Chapter 2

My phone kept buzzing. I didn't answer.

Jason threw back one drink after another.

One of his buddies leaned in and asked under his breath, “Jason, this thing with your fiancée's family…… is it real? You really can't judge people by their looks. That's cold.”

Jason's face went red. He pulled me off to the side.

“Ivy, why didn't you tell me about your foster mother beforehand? Now it's blown up like this. Where does that leave the James family's reputation?”

I looked up at him.

“If you want to call off the engagement, there's still time.”

He froze.

His mother rushed over and grabbed him, hissing, “Have you lost your mind? This engagement is not being called off!”

The reception broke up on a sour note.

But I knew Sheila wouldn't let it go.

Sure enough, first thing the next morning, she planted herself at the entrance of my oldest brother's company.

Security blocked her, and she still put on airs.

“I happen to be your chairman's mother! Push me, and I'll have him fire you!”

Security ignored her, so she strung up a banner and went live.

“I'm Sheila Whitney, and I've got a good heart. I saw four poor children and took them in from the orphanage, raised them with my own two hands, cleaned up after them……”

“And now, every last one of them has turned into a wolf!”

She wept like her heart was tearing apart, and pulled up her pant leg to show the vicious scar on her right leg.

“The oldest broke my leg and set a dog on me! The second one drove me out of the old house and left me on the streets!”

“The third is worse. He poisoned me. And even at my youngest daughter's wedding, they were ashamed of me and wouldn't let me come.”

“Now I'm sick, and not one of my four children cares whether I live or die! Please, help an old woman!”

The comments scrolled wildly.

“This is disgusting! Even animals wouldn't do something this cold!”

“Don't cry, ma'am, I'll help you sue them!”

“Exactly! I've already posted those four ingrates' info online! Everybody pile on!”

Sheila watched the comments and cried even harder.

The stream passed a million viewers and shot to number one on the trending topics.

Three days later, with the help of all those strangers online, she took the four of us to court.

On the day of the trial, the courthouse steps were packed with reporters and influencers.

The second we stepped out of the car, rotten vegetables and eggs came flying at our heads.

My oldest brother walked out front, his face blank, egg white dripping down his suit.

My other two brothers flanked me, one on each side.

Inside the courtroom, Sheila was already sitting at the plaintiff's table.

When she saw us come in, she shrank down and ducked behind her lawyer.

The lawyer was young, with a look of righteous outrage.

Sheila's lawyer spoke first.

“Your Honor, my client, Ms. Sheila Whitney, adopted four orphans from the orphanage over the years, fifteen years ago. For fifteen years she toiled and suffered, working odd jobs and collecting scrap, to raise these four children to adulthood.”

“To put them through school, she sold her blood, slept under bridges, ate leftovers out of the trash.”

“And now, these four have made something of themselves, yet they broke the old woman's leg and threw her out of her home, even set a dog on her!”

The gallery erupted, and I spotted Jason and his mother right away.

The judge looked over at us. “Do the defendants have anything to say?”

My oldest brother stood up, his eyes fixed on Sheila.

“Do you dare tell everyone how your leg really got broken?”

She stammered.

“I…… I was only trying to get back what was mine, and you broke it!”

He let out a cold laugh. “What was yours? How would anything of yours be in my home?”

My second brother said thoughtfully, “True, there's nothing. Although……”

The corner of his mouth curled up slightly.

“Those treasures you kept hidden in the basement of the old house, I've been keeping them for you this whole time.”

“How is it you never came back to collect them?”

At his words, the color drained from Sheila's face in an instant, and her whole body started shaking violently.

“No…… I don't want it…… I don't want any of it……”

“I broke my own leg. It has nothing to do with them!”