"For the past fifteen years while you were missing, it was Ava Parker who filially served your parents and cared for your husband and children. How can you suspect her so vilely!" Sandra Rivers grabbed Claire's hair and slapped her again.

Claire Rivers felt a searing pain on her scalp, and the corner of her mouth bled from the slap.

But instead of flinching, she clung to Sandra's leg, trembling all over as she pleaded her,

"Mom, she admitted herself that she and someone else sold me!"

"Despicable woman! Running away with someone else and then accusing Arthur of selling you, an ingrate!"

Sandra trembled with anger, and slapped her again, her face distorted with resentment.

It was as if she wasn't striking her own daughter, but her enemy.

Claire, knocked to the ground, closed her eyes, tears flowing out in pain.

Looking up again, she directed her gaze towards her husband, Arthur Cooper, her tear-filled eyes filled with plea,

"Arthur, do you also not believe me?"

Arthur stood aloof and disappointed from a distance.

It was as if the woman on the floor wasn't his wife of many years, but a stranger with no relations to him,

"I did believe you originally, but you shouldn't have blamed Ava by accusing her.

She is a very kind woman.

"For all these years, without her helping you take care of us, this family would have fallen apart long ago."

His words pierced Claire's heart like a dagger, a sting that kept on gnawing.

Every breath she took felt like a gush of bleeding agony. Who could still trust her?

Claire looked longingly at the children whom she had borne for nine months and brought into this world with every bit of her strength, hoping to earn a shred of their trust,

"I didn't lie..."

But to her dismay, Mark and Olivia fought to break away from her hold. Disgust filled Mark's voice as he said,

"You're not my mother. My mother is Ava! Please don't harm her, or I won't hold back!"

Olivia was even more distant, "I also request that you stop disturbing our family."

Claire's eyes turned bloodshot, biting her lip to withstand the pain, trying to find a hint of remorse or affection in their faces, all in vain.

The tight tension that had always strung her finally snapped, all the sorrow, despair, and anger erupted in that moment.

Seeing all their faces, a wave of nausea hit her hard. She could not stop heaving as if she was trying to throw up all that was within her. Coughing violently, tears streamed down her face.

She should have never nurtured any illusions, thinking that after all the hardship she endured to come back, they would sympathize with her and help her take revenge on Ava.

Ava, despite being in her forties, still bore a youthful, gentle beauty. She asked, worried and anxious at seeing Claire in such a state,

"Mom, could Claire be... Could she be pregnant?"

Sandra's face turned ashen. "What a shameless wretch! Why didn't she just die outside!"

Seeing Claire not utter a word, Sandra thought she was still reluctant to get rid of the illegitimate child in her belly, and in anger, kicked her numerous times.

Not long after, the morning quietness returned.

Frowning, Sandra looked down full of disgust at the person hunched on the ground. "She passed out?"

Felix, Claire's brother, quickly fetched a bucket of cold water and walked towards Claire.

"Mother, stand back. Let's make her wake up properly!"

All because of her, their family had become a laughing stock, and Ava had suffered so much humiliation.

The cold water woke Claire up from her lethargy, and an uncontrollable chill numbed her limbs.

"Claire, you must abort the bastard in your belly!

And don't you dare ruin the life of Ava's family, or you won’t even think about stepping half a foot into this family again!"

Arthur and the twins remained silent, their silence is their choice and answer.

Claire’s expression was icy cold, a mocking smile pulling at the corner of her mouth, which appeared to be scornful of everyone present.

Such parents, such a husband, such children... if Ava wants them, take them!

She doesn’t want them anymore!

Claire staggered to her feet, her drenched clothes still trickling with water.

She did not look at anyone, and with a resolute expression, she walked out.

Sandra was livid at her dismissive attitude,

"Stop, you still have to apologize to Ava, or else I will no longer recognize you as my heartless and ungrateful daughter!"

Claire did not stop, nor did she give her a glance, leaving her and her insults behind.

Upon leaving the classy villa, the cold wind blew harshly onto Claire's damp body.

The deep chilling coldness bizarrely brought about a soberness that came after numbness.

From this moment on, Claire had no relatives, and she would not return to see any of them.

Ava came running after her with a jacket in hand, her feeble voice echoed,

"Claire, don’t leave, come back with me..."

Claire turned a deaf ear to her pleas, but unexpectedly, Ava grabbed her hand and the feeble expression in her eyes vanished, tearing open to reveal vicious malice.

"Why are you running? I’m not done playing with you yet!"

Claire shook off her hand, expressing her disdain, "What do you still want to do!"

Ava scoffed, "I want to see you scroll in despair, I want to see you kneel and beg me like a dog!

To see you forever dirty and lowly, unable to change your pathetic situation!"

Claire looked at her with a mocking smile and cursed without hiding her ill intentions, "Evil cannot go unpunished, you will get your comeuppance!"

A strange smirk surfaced on Ava's face as she sarcastically retorted,

"Retribution? Do you know why Arthur was absent from the wedding feast?

It's because he was with me. The thug who deflowered you on your wedding night, I hired him.

And aren't you curious why your mother has always been nicer to me since we were young?

Because Sandra is my biological mother, and Paula Parker is your biological mother, our identities got switched at birth!"

Claire clenched her fists tightly, her shocked face turned deathly pale. She felt like the world was playing a huge joke on her.

Seeing Claire in such agony, Ava felt an immense sense of joy. With more malice surfacing in her eyes, she stared at Claire with contempt, her expression twisted:

"You are nothing but a bastard child from your mother's affair!

If it weren't for your mom's seductive looks, managing to seduce my Luke,

My mother wouldn't have drunk so much out of anger while she was pregnant!

As a result, I was born with a congenital heart disease and can't even have a child for the rest of my life!

Even the man I have was used by you!"

Ava heard some people coming out of the villa to look for her. A strange smile curled up at the corner of her mouth, and her face contorted with murderous intent, looking like a hideous ghost.

"Claire! It's all because of you and your mother's debt to me!"

Having said that, she forcefully pushed Claire off the curb.

"Go to hell, Claire!"

Claire was astoundingly pushed out, despite her life's failures, she still didn't want to die, especially not at the hands of Ava!

But she had lost control of her body, flung into mid-air by the speeding truck that hit her and ruthlessly smashed onto the ground!

She was in so much pain... Every bone in her body seemed to have shattered, with bright red blood spreading beneath her like a stream slowly trickling out.

In her dizzy vision, she saw all the people from the Cooper's villa emerging. She saw Ava being held in Arthur's arms.

"Don't be scared, I saw everything, it's not your fault. She bullied you first.

You accidentally pushed her out. You didn't know a car would hit her at this time."

Sandra only glanced in Claire's direction before angrily declaring:

"We all saw it. She wanted to harm you, so you pushed her out by accident. She had it coming; her death is no great loss!"

...

Claire also saw the child she had given birth to, huddling around Ava, showing her concern.

She saw the maliciously triumphant smile Ava had when she looked over.

Tears of blood streamed down Claire's face...