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Chapter 1
A horrified scream rang out at the Johnson residence. "Oh, no! Ms. Sabrina's taking her life!"

The people who were seated in the living room immediately bolted upstairs, with Lucille Johnson being the exception. She glanced coldly in the direction of Sabrina Johnson's bedroom on the second floor before getting up and lazily heading upstairs.

"What happened?" An angry voice rang out. It belonged to Lucille's grandfather, Horace Johnson.

A maid knelt on the floor with her head bowed. She trembled as she said, "We came upstairs to call Ms. Sabrina, Mr. Johnson Senior. That was when we found her lying unmoving in bed. There was a will letter and a bottle of sleeping pills on her bedside table."

A will letter? Sleeping pills?

Everyone looked stunned and horrified. Even Lucille was slightly surprised by the lengths Sabrina had gone to.

A man got down on one knee by the bed. He lifted Sabrina into his arms without saying a word. His handsome face was grim as he growled, "I'll take her to the hospital!"

As he walked past Lucille, he glared at her and snarled, "You'd better pray nothing happens to Bree!"

Then, he strode off.

Lucille narrowed her eyes without saying anything. Just then, a shrill voice that was both mocking and choked up rang out. "Why did you have to force Sabrina to death, Lucille? How can you be so cruel?"

Lucille turned to frown slightly at Ivy Beech. Ivy was her stepmother and Sabrina's mother. She said coldly, "She tried to murder herself of her own accord. How is it my fault?"

"You imbecile! Sabrina's your sister! How can you be so heartless and evil?" Her father, William Johnson, was furious. He didn't care how his words would affect her.

Then again, she was already used to it. She smiled, but it didn't reach her eyes, which were frosty. She didn't say anything.

Out of the corner of her eye, she saw Horace move his walking cane. She gave him a rebellious look and asked lazily, "What? Do you want to hit me again, Grandpa?"

Lucille could clearly see the hatred and disgust in Horace's eyes. He was known for being biased against her, anyway. His eyes and heart had been blinded by prejudice.

He roared, "How did we end up with an imbecile like you in the family? You're nothing but an ingrate! You don't deserve to be included in our family tree!"

Lucille laughed derisively as her eyes flashed with mockery. "Do you think I want that? Remove me, then!"

Horace couldn't stand her arrogance and rebelliousness. He gave her a look of disgust and snapped, "You're ridiculous! If anything happens to Sabrina, you—"

She cut him off. "What? Are you going to murder me so I can die with her?"

She sneered, not believing for a second that Sabrina would die just like that. Sabrina was such a vain, covetous coward. How could she possibly bear to die? Still, she had to admit Sabrina had improved her acting skills immensely. She'd fooled everyone around her.

Horace and the others looked at her without any trace of love or concern. They only felt hatred and disgust for her.

Lucille said, "I'm a daughter of the Johnson family, just like her. Why do I have to give in to her at every turn?"

William snapped, "Because she's your sister!"

Horace retorted, "Why? Think about the horrible things you've done over the years! You haven't stopped trying to frame Sabrina for things she hasn't done, and you've caused trouble at every turn.

"You're also obnoxious and worthless. What else are you capable of? What can you bring to the Johnson family?"

Lucille's gaze darkened, and her expression turned stormy. At the same time, she exuded iciness as her lips curled up.

Of course. How could she have forgotten? Sabrina was renowned in Whiteloop City for her talent and skills. In recent years, she had boosted the Johnson family's reputation and benefited them greatly.

Horace continued, "You have to call off the engagement with the Quall family. It's not like they'll let someone with your reputation marry into their family!"

Lucille challenged him. "What if I refuse?"

He slammed his walking cane on the floor and scowled. Then, he roared, "You have no room for refusal!"

With that, he led everyone else to the hospital. Lucille watched them leave, as calm as could be. Similar experiences had happened countless times in the past—she was already used to it. To the Johnsons, Sabrina was their lucky star. Meanwhile, she was nothing but a symbol of misfortune.

She knew she'd truly given up on her family on the day that her heart had stopped hurting because of their accusations and insults. She no longer felt lonely because none of them understood her.

Lucille could understand why the Johnsons had fallen for Sabrina's terrible acting. They were silly and only had their eyes on the money. But Harold Quall…

She couldn't understand how he'd been blinded by Sabrina's idiocy. He was supposed to be smart and capable. How had he become the heir of the Quall family when he was a fool?

…

When Lucille arrived at Central Hospital, Sabrina had already gotten her stomach pumped and had been admitted. As Lucille approached the hospital room, she heard the conversation inside.

"How's my daughter, doctor? Is her life at risk?" Ivy asked anxiously.

"Yeah. How's my granddaughter? She's been weak since she was a child, and her heart isn't in the best condition. Will this have any lasting side effects on her health?" Horace asked.

The doctor was taken aback. Sabrina had heart problems? Still, he didn't think much of it and said, "Don't worry. The patient was brought to the hospital in time, so she's fine now. She'll wake up soon. Remember to put her on a clean diet for the next few days. She can be discharged after that."

Everyone sighed in relief at his words. Meanwhile, Lucille sneered to herself.

The doctor left after telling the Johnsons what to do. When Ivy turned and saw Lucille standing at the door, her expression became twisted and menacing. She asked warily, "What are you doing here? Are you trying to harm Sabrina again?"

Lucille rolled her eyes. Like mother, like daughter. Did they think she didn't have better things to do? She didn't need to do anything. Sabrina could act out the scene herself!

"What are you doing here, you imbecile? Get out of here! Don't dirty Sabrina's hospital room!" William barked.

