“Amora, please clean the floor in corridor four later!”
A middle-aged woman called her subordinate, who was arranging some food in a display case. The young woman, dressed in a store clerk's uniform and named Amora Lysander, turned her head.
“A kid spilled their drink earlier,” the woman continued. She was Della Houston, the manager of WW Mart, where Amora worked.
“Sure, Mrs. Houston. I’ll head there right after this,” Amora replied.
Della then continued to check other areas of the store for product completeness, cleanliness, and operational efficiency.
A tired sigh escaped Amora’s lips. She had been working since five in the morning and hadn’t had a chance to take a sip of water. The convenience store she worked at was open 24 hours a day. Located in a busy area, it wasn’t surprising that many customers came to shop there.
Despite her exhaustion, Amora couldn’t complain. Her
“Look, the stain is getting bigger!”The schoolgirl snatched her shoe from Amora’s hand, her face twisted in anger. Amora knew the girl was just looking for a reason to cause trouble.Amora didn’t understand why the girl was targeting her, but she decided to handle the situation calmly. She didn’t want to get riled up by this arrogant teenager.Amora sighed deeply. She acknowledged that the stain on the girl’s shoe had spread because she had rubbed it earlier.“If you want compensation, I can’t afford it,” Amora admitted. She took the shoe back from the girl and continued, “But if you give me some time, I can clean it at home later.”The girl looked frustrated, but she couldn’t push Amora any further with all the other customers watching her.The whispers from the onlookers about her behavior started to make her uncomfortable. Amora was willing to take responsibility, an
"Sorry, I'm a bit late."Amora had just arrived at her son's school. She entered the teachers' lounge, where she saw Rayden's homeroom teacher sitting with a woman who looked elite from head to toe.Unlike Amora, who arrived looking disheveled from dust and sweat clinging to her body. However, she still smiled confidently."It's okay, ma'am. Please have a seat."Daisy Miller, Rayden Lysander's homeroom teacher, invited Amora to sit with her. She then explained the issue involving the two students to the two women sitting in front of her in the room."That's the story, Mrs. Lysander. I've heard that Rayden started the fight," Daisy said, having received this information from her students.She didn't know that all these lies were born from the pressure Benjamin exerted on his classmates every day. Of course, Daisy was also pressured by Benjamin's biological mother before Amora arrived in the room.After listening to the homeroom teacher
“Showing off?”Amora chuckled softly at Lisa's remark. Lisa was taken aback by Amora's response to her arrogance.Amora knew that since she was cast out by her grandfather, she was nobody and had no right to show off in front of Lisa Taylor. Her entire life changed once she was deemed a disgrace to the Lysander family name.Unfortunately, Lisa underestimated her.Amora Lysander was no longer the naive girl who cried over her fate. She had become a resilient woman, ready to face any storm head-on. She did it all for her precious child, whom she always protected.The stain and humiliation she endured seven years ago profoundly changed her life. Amora had fallen deeply into despair, once considering ending her life due to the shame and mockery from the Lysander family and her social circle.But that pain paled in comparison to watching the man she loved marry her cousin.Amora's calm eyes gradually sharpened, making Lisa's ar
Amora's eyes narrowed sharply. She couldn't believe Lisa would casually expose her disgrace like this. She knew that woman was deliberately attacking her weakness with harsh words, unfiltered from her thick lips.Amora wasn't surprised at all by Lisa's words. Given their family history, it wasn't shocking that Lisa knew her disgrace.Even though her grandfather had tried his best to cover it up, a disgrace is still a disgrace. It was always prime fodder for gossip like Lisa. Without investigating, Amora was sure someone within the Lysander family had spread her disgrace without her grandfather's knowledge.Lisa thought Amora would be provoked by her words, but Amora had no intention of denying it."Why? The cat has your tongue now, huh? You should be aware of your place, Amora. You're no longer the Lysander family's prized young lady. Giving birth to a bastard child isn't something to be proud of," Lisa continued with a mocking tone.Before Amora c
“Mom, is your face okay?”Amora paused as she was fastening her son’s helmet. She could see the worry in her son’s eyes.His little hand gently touched Amora’s reddened right cheek. Not wanting to worry him, Amora gave him a broad smile.“I am fine, Ray. It doesn’t hurt at all. It seems like you’re in more pain than me,” Amora said, cupping her son’s face in both hands.Her heart ached to see the bruises and scratches on her beloved son’s face. “How dare those kids hurt my handsome boy. I should have taught them a harder lesson,” she muttered.Amora inspected Rayden’s knees and arms, her chest tightening when she found a bruise on his elbow. "Does it hurt, Ray?" she asked anxiously.Rayden didn’t answer; his head hung low. He looked very remorseful for involving his mother and causing her to be slapped by Benjamin’s mother.“I’m sorry, Mo
“Does Dad not want Ray anymore? Is that why he hasn’t come back?”Rayden’s question caught Amora off guard. It had been a long time since Rayden last asked about his father’s whereabouts.In the past, Amora had concocted a story about Rayden’s father, claiming he was busy working in a distant country.She told this lie to give her son peace of mind. Amora planned to tell him the truth when Rayden grew older.But a lie is still a lie. Amora had to keep coming up with new excuses until Rayden eventually stopped asking about his father."Why... why would you suddenly think that?" Amora asked, panic creeping into her voice."If Dad really cared about me, shouldn't he still come to see me and Mom no matter how busy he is?" Rayden mumbled, his face downcast with sadness.“Ray—”“Ray knows Mom’s lying,” Rayden interrupted, catching Amora off guard, "Ray doesn't have a dad at all, right?"Amora’s eyes grew wide. She was complete
"You're getting bigger now, Ray. You can take care of your mom. I'm proud of you."Noel Ritter gave Rayden a gentle pat on the head. He praised Amora's son, who had just received medical treatment from him.A while ago, Noel had heard from Amora about Rayden's condition and the reason why Rayden resorted to physical violence and got hurt. As a doctor who had been taking care of Rayden since he was little, Noel thought that Rayden's actions were too reckless.The violence Rayden committed couldn't be justified because it didn't take his health into account. However, the reason behind the violence made Noel quite proud of him.Noel had seen Rayden's growth since he was in the womb and felt that his thoughts were more mature than the other kids his age. Even though Rayden was only six years old, he understood the importance of protecting his mother's reputation."But hitting someone isn't good, Ray. It doesn't just hurt others; it hurts you too," Noel
"I would never dare betray you, Young Master."Regis Lorenzo's face darkened as he listened to the young man kneeling before him. Despite the evidence, the young man refused to admit his wrongdoing.Regis possessed unquestionable evidence of this employee's embezzlement at his Royal Dragon subsidiary.A month ago, during a surprise inspection at one of his supermarkets, Regis noticed discrepancies in the sales reports handed to him.He immediately tasked his right-hand man, Mark Carter, to find someone to act as a spy in the investigation. They uncovered manipulated data, and the culprit was Dennis Baker, an employee who had worked with Regis for quite some time.“Is your salary as the head manager at the supermarket not enough to cover your living expenses?” Regis inquired coldly.Regis was furious. He kicked Dennis's face to the side with his sharp dress shoe, then threw the spy's report at Dennis.Regis couldn't forgive Dennis's misconduct. For the past five years, Dennis has met al