"Go sleep with him, and I'll pay you when you're done." Abigail Arnold's face turned pale when she got the text from her sister with the room number.

She bit her lip hard, but in the end, she went upstairs anyway.

As soon as she got off the elevator, Carmella Arnold, all dolled up, walked over with a proud look. "Give me your phone, and don't say a word. Just get it over with and come out."

"Don't forget what you promised me," Abigail said as she handed over her phone and walked into the room, steeling herself for what was about to happen.

The room was totally dark, with thick curtains keeping out all the light.

There was heavy breathing coming from inside. It took Abigail a while to adjust her eyes, and then she could barely see a shadowy figure on the bed.

That was Carmella's target-Matthew Jameson, a notorious playboy in Leaberg.

But the Jameson family was powerful and rich, and he was his dad's only son, spoiled rotten.

Carmella wanted to hook up with him, so she sent Abigail to do this for her.

Though Abigail was scared and grossed out, thinking about her mom who needed money for treatment in the hospital, she forced herself to move toward the bed.

As soon as she got close, a strong arm grabbed her wrist and yanked her down onto the bed.

She was about to yell, but then she remembered what Carmella told her, so she bit her lip to stop herself.

She could feel the man's hot breath on her ear and how eager he was. A tear rolled down from the corner of her eye.

After what felt like forever, the man finally fell asleep.

Abigail didn't stick around. She got up as fast as she could, even though it hurt, and hurried out of the room.

"Finally! It took you long enough," Carmella said, jealously glancing at the marks on Abigail's body.

She had just had an abortion and couldn't sleep with men. Otherwise, she wouldn't have gone to her sister, whom she hated the most.

"Give me the money!" Abigail reached out, her voice scratchy.

Carmella flicked a check at her like it was trash and tossed her the phone. "Some jerk keeps calling. Driving me crazy."

Then she swayed her hips and slipped into the room.

Carmella had just taken off her clothes and snuggled into bed when the man next to her jolted awake.

His big hand grabbed her neck, and he looked downright terrifying.

"Who are you?"

As his raspy voice trailed off, the overhead light snapped on.

When Carmella saw the man's stern face, she froze for a second, then her eyes lit up with excitement.

The man in the room wasn't Matthew. It was Trevor Gordon, the head of the Gordon family!

The Gordon family was high-class.

How did Carmella get the wrong guy?

Meanwhile, Abigail, who had no clue she had hooked up with the wrong person, was racing to the hospital with the check.

With 35,000 dollars, her mom would be saved!

She stared intently at the road ahead, silently urging the taxi to go faster.

As soon as she hopped out of the taxi, she bolted straight to the doctor's office. "Dr. Duncan, I've got the money! Please, hurry up and do the surgery on my mom!"

Zane Duncan looked at the breathless girl with a look of mixed emotions. "Ms. Arnold, I'm really sorry, but your mom has passed away."

"What?"

The news came like a bolt from the blue. Abigail grabbed Zane, her eyes red. "What do you mean? Didn't you say Mom had a chance if she had the surgery? I've got the money now. Just do the surgery!"

"Ms. Arnold, please calm down," Zane said in a serious tone. "An hour ago, your mom took a turn for the worse. We tried calling you many times, but all the calls got cut off."

Abigail's face turned deathly pale.

She trembled as she checked her phone and saw that the hospital had called over a dozen times.

She hadn't answered any of them because at that time, she was in Matthew's bed! And her phone was with Carmella!

It was Carmella!

She took away her mom's last chance to live!

"Ahh!"

Abigail screamed in despair. Everything went black, and she toppled to the ground.

As she was slipping into unconsciousness, she thought, "Carmella, the Arnold family, I'll never let this go!"

***

Five years later, at Leaberg Airport.

Abigail, dressed in a sleek, tailored trench coat and clicking along in high heels, moved through the crowd. Her pretty face and stunning figure were turning heads everywhere.

Coming back to this city felt a bit surreal.

Back then, she had given up so much to try to save her mom, but it still wasn't enough. It was a hurt that never went away.

Five years had passed, and she wasn't that weak, helpless girl anymore.

Now that she was back, she was going to get back everything that was taken from her and her mom!

"Mommy, I see the restroom! I gotta go!"

A kid's voice suddenly pulled Abigail out of her thoughts.

She looked down and saw her son's little chubby face, all red from holding his pee.

He waved at her and then scurried off to the restroom.

"Go slow, I'll be right here."

"Got it!" the boy shouted back, already dashing into the restroom.

Abigail shook her head, smiling, her eyes soft and tender.

The accident five years ago gave her Andrew Arnold.

Even though his dad was far from ideal, she never regretted having him.

He helped her get over losing her mom and made her the person she was today.