Lucille raised an eyebrow and crossed her arms. She felt like she'd be doing their anger an injustice if she didn't say anything.

"What am I doing here?" She sneered. "I'm here to see whether your precious little Sabrina's still alive, of course."

"Lucille!" Harold's voice rang out coldly.

She scratched her ear and looked at him lazily.

Harold strode toward Lucille and dragged her out of the hospital room. Then, he flung her aside and waited until she'd snapped to her senses to say, "She's your sister, Lucy!"

Lucille looked up at him. This again? That was all everyone could say to her! She snorted. "My sister?"

Harold met her eyes. He couldn't help feeling taken aback when he saw the frostiness in her eyes.

He'd always known that she was pretty. In fact, she was much prettier than Sabrina. She was just… too strong-willed and arrogant.

Lucille continued, "Have you ever met anyone who would steal their sister's fiancé? I wouldn't dare admit that I have a homewrecking woman as a sister!"

Harold said, "Sabrina and I genuinely love each other, Lucy. I—"

She cut him off while looking like she couldn't care less what he had to say. "Yeah, whatever. Cut the crap. I don't care whether you two are really in love or not."

Harold looked at her. He thought she was saddened by his words, so he said, "Fine. I won't say anything. My engagement to you has to be called off, though."

"What if I say no?" Lucille blinked.

A trace of pity flashed in Harold's eyes. He didn't want to hurt Lucille, but he'd only ever thought of her as his sister. Sabrina was the one who'd always held his heart. "Lucy, I…"

She didn't let him finish again. "If you want me to agree to call off the engagement, tell Sabrina to get on her knees and apologize to me. Once she does that, I'll give this clandestine relationship the green light."

Harold's expression turned menacing at her words, and his gaze turned cold. Then, he snapped, "You're the one at fault, Lucy, not Sabrina!

"It's fine if you don't apologize to her, but how can you demand she get on her knees and apologize to you? How can you be so unreasonable? When did you become so heartless?"

He paused, and his chest heaved with anger. Then, he continued, "Since you two were kids, she's spoken up on your behalf despite you being in the wrong. She tried so hard to protect you! But look at what you've done! You've tried to murder her time and time again, and you even got someone to sully her.

"Do you have a heart? Are you still human? She even wrote in her will letter that we weren't to blame you for anything. Yet you show no sign of remorse, and you're demanding something so ridiculous! I'm so disappointed in you!"

Lucille narrowed her eyes and sneered. Sabrina had mentioned her in her letter, huh? This was what she did best—pretend to be frail and kind.

"What? I guess that means she can't do it. Forget it, then. I'm not the one who's trying to seek death all the time," Lucille said calmly. She acted like she didn't hear a thing Harold had said. Honestly, she was already immune to those things.

Harold felt like his rage had fallen short of its target when he saw how she refused to own up to her mistakes. "When did you become this cold-blooded?"

Chapter 2
Lucille smiled without answering Harold. She turned to head to the elevator but stopped after a few steps. She turned back to look at Harold and said, "Oh, right. Everything I just said will remain valid forever."

Then, she headed into the elevator without a backward glance. Harold remained where he was. He was frowning. He watched her leave.

…

In Central Hospital's garden, there was a stone bench underneath a towering tree. An old man with snowy hair sat there with a young, debonair man.

"You're already 28, Spencer, yet you don't have any women in your life. I'm almost ashamed of you," the old man, James Layton, said.

James asked cautiously, "Do you have some unspeakable condition?"

He'd introduced Spencer to countless beautiful socialites, yet the latter hadn't been interested in the least. Could it be… there really was something wrong with him?

Spencer's gaze darkened at that. He frowned slightly as a trace of helplessness flashed in his eyes. He said, "You look like you're pretty healthy, Grandpa. If there's nothing wrong with you, I'm gonna get going."

James huffed. "You brat. Don't tell me you want to spend the rest of your life alone!"

Spencer straightened his suit elegantly. It was easy to see that he was a perfectionist. He didn't let a single wrinkle go. He said calmly, "That was exactly my plan, Grandpa."

James felt like something had lodged itself in his throat and refused to go down. He was rendered speechless.

"Alright, Grandpa. I need to head to the company to deal with some work, so I'll have Kent take you back." Spencer was helpless when it came to dealing with James, who would occasionally pretend to be sick so he could force Spencer to go on blind dates. "Kent, take Grandpa back to Layton Manor."

Kent White had been waiting silently this whole time. "Yes, boss."

…

Lucille didn't drive away from the hospital. She strolled along the tree-lined road leading away from it, not knowing where she was headed.

That morning, Harold called her. He asked her to return to the Johnson residence so they could discuss calling off the engagement. If she refused, Harold and Sabrina would never be able to be together in public.

Harold adored Sabrina, so he tried to think of everything he could do to call off the engagement. It was too bad Lucille refused to budge. That was why Sabrina had taken her life.

It was supposed to be Sabrina's way of giving Lucille and Harold her blessing, but it was actually a scheme to push the blame on Lucille. That way, the Johnson family would force Lucille to call off the engagement. After all, they wouldn't bear to let their precious Sabrina suffer such a grievance.

All Lucille could say was that Sabrina had made the right move. Since they were children, Sabrina had always acted like a kind, understanding older sister, whether at school or at home. Lucille had always been made out to be a cruel, heartless younger sister.

Lucille never would've expected Horace and William, for whom she'd held the utmost respect in the past, to be the ones to hurt her deepest. She'd gone from not understanding them to being disappointed in them. Ultimately, she'd become numb.

