"I will strip Rita of everything I hold dear. Then she'll finally wipe that smug, condescending smirk off her face for good!" Sadie vowed silently as she left Rita's residence.Instead of heading home, Sadie made a beeline for the Parrs' residence with her face still bearing the marks of Rita's slap. She wanted to talk to Sherman.Meanwhile, Sherman had yet to return home after informing his parents of his decision. Simona was troubled by her son's decision and had come to the company to talk to him. They were already together in his office."I've been thinking, and I realize I've been too harsh on you. Perhaps we should discuss this with the family..." Simona began, feeling uneasy about the situation. Marriage was a serious matter, and she did not want her son to rush into it. Pushing the girl seemed like a rather unnecessary decision.However, Sherman remained indifferent. "If their family is so eager to marry into ours, then go ahead and let them do so. Whatever happens after th
"Oh, dear..." Simona exclaimed, noticing the slap mark on Sadie's face. "What happened to you? Did someone slap you? Why haven't you tended to yourself?"Simona hated seeing someone else injured, and it was in her instinct to reach out and check Sadie's face. Sadie, however, was unaware of Simona's true identity and recoiled impatiently."Don't touch me," Sadie snapped.Sherman then stopped Simona and said, "You should head home and rest, Mom. Don't worry so much over this whole thing."Upon learning of Simona's identity, Sadie's demeanor changed, and her eyes lit up. She greeted her amiably. "Hi there, Auntie. I'm glad I came here while you're still around. There are some things I wish to discuss with Sherman today."Simona became curious. "And what might that be?" The sense of familiarity that Sadie seemed to show toward Sherman surprised her, as she had no idea her son had such a close acquaintance.Meanwhile, Sherman felt uneasy with how casually Sadie addressed him by his na
"You know I only have your son's best interests at heart! How can you say something like that to me?" Sadie erupted in anger and yelled at Simona.Even Sherman was taken aback by the scene. He shielded his mother and said, "I warned you not to cause a scene here. If you have a problem, you can take them up with your family,"Sherman then swiftly called his secretary through the intercom. "Lucy—"Sadie, however, continued her tirade. "I'm doing this for your own good! Why can't you understand that? Why are you so fixated on Rita? She must've put a spell on you or something! She's only pretending to be nice for the sake of getting closer to you! You were supposed to be a cautious man, but you still ended up falling for her trap! Can't you see the truth? What do you even see in her?"Sadie remained immersed in her self-righteous feelings of love. In her eyes, Sherman was a pitiful man blinded by love, and the object of his affection was none other than that wretched Rita.Lucy, as Sh
Rita pushed open the door to Vince's study. A loud bang was heard, but he remained seated at his desk and barely even looked up at her."You're old enough to know what proper manners are. What happened to the courtesy of knocking on the door before coming in?" Vince chided.Rita approached her father and slammed her hands on his desk as she confronted him. "What are you trying to achieve, Dad? I already explained that Sherman saved me, and he's already given you his explanation as well. Why are you threatening him with that video when nothing is going on between us?""If that's true, then my threats wouldn't have held any weight," Vince countered. "You're too naive. You see him through rose-colored glasses, but that doesn't change the fact that he's still a man. I understand men better than you do."Rita felt a pang of disgust at her father's words. "I may not understand men, but I understand my friend. He's not that kind of person at all, and I won't just stand by while my father
"Don't you know that those are all just baseless rumors spread by other people? I simply want the people I care about to see me for who I am. Why do you place so much importance on the opinions of those who barely know you? Why do you act like they're such a significant part of your life? You've always been too concerned with keeping up appearances.""This isn't just about keeping up appearances. I'm worried about you! Like it or not, I've already reached out to his family, and they've already agreed to the marriage. All you have to do is wait. You should know that I've gone through a lot of trouble to get to this point. You don't have a choice right now. Besides, you should also consider whether Sherman would agree to you rejecting him.""You're a manipulator, Dad! How could you stoop so low? This isn't the kind of thing a father should do. Do you genuinely care about my happiness and future, or are you more concerned about the Russells' future and the capital from the Parrs? If the
"He doesn't have any feelings for you. I've just confirmed it! This is all just a facade for him to deal with his family. Once he obtains the evidence he needs, he'll file for a divorce. I hate to break it to you, but there's no hope for you in this situation. You and I are both women, so I know very well how you feel about him."Rita did not know where Sadie had just come back from, but hearing her assert that there was no future between her and Sherman made her feel deeply wounded. Still, she continued to maintain her composure."Is that so? If there is no future between him and me, does that mean there is one for you and him? You seem to have it all figured out, but do you truly see yourself as a part of your family? Listen up, Sadie Parr. If I'm not good enough for him, then you're even more unworthy of him."Karen frowned and reprimanded Rita, "Why are you talking to your sister like that? We've been a family for many years, and there's no reason to make such hurtful comments.
Rita tried to console herself this way, but her tears just would not stop. Just the thought of Sherman looking at her with such indifference, as if she were something dirty, pained her deeply.She never expected anything more than friendship with Sherman, but she never imagined that her father's actions would make any possibility between them impossible. Even their friendship was forcibly stripped away, leaving Rita feeling bitter.She could partly understand her father's intentions. The situation with the family business was dire, or he would not have impulsively threatened the Parr family with the videotape. Nonetheless, his actions were incredibly foolish. The entire Russell family could cease to exist if Sherman were to truly get angry.At that moment, Rita was unaware that Vince did all that for the sake of his unborn son. She still naively believed that her father's actions were partly out of love for her and concern for her future.Having just been discharged from the hospit
"The reason you're so weak right now is because you've been running around too much outside. You might as well take this time at home to rest properly," Vince suggested.Rita nodded and quietly ate her breakfast.Vince looked at her and felt that his daughter had grown up. Perhaps she could understand his intentions.Little did he know that she was already planning to search the study for evidence once he was out of the house.With only Vince having a job, the atmosphere at the table changed completely once he left. Rita did not say a word but subtly moved her seat further away from Karen."Hey, weren't you sitting close to me? Why the sudden change?" Karen remarked.Rita replied with a smile, "Oh, I'm afraid my negative energy might affect the baby in your belly."She remembered Karen saying something similar when she initially tried to get close to her. Karen had said Rita brought back luck, and that supposedly caused her mother's death. Rita had kept that in mind for a long t