Andrew found a spot in the restroom and did his business.

As soon as he let it all out, he felt so much better and even looked around at the restroom.

Just then, a tall man walked past him.

The man was in a sharp suit with shiny shoes. Just from his long legs, everyone could tell he carried himself with a lot of presence.

Andrew automatically looked up at the man's face, curious.

He was shocked to see that the man looked exactly like him.

As the man was about to walk away, Andrew got so excited that he forgot he was still peeing. He spun around and shouted at the top of his lungs, "Daddy!"

Then, a stream of pee splashed toward the man's pants.

Abigail was waiting for Andrew outside the restroom, pulling her suitcase behind her.

It had been over ten minutes, but he hadn't come out.

Was something wrong?

She stared at the men's room sign, wondering whether to go in and check.

Just then, Andrew came running out and threw himself against her leg. "Mommy!"

Abigail looked down and saw his red-rimmed eyes.

She had no idea who he looked like, but he was really cute.

He had a mop of soft blond hair, a chubby face, and nice-looking features. He was going to be a heartthrob when he grew up.

But now, his eyes were a bit red, his mouth was pouting, and he looked like he was about to cry.

Abigail crouched down and asked, worried, "What's up?"

"Mommy, a gentleman inside was being mean to me."

"What?!"

Abigail got furious.

How could that man be so low, picking on a kid?

Abigail comforted Andrew while she marched over to the restroom entrance, ready to chew out that man when he came out.

A little while later, a guy came out of the restroom.

Trevor was tall and had on a sharp black suit that fit him perfectly, showing off his amazing body: broad shoulders, a narrow waist, and long legs.

Abigail's eyes moved up from his waist and landed on his face, and she was totally surprised.

He had chiseled features, a straight nose, and thin lips that were kind of stern.

The most captivating thing about him was his eyes. They seemed a bit cold, but they were deep, like they could suck her right in.

What really threw her, though, wasn't his stunning look. It was that he looked like an older version of her own son!

As Trevor was about to walk past them and leave, Abigail, still in shock, stepped forward to block his way. "Did you bully my son?"

He was so tall that even in her high heels, she only came up to his neck, which made her seem a lot less intimidating.

Trevor looked over at Abigail when he heard her voice.

The girl had a small face, scrunched up with anger. Her features were striking, and she was holding her chin up high, looking stubborn.

Trevor caught a whiff of a faint smell from her, and he was a bit dazed.

It was kind of familiar.

"Mommy, it's him!"

Andrew's choked voice brought Trevor back to the moment.

When he saw the little boy clinging to Abigail's leg, his cold and piercing eyes showed a bit of disdain.

These days, girls were trying all sorts of tricks to get close to him.

Abigail actually managed to find a kid who looked so much like his own.

He was pretty sure he had only ever slept with Carmella, or he would have started to wonder if the boy could be his.

"Apologize to my son!"

Abigail stood with her head held high, trying not to show any fear. "You're a grown man. How can you pick on such a little kid? Aren't you ashamed?"

Trevor narrowed his eyes, his voice deep and gravelly.

"Didn't he tell you what he did?"

Abigail stuck up for Andrew right away. "Tell me, what did my son do to deserve this?"

Trevor snorted and lifted his foot a bit.

Abigail looked down at his long legs and saw a wet spot on his pants.

Could this be...

A bad feeling hit her. She picked up Andrew, who was still clinging to her leg, and her throat felt a little dry. "What did you do?"

Andrew said with a pout, "I didn't do anything. I accidentally peed on him, and he got mad."

The anger that had flared up in Abigail vanished in a second, and she awkwardly scratched her nose.

Was it too late for her to start apologizing now?

Andrew didn't even think to mention what he had done earlier!

"Sorry about that," Abigail said, her attitude totally changed.

With an apologetic look on her face, she glanced down at Trevor's pants.

His clothes didn't have any fancy brands, but she could tell they were expensive just by looking at the fabric.

"I can pay for it..."

Trevor was disgusted by this kind of sleazy and ingratiating behavior. He cut Abigail off sharply, "Keep your son in check. Don't let him go around calling every man he sees 'Daddy.' That's such a tired pick-up move. And..."

He paused, his voice icy. "You can't afford to pay for my clothes."

With that, he strode away.

Pick-up?

Abigail was trembling with anger. What kind of arrogant guy was this?

She had to admit that he was one of the best-looking guys out there. But that didn't mean people should fall all over him, right?

Even though Andrew was the one who made the mistake, Trevor's cocky tone and snobby attitude made Abigail feel nothing but disgust.

What a rude, show-offy rich guy! Such a waste of a good-looking face!

"Mommy."

Andrew looked up at Abigail with a sad, pitiful look in his eyes.