She was only 24 this year, yet she'd never experienced an ounce of familial love. Prejudice and cold shoulders were all she knew. This had taught her one thing—to never overestimate a person's humanity.

As she strolled along, she stopped beside a lake. She stared at the bottomless water and found that it was like her. Her heart had long since been sealed in a deep, dark cave where no light could enter.

…

An expensive car headed in Lucille's direction. Spencer leaned against the window with his head propped on one hand. He stared at the trees outside as they drove past. Suddenly, a slender figure entered his line of sight.

The car was about to drive past her when he inexplicably told his subordinate, Mack Wood, to stop. "Stop the car."

Mack slammed the brakes, making the car skid to a stop. He turned to look at Spencer in confusion. "What's wrong, boss?"

The only answer he received was the sight of Spencer getting out of the car. He was stunned. He turned to look out the window and saw a slender woman standing by the lake.

Her long hair cascaded down her back, and her all-black outfit made her look particularly thin. She stood there, looking like she was about to jump into the lake. Then, he saw Spencer head toward her. Was he going to save a damsel in distress?

At that moment, Lucille was in her own world. She didn't notice Spencer behind her.

"Miss, you can always talk to someone if you're facing any issues." When his voice suddenly rang out behind her, she jolted in shock. She was about to turn to see who it was when she accidentally stepped into a small hole and lost her balance. She toppled backward.

Without anything for her to grab onto, she could only accept her fate of falling into the lake. "Ah!"

Mack had just gotten out of the car when he saw this. He cried, "Watch out!"

Fortunately, Spencer was quick to act. He swiftly grabbed Lucille's hand and pulled her into his arms while steadying her.

A pleasant cologne wafted into Lucille's nostrils, and her heart pounded. She was taken aback. Spencer's strong arm was still wrapped around her waist, and he didn't seem to want to release her.

"You can let me go now, sir," she said. Her voice was muffled because she was pressed to his body.

Only then did Spencer release her. She smelled nice, and he didn't hate it. It had even distracted him for a while.

Lucille looked up. She was surprised by how good-looking Spencer was. He was right up her alley. His deep-set eyes were charming and alluring underneath his bushy brows, and his nose was tall. He was handsome.

Spencer frowned at her dazed look. He took in her appearance and noticed that she was quite pretty, albeit a little skinny. He asked, "Why did you resort to this?"

"Huh?" Lucille blinked at him. Did he think she wanted to take her life? She explained, "You've got the wrong idea, sir. I can't stand being in pain, so I wouldn't choose this method even if I wanted to take my life. Death by drowning sounds horrible."

Spencer was rendered speechless. Mack happened to hear this as he approached. He couldn't help thinking about how amazing it was that Lucille would consider how she wanted to die when she was ready to take her life.

For some reason, Spencer found himself smiling slightly as he asked, "Which method would you choose, then?"

Lucille said, "I've yet to think about it."

She had too many things to do, so why would she think about taking her own life? No one would be sad over her death. She wasn't Sabrina.

Spencer didn't miss the disappointment and self-deprecation that flashed across her face. He said, "Good. Don't stand so close to such a dangerous place in the future."

The seal on Lucille's frozen heart seemed to thaw just a little at his words. She looked at him in surprise, then averted her gaze. Was he worried about her? But he was just a stranger.

"Thanks for earlier. If not for you, I would've fallen into the lake," she said. Her tone was calm but sincere. She also seemed a little lost on what to do.

"It was nothing. In fact, my sudden appearance is what startled you in the first place." Spencer's expression was cold, but his tone was relatively gentle.

Mack was dumbstruck. When had Spencer become so gentle?

Spencer asked, "Do you need us to send you home?"

Lucille shook her head. "No, it's fine. My car's parked at the hospital."

Spencer's gaze dimmed slightly. Then, he smiled faintly and said, "Alright, then. Take care. I have something to attend to, so I need to go."

"Oh. Okay."

…

Lucille remained where she was as she watched the black car leave. It was a limited edition, so anyone who could afford to drive it had to be rich or powerful. She took a few seconds to collect herself before heading back to the hospital.

Chapter 3
Lucille drove back to her apartment instead of heading to work. Her head ached a little after she took a shower, so she decided to take a nap and get some rest.

When she woke up, the room was shrouded in darkness. She fumbled around for her phone and found it underneath her pillow. She checked the time and saw it was already 7:30 pm.

Then, she saw she'd received a text that had been sent around 4:00 pm. The number was one she'd committed to memory. She didn't read the text. Instead, she got out of bed to get something to eat. She was starving.

The nap had helped alleviate her headache. She found a bag of bread in the refrigerator. It was expiring in a few hours. She also grabbed a bottle of milk and settled on the couch with her food. When she was alone, she was happy enough if she had something to sustain her.

Lucille bit on a piece of bread before grabbing her phone and absent-mindedly checking the text from earlier. She quickly scrolled through it before deleting it. When she was done eating, she changed and left the apartment.

Half an hour later, she showed up at Central Hospital again. This time, however, she found a relatively hidden spot in the garden and took a seat there. Then, she tapped on her phone a few times.

Ten minutes later, a pretty, frail-looking woman appeared before her. She looked so pitiful and fragile that any man would feel the need to protect her. It was no wonder Harold had fallen hook, line, and sinker for Sabrina's act.

Lucille narrowed her eyes slightly and quirked an eyebrow. She smiled and asked, "Are you here to get on your knees and apologize to me?"

