Chapter 1 I Hate This Woman
- “How dare you cry! You little wretch, if it weren't for you, Miles would have married me long ago!” Samantha Hogan grabbed the little girl's hair in the bedroom and dragged her into the closet.
- She should have married Miles Franklin a long time ago. Perhaps they would have had a few children by now.
- Selina Franklin couldn't utter a sound. She could only fix her gaze on Samantha with a pair of eyes strikingly similar to Amanda Dickerson's.
- Samantha gritted her teeth in rage. Those eyes reminded her of Amanda and all her humiliation over the years.
- If she could, she would love nothing more than to gouge out the eyes of the little girl.
- “Listen here, you little brat, don't say I didn't warn you!” Samantha crouched down, her face contorting with malice. “Your daddy and I are about to get married. You'll leave this house on your own accord if you're smart!”
- After she finished speaking, Samantha forcefully poked at Selina's forehead with her index finger.Why should a child, born of a lowly woman, have the right to stay with the Franklin family?
- “You and that despicable mother of yours are cut from the same cloth! Always playing the innocent victim!”
- Selina, who had been holding back her emotions, suddenly let out a shrill scream. She began to shout, trying to resist. Her delicate little fists swung toward Samantha, but sadly, she was too weak.
- The soundproofing in the second-floor bedroom was exceptionally good, so the housekeepers downstairs had no clue about what was happening within.
- “Keep it down!” Samantha cautiously gripped Selina's arm. She wasn't foolish enough to let others discover that Selina was injured.
- “I'm warning you”—Samantha forcefully shook Selina's head with both of her hands—” if you don't leave the Franklin family on your own accord, I have plenty of ways to make your life miserable.”
- If possible, she really wished to land a few solid slaps on that face, which bore a striking resemblance to someone she knew.
- “You annoying mute!” Samantha constantly lashed out verbally at Selina, feeling as if she had spent her entire life being oppressed by this mother-daughter duo.
- She forcefully threw Selina into the closet.
- “Drop dead! Drop dead! Drop dead!” Samantha repeated these nasty words over and over in an attempt to instill fear in Selina, her lips painted with bright lipstick.
- Tears slid down Selina's face, and her eyes were filled with fear.
- Even though Selina was only five years old at the time, she had already begun to understand some of the words spoken by the housekeepers. The housekeepers held great respect for the woman in front of her, even mentioning that she would become the lady of the house.
- She will end up living with Daddy, moving into our house, and sharing a life with us. No! I hate this woman! I don't want her to come and live with me.
- Mindful of the time, Samantha forcefully pulled Selina out of the closet. She gripped Selina's hair tightly, warning, “All right, Lina, it's time for us to go downstairs.”
- Selina widened her eyes, shook her head, and then nodded shortly after.
- Samantha sneered. Her facade at the Franklin residence was impeccable. Even if Selina went to Miles and those housekeepers, claiming she had mistreated her, no one would believe it.
- They would only think that Selina had a peculiar personality.
- Meanwhile, at Virus Medical Research Institute in Yowhayton, a sudden cry of urgency echoed through the halls.
- “Oh my gosh, my research data!” Mitchell Morgan's cry of alarm was so heartfelt that anyone who heard it couldn't help but feel a pang of sympathy.
- At that time, Amanda had spent the entire night conducting experiments. As she just stepped out of the laboratory, she saw her assistant, Katerina Simmons, hurrying toward her. Katerina said, “Dr. Dickerson, Professor Morgan is looking for you. He wants you to go to his office.”
- Upon hearing these words and seeing Katerina's hesitant expression, Amanda, who was initially somewhat drowsy, instantly became wide awake.
- “Did he... mention anything? Did the two little devils ruin the research results again?” Amanda speculated.
- Of course, she also had a profound suspicion that Mitchell might want her to return to Clusia.
- Katerina nodded slightly, her eyes filled with a hint of sympathy.
- She reassured Amanda, “This time, it's mainly because you've been in the lab for three consecutive days without eating or drinking. The two kids were extremely worried about you... They thought Professor Morgan was intentionally making things hard for you, assigning you a lot of work.”
- Upon hearing Katerina's comforting words, Amanda found them amusing, even though she was dealing with a growing headache.
- She had to admit that the two children were the greatest gifts she had ever received.
- Now, she increasingly felt that her decision to divorce Miles back then was absolutely the right thing to do.
- If she hadn't divorced him, she might still be an unsatisfied woman from a wealthy family with no responsibilities. She might not have had the opportunity to raise these two intelligent children either.
- Back then, she was wholeheartedly smitten with Miles. However, all she received in return was his disdain and mockery of his first crush.
- She had been torn about whether to have an abortion or not. But when she finally arrived at the hospital, she found herself backing down, unable to bring herself to do it.
- In the end, she chose to divorce and moved abroad to give birth to her children. Fortunately, the children were very well-behaved during her pregnancy, allowing her to juggle her long-neglected studies.
- At that time, she was carrying three children in her womb: two boys and a girl.
- During childbirth, the girl tragically passed away due to a lack of oxygen. She was left with two precious sons, Alvin and Elliot.
- Thinking of those two extraordinarily clever children, Amanda felt a deep sense of happiness in her heart.
- However, the thought of being reprimanded on their behalf caused her spirits to deflate.