Chapter 3

Tara was caught off guard for a moment. She approached me slowly and fixed her gaze on me. "What did you say? Are you Preston's boss?"

I met her eyes fearlessly and nodded. "Yes, I am—"

She cut me off with raucous laughter. Pressing a hand on her stomach, she cackled. "Oh, that's hilarious! You must have lost your mind after I gave you a good beating!

"Wake up and look in the mirror! A woman like you can't claim you're the CEO of Harlan Group!"

Scanning me from head to toe with disdain, she snapped, "Yeah, I know the CEO of Harlan Group is a woman, but… you? Hahaha!"

That day, I was dressed in a quiet luxury tailored outfit with no obvious logos. I wasn't wearing any jewelry or clutching a luxury bag.

Tara snorted. "Lie to yourself if you like, but don't do that to others."

Carrying a look of contempt, Tara made her way to Emma.

"Don't touch my daughter!" My mind was buzzing. I tried to rush to Emma's help, but Tara's lackeys pinned me down.

"Emma, run!" I cried.

Emma looked at me hesitantly. She didn't move, just stayed right by the teacher. She held Ms. Bloom's hand and asked, "Ms. Bloom, is my mommy a bad woman who breaks families?"

My body froze when I heard the words from her mouth.

Was "Ms. Bloom" Tara's friend?

Rosie Bloom tenderly caressed Emma's head. However, her words dripped with venom. "Yes. Your mommy is a bad woman. If you're a good girl, go give her a kick now."

Emma's eyes took on a look of determination. She let go of Rosie's hand and approached me. Unease filled the pit of my stomach.

When Emma was before me, I forced a smile. "Emma, stand behind me. I'll protect you."

Emma did not wait for me to finish before she kicked me on the knee. "You're not my mom! You're a bad woman!"

Tara threw her head back from laughter while praising my daughter for doing the right thing. I stared squarely at Tara as my heart broke into pieces. Why did Emma, my baby, who I'd lovingly raised, behave like this? She was just a five-year-old!

Seeing red, I charged at Tara and Rosie to beat them up, but Tara's lackeys held me back.

My last strand of sanity snapped when Emma blurted out, "Mommy, you make me feel embarrassed."

Mustering all my energy, I freed myself and rushed over to Tara, hitting and clawing at her.

The police arrived at the time, and we were brought to the police station for questioning.

"Sir, this is a private matter. As Preston Whitmore's legal wife, I am in my right to beat up his mistress. This is none of your business." Even at the police station, Tara acted like a bully. "She hit me, by the way. Lock her up!"

The policeman stared at the bruises and scratches all over my body before turning to Tara, who suffered some scratches on her face. He warned her, "This is a police station, not your home. Shut your mouth now."

Tara pouted and scoffed.

The policeman asked me some questions. I told him that Tara showed up and started beating me up for no reason.

During my questioning, Preston arrived at the scene belatedly. Tara's eyes lit up when she saw her husband. Feeling aggrieved, she barked, "You guys are done for! My husband's here! He's currently in a partnership with Harlan Group."

The first thing Preston saw upon setting foot in the police station was me. His face fell. "Why are you here?"