Sabrina wore a hospital gown, and her face was still pale from her ordeal. She stood before Lucille, and her eyes were filled with jealousy and hatred. She glared at Lucille and snarled, "What right do you have to make me get on my knees?"

Lucille tucked her hands into her pockets and leaned back lazily. She looked up at Sabrina and savored how the latter looked like a scorpion ready to attack. Sabrina would only reveal her true colors when no one else was around.

Lucille chuckled. "What's wrong? Don't you want your precious Harry anymore?"

Sabrina recalled what Harold had told her earlier in the day. She smiled smugly. "He didn't agree to your silly request."

Lucille tutted. "Looks like you don't love him that much, after all. Is it that hard for you to sacrifice just a little bit for your and his sake?"

"Shut up! You know nothing about my love for Harry! Can't you tell that he's unwilling to see me go through that for him?" Sabrina's face twisted with venom.

Her words grew ever more acrid as her tone was colored by smugness and contempt. "Harry and I are genuinely in love. He doesn't have any feelings for you! So what if you met him first? He still fell head over heels for me, didn't he?

"You're not getting anything out of this, Lucille! I told you that I'd take everything and everyone you cared about. You're no match for me. The Johnson family can only belong to me!"

She stopped to catch her breath. Then, she continued, "If you know what's good for you, you'd better leave the Johnson family and Harry! If you don't, I'll wreck your reputation and make sure you won't ever hold your head high in Whiteloop City!"

Sabrina's venom and threats didn't faze Lucille. She chuckled disdainfully and raised an eyebrow. "Is that so? I can't wait to see how things go."

The one thing Sabrina hated about Lucille was how she always looked so cold and unruffled. It was as if nothing got to her. It seemed nothing would ever take her down.

Still, she couldn't help feeling smug at the thought of how Lucille had never beaten her at anything since they were children. So what if nothing bothered her? She was still despised and hated. Sabrina was the one who had everyone's favor.

She said, "Why don't you ever learn, Lucille? You can't defeat me. Everyone knows you're a murderer now. You forced your sister to take her life over a man."

Sabrina smiled contemptuously. It seemed particularly creepy in the dark of the night.

Lucille's eyes gleamed coldly as she watched Sabrina. She lowered her voice and asked, "Is that so? Wouldn't I be doing that accusation an injustice since you're still alive, then?"

Sabrina stiffened. "What are you up to?"

Lucille swiftly stretched out a leg and swept Sabrina off her feet. Sabrina screamed and collapsed on the ground with a loud thump. Her shoulder landed first and let out a crisp crack.

Then, a sharp pain jolted through her, starting from her head. She couldn't help lifting her head to try to alleviate it.

Lucille had crouched before her and grabbed her by the hair. The pain made Sabrina even paler than before. She scrunched up her face while looking fearful.

"Since you're so eager to see me become a murderer, I'd be wasting your carefully orchestrated act if I didn't actually do something." Lucille smiled coldly.

Her words made Sabrina shudder. She suppressed the pain and snarled, "You wouldn't dare!"

Lucille's smile grew. She retorted, "Why wouldn't I? I've had it up to here with you!"

Sabrina screamed, "Ouch, it hurts!"

Lucille had dragged Sabrina to her feet while keeping a strong grip on her hair. Sabrina felt like her hair was being pulled out by the roots. It hurt more than her shoulder did. She felt like someone was sawing her head in half.

Lucille dragged Sabrina to the nearby pond. At that moment, she wanted to thank Central Hospital's architect for including a pond in the garden. She looked down at Sabrina's face, which was twisted from the pain yet still managing to look pitiful.

Lucille's cold eyes were devoid of sympathy. She even rolled her eyes at Sabrina like she was nothing but a piece of trash.

"If you dare throw me into the pond, Harry won't let you off the—" Sabrina let out a blood-curdling scream before she could finish her sentence. Lucille had flung her into the pond without even batting an eye. It was as if Sabrina was nothing but a bag of trash.

Then, she dusted her hands off and crossed her arms as she watched Sabrina flail around in the pond.

"S-Save me! Help!" Sabrina screamed.

Lucille had picked this particular spot for them to meet because she knew there wouldn't be many people around. Anyway, Sabrina wouldn't die. Everyone thought she couldn't swim, but she was a better swimmer than most.

On the second floor of the nearby building, two dark figures watched the somewhat violent scene play out.

Three minutes later, Lucille sharply caught some urgent footsteps. She surreptitiously shuffled a little further away. Shortly after, she saw Harold show up before her with his assistant, Sean Harrison. Harold looked thunderous as he asked coldly, "Where's Sabrina?"

He'd just gotten off work. He hadn't seen Sabrina in her hospital room, but he'd seen the text Lucille had sent to her. And so, he'd come searching.

Lucille rolled her eyes at him. Couldn't he hear Sabrina screaming for dear life? Was he deaf? She didn't answer him. Instead, she turned to look at the dark pond.

Harold and Sean followed her line of sight, but it was too dark for them to see anything. Sean's eyes widened. "Mr. Quall, I think I hear Ms. Sabrina's voice coming from the pond."

Harold was taken aback. He took a few steps forward. Sean pulled out his phone and turned the flashlight on. He held it high and swept it around. Sure enough, they saw a figure struggling to stay afloat in the pond.

"Harry, save me! Harry!" Harold could hear it now. It was Sabrina's voice!

Lucille couldn't help admiring Sabrina. How in the world had she heard that Harold had arrived?

"Don't be scared, Bree! I'll save you right now!" Harold quickly took his suit jacket off and jumped into the murky pond without a second thought.