Seeing him like that, she couldn't bring herself to yell at him. She pinched his chubby cheek and asked, "Did you just call him 'Daddy'?"

"Yeah," he mumbled.

A hint of helplessness flickered across Abigail's face.

"I once showed you a photo of your dad. He's a total jerk!"

Abigail had always been honest with Andrew about his dad. She even showed him a photo of Matthew.

But Andrew wouldn't buy it. He always retorted, "My daddy wouldn't be that bad-looking! I'm cute, so my daddy has gotta be cute too!"

Abigail didn't know what to say.

Matthew might be a ladies' man, but he was definitely not unattractive.

Andrew looked up at Abigail and said stubbornly, "No way! Mommy, don't you think that gentleman we just met is my daddy? We look alike!"

"Brat, I'm your mom, and I sure know what your dad looks like. Don't get any weird ideas!"

Abigail whispered, warning her son, "Don't you dare call random people 'Daddy' again, or I'll leave you overseas and never bring you back!"

Andrew pouted. He wanted to argue back, but he was scared his mom would leave him in a foreign country, so he kept quiet.

"Okay. Mommy, where are we going now?"

"Someone is coming to pick us up in a bit..."

Before Abigail could finish, her work phone in her pocket started ringing.

It was a number she didn't recognize, but it looked familiar. She always saved names for numbers she had business with.

Though confused, she pressed the answer button. Right away, a woman's voice came through, sounding apologetic.

"Lisa, I'm so sorry."

Her voice carried a hint of respect and sounded familiar, but Abigail couldn't place who she was.

"Who is this?" she asked, puzzled.

Over the past five years, she had been working hard on design stuff overseas.

She got spotted by someone who saw her potential, joined Furstemerg Designs, and became their top designer with the code name Lisa.

This time, she came back to her home country with Andrew to visit her mom's grave.

It just so happened that the local branch of Furstemerg Designs was set to start negotiations with the industry leader, the Gordon Group, and her boss asked her to help out.

On the other end, Carmella lowered her voice to make it sound softer.

"I'm your assistant here. I was supposed to pick you up, but I've got something really important that I can't get away from," she said respectfully.

Five years ago, she tried to get close to Matthew for his money, but by a twist of fate, she ended up with Trevor, a much bigger catch!

To thank her, Trevor promised to marry her, but he had been cold and distant to her.

She took the job as Lisa's assistant this time because the Gordon Group cared a lot about this partnership, and she wanted to show Trevor what she had got.

She was supposed to pick up Lisa today, but she just found out that Trevor, who was on a business trip, came back early on the same flight as Lisa.

Nobody meant more to her than Trevor, so she had to stand Lisa up.

Hearing the hesitation in Carmella's voice, Abigail could tell something big was up.

"Alright, you go ahead. I can grab a taxi home."

She suddenly remembered that before she came back to the country, her boss had told her that she'd have an assistant here.

And she heard this assistant would join the Gordon family. She didn't think she'd be this polite.

"Thanks," Carmella said, breathing a sigh of relief as she hung up.

This was Lisa's first time back in the country to handle the domestic business.

From what Carmella had heard, Lisa was in her forties. She thought Lisa would be tough to deal with, but she turned out to be easy to talk to.

Just as she put her phone away, she saw Trevor striding over. She immediately put on a sweet smile and went to greet him. "Trevor."

***

Abigail took Andrew out of the airport.

She came back every year to visit her mom's grave, so she bought a place in Leaberg.

The apartment was small, only about 80 square meters, but it was perfect for the two of them.

As she had just flagged down a taxi and hadn't yet put her luggage in the trunk, she suddenly caught sight of someone in the distance.

He was tall, dressed in black, and looked standoffish. It was the narcissistic oddball Abigail ran into outside the restroom!

Next to him stood a tall woman, and something about her back made Abigail feel like she knew her.

Abigail looked away and thought meanly to herself, "If she's with that weirdo, she's probably not normal either."

By the time she finished cleaning up the apartment, it was almost evening.

Then she realized Andrew had been quiet all day, and she got an uneasy feeling in her gut.

She walked back to the sofa and saw Andrew sitting there with the laptop, looking like he was up to something.

When she got closer, she found he was holding an ID card.

The guy on the card had thin lips and cold eyes. Even in the photo, he looked like a total jerk.

Wait, wasn't this the same weirdo from the airport?!

"Andrew, where did you get this ID card?"

Abigail tried her best to stay calm and not yell.

When did her son get so sneaky that he could grab someone's ID?

Andrew was holding the card. When he heard Abigail, he shut the laptop and looked up at her. "I found it on the ground. I was gonna give it back, but he looked so mean, so I didn't."

Abigail looked down at the sofa and saw a black wallet sitting right next to it.

