I didn't feel like wasting my breath on her, so I pulled out my phone and dialled the security office, “Come up here and get rid of her.”

Laura's almond-shaped eyes widened and she suddenly jerked the dog leash in her hand as she yelled, “You little bitch, how could you dare to defy me?!”

As soon as she let go, the dog, which was nearly as tall as a person, lunged at me, knocking me to the ground and biting me.

In the intense struggle, blood gushed from my body and the pain made me roll on the ground.  

Laura clapped her hands and smiled excitedly.

I managed to get up with great difficulty and took a few steps forward, but the security guard rushed in and grabbed me from behind.  

I screamed out in pain, “What are you doing? I am the resident here! She was the one who broke into my house and let the dog bite me!”

The security guard looked unconcerned as he tried to persuade me while dragging me away, “We only follow Ms. Chavez's orders. She asked us to ask you to leave and we had no choice.”

Neighbours gathered around, whispering among themselves.

“How dare she? Ms. Chavez is Mr. Morton's childhood sweetheart, his precious treasure. Does she really think that just because she's marrying into the Morton Family, she can challenge Ms. Chavez?”

“This house definitely belongs to Mr. Morton. He's just letting her stay here. She really thinks she's a resident now.”

“He is just let Ms. Chavez decorated it as a funeral hall to vent her frustration. What's the big deal? 

“Can't she just endure it. At least she’ll get a free house. If she keeps causing trouble, she might not even be able to get married tomorrow.”

Laura grew even more arrogant, crossing her arms and speaking with contempt, “Did you hear that? I’m giving you one last chance. Kneel down and apologize now. Admit you were wrong and I might consider forgiving you.”

“Otherwise, you won't even be able to have your wedding tomorrow!”

I found it laughable.

“Ms. Chavez, you are the one who is wrong now, not me. I will say this for the last time. Take your workers and leave my house immediately.”

Before I could finish, she raised her hand and slapped me several times.

“You little bitch, you're still so stubborn!”

I dodged while gritting my teeth refusing to strike back.  

It was not that I dared not touch her, but the organization had strictly ordered me to have no conflicts with ordinary civilians.

That was a line I had to draw.

After all, this was just a private matter. I did not want to escalate things over such trivial emotions and tarnish the organisation's reputation.  

I broke free from the security guard's grip and was about to grab Laura's hand, when suddenly, a powerful force struck me from behind.

I was pushed away, colliding heavily with the cabinet by the door. My vision went black and my bones were almost broken.

A furious growl echoed in my ears, “I wonder who dares to touch her!”

I clutched my arm, which was throbbing so badly that I could barely feel it, gritted my teeth and struggled to my feet.  

The ones who had pushed me aside were a group of bodyguards in black. They escorted a man who strode in confidently.

The man strode directly toward Laura, his voice low and laced with concern. “What happened? I heard someone dared to mess with you—who was bold enough to try that?”

Standing nearly 1.9 metres tall, dressed in a sharp suit, with a handsome face, he was indeed striking.  

Laura turned around, glaring at me defiantly.

Eric followed her gaze, his eyes cold yet scrutinising.

I swallowed my anger and tried to reason with him, “You are Eric Morton, right? I am Margret Dean, your grandfather’s chosen fiancée. The person who called you earlier was also me. Ms. Chavez….."

“Shut up!” He frowned, raised his hand to interrupt me and spoke impatiently, “I don't care what happened and I don't care who you are. Now, kneel down and apologize to Laura.”

I was speechless for a moment, then laughed in anger.

The marriage was arranged by the Morton Family and nominally I was his fiancée.

Yet that moment, without even figuring out what happened, he was demanding me to kneel down and apologise?

“Eric, although we have no emotional foundation, perhaps you prefer Ms. Chavez more, but I am your legitimate fiancée. At the very least, you should show some respect, right?

“Besides, she's the one at fault, not me. You didn't even bother to ask for the details, yet you want me to kneel? On what grounds?”

“On what grounds?” He raised an eyebrow, his eyes brimming with contempt and arrogance. “Because you are so persistent and insist on marrying into the Morton Family.

“If it weren’t for my grandfather’s condition—that I must marry you to inherit the Morton Corporation—I wouldn’t even spare you a glance.  A wild girl from some backwater slum, you’re revolting to even look at.”

He glanced at me with disgust, his gaze landing on the mud stains on my clothes.

“Don’t think that marrying into the Morton Family gives you the right to bully my people. If you dare to upset Laura, I have a hundred ways to make you leave the Morton Family.”

I was speechless, “Eric, please understand that it's not that I have to marry you-- "

“Look how ungrateful you are!” Laura interrupted me, smiling smugly, “Wait until Eric really won't marry you. Let's see if you'll cry and beg for mercy.”

“You should feel so grateful to be able to marry into the Morton Family, until you don’t dare to call off the engagement, right?”

Watching the two of them banter back and forth with a condescending expression, I sneered, “Morton Family? What's so special about them? Do they really think they're some kind of treasure? Do they think every woman in the world is desperate to marry them?”