Lucille clucked her tongue and watched them coldly. Sean quickly summoned some medical personnel and security guards. Two minutes later, everyone worked together to get the couple out of the pond.

A nurse immediately gave them towels so they wouldn't catch colds. It wasn't winter yet, but it was already fall. The night breeze could get quite chilly.

"Bree? Bree! Wake up! Don't scare me!" Harold cried urgently as he held an ashen Sabrina in his arms.

A nurse said worriedly, "Let's take Ms. Johnson back to her hospital room so that the doctors can check on her, Mr. Quall."

Something like this had happened at their hospital, and Harold and Sabrina were the children of affluent families. She could only pray they would both be fine.

Just then, Sabrina came to. She coughed and opened her eyes weakly. Then, she said, "Don't… don't blame Lucy for this, Harry. She has nothing to do with this."

Then, she fainted. Lucille narrowed her eyes and watched things play out without a hint of concern.

There it was—Sabrina's ultimate move. It worked like magic each time.

Only then did everyone notice Lucille standing at the edge of the crowd. She was dressed in black and had remained silent through the whole ordeal, so she'd blended in perfectly with the night.

Harold's eyes were bloodshot as he glared daggers at her. He said coldly, "I need to talk to you about something later."

Lucille merely scratched her nose carelessly. She didn't say anything.

Harold hurriedly carried Sabrina back to her hospital room.

Chapter 4
Lucille leaned lazily against the wall in the hospital ward's corridor with her arms crossed and a foot propped up. She slowly straightened up when a tall figure approached her.

As soon as she did so, Harold said coldly, "You've really disappointed me, Lucy! When did you become so cold and heartless? How could you throw Sabrina into the pond like that when she can't swim? Why do you keep trying to murder her?"

Lucille narrowed her eyes at him. Her gaze was frosty. Harold was taken aback slightly when he saw this. Her iciness and arrogance made him feel uncomfortable.

"You show no sign of remorse at all. To think Bree's been speaking up for you all these years… She even tried to protect you before passing out earlier! Doesn't that weigh on your conscience? Do you even have a conscience?"

Harold grew angrier as he spoke. Naturally, his words became increasingly harsh. His disappointment was clear, but he was more contemptuous than anything.

"Who are you to lecture me, Harold? Are you coming at me from a fiancé's perspective or as Sabrina's secret lover?" Lucille smiled mockingly. Her crisp voice was filled with ice. "Why don't you go ask your beloved why I became like this? Ask her what she's done to make me like this."

Harold immediately spoke up for Sabrina. "What could Bree have done to you when she's so frail? When hasn't she spoken up for you when you've tried to harm her?"

Lucille snorted. "Have any of you bothered asking whether I needed her to speak up for me?"

Harold's blood boiled at her proud and stubborn attitude. "Do you think you'd still be standing here if she never stood up for you?"

"Oh? Does that mean I need to thank her for this?" Lucille retorted.

"Of course! That's exactly what you need to do!"

She rolled her eyes at him. His words fell on deaf ears. She said coldly, "When she's dead, I'll visit her grave with a bouquet and thank her then."

Harold's pupils constricted. He couldn't believe Lucille had said something like that to his face. It looked like she genuinely hated Sabrina for taking him from her.

He tried to remain patient as he said, "I've already told you this, Lucy. Bree is the one I love, so you need to stop being so hung up on me. The more you act like this, the more I'll dislike you."

Lucille raised an eyebrow at his words. "What does who you love have to do with me? It's not like I have any feelings for you. How dare you dislike me when you're nothing but a cheating man!"

Harold suddenly felt stung by her words. It only lasted for a second, though. "What's that supposed to mean?"

Lucille didn't want to waste her breath and time on him anymore. She looked into his eyes and said, "It means that we can call off the engagement, but I have to be the one to initiate it. You're not the one who doesn't want me, Harold. I'm the one who doesn't want you!"

"You—"

She pointed at him and warned, "Remember this—don't let Sabrina cause any more trouble for me, or I'll teach her a lesson every time she does!"

Harold snapped, "Who gave you the permission to talk to me like that, Lucille?"

She ignored him and continued, "Don't forget what I said, Mr. Quall. If you want your precious little lover to stay safe, tell her to leave me alone!"

With that, she turned and left.

…

Early the following morning, various media outlets published the news of Lucille and Harold's engagement being called off. Everyone knew Lucille was a cruel, heartless woman. There was no way the Quall family would let her marry Harold.

But no one expected her to be the one to call off the engagement. Everyone had expected the Quall family to call things off. This was a surprising plot twist, and netizens lapped up the drama. They were abuzz in the comment section.

"Tsk. She's an ingrate who only knows how to frame her sister. How can she be worthy of Mr. Quall?"

"I know, right? I heard she keeps trying to steal her sister's boyfriend. She's shameless!"

"Guys, go check out Ms. Lucille's online post!"

At that comment, everyone flooded Lucille's account. She'd tweeted an ellipsis and a photo of three wheels.

"Oh? Does this mean there are three people in her relationship?"

"So she called the engagement off because a certain someone cheated?"

"This photo's really meaningful! I'm gonna retweet this!"

"A picture's worth a thousand words. You go, girl!"

"This subtle hint isn't that subtle, after all."

"I've gotta say this is a great move. Three's a crowd, indeed!"

The comments went on. By the time Harold heard about this, the matter had already made it to third place on the trending topics. He hadn't expected Lucille to pull something like this at all.

She'd indeed called the engagement off, but the way she'd done it had ensured he and Sabrina couldn't go public with their relationship just yet. If they did so, they'd cause an uproar online.