***

That guy looked like he had some serious connections. If they didn't return the wallet to him now, he'd think they were thieves when he found out. Then they'd never be able to clear their names!

Abigail felt kind of worn out. Andrew was always causing trouble.

She grabbed the wallet from the sofa and checked it out. There was some cash and a few cards inside. She pulled out something that looked like a business card.

It was simple, with just a name and a phone number.

"Trevor Gordon," Abigail muttered the name, feeling like she'd heard it somewhere before.

Anyway, she'd better get the wallet back to Trevor, or things could get messy.

She punched in the number on the business card.

The phone rang for a few seconds before someone answered.

"Hello." It was a deep, cold man's voice.

Abigail felt a shiver run down her spine as she blurted out, "I found your wallet. This is..."

"That lady from the airport?"

Abigail was totally caught off guard. She didn't expect Trevor to recognize her just by her voice.

"Yeah, it's me."

Trevor chuckled, but he sounded kind of grumpy. "Nice move. You've even made up an excuse to see me again."

When he got back, Trevor realized his wallet was gone. The only person he had contact with was that kid at the airport.

His arrogant words made Abigail furious. She tried to stay calm and explained, "You must have dropped the wallet yourself. I was trying to be nice and call you to return it."

"Bring it to the Trident Hotel. If not, you deal with the consequences," Trevor said coldly and hung up.

He didn't want to waste any more time with Abigail. There were some important cards in the wallet, and it would be a pain to replace them if they were lost.

When the call got cut off, Abigail was about to explode with anger!

What a weird and rude guy! How could he boss her around like that?!

Holding the wallet, she wanted to throw it in the toilet and flush it away!

But since she just got back to the country and didn't want to get into any trouble, she held herself back.

She put the ID card back into the wallet and asked Andrew worriedly, "Did you touch anything else in the wallet?"

"No, I just took a look at his ID card," Andrew replied, his eyes wide and seemingly innocent.

Abigail nodded, put the wallet into her own bag, and took out her phone to order some food for Andrew.

"Because of you, I have to go out for a bit, and I'll be back in about two hours. Can you stay here by yourself?" she asked seriously.

"Yes." Andrew nodded, looking pretty determined.

"After you eat, if you get sleepy, go to the room and sleep. I've got everything ready for you," Abigail told him. She was having a rough time. As soon as she got back, all these problems popped up.

Andrew nodded obediently and piped up in a cute voice, "Okay. Mommy, you better hurry, or you'll be back late."

Abigail felt like he seemed to want her to leave quickly. But maybe she was imagining things.

At the Trident Hotel.

A group of people were chatting away when one of them suddenly remembered something and said, "I heard that the Gordon Group is planning to team up with Ms. Lisa from Furstemerg Designs this year. That's like putting the cherry on top. Mr. Gordon, with Ms. Lisa on your side, you're gonna nail your fashion expansion for sure."

Trevor replied nonchalantly, "Uh-huh."

"Didn't Ms. Lisa get to the country today? Did you meet her?"

Hearing this, Trevor glanced at Carmella next to him.

Carmella thought it was a small thing, but it got mentioned. She managed a smile. "No, something came up and we missed each other."

"What happened?" Trevor's voice got icy all of a sudden.

Carmella was startled when she looked into his cold eyes. She stammered for a while before she could get out a few words.

"You happened to be on the same flight, so..."

Trevor always drew a clear line between work and personal stuff. He said in a serious tone, "You wanted this assistant job, but now you can't even handle a simple thing like this."

Carmella felt a bit wronged. "I was thinking about you..."

Trevor cut her off sharply, "Keep work and personal stuff separate. That's the most basic thing you need to do as an assistant!"

Carmella bit her lip, not daring to speak. She hung her head and clutched her hands.

Trevor didn't hold back at all. "Once you take this job, you gotta do what you're supposed to do!"

"Got it," Carmella mumbled.

Trevor still looked a bit cold as he rested his long fingers on the table and continued, "The Year-End Party of Furstemerg Designs is at the Fairmont Hotel in half a month. You better be on your game."

Downstairs at the hotel, Abigail got out of the taxi and paid the driver.

She walked into the lobby and called Trevor.

The phone rang and rang before he finally picked up.

"I'm at the Trident Hotel now. Could you come downstairs and get your wallet, or should I leave it at the front desk?" Abigail said fast.

She didn't want Trevor to think she was trying to get close to him again.

"Bring it upstairs. Room 816." With that, Trevor hung up.

Abigail squeezed her phone hard. She had to keep calm.

She was already there, and if she got that wallet to Trevor, the whole thing would be done. She could totally handle it!

She took the elevator to the eighth floor and quickly found Room 816.

Out of politeness, she knocked on the door. When she heard someone say "Come in," she pushed the door open and walked in.

