esteem and felt she had no advantages. She was just indeed afraid to see any woman getting close to him.