Chapter 7

James was in a complete panic. He immediately scooped Sophia up in his arms and rushed toward the exit.

"Emily, consider yourself lucky this time. Once you're healed, we'll settle both old and new scores."

James threw out this warning and hurried away.

Emily was totally confused.

She had backed down again and again, yet James and Sophia still treated her like this. Did they really think she was someone they could just push around?

Once she recovered, she would settle both old and new scores with them too.

That same day, James came to settle accounts with Emily, carrying Eli in his arms with Sophia by his side.

Eli nestled in James's embrace, his little arms wrapped around James's neck, glancing timidly at Emily.

Emily watched this scene, thinking to herself how Eli was just like his mother Sophia—both were excellent at acting and pretending.

"Dad, Mom, don't be mad at Emily. Emily is injured and in a bad mood. It's only right that I do something for her."

Sophia choked back tears as she protested: "Eli, what do you mean 'only right'? You're only four years old. How could you go buy things for Emily?"

"Even if Emily wanted something, she could have just called or ordered delivery. But because she doesn't like me, she deliberately made things difficult for you."

Seeing Sophia's eyes turn red, Eli immediately tried to comfort her.

"Mom, don't cry. Eli isn't upset. As long as Emily is happy, Eli will do anything."

Sophia buried her face and cried softly. James stared coldly at Emily, his voice full of accusation.

"Emily, the Smith family has so many chefs and housekeepers. If you wanted cake, couldn't you have called them? Why did you have to make Eli go buy it for you?"

"Do you have any conscience at all? Eli is so small—how would he know the way? He was lost for so long, and his phone watch died. If he hadn't met a kind person, he... he..."

James got angrier as he spoke, his eyes bloodshot. After saying so much, Emily's expression remained completely unchanged.

He handed the child to Sophia, his voice even colder than before.

"Emily, since you show no remorse, I'll teach you a proper lesson today!"

James shouted and slapped Emily hard across the face.

Emily's left cheek swelled up instantly.

It hurt.

The pain was numbing.

Yet her broken heart seemed to find a moment of relief from this slap.

She stared coldly at James, saying nothing, yet somehow saying everything.

James felt a twinge of regret, but unwilling to admit it, he warned Emily again harshly.

"Emily, a woman like you shouldn't have children. You don't deserve to be a mother!"

"For the rest of your life, I'll make you wish you were dead!"

Emily suddenly burst into laughter: "Hahaha... hahahaha..."

James and Sophia were baffled by her laughter. James assumed Emily regretted what she'd done to Eli and was using self-mocking laughter to mask her inner pain.

Sophia thought this was Emily's tragic laughter after complete despair—that Emily knew she had lost, which was why she laughed so miserably.

However, this was only the beginning.

She rested her head on James's shoulder and raised her eyebrows provocatively at Emily.

Emily laughed even louder. These two people were truly disgusting. She hoped they'd stay together forever and never appear before her again.

She had already found a divorce lawyer and would go through the divorce proceedings with James soon.

Once she got the divorce certificate, if they dared to show up in front of her again, she would definitely fight back tooth for tooth. She wouldn't be polite with them anymore.

But James and Sophia didn't think this way.

Sophia spoke to Emily with choking tears yet self-righteousness.

"Emily, I once considered you my best friend. I never imagined you would harm me again and again. From now on, you're no longer my friend."

"What you did to Eli this time, I'll let it go for the sake of our years of friendship. But if you ever lay a hand on my child again, I will never forgive you."

Because of Sophia's kindness, James felt even more guilty.

He glanced coldly at Emily and said something extremely cruel in a casual tone.

"Emily, you treated my son this way. Sophia is kind and generous enough not to hold it against you, but as a father, I must stand up for my son."

"You won't be attending this family banquet. No point in embarrassing yourself."

Sophia was both surprised and delighted. When James wasn't looking, she secretly flashed Emily a triumphant smile.

Emily didn't take it to heart.

If this were before, she would have been very upset, constantly wondering what she had done wrong to make James angry enough not to take her to the family banquet.

But now none of this could hurt her anymore.

She had never wanted to attend the Smith family banquets anyway.

She only went to save James's face and maintain his dignity.

But at those family banquets, she was bullied by the Smith family members, and James never stood by her side. Each time he just told her to be patient.

She used to think she had to endure it because her poor health prevented her from having children.

But now she knew that these five years were all part of a script arranged by James. Humiliations she never should have endured were deliberately inflicted on her because of James's arrangements.

She closed her eyes indifferently, no longer looking at this disgusting couple.

The Smith family banquet.

James attended the family banquet in a custom-tailored suit, with Sophia in a pink princess dress by his side.

The Smith family members praised Sophia endlessly, warmly expressing their affection for her.

During a bathroom break, Sophia deliberately posted on social media, showing off her happiness.

In the photos, Sophia smiled brightly, surrounded by Smith family members who looked cheerful and warm.

These were scenes Emily had never experienced in her five years of marriage to James.

She gripped her phone tightly, no longer looking at these images that were painful enough to pierce her heart.

Unexpectedly, Sophia sent her more photos and videos. The videos were full of Smith family members putting her down while praising Sophia.

They said:

"What can Emily accomplish? If she hadn't shamelessly climbed into bed with James when he was drunk, could she have married him?"

"Emily used underhanded methods and can't even have children. She's nowhere near as good as Sophia."

"Sophia, you're a thousand times better than that fake saint Emily. Once you marry James, we'll take you out to have fun."

...

There were many more comments like these. Emily didn't listen to the end.

She took several deep breaths before suppressing the sourness and bitterness in her heart.

The Smith family valued heritage and cared deeply about heirs. Having failed to get pregnant in five years of marriage to James, she knew very well she had no status in the Smith family.

She had seen through the Smith family's true nature and thought she would no longer be hurt by them.

But hearing those condescending words still made her heart ache to the point of suffocation.

She wanted to leave as soon as possible and never have anything to do with the Smith family or Sophia again, but Bianca still hadn't returned her money.

Just as she thought this, she received a bank notification on her phone.

Before she could check the message, she received a call from Bianca.

"Emily, your money and belongings have been returned to you. You must leave tonight."

"Okay." That suited her just fine.