Inside, there were about ten people, a mix of men and women.

Abigail instantly spotted Trevor sitting across the room.

He was dressed in a sharp suit, sitting upright with an air of authority that commanded attention without even trying.

Even though he was kind of rude and bossy, he looked good and had a strong presence.

"Abigail, what are you doing here?!"

A shrill cry jolted Abigail back to her senses. Seeing Carmella with Trevor, she was genuinely shocked.

Abigail quickly pulled herself together and walked over to Trevor, handing him the wallet. "Mr. Gordon, here's your wallet. Check if anything is missing. If it's all there, I gotta go."

She said it all in one breath and was about to leave when Carmella called out to her.

"Abigail, what are you doing here?"

Shouldn't Abigail have just disappeared? Why did she suddenly show up again, right in front of Trevor, and with his wallet in hand?!

Carmella's eyes flashed with a hint of viciousness.

She had just been chewed out by Trevor and was still fuming, and now here was someone to take it out on.

Abigail gave a faint, polite smile. "Sorry, you've got the wrong person."

Just as she was about to leave, Carmella shouted from behind, "Abigail, you've been gone for five years.

"Dad misses you. You should come home and see him sometime."

Hearing this, the crowd began to mutter and gossip.

"Is this Mr. Arnold's out-of-wedlock daughter?"

"I heard she slept with some guy for a little money a few years ago. How shameless."

"Shhh, keep it down. Carmella is still here."

Listening to all this, Carmella was secretly happy, because she was the one who spread these rumors in the first place.

The former young lady of the Arnold family was now a despised whore!

She wanted Abigail to be totally disgraced. She loved seeing her living like a nobody. That was what made her feel good!

Out-of-wedlock daughter?

Abigail trembled with anger. Her mom was Paul Arnold's first wife. How could she be called an out-of-wedlock daughter?

It looked like they had been spreading a lot of lies about her over the years.

Abigail could put up with anything, except when it came to her mom.

She turned her head, her gaze getting a little serious. "Oh, I see. I've been busy with work these past few years. You guys never reached out, not even a call. I thought you had forgotten about me."

She spoke slowly, her usually bright eyes now narrowing a bit, with a hint of coldness. She looked at the people who had been whispering and said loudly, "My mom was Paul's first wife.

"When they divorced, I was already eight, and Carmella is only a few months younger than me. Anyone with a brain can figure out who the illegitimate one is, right?"

When Carmella saw how smug and confident Abigail looked, her eyes filled with tears, and she acted like she was the victim.

"Abigail." Carmella's voice quivered, on the verge of tears.

"I didn't mean anything bad. I just wanted you to come home and see Dad."

Abigail's lips curled into a sneer. "I didn't say anything bad either. I was setting the record straight with people who don't know the whole story about the Arnold family, so they don't get fooled by rumors."

Just as she finished speaking, she noticed a deep, intense look coming her way.

She looked over and saw it was Trevor.

He didn't say a word the whole time.

His eyes were deep, and he had a little smirk on his face, like he was enjoying the drama.

Abigail wasn't interested in being the center of someone's entertainment, so she turned around and walked out quickly.

It wasn't until she shut the door and cut herself off from what was happening inside that she realized her heart was racing, like it was about to jump out of her chest.

She wasn't scared of Carmella. She was just holding back her anger.

Her mom died because of Carmella!

She wasn't going to let Carmella and everyone in the Arnold family off the hook!

But for now, the time wasn't right.

Abigail clenched her fists, stood there for a moment to calm down, and then put on a calm face again.

When she got home, Andrew was already asleep.

Seeing the little boy curled up in bed, she felt calm right away.

She went over and kissed his sleeping face, and a smile of relief spread across her lips. At least she wasn't alone. She had her baby boy.

***

It was a bit chilly in mid-January, and it kept drizzling outside.

Abigail glanced at the date and felt a bit down.

Today was the 18th, her mom's death anniversary.

She had wanted to take Andrew with her to visit her mom, but the weather was bad, so she figured she'd wait for a better day.

The cemetery was quiet and empty.

Abigail, with a bouquet and a black umbrella, walked slowly up to her mom's tombstone.

To her surprise, two people were already standing there.

One was Carmella, and the other was her so-called dad, Paul.

"Abigail, it has been a long time. Carmy told me you were back. I thought you'd come here, so I waited for you."

Paul's old face had a touch of feeling in it.

When he heard from Carmella that Abigail had come back, he didn't believe it at first.

He counted the days until her mom's death anniversary. Knowing how much she loved her mom, he was sure she'd come to visit the grave.

So, he came early to wait. Finally, she showed up.

What happened five years ago wasn't something he was proud of, but it helped Carmella get close to Trevor, and that connection saved the Arnold family from falling apart.