The onlookers outside the house erupted.

“Has she lost her mind? This is the Morton Family, the wealthiest family in this city! How dare she say the Morton Family is nothing?”

“Stop pretending. Who doesn't want to marry to Morton? The wedding house has been given to her and the wedding arrangements are all set. It’s just that the wedding house decorations are a bit intimidating. Just endure it for now.”

“Exactly. What's wrong with letting Ms. Chavez vents her frustration? Just endure it for now and enter the family first.”

Listening to those nonsensical comments, I found it ridiculous.  

The Morton Family is indeed wealthy, but so what?

They were just relying on government projects to make a living. 

Ten years ago, they obtained the ten-year usage rights to our laboratory’s research project and made a quick fortune.  

But those usage rights would expire in a month.  

Without getting new authorization, the Morton Family’s former glory would crumble overnight.

That was precisely why the old man from the Morton Family, despite his age, kept coming to our office every day, bowing and scraping before the leaders, begging for a contract extension.

He knew that I was the project manager and was single, so he blocked my office door every day and begged me to consider his grandson.

When I did not budge, he turned to my mother.  

My mother was so swayed by his flattery that she decided to just do it without consulting me and settle the marriage right away.

To put it bluntly, this marriage was beneficial to both parties.

From a project perspective, if I married into the Morton Family, it could help stabilize their domestic investments, which would also be good for research. 

Therefore, the higher-ups were also waiting and watching to see whether to give the Morton Family a more long-term cooperation.

But then it seemed the marriage that Mr. Morton fought so hard to secure was likely to be ruined by his grandson himself.

Those thoughts flashed through my mind, but in Eric and Laura’s eyes, my silence was interpreted as guilt.  

Eric spoke impatiently, “I’ll give you one last chance. Kneel down and apologize to Laura. Otherwise, the wedding will be cancelled.”

I looked up at them and spoke calmly and clearly.

“Fine, cancel the wedding then. I don’t need your opportunity.”

The two of them were stunned, especially Eric, whose face looked extremely pale.

He wasn’t sure what stung more—being humiliated for the first time by a woman he had always looked down on, or the sudden realization that if he truly refused this marriage, his grandfather might actually strip him of his inheritance.

But Laura who was standing beside him, had a gleam in her eyes, filled with greed and ambition.

“Eric, wouldn't it be better if she refused to get married? At least you won't have to bring such a village girl home and embarrass yourself.”

After she finished speaking, she saw Eric hesitating and weighing his options. 

She immediately stepped forward and spoke quickly, “What your grandfather said earlier was just out of anger. How could he really revoke your inheritance rights just because you refuse to marry a village girl?

“You are so capable and intelligent. Your grandfather is counting on you to take the Morton Family to the next level.”

Those words hit the mark and Eric instantly grew confident. 

“But the invitations have already been sent out. It may be too late to cancel them now.”

Laura chuckled, tracing circles on his chest with her finger, her tone seductive as she said in a charming tone, “What's the big deal? I'm still here. I'm the one who was supposed to marry you.”

Eric's eyes darkened as he gripped her hand with a hoarse voice, “The one I should marry is indeed a lady of noble birth like you.”

“Someone like her, if it weren’t for my grandfather forcing her on me, would never be with me even just once in a lifetime.”

I was so annoyed that I pointed at the door and said, “Since the wedding is cancelled, please leave with Miss Chavez immediately and have the workers dismantle all this mess!”

The onlookers burst into laughter.

“Does she really think that just because the wedding is cancelled, the wedding house will still be her? This is pre-marital property. Since the wedding hasn’t even taken place, it obviously belongs to Mr. Morton.”

Laura said coquettishly, “Eric, don't give her this house. You've canceled the wedding, so I don’t want her to get any advantage over you.”

“Okay, then I'll ask her to give it back,” Eric agreed, then he said to me, “I don't care what my grandfather gave you, but this house, I'm taking it back. Get out now.”

I was speechless and couldn't help but remind him, “Eric, this house was given to me by my company's supervisor, not by your Morton Family.”

Eric sneered, pulled out a check from his wallet and flung it in front of me.

“Alright, stop making up stories. You just want money, right? Just assume that I bought the house, okay?”

I coldly stared at him as I said, “Eric, let me explain again. This house was given to me by my company. I won't give it to you and it's not something you can buy with money.”

My words not only made Eric and Laura burst into laughter, but also the residents who were watching at the door.

“Typical city bumpkin. This building is indeed in a prime location, but it's an old house that's been vacant for years. A house like this hasn't been sold after all these years, clearly because it can't be sold. 

“Mr. Morton gave her so much money that it would have been enough to buy an entire building in the privileged area, yet she still isn't satisfied.”

Eric also snorted derisively and said, “Did you hear that? Be sensible, take your money and get out of here.”

I, however, said resolutely, “Eric, I won't let you do whatever you want. This house is not something you can buy with money. Your money isn't all-powerful.”