Chapter 4

Marcus adjusted his tailored suit, raised his glass, and toasted the crowd:

"Everyone, I am truly sorry. My apologies for letting a pathetic lunatic ruin our evening."

"I'll host another banquet next week to make it up to you all."

The guests immediately smiled, kissing his feet:

"Don't worry about it, Mr. Hayes! Your competitors are just jealous of your success. They can only resort to hiring low-life crazy women to do their dirty work!"

"Exactly! With your net worth and influence, you’ll be running the New York business scene in no time. This pathetic stunt is just laughable!"

I wiped the blood from my eyes, staring at him like a hawk.

"Running New York? Without me, he’s absolutely nothing!"

My voice ringed through the hall, freezing the room instantly. Everyone stared at me in disbelief.

Fighting off the dizziness, I stood up slowly and glared at Marcus:

"Marcus! Why don't you tell everyone how you actually got to where you are today?!"

Marcus’s fists clenched, his knuckles popping. He turned to me, a rare, murderous hatred flashing in his eyes.

I laughed bitterly.

"The Waterfront Plaza project. How did you get the bid?"

"If I hadn't made a personal call to Mr. Davis of the Sterling Group, your pathetic little company wouldn't have even passed the security gate of the bidding hall!"

Someone in the crowd mocked:

"Is she still daydreaming? She talks as if she owns the Sterling Group!"

I turned to the crowd, my voice dripping with icy pride:

"Have you heard of the Sterling family? I am Natalie Sterling, the only daughter of Arthur Sterling, the richest tycoon in New York!"

"If I hadn't poured my family's endless resources into his startup, do you honestly think this idiot could become a New York tech mogul in just three short years?!"

I pulled up the digital copy of our marriage certificate on my phone:

"Still don't believe me? Look at this! Can you fake a government registry?!"

A collective gasp echoed through the room. The atmosphere turned incredibly tense.

"Shut up! Shut your mouth!"

Marcus completely lost his mind.

He lunged forward, grabbed my neck, and slammed me hard against the floor!

Slap!

He delivered another brutal blow to my face!

"Who do you think you are?! How dare you spread lies at my party!"

"If you're a Sterling, then I'm the king of the world! Shut the hell up!"

Seeing the guests whispering in doubt, Chloe panicked.

She threw herself at Marcus’s feet, crying hysterically:

"Marcus, stop! Don't hit her! It's all my fault!"

She turned to me, sobbing: "Natalie, I know you became mentally unstable after Marcus broke up with you, but please stop lying! Please don't ruin him! We'll give you whatever money you want!"

She reached out to grab my arm, but the moment her hand touched me, a vicious glint flashed in her eyes.

She deliberately threw herself backward, crashing onto the floor, clutching her stomach and screaming:

"Ah! My baby! My stomach!"

"Chloe!"

Marcus’s eyes turned bloodshot with fury.

He turned back and threw a heavy punch right into my abdomen!

"You crazy bitch! How dare you attack my wife in front of everyone!"

With a sickening crack, I felt my ribs fracture, and a mouthful of blood sprayed onto the white tiles.

I curled up in excruciating pain, reaching out a bloody hand toward Marcus.

"Help... call 911..."

Marcus stood over me, looking down with pure disgust.

"Stop faking it. You brought a fake blood pack just to extort us?"

"Nice prop. Too bad your acting sucks."

The crimson blood pooled around me, stainining the marble floor.

Looking at the blood, a brief flash of panic crossed Marcus’s face.

But his expression quickly hardened.

"Throw her into the outdoor pool. Let her sober up!"

The security guards stepped forward, grabbing me by my hair and dragging me across the floor like a dead dog.

To show their loyalty to Marcus, several guests stepped forward to kick me as I was dragged past.

"Shameless whore! Stop pretending to be dead!"

"She tried to hurt Mrs. Hayes! Drowning is too good for her!"

Splash!

I was thrown brutally into the freezing water of the outdoor pool.

Marcus walked over, grabbed me by my wet hair, and shoved my head deep under the icy water!

"Sober yet? Say one more word, and I'll make sure you never breathe again!"

The suffocating water filled my lungs. The agonizing pain from my broken ribs and the lack of oxygen made my vision go dark.

Just as I was about to lose consciousness completely...

The sharp screech of tires echoed from the main gates of the estate!