He wasn't going to let anyone, not even his own daughter right here, mess up the peace they finally had!

Abigail coldly walked past the hypocritical man in front of her. "Move aside. Don't disturb my mom's peace."

"Abigail, let's forget the past and have a good talk."

"Abigail..."

No matter what Paul said, Abigail went about placing flowers and cleaning the tomb for her mom.

After she finished, she turned around and walked away without even looking at the two people behind her.

When Carmella saw that Abigail acted like they didn't exist, her face, all done up with makeup, twisted in anger.

Who did this bitch think she was, acting so high and mighty?!

As Abigail walked by, Carmella grabbed her wrist hard, like she was trying to dig into her skin.

"Abigail, don't you want your mom's things?"

Abigail stopped in her tracks.

Carmella grinned smugly. "If you want your mom's things, you gotta come home with us!"

The rain was pouring down harder and harder.

Abigail stood in front of the familiar villa, her pretty face tense, and she looked standoffish.

It was such a cold, creepy place.

Five years ago, she came here, crying her eyes out, to ask them for money to treat her mom, but all she got was a deal that sold her out.

She never thought she'd be back here five years later.

"Abby, it's a bit chilly. Have some hot coffee."

As soon as Abigail walked in, Paul told the servant to bring her some coffee, acting like the perfect dad.

Perfect dad?

Abigail let out a cold, bitter laugh.

When her mom was pregnant, Paul was out cheating.

After she was born, her mom got sick, and that jerk forced her mom to divorce him when she was only eight.

Her mom left with nothing, and without money to take care of her, she had to stay with the Arnold family.

Less than a month after the divorce, Paul married his new wife, Leanne Winton, and brought home a girl who was only three months younger than Abigail.

Leanne never liked Abigail. For the little girl back then, getting cold shoulders, bad food, and beatings were part of daily life.

But Paul pretended not to see.

After her mom passed away, Abigail cut all ties with this cold-hearted family.

"So, what do you want from me?" she asked coldly.

They went through all this trouble to get her back home and were acting all fake and nice. It was obvious they wanted something from her.

"Dad, stop wasting your breath," Carmella said bluntly.

"Abigail, let's get straight to the point. We'll let you come back to our family and be one of us again, but there's one condition."

She looked down on Abigail with a scornful gaze, like she were nothing but trash.

"If you say yes, we'll let you marry Mr. Jameson as an Arnold. It'll be a decent match."

Abigail looked surprised. "Matthew?" Andrew's real dad?

"You've got to be kidding."

Carmella laughed when she heard Abigail mention Matthew. "You think you're good enough for Matthew? It's his dad, Mark!"

Because of Andrew, Abigail already knew a lot about the Jameson family.

Mark Jameson, Matthew's dad, was an old guy in his sixties.

After his wife died two years ago, he started chasing women even more than his own son.

They wanted her to sleep with Matthew and then his dad? How low could they go?!

Abigail wanted to grab her mom's things and get out of there. She didn't want to deal with them anymore.

"Forget it. Give me my mom's stuff."

Carmella jumped in with a mean-spirited comment.

"Abigail, stop pretending! Five years ago, you were willing to sleep with a stranger for 35,000 dollars. Now, if you marry Mark, you'll have all the money you want. There's no way you'd turn that down!"

She knew that Trevor promised to marry her because "she" saved him five years ago.

But it was Abigail who saved him back then.

Carmella couldn't let anyone mess up her life now!

If Abigail married Mark, even if Trevor found out the truth later, he'd never want Abigail back!

Five years ago...

Abigail's hand clenched up without her even thinking about it.

If it hadn't been for her mom's severe illness five years ago, she would never have ended up selling herself like that!

"I don't need the money," she said, her voice cold.

Carmella looked her up and down. Seeing she wasn't wearing anything fancy or expensive, she didn't buy it.

"Don't be so tough. You know the Jameson family pretty well, don't you?"

Abigail sneered, "You're always talking about the Jameson family. If you like them so much, why don't you marry into it yourself?"

Seeing they weren't gonna give her mom's things, she figured there was no point in arguing.

She was cool with it. It'd be nice to get her mom's things back, but if she couldn't, she wasn't gonna stress herself out over it.

"If that's all, I'm outta here," she said, turning to leave.

Carmella hurriedly stepped forward and grabbed Abigail's wrist.

Her voice was sharp and mean.

"Abigail, don't regret it once you walk out that door! You didn't even finish college. What can you do? Be a waitress? A bar girl? Or a whore?"

Abigail clenched her fists. "Sorry to burst your bubble, but I didn't end up the way you thought. I'm the chief designer at Furstemerg Designs now. I don't need the money."

"Chief designer? Lisa?" Carmella looked at her, her voice going up a bit.