He was on his way to work when his father called. He sounded furious as he said, "Call Lucille and tell her to delete her tweet, Harry. This is a slap to the Quall family's face!"

"Got it, Dad." Harold's expression was ugly, and his gaze was frosty.

Sean, who was riding shotgun, turned to look at him grimly. "Mr. Quall, our stock price has dropped by 2%."

He hadn't expected Lucille's tweet to affect Quall Group's stock price. If Harold and Sabrina's relationship were to come to light, wouldn't it wreak even more havoc?

Harold snarled, "Get the PR department to deal with it. Get rid of the trending topic!"

"Yes, sir."

Meanwhile, when Sabrina woke up in her hospital room at Central Hospital, she received a text from her friend, Marilyn Dane. She was pleased to see Lucille had agreed to call off the engagement. But a few minutes later, the blood drained from her face when she saw Lucille's tweet.

She flung her phone at the door. Her face twisted with fury.

Ivy happened to show up with breakfast for Sabrina. She entered the room while looking concerned. "What's wrong, sweetie? Why are you so mad so early in the morning?"

Sabrina told her about everything that had happened. Ivy's expression became sour when she was done. The mother and daughter shared similar expressions; they both wanted to rip Lucille to pieces.

"How dare she pull something like this!" Ivy snarled.

Sabrina was aggrieved. Feeling panicked, she grabbed Ivy's hand and said, "What should we do, Mom? She agreed to call off the engagement, but Harry and I still can't be together in public."

Ivy patted her on the shoulder and said seriously, "Think about what I've always told you, Bree. Don't panic, no matter what."

"But—"

Ivy cut her off, looking grim. "So what? As long as you have Harold's heart and your father and grandfather on your side, Lucille isn't a threat to you. Whatever the Johnson family has will belong to you, as will the position of Harold's wife."

She smiled ruthlessly. "It's just a matter of time, so you need to learn to be patient. A woman's gentleness and frailness is the key to keeping a man's heart, okay?"

Sabrina calmed down. Ivy was right—all men loved women who were frail and understanding, just like Harold did. He would always be on her side as long as she could keep up her gentle act. Her goal was to stomp all over Lucille's pride and to ensure Lucille would always come second.

She gnashed her teeth angrily at the thought of Lucille throwing her into the murky pond. It was fortunate that she could swim and didn't end up drowning. Harold had also arrived at the right time.

She'd asked him to accompany her at the hospital and used her condition as a reason. Then, she'd deliberately left her phone in the hospital room. She'd ended up more disheveled than expected, but at least it had resulted in Harold being thoroughly disappointed by Lucille. It had all been worth it.

…

Lucille arrived at Star&Ciel Group at 9:00 am and headed to the CEO's office.

"Ms. Johnson, the two tweets you published this morning are already in the top three trending topics." Her assistant, Samuel Sawyer, followed her into her office.

Lucille took her cream-colored coat off and hung it on the coat rack as soon as she entered the office. She hung her bag up as well. Then, she pulled her chair out, sat down, and turned on the computer. It looked like Samuel's words didn't bother her.

Chapter 5
"Don't bother about that. I want you to inform everyone that I want to have a meeting in ten minutes," Lucille said.

Samuel had worked for her for four years, so he knew her style was to keep things simple and concise. She wouldn't waste her breath saying useless things, and she wouldn't waste her time on needless stuff.

"Yes, Ms. Johnson," he said.

During the ten minutes before the meeting, Lucille quickly reviewed some documents and made some decisions.

When it was time for the meeting, she strode into the conference room. She wore a simple outfit of a white blouse, wide-legged trousers, and cream-colored heels. She looked like a cool, regal queen.

It made everyone present in the conference room sit up tensely. They didn't dare to make a sound at her entrance. They'd all seen what she was capable of and were fearful of her despite her youth. She'd always been ruthless and decisive.

Lucille glanced at Jesse Jones, the head of the marketing department. "Marketing team, how's the testing of the Timeless series going?"

Jesse sat up and said, "The testing is over, Ms. Johnson. The customers who participated in the testing have given us positive feedback. These are the results of our survey."

He handed over the report he was holding. Samuel took it and passed it to Lucille. She flipped through it, then said, "Good. We're launching the line at noon today."

Everyone was taken aback. Hadn't they agreed to launch the new line at the end of the month?

Someone asked, "Ms. Johnson, didn't we set the date for the launch to be at the end of the month?"

Lucille looked up and swept her gaze over everyone present. She smiled faintly and said, "Yes, but that's only what we want the outside world to think."

Some people were stunned, while others realized what was happening. Lucille had let out a smoke bomb to confuse the competition!

"B-but the overall design and packaging have yet to be finalized," someone said.

Ashley Carlson, the head of the design department, glanced at that person and said, "Our team came up with the designs half a month ago. Ms. Johnson's given them the green light."

When Samuel saw that some people still wanted to object, he said, "Ms. Johnson has also already given the necessary instructions for the press conference. There's nothing to worry about, ladies and gentlemen."

With that, Lucille swiftly gave out more instructions before ending the meeting.

In Whiteloop City, everyone knew that Star&Ciel Group's Starbright Scents and Johnson Group's Ambrosial Fragrances were direct competitors. Both companies were on equal standing, but Johnson Group had been trying to defeat Star&Ciel Group for ages.

Reputation-wise, Johnson Group was probably slightly better than Star&Ciel Group, but it was only because of Sabrina. She was known for having gotten the first runner-up in the National Perfumery Competition two years consecutively.

