Chapter 2

My eyes regained their calm as I looked at Ethan and got straight to the point: "I'm the person you're waiting for. You can all leave now."

The scene fell silent for a moment.

Everyone exchanged glances, then burst into laughter.

Yasmine laughed so hard tears came out.

She shoved the flowers she'd prepared to welcome me into my face.

"Sister, it's been five years---why are you still so delusional?

We're here to welcome Ethan's uncle's wife, the future mistress of the family.

Not you... trash who couldn't even keep her baby."

The last sentence was whispered so quietly that only I could hear it.

The others followed Yasmine's lead, mocking me one after another:

"Yasmine's right. Everyone in our circle knows Marcus has been waiting for his true love---at thirty-five, he still refused to get married."

"After finally winning the beauty's heart, he threw a seven-day, seven-night wedding celebration in France. Even royalty attended, they say."

"Too bad Ethan was busy and couldn't make it abroad."

"Lena, have you lost your mind living abroad? You dare to impersonate Marcus's wife?"

They chattered away, rolling their eyes practically into the sky.

I said nothing, only thinking about that grand wedding, my mood unable to help but soar.

If not for that wedding, I wouldn't have believed that Marcus had waited for me for seven years.

Yasmine thought I was guilty, her tone growing more arrogant: "See this watch on my wrist?

Last Valentine's Day, to make his wife happy, Ethan's uncle specially commissioned the world's only all-diamond watch in Switzerland. Just the diamonds embedded in it are worth 40 million pounds.

And the one I'm wearing is a replica. Not expensive---only about 3 million."

Her proud smile had barely formed when someone beside her pushed her and pointed at my hand, crying out: "Yasmine, Lena's watch... it looks like the same model as yours!"

The scene suddenly fell silent.

Ethan was the first to rush forward and grab my hand, examining it carefully.

In less than three seconds, he relaxed and sneered. "The diamonds are so flashy---clearly artificial. Worthless."

His expression was half-mocking. "Lena, which security guard gave you that?

How tacky---how dare he give you trash like this?"

I shook him off and carefully wiped the watch face.

Marcus had given me this the day I found out I was pregnant with our son. I couldn't let them dirty it.

Seeing how much I cared about it, Ethan's mind went blank with anger.

He suddenly grabbed my hand and smashed it against the wall.

The watch face shattered.

Yasmine patted her chest, looking at the broken watch face with a bright smile: "Knew it was a fake---one touch and it breaks.

Otherwise I really would have been fooled into thinking you were the legendary Marina. That scared me."

Watching her exaggerated performance, everyone couldn't hold back their laughter anymore.

Though none of them had met Marcus, everyone knew one thing.

Marcus was the most capable head of the family in nearly thirty years, at the very pinnacle of the elite.

He'd have to be insane to get involved with his own nephew's ex-fiancée.

Much less pamper her like a precious treasure.

The thought alone was impossible.

Ethan wasn't laughing. He watched me treasure the watch, his eyes cold: "Lena, be good. Get rid of it. I'll buy you something better. This garbage---throw it away."

I found it laughable. What right did he have to order me around?

"Impossible. My husband gave this to me. His name is Marcus..."

SLAP!

Ethan hit me.

My face burned with pain, and blood trickled from the corner of my mouth.

I stood there in shock, hearing Ethan speak through gritted teeth: "Lena, you lunatic!"