“That has nothing to do with me. When your father and I divorced, you stayed with him. I sent money. I fulfilled my duties.”
No guilt. Only pride.
“As for them choosing to raise you – that was their decision. I never asked them to. For all I know, they only did it to benefit from me.”
In her mind, the logic was airtight.
Why else would anyone raise a child like that?
There had to be a motive.
Scarlett stared at her for a long moment.
Then she exhaled slowly.
Arguing with her was pointless.
And honestly – beneath her.
She glanced toward the sky.
“It’s almost dinner time. Our simple meal probably wouldn’t suit your refined tastes, so I won’t keep you.”
Then her gaze shifted to Sadie.
“And before you leave – clean up the blood and teeth you scattered across our yard.”
Sadie nearly choked in rage.
But forced herself to stay in character.
Mossa snapped again.
“How dare you speak like that? You beat your sister half to death and still refuse to admit fault! Apologize to her!”
Scarlett had reached her limit.
She turned to Howard.
“Throw them out.”
“Gladly, boss.”
Howard had been holding himself back the entire time.
Mossa’s behavior was worse than any evil stepmother clich? he’d ever seen in a movie.
If she weren’t Scarlett’s biological mother, he would’ve thrown her out the second she opened her mouth.
He rolled up his sleeves and walked toward her.
“Mrs. Hayes, are you leaving on your own…”
He smiled coldly.
“…or do you want me to help?”
Mossa shot him a glare.
“I’m her mother. You wouldn’t dare lay a hand on me.”
The next second, Howard grabbed her and lifted her off the ground with one arm.
“Put me down! You thug! Put me down!”
Her screams echoed as he carried her straight to the gate and tossed her outside without ceremony.
Humiliated and furious, she slammed on the door.
“Scarlett! You ungrateful brat! I’m your mother! How dare you let someone treat me like this?! Get out here and apologize to your sister!”
She kept pounding the door.
“And the Drake family – you actually attacked their precious heir! Have you lost your mind?! You’re coming back with me today, and you’re going to kneel in front of them and beg for forgiveness!”
Bang. Bang. Bang.
Her shrill voice cut through the courtyard.
Inside, Louie looked at Scarlett, worry etched across his face.
“Lettie… did you really go after Colin?”
Amy looked just as uneasy.
She knew now. And that only made things worse.
That was the Drake family.
Scarlett gave them a calm, reassuring smile.
“Don’t worry. It’s handled.”
Louie’s jaw tightened. His hands clenched over his legs.
Then he said quietly, “I’ll take the blame.”
Scarlett turned sharply. “What?”
“When the time comes,” he said, voice steady, “I’ll say I broke his legs.”
He lowered his eyes.
“I’m already like this. Even if I go to prison… it can’t get much worse.”
Scarlett felt something twist in her chest.
Her throat tightened, eyes burning.
This –
This was family.
Not blood. Not legality.
Love.
In her heart, Louie had always been her brother.
“Louie…” she said softly. “You don’t need to worry. Colin won’t dare touch me.”
Even she knew how unbelievable that sounded.
So after a pause, she added, “There’s something you don’t know.”
Both of them looked at her.
“I wasn’t in prison for five years.”
A beat.
“I only served one year… then I was transferred.”
“To military command.”
Silence.
Then –
“What?!”
Louie and Amy stared at her in shock.
Scarlett nodded. “I served under military command. I earned commendations there. So you really don’t need to worry about Colin. He might be rich, but he doesn’t have the guts to challenge the military.”
“That’s wonderful – this is wonderful!” Amy said, tears of relief spilling over.
Louie’s eyes filled with unmistakable pride.
The military wasn’t just power – it was national honor.
And Scarlett had earned her place there.
If Colin wanted trouble, he’d have to think very carefully first.
“Lettie,” Louie asked after a moment, curiosity breaking through, “what rank are you?”
Scarlett hesitated. Her brows knit slightly.
“That’s classified. I can’t say.”
She didn’t want to lie with something fake. And revealing she was the leader of Obsidian Unit wasn’t an option either.
Not only was her identity top-level military intelligence, but tensions at the border had only recently stabilized. Any leak could create serious consequences.
And honestly… they might not believe her anyway.
Or worse – they would.
That was a conversation for another time.
“Then don’t say it,” Louie replied immediately, understanding the weight behind it.
Scarlett gave a faint, grateful smile.
“By the way,” she said, shifting the topic, “the specialist I called is here. He’s going to examine your leg.”
“Alright.”
Louie already accepted the truth in his heart – his leg was beyond saving.
But he didn’t want to disappoint her, so he agreed.
…
After dinner, the atmosphere in the house finally settled into a rare moment of calm.
Only then did Dr. Nyx appear.
New Book: Back Home to Marry Off Myself
Loredana’s father left the family for his mistress, leaving them to fend for themselves abroad. When life was at its toughest, her father showed up with “good news” after 8 years of absence: To marry off Loredana to a paralyzed son of the wealthy Mendelsohn family.