Star&Ciel Group's strategy to launch their new perfume line earlier than announced wasn't a move to steal the limelight. It was something Lucille had intended to do from the beginning.

They held a press conference at 11:30 am and launched the new line at 12:00 pm sharp. By 12:30 pm, the news went viral, and sales skyrocketed.

At 1:00 pm, the sales department's employees whooped and cried with joy. The Timeless series' revenue had hit ten million within the first hour of being launched—these were numbers they'd achieved without any advertising beforehand. All they'd done was hold a press conference.

Samuel stood in the CEO's office and looked at the increasing numbers on his tablet. He exclaimed, "This was a great tactic, Ms. Johnson. We didn't even have to spend a dime on advertising!"

Lucille's tweets about calling off her engagement with Harold and the insinuated cheating were still trending. Starbright Scents belonged to Star&Ciel Group, so anything related to the company or Lucille herself would direct traffic to the Timeless series' launch. It was a form of advertising on its own.

Starbright Scents entered the market three years ago, and it owned about half of the perfume industry's market share. The general public loved its scents, product philosophy, and packaging. Every new launch caught the public's attention.

Lucille eyed the results of the new launch, which were displayed on her computer's monitor. Something occurred to her, and she told Samuel, "Tell everyone that I don't want there to be any issues with the product's quality. Keep a close watch on that."

"Understood, Ms. Johnson."

…

Meanwhile, the top floor of JM Corporation was caught in a figurative blizzard.

Spencer was in the CEO's office. He'd received a call from James after a meeting. "Hi, Grandpa."

"I've arranged for you to go on a blind date tonight, brat. You're not allowed to be late, nor are you allowed to skip out on it. And don't say no!" James commanded.

Spencer sat on the couch and held a hand to his forehead. He looked helpless. He asked, "What will it take for you to give up, Grandpa?"

"I'll leave you alone once you get married."

Spencer massaged his temples. James continued, "Don't stand her up, young man. If you do, don't you dare call me your grandfather in the future!"

He continued nagging until Spencer said, "Tell me the venue."

James immediately said, "The Moonstone Room at Zaytun Pavilion."

It was almost as if he were afraid Spencer would go back on his word.

…

Something similar was happening at Star&Ciel Group. Lucille received a call from Marie Ronson, her grandmother. Marie stayed at a sanitorium.

"You must be joking, Grandma. You want me to go on a blind date?" Lucille said helplessly.

"Why would I joke about something like this, sweetie? Are you against the blind date because you're still hung up on the Quall brat?" Marie asked.

Lucille fell silent. Marie had rendered her speechless with that. "Grandma, I—"

Marie cut her off. "I know the Johnson family hasn't treated you well, Lucy. My only wish is that you'll be happy. I've long since told you the Quall brat isn't the right man for you. Since you've already called off the engagement, don't think about turning back."

She lounged on a bench at the sanitorium and enjoyed the sunlight while advising Lucille. "I've found you someone who's much, much better than the Quall brat. The Quall family can't compare to this young man's family! Leave the Quall brat for sickly Sabrina. He's not worthy of you, okay?"

Lucille pinched her nose bridge as she listened to Marie. She sighed to herself and said, "Alright."

Marie laughed excitedly at that. "I knew you would say yes, darling. That's why I love you. Remember to go on the blind date, okay? And you don't have to come here so often. There are plenty of people who can care for me here. Focus on your love life!"

Lucille would do anything to please Marie. She was the only person Lucille still considered family and who genuinely loved her.

…

At 5:30 pm, Lucille drove out of the company's basement parking lot in her car. She headed to the address Marie had given her—Zaytun Pavilion. She hadn't expected her first blind date to be at such a high-end location.

Zaytun Pavilion was a place that gathered various cuisines. One had to make a reservation there a month ahead of time. It was also a status symbol. Anyone who could afford to dine there had to be either affluent or powerful. It was also one of the upper crust's favorite places to show off their wealth.

The blind date was a last-minute affair. It couldn't have been scheduled earlier, so whoever had managed to reserve a room at Zaytun Pavilion had to be someone important.

Marie hadn't mentioned who it was, so Lucille had no idea who she would be meeting on this blind date. She gave the front of house the private room's name. After that, a server led her upstairs.

Chapter 6
When Lucille opened the private room's door, she saw a tall figure standing before the floor-to-ceiling windows with his hands in his pockets. His back alone gave her a domineering feeling, yet there was also a loneliness to him. It piqued her curiosity.

She frowned slightly and stepped into the room. The server shut the door behind her. Lucille had never liked dragging things out. Two seconds after entering the room, she said to the man, "Hi, sir. I'm your blind…"

The man turned to face her as she spoke. She trailed off when she saw the familiar face. Then, she continued, "It's you?"

It was Spencer. He was equally surprised to see her. She looked different from how she'd been yesterday. Yesterday, she'd been dressed casually. Today, her outfit was professional yet elegant.

He raised an eyebrow and smiled gently at her. His eyes seemed to light up at the sight of her, and he retracted his cold presence. Then, he said, "Nice to meet you. It looks like something keeps leading us to each other."

Lucille didn't say anything. She supposed he was right. Yesterday, he'd misunderstood that she wanted to take her life and had saved her from falling into the lake. Today was only their second meeting, and here they were as each other's blind dates.

Spencer was obviously used to being in a position of power. Even if he'd toned his demeanor down around her, there was no hiding the natural dominance he exuded.

Where had Marie found him? Or had Lucille entered the wrong room? She'd seen the private room's name before entering, though. She was sure this was the Moonstone Room.