"Yeah," Abigail said, kind of surprised that her name was so well-known that even Carmella had heard of her.

Hearing this, Carmella burst into laughter, her face dripping with sarcasm.

"Abigail, even if you want to brag, you don't have to make up such a crazy story, do you? Lisa is in her forties, experienced and skilled. You can't compare yourself to her."

Lisa was in her forties?

Abigail frowned but didn't want to say more. "Believe it or not," she said, and then she hurried away.

The rain was still pouring. When she stepped out, a cold wind hit her.

She pulled her coat closer and ran into the rain.

She couldn't stand being there for another second!

When Abigail got back to her own home and opened the door, a warm blast of air greeted her.

She took off her coat and hung it up. Andrew was sitting on the sofa, playing on the laptop.

When he heard her come in, he quickly shut it down and looked like he had been caught doing something wrong.

Abigail slipped on her slippers and walked over to Andrew with a grin. "What are you hiding from me?"

Andrew was clutching the laptop, his big, clear eyes looking innocent. "It's my little secret. Even you can't know."

Seeing how anxious he looked, Abigail let out a faint smile without saying more.

"It's getting late. Time for you to go to bed. No more laptop."

She found that whenever she got home and saw Andrew, her bad mood lifted right away.

He was really her little angel.

The next morning, Abigail shook off all the annoying stuff from yesterday.

Just as she was about to clean the room, her phone rang.

It was a number she didn't recognize.

She thought for a second, but she answered it anyway.

"Is this Ms. Lisa?" The guy on the other end of the line sounded young and friendly.

Abigail glanced at her phone. It was her work number, so she answered, "Yeah, this is me. Who's this?"

"Matthew Jameson, the general manager of Jameson Apparel. We've been wanting to work with you. I heard you're back in the country. Got time to meet up?"

Matthew's voice was polite and smooth, like he was a nice guy.

Everyone knew Lisa was planning to team up with the Gordon family.

All the fashion companies had heard about it and were trying to get in on the deal. The Jameson family didn't want to miss out either.

Matthew had gone through a lot to get Lisa's number. He finally got it from Carmella, and now he owed her a big favor.

As Abigail listened to him, if she hadn't looked into him before, she might have thought he was as good as he sounded.

Just as she was about to say no, Andrew came out of the room, looked up at her, and said, "Mommy, I'm hungry."

She paused.

Andrew had always wanted to meet his dad, and maybe this was the chance.

Abigail lowered her eyes and thought for a bit, then said, "Alright, let's meet at the cafe in Abelion Mall at 3 p.m. today."

After setting the time and place, she hung up.

On the other end of the line, Matthew was holding his phone, his eyes wide with surprise.

He had called on a shot in the dark, and he never thought Lisa would say yes so easily!

He smiled, his face lit up with happiness.

If he pulled this off, even his dad would have to give him some respect.

Meanwhile, Abigail was trying to get Andrew to eat.

"I've made some breakfast. Andrew, hurry up and eat," Abigail said, putting her phone down on the sofa and taking Andrew to the table.

"Mommy, who were you talking to just now?" Andrew asked, looking up at her with a puzzled expression.

"Your dad," Abigail replied.

"Trevor?" Andrew's face brightened a little.

Abigail was totally baffled. How did Andrew remember Trevor's name like that?

She didn't want to see that arrogant guy ever again in her life.

"He's not your dad. Don't get the wrong idea. Your real dad is Matthew!"

Andrew pouted and grumbled, "A playboy like him couldn't be my dad! Someone as loyal, smart, and nice as me couldn't have come from him!"

"People always say sons look like their moms. You probably got that from me," Abigail said, tapping Andrew's chubby cheek.

She needed to get Andrew to see the truth quickly, so he'd stop thinking about Trevor.

Just thinking about him gave her the creeps.

"I'm too smart to be like you!" Andrew declared, sure of himself.

Abigail was left speechless.

Was Andrew saying she wasn't smart?

In the afternoon.

Andrew didn't want to go, but Abigail pulled him into the car.

On the way, she warned him, "I'm letting you meet him, so don't go saying anything silly."

"I'm not gonna call him Daddy," Andrew murmured, looking unhappy. He leaned against the window, staring intently outside.

Abigail drove to Abelion Mall and got out of the car with Andrew.

The cafe wasn't busy in the afternoon.

Abigail looked around and quickly spotted the man sitting in the corner.

She took Andrew over. Even though she knew it was Matthew, she still asked, "Excuse me, are you Mr. Matthew Jameson?"

Matthew looked at the lady in front of him.

She was wearing a beige coat, with wavy hair and a touch of makeup. She looked fresh and nice.

She had a gentle smile, and her eyes were clear and beautiful. Matthew felt his heart skip a beat.