Spencer had taken a few steps forward while she was dazed. He was now about three steps away from her. His chiseled features were even more flawless up close. He asked, "Are you wondering whether you're in the wrong room?"

Lucille looked up at him as a hint of smile colored her eyes. "Are you perhaps a psychiatrist?"

He said indifferently, "I only know a thing or two about psychology."

She didn't take it to heart. Spencer continued, "Spencer Layton."

"Huh?"

"That's my name," he said.

Only then did Lucille realize he was introducing himself. It was very concise. She smiled. It looked like they were pretty similar in that aspect. "Lucille Johnson."

Neither of them introduced themselves further, and they didn't ask each other for more, either. When they took their seats, a server brought their dishes. They asked in unison, "Should we talk after the meal?"

They smiled and started eating. Lucille's impression of Spencer improved during the meal. Setting aside his good looks, he also had good table manners. She couldn't spot anything wrong with his actions.

It was as if his manners had been embedded in his bones, and they definitely weren't the product of any regular old affluent family.

Lucille had no choice but to force herself to recall her table manners. She had to admit the meal frustrated her a little. She could usually finish a meal in ten minutes, but this one dragged out for an hour. Slowly and steadily enjoying a meal really wasn't her style.

Spencer looked like he was enjoying himself, though. She decided to endure it for the sake of his handsome face. He didn't seem to notice anything wrong with her.

When they were finally done with the meal, Lucille poured herself a cup of tea and asked, "What do you think of this blind date, Mr. Layton?"

Spencer felt an inexplicable irritation at her distance and formality. He asked in return, "What do you think, Ms. Johnson? Hmm?"

His tone was a little lilted at the end of his question. It dazed Lucille a little. She could forget about him looking so good. Why did he have to sound so good, too? She cleared her throat to cover up her short daze. "Do you keep up with the trending topics, Mr. Layton?"

She sidestepped his question. Instead, she answered him with another question. He looked at her a little probingly before saying, "Yes, I do. But what does that have to do with our blind date?"

Lucille looked at him calmly. "I have a bad rep."

"Oh? I'm more inclined to believe what I see."

His words took her aback. His gaze burned into hers. It made her look away after meeting his eyes for a while.

"How about we get married, Ms. Johnson?" Spencer asked.

Lucille's eyes shot back to him. This time, she looked appalled.

He chuckled. "We were lucky enough to meet each other, and we just need to get what we need out of this marriage. Why not?"

When she didn't say anything, he continued, "We don't have to interfere in each other's lives after marriage. I'm always busy with work, so marriage has never been on my to-do list. It's too bad I have a mischievous grandfather who doesn't agree with that.

"We can both take this opportunity to get both our families off our backs. Blind dates are quite a waste of time, after all." Spencer ended his speech. He sounded like he'd been on more dates than he would've liked.

Lucille narrowed her eyes at him. He was right. Blind dates did take up too much time. Knowing Marie, she wouldn't stop arranging for Lucille to go on blind dates now that she was no longer engaged to Harold. Spencer didn't look like a nice guy, but at least he was easy on the eyes.

Spencer didn't lose his patience at her silence. He waited for her answer and even poured her more tea like a perfect gentleman. The private room fell into silence for some time before Lucille said, "Fine. I agree to your proposal, but I have a condition."

She met his eyes, and her gaze was clear yet unreadable. Spencer didn't even hesitate as he said, "Sure. Feel free to make as many conditions as you want."

Lucille raised an eyebrow at his words. Hadn't he been too quick to agree? And he was fine with her making as many conditions as she wanted? Did he have that much faith in her?

Once again, Spencer seemed to read her mind. He explained, "I'm only putting my faith in you because you're worth it."

As soon as the words were out of his mouth, Lucille felt her heart skip a beat before warming. Although this was only their second meeting, he managed to warm her heart. It was a bit ridiculous. Spencer saw the self-deprecation in her eyes again. He watched her without saying anything else.

…

It was 9:30 pm when Lucille and Spencer left Zaytun Pavilion. He offered to send her home like the gentleman he was, but she turned him down. She told him that she had driven here.

He got into his car and watched as her car disappeared into the night. His deep gaze was unfathomable as he thought about Lucille's condition. He hadn't expected her to ask to keep the marriage a secret. It had surprised him.

She could've used his identity and status to get revenge on those who had hurt her, but she said she didn't need it.

The first time he'd seen her by the lake, she'd given him a familiar feeling. He'd never been interested in women, but the sight of her had inexplicably made him stop the car. At the time, Spencer thought he'd lost his mind.

But after today's blind date, he found his interest in Lucille had grown. He'd been a little pissed when he realized she would probably meet other men on more blind dates. That was why he'd surprised even himself by asking her to marry him… even if it was just a contractual marriage.

Meanwhile, Lucille returned to her apartment at Orchidstone Garden and flopped onto the couch. She felt like she could finally relax.

It didn't take long for Spencer's face to pop into her mind. She also thought about how she'd agreed to his crazy proposal for a contractual marriage. How had something like this happened to her?

She couldn't figure it out, so she stopped thinking about it. She dragged her tired body to the bathroom.

…

Monday came two days later. Two well-matched figures showed up at Whiteloop City's courthouse at 9:00 am and entered through a special entrance. They were brought to the VIP lounge.

Ten minutes later, Lucille was still dazed as she held her marriage certificate. She was so out of it that she didn't even notice the sly smile on Spencer's face. He looked like he was pleased that his plan had worked out.

"Congratulations, Mr. and Mrs. Layton. I wish you both all the happiness in the world, and I hope you'll soon have a little family of your own!"

Happyday

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