But when he saw the kid next to her, his eyes seemed to grow more intense. "You're Abigail?"

Abigail was surprised that Matthew knew her, and she couldn't help but look at him a bit longer.

He looked good, even better than in his photos. With sharp eyebrows, a cute nose, and charming eyes, he looked like one of those pretty guys straight out of romance stories.

"You know me?" Abigail asked, kind of confused.

Carmella wouldn't have told Matthew anything from five years ago.

Matthew's eyes had a bit of sarcasm in them. "Of course. You're Carmella's sister."

Hearing his mocking tone, Abigail couldn't remember ever doing anything to upset him.

Before she could say anything, Matthew continued, "I heard you're gonna marry my dad. So, you're bringing a little boy along? Wanna give me a younger sibling right away?"

A flicker of disdain crossed his eyes.

According to Carmella, Abigail was after Mark's money, trying to marry him as a second wife.

Matthew hated women who were so greedy and only cared about status.

Hearing this, Abigail finally got why he was so unfriendly to her.

But she wasn't going to admit to something that wasn't true.

"You must be mistaken. I never wanted to marry your dad," she said, her smile gone.

"I'm here to talk about a potential partnership."

Matthew's eyes narrowed a bit, and he looked even more skeptical. "Partnership? You're Lisa?"

He had heard from Carmella that morning that Abigail was so full of herself and delusional that she claimed to be Lisa.

He didn't believe it at first, but she actually had the audacity to make things up off the top of her head!

"Yeah," Abigail said. She had barely settled Andrew down when she heard a sneer from up front.

"Hahaha, just like Carmella said, you really are delusional."

Abigail frowned. "If I weren't Lisa, how would I know we were supposed to meet today?"

"You're still pretending. I don't know how you found out about my meeting with Ms. Lisa, but could you at least get your facts straight? Ms. Lisa is in her forties. If you're gonna pretend, at least do it right!"

Matthew looked at Abigail, his mouth twisting into a sarcastic smile.

"Everyone in the business knew Lisa's age. It was something the boss of Furstemerg Designs had mentioned."

But this silly woman didn't know that, and she was trying to pass herself off as Lisa.

"Carmella was right. You're given into vanity, making up lies to put on a show."

Matthew was kind of upset about Abigail marrying his dad.

Now, as she kept lying like that, he felt even more grossed out.

Seeing his attitude, Abigail said coldly, "Mr. Jameson, I don't think we need to talk about anything else. With how you're acting, Furstemerg Designs won't work with your family."

Furstemerg Designs teamed up with the Gordon Group to grow in the domestic market.

She had planned to partner with a few famous domestic brands, and Jameson Apparel was on the list. But now, it seemed like that wasn't gonna happen.

"Hahaha, you're really good at pretending. There's no way someone as superficial as you could be Lisa. For Carmella's sake, I'll let it slide," Matthew said, looking down on Abigail.

Before Abigail could say anything, Andrew, who was standing next to her, couldn't take it anymore and spoke up for her.

"My mommy is Lisa, and she's not into all that show-off stuff!"

He turned to Abigail, holding two of her fingers with his little hand. "Mommy, let's go home. This guy isn't worth our time."

"You sure are a love child. Even your son is an unruly bastard!"

Abigail didn't want to deal with Matthew, but when he insulted Andrew, she stopped in her tracks.

Even if Andrew was his son, she wasn't gonna let him talk about Andrew like that!

"Mr. Jameson, watch your words. How could you talk to a kid like that? Is that how you were raised?"

Looking at the man in front of her, she continued, "We're not that close, and whatever you think you know about me is from what others told you.

"I've never done anything to you, but you won't let it go. Is this how you treat people?"

Her words made Matthew's face turn red, then pale. He pointed at her and demanded, "If you weren't so vain, why would you pretend to be Lisa?"

Abigail didn't feel like explaining. She picked up Andrew and walked away without looking back, saying, "Whether I'm Lisa or not, you'll see for yourself at the Year-End Party of Furstemerg Designs in a week."

By then, someone would prove her identity.

With that, she hurried away.

Andrew snuggled up in her arms. Once they were out of the cafe, he looked up and said, "Mommy, don't be mad. That guy isn't worth it."

He knew Abigail was upset because Matthew had called him a bastard.

He was even more sure now that Matthew, who was so mean, couldn't be his daddy!

Over the past few days, he had looked up a lot of information on Trevor.

Trevor was the executive director of the Gordon Group, with a lot of power. The most important thing was that he looked really good, and Andrew liked his appearance a lot. He was sure that he was his daddy!

He remembered Abigail saying that Trevor was going to the Year-End Party of Furstemerg Designs.

He would show Abigail that his daddy was none other than Trevor!